Paschall: Rebels seek rare streak at Auburn

Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt has proven to be pretty good at beating his former team after the Rebels disposed of Arkansas last year and last week.

Now he's facing a former offensive coordinator.

The Rebels travel this week to Auburn, which has Gus Malzahn running the offense under Gene Chizik. Malzahn worked under Nutt in 2006, when the Razorbacks won the SEC West, but the two abruptly parted ways and haven't spoken since.

"We're facing Auburn, a very good team, and we know how fast they came out of the gate at 5-0," Nutt said Wednesday. "We know they have good athletes there, and we're not looking at it as going against Gus as much as going against a good Auburn team."

The once high-flying Tigers have managed one offensive touchdown each of the past two weeks, with the one at LSU last Saturday occurring with three seconds to play.

"I think every game is important to Gus," Chizik said. "He's preparing the same way and coaching it the way he always does."

Pasquali's Pix:

North Carolina at Virginia Tech: Wasn't it about this time last year when UNC's Butch Davis was the replacement name most often mentioned should Tennessee fire Phillip Fulmer? Hokies 31, Tar Heels 10.

Ole Miss at Auburn: The Rebels, who defeated the Tigers 17-7 last year in Oxford, haven't won consecutive games against Auburn since 1950-52. Rebels 24, Tigers 19.

Western Carolina at UTC: This matchup was formerly known as the Southern Conference's seventh-place game. Mocs 17, Catamounts 10.

Florida vs. Georgia: The open date will benefit the Bulldogs, but there still is the matter of how their offense will move the ball on the nation's No. 1 defense. Gators 20, Bulldogs 17.

Miss. State at Kentucky: In a stat that has absolutely no bearing on the outcome whatsoever, Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is 31 years older than MSU's Dan Mullen. Wildcats 23, Bullies 20.

Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt: The Yellow Jackets could finish this season with three more SEC wins than the Commodores. Jackets 34, 'Dores 17.

South Carolina at Tennessee: This has been the SEC's closest annual series of the decade statistically, with the average Vols-Gamecocks game being decided by 7.44 points. Vols 13, Gamecocks 10.

Southern Cal at Oregon: A win by the Ducks would bolster their Rose Bowl chances as well as Boise State's argument to play in the BCS title game. Ducks 28, Trojans 23.

Last week:

Winners...................22

Reprimands...............3

Pasquali is 153-47 overall (76.5 percent) this season.

OTHER PICKS

Arkansas 52, Eastern Michigan 9

LSU 45, Tulane 14

Boston College 20, Central Michigan 17

Clemson 41, Coastal Carolina 6

Virginia 27, Duke 23

Florida State 28, N.C. State 21

Miami 24, Wake Forest 22

MTSU 17, Florida Atlantic 14

Texas 24, Oklahoma State 13

Cincinnati 27, Syracuse 16

Iowa 28, Indiana 7

Penn State 33, Northwestern 24

TCU 42, UNLV 17

Boise State 48, San Jose State 16

Notre Dame 33, Wash. State 10

Ohio State 38, New Mexico State 7

Oklahoma 37, Kansas State 13