SEC CENTER STAGEWhat: Georgia vs. FloridaWhen: Saturday at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.Time: 3:30 p.m. EDTTV/Radio: CBS/107.9 AMLine: Georgia by 21/2Series: Georgia leads 47-39-2Georgia wins if ... : Justin Houston and Aaron Murray continue their strong showings. Houston leads the SEC in sacks and if he can get to John Brantley, the Florida offense will continue to struggle. If Murray handles his emotions and protects the ball, the Georgia offense will be fine against a Gators defense that is young and athletic. Murray, the redshirt freshman from Tampa, has been solid bordering on spectacular in his first season as a starter. Since the return of A.J. Green, Murray and the Georgia offense has been among the league's bestFlorida wins if ... : The Gators can reverse an inexplicable trend of a lack of big plays from their offense. Florida has just six runs of 20 or more yards - and one was a fake punt. Getting Jeff Demps healthy will help. Getting Chris Rainey out of police timeout will help. But the big difference will only come when the Gators and quarterback John Brantley start seeing eye-to-eye. Is this the week that happens, and if not now will it ever? Something says it's this week.Prediction: Florida 31, Georgia 27
SEC BLITZ
ITEMS OF INTEREST
1. From this point forward, this spot is reserved for "Cam I am."
Cam Newton, the Auburn quarterback, has become part Heisman front-runner, part All-American, part mythological legend and part comic book hero. Last week, he rushed for 217 yards against the SEC's top defense. What does this week hold? Who knows, but who would dare miss watching him? Plus, the guy has moved into rarified Jack Bauer- or Chuck Norris-type legendary status complete with a list of overblown Internet statements. Stuff like, "Superman wears Cam Newton pajamas," and "When the bogeyman goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Cam Newton." Which leads us to...
2. Can Auburn avoid the one-and-done?
No this is not about Newton, who may head to the NFL after one season in Auburn. It's not about his teammate Nick Fairley, the Tigers junior who appears destined for the draft after zooming up scouts' boards because of his All-America level play. No, Auburn faces Ole Miss on Saturday with hopes of becoming the first team this year to hold the top spot in the BCS poll for more than a week. Ohio State was the first BCS No. 1 and lost the following Saturday. Then Oklahoma followed suit. Now it's up to Auburn. The Tigers are ranked No. 3 in the AP poll and are 13-0 all-time as a ranked team against the Rebels. Of course, they are 0-0 all-time against the Rebel Black Bears, but that's neither here nor there.
3. It may get ugly in Columbia - especially in the second half.
The Tennessee Vols stood toe-to-toe with Oregon and Alabama for two quarters before the Ducks and the Tide steamrolled the paper-thin Vols. UT fought LSU for the full 60 minutes and fell short in extra time. If UT is going to get its first SEC win of the Derek Dooley era, the defense will have to put together a complete game, and People magazine has more depth than the UT defense. This South Carolina offense may be among the league's most balanced now that freshman running back Marcus Lattimore is 100 percent. Plus, let's not forget that Alshon Jeffery - a certified superstar receiver - is the kid former UT coach Lane Kiffin allegedly told he'd pump gas for a living if he went to South Carolina. Kiffin's the gift that keeps on giving.
4. Which Wildcats wild cast will show in Starkville?
Two of the league's bigger pleasant surprises meet when Kentucky visits Mississippi State. And each coach - UK's Joker Phillips and MSU's Dan Mullen - would be front-runners for coach of the year honors if not for Gene Chizik's and Auburn's rise to the top of college football. That said, the Bulldogs already are bowl eligible and looking for more. "It's a one-week season for us," Mullen said about the Bulldogs, who have an open date next weekend. For UK, a win Saturday could be a spring to big things with schedule in November that is less than difficult.
5. Sorry, Coach, he looks good to go.
When told that Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett was recovered from a concussion and a shoulder injury, Vandy coach Robbie Caldwell did not mince words. "Dern. I don't wish him any bad, but I was hoping he would stay out another week," Caldwell said in his thick Southern slang. Caldwell and Co. have bigger issues than Mallett - like the VU offense, which has scored seven total points in the last two weeks and changed offensive coordinators this week, giving play-calling duties to Dez Kitchens. "We wanted to see if we couldn't get some offense drummed up," Caldwell said. "Everybody in our coaches room has been a coordinator except Dez Kitchens." Maybe now's not the best time to play nice and make sure everyone's had a turn, huh, Coach?
Saturday's college football tv schedule
There's a lot going on this weekend, for sure. Halloween is here. There are festivals everywhere. But this may be the best overall schedule of games this season. It's packed from the start on - and that's not counting the big UTC game at Finley. Enjoy and remember, the complete schedule of sports on the air is on page D2:
Oklahoma State at Kansas State, Fox Sports, noon
Strange start time for a Big 12 game - the kickoff will be at 11 a.m. local time - and the offensive-minded Cowboys are facing an all-too-familiar problem in today's sports world: the suspension of a team's top player. OSU wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who was among the leaders in about every receiving category, will be watching this one after being arrested for DUI earlier this week. The 20th-ranked Cowboys better be on upset alert in this one.
Tennessee at South Carolina, WDSI, 12:21
Call the SEC Blitz a glutton for punishment, but these Vols are fun to watch. They are good-football fun for a half; they are staring-at-a-car-wreck fun after that. This one figures to be no different, and if South Carolina's stars - Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffery, et al - are not enough, their backups such as Brian Maddox (146 rushing yards last week) and Tori Gurley (14 catches last week) are emerging as playmakers, too.
Tulsa at Notre Dame, NBC, 2:30
Not unlike the Vols, the Irish are difficult not to watch, if only to see how far they've fallen. Considering the recent run - seriously, Navy took them to the woodshed last week - and their bundle of injuries, the Irish need a get-well game like this.
Florida vs. Georgia, CBS, 3:30
It's flipping channels and looking for angles until this one gets going. Just think back to the good ol' days of college football when the Vols and the Irish were powerhouses and the Gators and Bulldogs met in the Gator Bowl at the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." I know what you're thinking, "Zip it, old man," but listen up whippersnapper, I'd walk 5 miles in the snow to a tailgate party for those days. Did I mention uphill? Both ways? The Florida-Georgia game should be fierce, but if it gets out of hand, there's always...
Missouri at Nebraska, ESPN, 3:30
Upset alert No. 1. The Tigers rolled unbeaten Oklahoma last week and now head to Lincoln to face one of the best defenses in college football. And if you don't like the big SEC game on at this time or this big Big 12 game on at this time, let's try the...
Michigan State at Iowa, ABC, 3:30
Upset alert No. 2. Sparty has been living by the skin of his shield (remember the fake field goal that became a touchdown to escape Notre Dame?) so far this year. This is the big Big Ten game on at the 3:30 p.m. time slot. So before supper, you are going to have the answer for which team is the front-runner to... Win the SEC East, win the Big 12 North and win the Big Ten.
Auburn at Mississippi, ESPN2, 6
Upset alert No. 3. The Tigers have been a one-man wrecking crew and that one man - Cameron Newton - has been enough to zoom to the top of the BCS standings. Couple of things stick out here: 1. Ole Miss has trotted out a new cheer for its defense. Get this it's the crowd yelling, "Oooooooooooooo," for Ole Miss. I know, you can only expect greatness from the people who brought you the Rebel Black Bear, which edged the Rebel Land Shark and the Rebel Hotty Toddy. 2. Ole Miss is selling standing-room only tickets for this showdown, which means the crowd believes the Rebel Black Shark Toddies can win or there are just a lot of people in Mississippi who want to see Newton play. 3. This feels a lot like a trap game for Auburn, which rushed for 440 yards in a win over then No. 6-ranked LSU last week and faces hard-charging UTC next Saturday. OK, sarcasm aside, the Rebels offense and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will have success against an average-at-best Auburn defense. If Newton is Newton, the Tigers should be fine, but if he has an off night, Auburn's dream season ends in Oxford.
Kentucky at Mississippi State, ESPNU, 7
Say what you want about the SEC fans that talk nonstop about how tough their league is. It gets old, I know. But watch this game and know that each of these teams would challenge for league titles this year in just about any conference in the country - and each of these teams are traditionally among the "have-nots" in the SEC.
Oregon at USC, ABC, 8
Upset alert No. 4. The hype for this game started early this week when USC quarterback Matt Barkley tweeted something or another about the Ducks and how it's on and ended it with, "Lezgo." A few points here: 1. I'm sure his coach bent his ear about having class and letting your play do your talking and about, you know acting like a man. Never mind, Lane Kiffin's still out there, right? OK, well... 2. The Ducks are better than the Trojans. They run the spread - and run it well - and everyone around these parts remembers how Grandpa Kiffin struggled against the spread. And if that's not enough, we get to see which out-and-out awful uniform Oregon trots out. I'm hoping for the Fighting Highlighter look myself. Lezgo.