Paschall's picks: Vols will escape emotional Mizzou

Bret Bielema of Arkansas is the only Southeastern Conference football coach who has his team playing better since facing Alabama.
Bret Bielema of Arkansas is the only Southeastern Conference football coach who has his team playing better since facing Alabama.

Of the seven Southeastern Conference football teams that have faced Alabama this season, only Arkansas seems to be playing better since colliding with the Crimson Tide.

Georgia, Texas A&M and LSU were undefeated before facing Alabama, but each of those teams got thumped and lost the following week as well. The Bulldogs and Aggies were top-10 teams when they faced Alabama but are no longer ranked, while LSU is heading in the wrong direction as well.

Other picks

› Florida 35, Fla. Atlantic 10› So. Carolina 28, The Citadel 21› Kentucky 31, Charlotte 14› UNC 33, Virginia Tech 22› Miami 20, Georgia Tech 17› N.C. State 32, Syracuse 19› Duke 20, Virginia 17› Clemson 38, Wake Forest 13› Pittsburgh 23, Louisville 20› Notre Dame 20, Boston Coll. 9› MTSU 49, North Texas 6› Memphis 24, Temple 17› Iowa 35, Purdue 18› Ohio St. 24, Michigan St. 15› Baylor 37, Oklahoma State 28› Oklahoma 38, TCU 31› Stanford 31, California 24

Arkansas has won four straight since losing 27-14 in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 10, including triumphs the past two weekends at Ole Miss and LSU.

"Our players, our coaches, our fans and myself left that game pissed," Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. "We weren't happy that we lost it. We're not into participation ribbons anymore or trying to stay close. We had a lead at halftime and lost the game, and that probably carried into our bye week."

And that's when Bielema touched on something.

If so many SEC teams are struggling to regroup the week after facing Alabama, why not seek an open date following that game?

Texas A&M, Tennessee and LSU each had open dates before playing the Tide, and in 2010 Alabama faced six league foes coming off open dates.

"We went into Alabama on our sixth straight week of games," Bielema said. "We knew that back in the spring, and we said then that when we went there, we needed to be at our strongest. I don't worry too much about trying to negotiate where that bye week is. The conference doesn't ask us, and you've got to play the cards you're dealt, but I get where you're coming from.

"We always do say this - when you play us, we want you to feel us on Saturday, but you might feel us Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the week after as well."

That has certainly been the case when it comes to facing Alabama this season, with only Tennessee avoiding a next-week hangover with its 52-21 rout of Kentucky.

"There are things in this league that maybe you don't like - people, recruiting battles, personalities and all that stuff," Bielema said, "but Alabama has my genuine respect for what they've accomplished and what they will accomplish. They're unprecedented in what they do and how they approach it."

Pasquali's Pix:

LSU at Ole Miss: In two weeks, Les Miles has gone from having the No. 2 team in the playoff rankings to reportedly coaching for his job. Rebels 27, Tigers 25.

Charleston Southern at Alabama: The Buccaneers and Crimson Tide are each 9-1, but this is one of those games where you can throw out the records. Tide 45, Bucs 10.

UTC at Florida State: Jacob Huesman (997) and Derrick Craine (966) could attain 1,000-yard rushing seasons Saturday, something FSU's Dalvin Cook (1,369) accomplished a while back. Seminoles 38, Mocs 9.

Idaho at Auburn: Downing Paul Petrino's Vandals to attain bowl eligibility was not in Auburn's preseason script. Tigers 30, Vandals 13.

Mississippi State at Arkansas: The Razorbacks are becoming quite the annual November beast. Razorbacks 26, Bullies 24.

Georgia Southern at Georgia: The Eagles have yet to attempt 100 passes this season. Bulldogs 27, Eagles 10.

Tennessee at Missouri: The Volunteers have lost four games by a combined 17 points to teams that are a combined 33-7. Vols 24, Tigers 17.

Texas A&M at Vanderbilt: This game looks a whole lot closer than it did a month ago. Aggies 19, Commodores 14.

Last week:

Winners20

Neyland turf chunks5

Pasquali is 213-62 overall (77.5 percent) this season.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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