Finally a week off from the buy-a-win games, at least for some teams they were, with some decent SEC games on the schedule.
Last week ended up with a good week of guessing, going 10-2 and stand 32-6 on the season.
While pondering the long drive to Auburn tomorrow and then the long drive home Sunday, here are this week's picks.
Arkansas at Auburn
Altitude got the Hogs against Colorado State and maybe attitudes hurt against North Texas. The Tigers are going to be ticked off after losing to LSU and Gus Malzahn's friendship with Chad Morris won't matter. Auburn 49-24
UNLV at Arkansas State
The Rebels will try to control the clock with a good running game that averages 346.7 yards highlighted by Lexington Thomas and Armani Rogers, who both average more than 100 yards per game. All of that sounds good, as does the record of 2-1 but the Rebels lost to 1-2 USC, beat 0-3 UTEP (which owns the longest losing streak in the FBS at 15) and beat 1-3 Prairie View. The Red Wolves, 2-1, have had a much tougher schedule because any schedule that includes Alabama is tough. ASU has a balanced offense that keeps defenses off balance. Arkansas State 35-17
Texas A&M at Alabama
No one has to tell Jimbo Fisher about the Crimson Tide, or the fact that he is only one of two coaches who will face No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson this season (Bobby Petrino is the other). Bama is a well-oiled machine that can beat you any way it pleases. The only thing Nick Saban doesn't seem to have, at least until the fourth quarter, is a cruise control. Alabama 38-24
Florida at Tennessee
In the Vols' first test, West Virginia, they lost. They cruised through East Tennessee and UTEP (maybe Arkansas should schedule the Miners) and now face a team with a ton of question marks after losing to Kentucky, but getting well against Colorado State. This one seems even, maybe an edge to Gators in coaching and Vols have home-field advantage. Too bad there are no ties in college football. Florida 28-27
Georgia at Missouri
The Tigers have one of the nation's top quarterbacks in Drew Lock, but they haven't flirted with a giant like the Bulldogs this season. The 'Dawgs won their only other road game at feisty South Carolina. Georgia 35-27
Mississippi State at Kentucky
The Wildcats are 3-0 and Mark Stoops is off the hot seat. They will have a good game plan, but the Bulldogs don't seem to have had any drop off after Dan Mullen bolted to Florida. Winning at Kansas State was easy, and this won't be quite that easy, but Nick Fitzgerald is a great quarterback who isn't fazed by anything. Mississippi State 31-17
Louisiana Tech at LSU
The Bulldogs have done exactly what they needed to do to win their first two easily and then got a week off to prepare for the Tigers. The biggest challenge for Ed Orgeron, besides being articulate, is getting his team focused after a win at Auburn. Lou Holtz predicted a Tech win, but he's Bulldogs' head coach Skip Holtz's dad. LSU 35-21
Kent State at Ole Miss
Holtz and Nick Saban graduated from Kent State, but they won't be on the sidelines. Golden Flashes are coming off a 63-10 loss to Penn State and the Rebels were crushed by Bama, but that's not uncommon. Ole Miss 31-14
South Carolina at Vanderbilt
Who would have thought this would be a tough pick? The Commodores opened with two easy wins and then played Notre Dame off their feet. The Gamecocks were manhandled by Georgia earlier at home. Going with the upset. Vanderbilt 27-24
Sports on 09/21/2018