Last week was another reminder about the joys of the college football regular season. Every week is a postseason round; every game is a playoff game.
So it goes, and while last week was our worst against the number – 2-4 is never good, and in some circles may mean a trip to the pawn shop before Tuesday – we’re back for more today. In fact, despite last week’s stumbles, we’re 10-10 against the spread in the last three weeks.
Yes, that’s just good enough to lose the juice, but it’s way better than dwelling on 2-4.
Anyway, here we go.
(Last week’s guesses: 3-3 straight up, 2-4 against the spread.)
Ole Miss at Arkansas
12:21 p.m. at Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Ark.
TV: WDSI
Breakdown: Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has suffered no ill effects from last week’s concussion against Auburn. The Razorbacks defense, though, may still be feeling some aftershocks of the whiplash that happened when Auburn hung 65 points on them. That said, Ole Miss is improving and Jeremiah Masoli is good, but he ain’t no Cam Newton. Heck, Cam Newton is barely Cam Newton.
Line: Arkansas minus 9 1/2
Pick: Arkansas, 42-27
LSU at Auburn
3:30 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala.
TV/Radio: CBS (WDEF)/1370 AM
Breakdown: Let’s examine the scenarios. If the game is a shootout, that favors Auburn and its quarterback, old Who’s-his-boots. If the game is tight and down to the wire, it’s hard to go against LSU’s Magical Mad Hatter, coach Les Miles, who has notched wins in improbable ways all season. LSU has a win after the opposing team dropped a winning touchdown pass in the end zone. It has a win by scoring a touchdown on an untimed down after the opposing team had 13 guys on the field on the last play. It has a win after scoring in the final minute on a drive that was extended by a successful fake field-goal attempt on a bounced lateral to the kicker. “I prefer to be lucky, that’s met with earnest preparation and hard work,” Miles said. “Those guys that get lucky, I think they work hard. I enjoy being lucky and I hope that continues.” He’ll need everything in his large hat of tricks today.
Line: Auburn minus 6
Pick: Auburn, 34-20
Alabama at Tennessee
7 p.m. at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville
TV/Radio: ESPN/106.5, 97.3 & 99.7 FM
Breakdown: This is not a good matchup for the host Volunteers, but we thought that earlier this month against LSU and last year against Alabama, and each of those games was decided on a controversial final play by less than a field goal. Call it a hunch, but the lackluster Alabama offense gets well tonight – something along the lines of 20 or so carries each for Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram and each running back surpassing to the 100-yard mark.
Line: Alabama minus 16 1/2
Pick: Alabama, 37-10
Georgia at Kentucky
7:30 p.m. at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Ky.
TV/Radio: CSS/107.9
Breakdown: Much has been made about Georgia’s defensive resurgence, and we’ll get to see if it’s improved play or weaker competition tonight in Lexington. The Wildcats had No. 4-ranked Auburn on the ropes and beat then No. 10-ranked South Carolina in the last two weeks. Now comes Georgia, which will count on redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray against UK’s SEC-leading pass defense. Everything points to Kentucky, right? But the Bulldogs are a four-point pick, and if experience tells us anything it’s that those guys that set point spreads know more than the people who look at point spreads.
Line: Georgia minus 4
Pick: Georgia, 37-31
UAB at Mississippi State
7 p.m. at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Miss.
TV/Radio: ESPNU
Breakdown: The Bulldogs become bowl-eligible today against a Blazers team that is not overly impressive despite scaring the orange out of the Vols last month in Knoxville. Mississippi State is ranked for the first time since 2001 after winning at Florida last week, but this has the feel of a big-time letdown game for Dan Mullen’s team. The Bulldogs will control the game, but too many field goals and not enough touchdowns make the points look desirable.
Line: Mississippi State minus 20
Pick: Mississippi State, 31-14
South Carolina at Vanderbilt
7 p.m. at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville
TV: Fox Sports South
Breakdown: Marcus Lattimore, the stud South Carolina freshman running back, missed the second half of last week’s disappointing loss to Kentucky. His status for today’s game is uncertain, but he almost certainly will not be at 100 percent. Doesn’t matter. Vandy is Vandy, and to make matters worse, if a Steve Spurrier-coached team loses to Kentucky and Vandy in back-to-back weeks, then we all need to get our estates in order, because that has to be one of the signs of the apocalypse, right?
Line: South Carolina minus 12
Pick: South Carolina, 30-9