SEC Week 12 Preview

Two weeks ago, there was a chance that this weekend would be loaded with SEC games that would help decide the final four for CFP. Georgia was struck down by a mix of a dumb rule and blunt honesty from the best skill player in the country. The Dawgs [sans Gurley] looked like many on Frat Beach at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, aimless and flustered.* Auburn got jumped all over, made one of the best comebacks we will see all year and fumbled it away. Twice. That leaves us with what will probably be the best game all season, which we will get to shortly. However, there are other games with varying levels of importance that we must talk about first.

South Carolina v Florida
Why is this game listed first? To me, it's the most interesting game of the week outside of Tuscaloosa. The gamecocks have NFL talent and are terribly mediocre. It's as if Steve Spurrier died and Al Groh is just Weekend at Bernies-ing the old ball coach. Groh would totally luck into Mike Bobo forgetting he had Todd Gurley and then lose to Kentucky.

As for the Gators, they are at full Muschamp. If you watched taped games of the 2014 Gators, one would assume they were all from different coaching eras. Zook against UK (3 OT win, making the easy one look really hard), Spurrier versus the Vols (who else enjoys beating them more?) and Urban versus the Dawgs. What era will we see against South Carolina? Doug Dickey? Maybe more Zook? Let's go with Spurrier. UF 24, USC 10.

Kentucky v Tennessee
The two worst defenses in the SEC, outside of Nashville, face-off in must wins for both teams. Tennessee needs to win two of its' last three games to gain bowl eligibility. One of those games is versus Missouri. That's not one they can really bank on winning. Kentucky has five wins and two games left, UT and Louisville. While the Cardinals should be weaker with their QB out with an injury, they should have no issue beating their in-state rival. Both teams need this game. However, only one has Josh Dobbs and only one has given up 169 points in the last four games. The latter is Kentucky, the former will be the victor. UT 42, UK 35.

Missouri v Texas A&M
The (other, other) Tigers have the easiest schedule in the SEC this year. They get to play in the weakest SEC East in decades and this is their first game against the west (there other being against Arkansas). Had they not blown a game against Indiana, they would still have a shot at the CFP. Despite getting their doors blown off by UGA and by all statistical measures being a fairly average team. Now, in November, they finally venture west. Against a team who cannot pass against a zone. And a defense who has given up an average of 46.4 points to teams with a pulse ranked teams. Mizzou has a pulse but they shouldn't be anywhere near the top 25. A&M should continue to surprise, despite the bad defense and Kenny Trill's inability to read the defense. This loss will put the SEC race back into Georgia's hands. And with Gurley back, they may just spoil the SEC's chances at their ninth straight trip to the title game and an eighth title in nine years. A&M 48, Mizzou 24

LSU v Arkansas
The Hogs haven't won an SEC game since October 13, 2012, when they beat Kentucky 49 to 7 under John L. Smith. They won two SEC games that season. Meaning, they've gone 2-17 since Bobby Petrino crashed his motorcycle. And while the Hogs are only winless in the league because of the division it plays in, this isn't the weekend where that streak ends. LSU is just too good for the Hogs and Mizzou will be the streak ender. LSU 24, Ark 14.

Auburn v Georgia
As I mentioned earlier, the Tigers are recovering from an absolutely brutal loss. One they managed to fumble away, not once but twice. Georgia on the otherhand is celebrating the return of their best player since Herschel Walker. I like Georgia to win this border war. Afterall, they already blew their shot at a national championship. This is when Richt's teams play their best. UGA 38, AU 35

Mississippi State v Alabama
The SEC needs Alabama need to win this game, both teams to win out and TCU or Baylor to drop a game. It's their only chance of having two teams in the CFP, something the SEC West deserves by just being head-and-shoulders better than everyone else. However, what will likely happen. Alabama loses this weekend,knocking them out of the race. Mississippi State loses to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl and then lets Todd Gurley run all over them in Atlanta. The SEC would be a victim of its' own awesomeness, cannibalizing itself out of the final four.

Given that grim outlook, I really have no idea what will happen in this game. Alabama has been very hard to read this season. Last week, they waited almost four quarters to decide to play offense against LSU. And if not for a terrible kick-off, they'd be out of the CFP race. Against A&M, they made us all wonder how they ever lost. Eviscerating the Aggies in every facet of the game and making them look more like an FCS squad than a top 25 team. Now, I'm not sure if Kiffin has a little bit of Bobo in him or if Saban really is tempering the offense. But the play-calling seems to avoid the best receiver in football for extended periods of the game. That's a total Bobo move. Get Cooper the GD ball and watch the Tide roll.

As for Mississippi State, at times they seem to be destined for greatness. And others, they seem to be the same old team who sat at the bottom of the SEC almost annually. But they have something Bama doesn't. And it'll sound very cliche but I'm not sure there is any other way to explain it. They have a quarterback in Dak Prescott who just seems to want it more than everyone else. He's got that same aura that Cam Newton and Tim Tebow had before him. With a defense as good as the Bulldogs', you cannot give Dak a chance to win a game. After watching that gif, I'll take the cowbells. MSU 17, Bama 13.

*We [non-Gator fans] should all be thankful for this loss by the Dawgs. That game should all but guarantee Muschamp is back as the head coach in the Swamp next season. That's a win for everyone.

LCB Picks: SEC & VA Games of the Week

SEC
(3) USC v (9) LSU @ 8:00 on :
LSU is still over-ranked. They have good weapons on offense, a stout defense but horrible leadership at QB. Until that changes, the Tigers will be overmatched against the top of the SEC. With the Tiger offense sputtering, Lattimore will see the ball plenty; a perfect mix for a Gamecock win. USC 24, LSU 10.

The rest of SEC:
There are actually quite a few quality games in the SEC this week. However, they either feature teams with disappointing records or teams that are ranked too high (see: Texas A&M). Alabama rolls over Missou. Florida faces off against the SEC's most disappointing team, Vandy. The Gators should win easily. Auburn v Ole Miss and Kentucky v Arkansas, make two great pillow fights; I'll take the Rebs and Hogs. Tennessee travels to Starkville to play ranked and unbeaten Miss. State. A team who should have lost by now, but have yet to be tested (SEC wins include Arkansas and UK). I like the Vols in the apparent upset. Lastly is (22) Texas A&M and (23) Louisiana Tech, a game that features one of the best offenses in the south (it's also the best in the WAC). I like La. Tech to take the win, as I don't see the Aggies being able to keep pace with the quick hitting offense of the Techsters.

VA
Villanova v (3) ODU @ 3:30 on Monarch Media: 
It's homecoming today in Norfolk. Supposedly, ODU has one of the best homecomings in the country, according to this site I'd never heard of before seeing this ranking. Eh, we'll take it. The ODU defense has struggled mightily this season. However, I believe it's directly related to how quick the ODU offense scores, leaving the defense little time to recover on the sidelines. I don't see this game changing that much. ODU will score early, often and win. However, in the second half, the defense will falter a bit when they hit the wall, making this game closer than it should be. ODU 49, Villanova 38.

The rest of VA:
Both Virginia schools in the ACC have been huge disappointments and until they improve their play, highlighting their games is just a waste of time. VT plays the much-improved Duke Blue Devils. It's a game they should win, but will they? For Beamer's sake, I hope so. This is starting to resemble the Volunteers downfall that ultimately led to the firing of Fulmer. As for UVA, I have made it no secret that I think London took long to start Sims. Instead of taking his lumps against the OOC teams, he's doing it against conference rivals that are clicking on all-cylinders. UVA should start to play better on offense but at this point, the rest of the season should be about preparing for next year. (4) JMU and W&M face off. The Dukes should win this one handily. The rest of VA's FCS squads aren't really worth noting at this point.

LCB Picks: SEC and VA Games of the Week

SEC
Missouri v (7) South Carolina @ 3:30 on CBS:
Their is a slew of terrible games in the SEC this weekend. The Vandy-Georgia game could be and was expected to be good, but all signs point to the Dores returning to mediocrity and cruise-control for the Dawgs. Florida hosts the awful Kentucky Wildcats. It's a game they could overlook and lose but they'd have to overlook a ton to lose to this terrible excuse for an SEC team. Tennessee hosts the Akron Zips, moving the Vols to 3-1. This will surely reignite the fans hope for the season, only for them to fall flat on their face in Athens next week. Tyler Wilson returns for the Hogs to face-off against Rutgers, should be a real barnburner. For some reason, Ole Miss travels to Tulane. LSU travels to Alabama to stomp Auburn. FAU gets the treat of traveling to Tuscaloosa to be destroyed by Bama. Mississippi State and Texas A&M host South Alabama (transitioning FCS) and South Carolina State (FCS HBCU). Overall, just an awful slate. That leaves us with Missou traveling to Columbia. The Tigers are a good team. In most conferences, they would push for the conference title. However, they don't have the depth needed to keep pace for four quarters in the SEC. Marcus Lattimore has a big game, Jadaveon Clowney gets a couple sacks and Columbia rejoices. USC-E 31, Missou 17.

VA
(18) New Hampshire v (5) ODU @ 12:00 on CSN:
I don't know much about New Hampshire. The school is in Durham, NH, the mascot is the Wildcat, Dan Kreider played there, they are a perennial playoff team, they run the spread, they have a balanced attack and a decent defense. I also know that their 600-mile trip to Norfolk will be an unpleasant one. Coach Dee has the defense of ODU headed in the right direction, as the once-porous unit has not allowed a single point in either the first or third quarter through the first three games. If they can just keep the Wildcat offense out of the endzone a couple of drives, they'll give the nation's leading passer, Taylor Heinicke, all the space he needs to move the Monarchs to 4-0. I like the Monarchs to create a couple turnovers, win the game and continue Heinicke's Walter Payton campaign. ODU 45, UNH 28.

Elsewhere in the Commonwealth:
Virginia goes to Fort Worth to take on Casey Paschall and the #17 Horned Frogs. While this is a big game for the Cavaliers, Michael Rocco is still starting, turning this game into a must-watch to a probable blow-out. After their upsetting loss to Pitt, VT tries to rebound at Lane against Bowling Green. It should be a slaughter. I say "should be" because they should have beaten Pitt, a team who lost to Youngstown State. JMU makes the trip Kingston to play CAA cellar dweller Rhode Island. Liberty ends their OOC slate with Lehigh, a good team, for the Patriot League. Liberty gets the W, their first of the season. W&M hosts Delaware, a team that should move their record to 0-4. The Tribe troubles come from an inability to score caused by a bad QB and unimaginative play-calling. Lastly, Richmond moves to 3-1 with their trip to the Georgia Dome with a win over the mighty and future-SBC Georgia State Panthers.

LCB Picks: SEC and VA Games of the Week

SEC

(18) Florida v (23) Tennessee @6:00 on ESPN:
Texas plays Ole Miss, but that'll be a blood bath which will make the less enlightened believe the Big 12 and SEC are comparable when they aren't even playing the same game. Alabama and Arkansas are also playing. And while the game has been great of recent, Knile Davis is scared to hit the hole and Tyler Wilson is banged up. Alabama rolls.

The only game that really matters this weekend in the SEC has Tennessee playing host to the Gators. This game will decide who keeps their job and who returns to coordinator duties next season. Muschamp, while having a respectable record, isn't living up to the impossible standard set by Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier. Dooley's seat has been hot since he sat in it. However, thankfully, Dooley has been able to find gems at the wide receiver spot via transfers. Denarius Moore was the first and now he has unearthed Cordarelle Patterson. He has the ability to score every time the ball comes within feet of him while also dragging the safeties towards his position, leaving superstar Justin Hunter and Zach Rogers with limited coverage. The deep ball is the big threat and if the Gators can't stop it, there is now way they'll keep up in the scoring column. I don't see them stopping it. The streak ends with the first Volunteer win over UF since 2004. UT 42, UF 17.

Virginia
William & Mary v (15)* Towson @12:00 on NBC Sports Network:
The Tribe brings a good defense, a bad quarterback, over-the-top expectations and a loss against NEC and no-schollie requirement Lafayette. The Tigers are coming into the game with confidence from their first CAA championship in their history on the back of talented running back Terrance West. They also come in fresh, having taken last week off after an opening week battle against FBS Kent State. Towson uses their break to their advantage, edging the Tribe at home 27-14.

(5)* James Madison v (9)West Virginia @4:30 on Root Sports:
Mickey Matthews' team will pound the ball and play tough defense in order to shorten the game in any way possible; it won't be enough. Geno and the Mountaineers are just too much for any FCS team. The only chance the Dukes have is if the Mountaineers replicate the Oakland Raiders of Monday night and lose their starting long snapper, get a couple kicks blocked and get taken advantage of on defense. The likelihood of that happening is not very good. WVU 52, JMU 17.

Around the rest of VA:
(13) Virginia Tech plays Pitt, in what should be an awful display of offense. However, Tech will reign and remain among the unbeaten for at least another week. UVA will make the mistake of starting Michael Rocco one more week, this time against the Paul Johnson's Yellow Jackets. It could be a good game but until UVA beats a ranked team or benches Rocco, they'll just be another mediocre ACC team. Norfolk State begins it's MEAC slate with Howard. And while behind in academics, they should blow the Bills away on the field. Hampton will get it's first win of the season against FAMU. Liberty tries to bounce back after it's loss against the Green and Gold with a game against FCS power Montana. It doesn't work. Richmond plays VMI, in order to guarantee at least one win against an FCS Virginia foe for the season. (4) ODU plays host to Campbell, where they will test themselves against the triple option and destroy another ill-equipped out of conference foe. ODU rolls.

*FCS rankings

LCB Picks: SEC & VA Games of the Week

Editors Note: I'm back, picking the best games on the SEC and Virginia D-1 slate. Sorry for missing last week, times are crazy. Work, school, wedding prep and three dogs make free-time a commodity.

SEC Games of the Week

(24) Florida v Texas A&M @3:30 on ESPN:
One of the LCGs best friends is an A&M grad. We had dinner the other night and talked about the upcoming season. She is extremely happy about their move to the SEC. She is even prouder of her school. With plenty of reason. The fans are great, teams competitive and have some of the best traditions in college football. Texas A&M is a fantastic addition to the SEC. However, it may be a while until there ready to compete. Sumlin will need a couple of years to transition from the predictable ground-and-pound offense of Mike Sherman to his spread. They should be competitive. They may even beat Florida today (Muschamp seems like Zook 2.0 and the offense isn't helping), but the SEC West can be a murderers row for a new head coach. The Aggies may have added two conference championships and two national titles this offseason, but I don't see '12 being added to the exterior of Kyle Field any time soon. Florida 28, Texas A&M 24.

Washington v (3) LSU @7:00 on ESPN:
This game is getting a lot of push from the networks. I have no idea why. While the team from Seattle has been prepped for Mike, they aren't ready for the Tiger defense or Tiger Stadium. LSU 35, UW 17.

(7) Georgia v Missouri @7:45 on ESPN2: 
Mark Richt just cannot catch a break. First Crowell, Commings and Vasser; and now Ogletree and Rambo piss dirty. The former is now playing FCS football for HBCU Alabama State. The latter four, all defensive starters, have been rumored to be suspended for this game. Despite the suspensions and their "old man football" style, the Dawgs are good. Aaron Murray is probably the best quarterback in a great group of QBs in the SEC, though the Tylers -Wilson and Bray- have pretty good arguments. And I like him to lead the Dawgs to a victory in Columbia, with a little help from John Jenkins and the defense. Pinkel's team will be more competitive than Sumlin's in the first year but I think today they struggle with the difference in size and speed from the top-heavy Big 12 to the loaded SEC. UGA 24, Missou 21.

Virginia Game of the Week
Penn St. v Virginia @12:00 on ABC:
This is the only "good" game in the state of Virginia today. The Dukes play host to Alcorn State, who haven't been relevant since Steve "Air" McNair was suiting up for the Braves. The Monarchs travel across the bay to play Hampton, a team who hung tough in Norfolk in 2011. However, Legree has graduated and taken any shot of an upset with him. The Tribe plays Louisiana-Lafayette, a patriot league team that should be destroyed at Zable. Though, if there are any upsets, it will be in Williamsburg. The Hokies have their annual bodybag game. This year's opponent, Austin Peay. It will get ugly. UR takes the weekend off to recover from their trip to Charlottesville with a game against Gardner Webb. Finally, Liberty plays Norfolk State. It should be a good game between two quality opponents. But neither team is good enough to warrant further mention here.

As for the Cavaliers and their game against Penn State. I think it will give us a good read on how much the Cavs have improved from last years bowl run to now. The Cavs struggled to put away FCS Richmond last week. The reason, starting quarterback Michael Rocco. Some may even call him a game manager. But when the game manager was lucky to not have multiple interceptions in the first game against a bad FCS team, that's not a good start. It doesn't help Rocco's future as a starter to know that the uber-talented Phillip Sims is waiting in the wings. I think, if Penn State can rebound to make Rocco pay for his mistakes, Sims plays the second half. But that's a big if. The Nittany Lions got beat by a good (better coached) but less talented Ohio Bobcat team last week. And the score was a lot closer than the actual game, leading me to believe the Wahoos win this one ugly. Hopefully, for the Cavs sake, this is Rocco's last start. It's time to unleash Sims on the ACC. UVA 24, PSU 20.

LCB Picks: SEC/VA Games of the Week

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along. 

On Friday night, Oregon crushed UCLA 49-31 to win the first ever PAC-12 Championship game, earning a spot in "The Granddaddy of Them All," the Rose Bowl. LaMichael James rushed for 219 yards, helping his team roll and giving himself a leg-up in the Heisman race. But this was all news to me. Tonight, I took my fiancee out to eat, came home, took the dogs on a jog, and then started preparation for my upcoming finals. It was a fruitful night. However, when I logged on to write this preview I noticed update after update of the UCLA-Oregon game. To my surprise, it was tonight. Like most my age, I have a fairly busy schedule. However, I still feel like I'm just as likely to hear about a game of this magnitude through word of mouth as I am to see a commercial (which I didn't, at least until the game was finished). I had no clue this was happening and even though I could care less that I missed it. (The fact that UCLA got in a conference championship with a 6-6 record, just 1 win more than the "sky is falling" Tennessee Vols, and a fired coach is laughable at best.) I do have a lot of questions; What went wrong with their advertising campaign? Was this on TV? ABC, ESPN, VS, Animal Planet? Am I the only one that had no clue this game was happening? I can't be, right? Am I developing an east coast bias? Whatever the answers are, we all know that the PAC-12 Championship Game is another reminder of why we should all be thankful for the SEC.

SEC Championship Game
(12) UGA v (1) LSU @ 4:00 on CBS:
Many are saying if LSU loses they are still a lock for the BCS Title game, which is impressive. Not quite as impressive as who they've beaten and how they've done it, but impressive nonetheless. However, if Georgia wins and locks-up the automatic bid, the SEC could get four teams into BCS games. LSU, Bama, and UGA would be locks; with Arkansas having a pretty good argument towards their inclusion. This has to scare the other conferences, right? If you add USC to the equation, five teams in the SEC are eligible for a BCS game (though, they have no shot at a BCS game). No matter how you feel about the absurdity of not having playoffs is, it's still an impressive accomplishment for a conference.

Did you know Glamour Shots slogan is:
"We Bring Out Your Best ... Then We Take Your Picture"
Aaron Murray does!

To make matters worse for the non-SEC, it's clear the SEC East is suffering through a down year and yet they have two teams (that's more than most conferences) in the top 14 of the BCS rankings. This domination by the SEC is only going to get worse in the next couple of seasons. Florida will get better, Vandy is building something, UT will return, and the new guys (aTm and Missou) should be in a decent spot to contend. The SEC will continue to get better, until the rest of the conferences defect from the BCS and force a playoff; which has to be the only way to slow down this train. I like the Dawgs in the upset. Apart from them playing a seudo-home game and knowing Aaron Murray is the best QB LSU will face this season, I don't have much of a reason to believe this will happen. Just call it an inkling. UGA 28, LSU 24.

VA Games of the Week
ODU v (3) Georgia Southern @ 1:00 & JMU v (2) North Dakota State University @ 4:00 on ESPN3/Game Plan:
While trolling the message boards this week, I saw one question that stood out to me: "Would you rather your school make it to the Final Four or win a FCS Championship?" As you would guess, most of the answers revealed what sport that poster preferred. However, it's a fairly good question. If your team makes it to the Final Four, they gain national notoriety for the school, boost admissions, boost athletic donations (simultaneously helping the non-revenue sports), and you get a month of lifelong memories. But, you don't even win a Championship and your teams' coach is probably going to leave in the near future (See; Larranaga, Jim). However, if you win an FCS national championship, your school wins the most legitimate National Title in college football, gains a possible catalyst towards a jump to the BCS, a boost (albeit smaller) to athletic donations, and you get a month of lifelong memories. But noone that didn't/doesn't attend an FCS school cares/knows and while it may be more legitimate than the BCS Title game, it still doesn't include all of Division 1.

For me, I'd take the championship. Only because ODU is on the verge of announcing a major expansion to Foreman Field and they're "this close" to making the jump. I believe a FCS Title would be all they need to speed up the process.

Once again, no picks, but I am interested in what other "mid-major" fans would rather have; Fourth Place or First? CBS, Sports Illustrated, & ESPN or ESPNU?

LCB Picks: SEC/VA Games of the Week

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along. 

Last weekend, around 22:00 EST, for the first time in my life I was joyous due to a UT win over Vandy. Over the years, the game was a mortal lock. The hiring of James Franklin appeared to have ended all of that. Vandy started turning teams over, hitting harder and playing four quarters; they finally started making teams earn a W over them. They thumped Ole Miss, Kentucky and all of their OOC opponents. But more importantly, they took Arkansas, Georgia and Florida down to the wire; inspiring many to claim that Vandy had surpassed the Volunteers. It even led Clay Travis to gather his followers, pitchfork in hand, to come for Derek Dooley's head (a man he claimed just last year would lead the Big Orange back to the promise land), so he could be replaced by Franklin.

This reasoning is clearly idiotic and the reason Tennessee got itself where it is today. The "time is now" attitude is what led UT to fire Phil Fulmer and hire Lane Kiffin. Which, of course, led UT to brash statements, back-alley dealings and even more resentment throughout the SEC. Even worse, that hire jeopardized the very future of the program. It's also why they hired Derek Dooley. Saddled with an uncertain future and a recent history of voluminous player arrests, the program needed cleansing. Derek Dooley has succeeded in that aspect in just under two seasons. They've dropped off the radar of the AP rankers, but, they too, have dropped from the Fulmer Cup standings. Now, that the tarnish is finally starting to dissolve, Clay Travis wants to fire Derek Dooley, who hasn't even finished his second season. To jump the gun and fire him now would be a bigger mistake than hiring Lane Kiffin ever was. It would set a precedent in Knoxville, one Raider and Redskins fans have become accustomed too; win today or you're out. We all know how well that mentality has treated both teams over the past decade.

Mark my words; the Vols will be back. It might not be under Dooley, but he will have a hand in their resurgence. Four years is what he deserves and what he must get. If he doesn't, the gap will continue to shrink between Nashville and Knoxville. And, for someone who is finally glad UT beat Vandy, I can't think of a worse thing. Now that I got that off of my chest, lets get to the picks.

SEC
(3) Arkansas v (1) LSU @ 2:30, Friday on CBS:
As a fan, there are two ways to look at this game. You can root for Arkansas to win, in order to create a three-way tie in the SEC West. This would, I believe, send Alabama to the SEC Championship, thanks to the weird tiebreaker rules in the SEC. This would end with the SEC possibly definitely sending three schools to BCS games, causing the ADs of non-SEC schools into a mode of jealousy driven panic and hopefully it would be the final straw to bring the playoff system we all desire. Or you can root for LSU to win, go to Atlanta, beat the Dawgs, and play Bama in the BCS title game. It all depends on how much chaos you'd like the BCS to deal with. For me, chaos reigns supreme and I'll be pulling for the upset. Arkansas 20, LSU 17.

VA
(6) Virginia Tech v (24) UVA @ 3:30 on ABC/ESPN2:
I spent Thanksgiving with my fiancee's family in Charlottesville. The main topic was, of course, this game. I asked them what they thought were the keys to the game. The answers I got were well thought out, concise and thoroughly pessimistic. The keys according to her family, who have been to every home UVA game this season, are as follows: UVA needs to shorten the field/win the field position battle, protect the ball, score on the few opportunities they will get from Tech, keep it a low scoring affair and find a way to make Logan Thomas uncomfortable. These are of course important to every team (outside of Arkansas and the low scoring aspect), every game. But these keys are even more important when it comes to this game, as UVA is clearly outmatched talent-wise (Directly attributed to the Al Groh era). If they can keep VT on the right side of the 50 and maybe even turn them over, UVA stands a shot. I hope. I'll be pulling for the upset. I'm just not sure how much faith I can put in a team that needed OT to beat Idaho and lost to Southern Miss at home. VT 24, UVA 17.

Elsewhere in the Commonwealth:
The 17th ranked Norfolk State Spartans travel the six miles to play the 9th Old Dominion Monarchs at the Spartans old stomping grounds and ODU's home field (Foreman Field). They'll bring the Legion and 1600 of their fans. The Monarchs will be hosting with 17,500 of their fans and the best mascot in all the land. It's going to be loud. It's going to be fun. It's even being referred to as the "Battle of Norfolk" and is clearly a rivalry in the making. This will be the first FCS playoff game for both teams, though it's taken NSU much longer to make it than it has the 3 y/o Monarchs. The game is sold out and should be a dandy. I'll be there, clad in blue and silver. I won't pick a winner. But I will say this, a MEAC team hasn't won a playoff game since 1999 (knock on wood).

Also, JMU (for some reason) travels to Richmond, Kentucky, to play EKU. The Dukes should roll, but they should also be hosting this game. So, who knows what'll happen? You can watch this one on ESPNU (the rest of the FCS games will be on ESPN3). Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend, everyone.

LCB Picks: SEC/VA Games of the Week

I'd love to talk to about this past week; the Cyclones upset, National Unfriend Day, Gary Pinkel's arrest, the rumors of Urban Meyer and Herbstreit to Ohio State, etc. But we're running out of time. So, lets just get to the picks.

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along.



SEC Game of the Week
Vanderbilt v Tennessee @ 7:00 on ESPNU:
This week is the annual SEC/SoCon challenge. Four games where teams pay an FCS team to come play so they can pad their bowl resume. This leaves us with slim-pickings when it comes to SEC football. Georgia hosts Kentucky, in what is likely to be a beatdown of the Cats. LSU visits Oxford,  essentially an extra bye week for the Tigers. Mississippi State goes to Arkansas, where they will get rolled. That leaves us with the biggest game in Tennessee, Vandy versus the Vols.

It has been 6 years since the 'Dores left this match-up with a W. But for the first time in the rivalry's long history, Vandy is favored to win at Neyland. Although they're favored by just one point, that they're favored at all, says a lot about how far the Volunteers have fallen and how much Vanderbilt has improved under James Franklin. If Vandy wins, they clinch a bowl birth, knock UT out of the bowl picture and likely force UT to hire a new coach. If UT wins, they can keep their bowl hopes alive for at least one more week, while returning the football balance in the Volunteer State back to Knoxville.

This game will come down to the QBs, Tyler Bray and Jordan Rodgers. One is a future great, the other's brother is an NFL great. One is healthy, the other is returning from a hand injury. One is 7-2 as a starter, the other is 2-2 (with wins coming against UK and Army). One has a big arm, the other struggles to complete passes past 20 yards. That's enough for me to take the Vols with the upset. They may not be as deep as Vandy, but as long as Bray is healthy, they're better. Also, if the Mannings and McCoys are any indication, there can only be one great QB per generation when it comes to brothers. Sorry, Jordan, but it appears as if Aaron soaked up all the talent in this gene pool. UT 24, Vandy 22.

Virginia Game of the Week
Virginia v (25) Florida State @ 7:30 on ESPN2:
Mike London is a miracle worker. He has UVA, in his second year, just a game back from the mighty Hokies. If they can win the next two games, they will supplant the team from Blacksburg as the Coastal representatives in Charlotte. Which could end up being the first domino to fall in UVA taking back the Commonwealth. Which would make perfect sense; they have the better school, town, campus, facilities and it's not in the middle of nowhere. But for all that to happen, they need to beat FSU in Tuscaloosa. Which won't happen. Since FSU blew a 4Q lead against Wake Forest, they've won five straight and outscored the opposition 177 to 58. The Noles are rolling and UVA just isn't quite ready to take back the Commonwealth, yet. FSU 31, UVA 24.

LCB Picks: SEC Game of the CENTURY

The hiatus is over. School and work have been breaking me down. 15 hours of classes and 40+ work hours has a way of draining you of any drive to do anything productive with your free-time and push you towards sloth-dom. Well, after surviving simultaneous midterms and deadline week at the magazine, I feel like I can breathe again, momentarily. Anyways, lets get back to why we're all here, picks.

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along.

SEC Games of the Week Century
(1) LSU v (2) Bama @ 8:00 on CBS:
I have been avoiding ESPN all week. Not because I want to avoid any negative talk about UT or the Raiders (I do typically avoid any sports news/talk when my teams are suffering), but because I don't want ESPN to overhype this game. It doesn't need it. It's as clear as day, one versus two, the corndoggers versus the bammers. An SEC championship on the line, and a birth in the BCS title game (most likely) on the line.¹ Anyways, this is a tough game to nail down. The Tide and the Tigers have the best defenses in college football, and there is a steep drop-off after these two. They both, also, run the ball extremely well. Trent Richardson is better than the man he replaced, a Heisman winner, which is just ridiculous.² LSU's stable has them ranked as the 30th best rushing team in the country. Which is impressive considering the competition they've faced and the changes at QB throughout the season. The two most important categories, has these two at a draw.

So, where is the edge? And who has it? Does it lie in Bama's home-field advantage? Maybe, but Vegas is only giving them four points. Considering Alabama plays in one of the loudest stadiums in the country, Vegas sees this a draw. As we all know, there is a reason they make so many men weep into their whiskeys on Saturdays in the fall, they're often right. Then how about the QBs, will they tilt the advantage in one way or the other? McCarron has been efficient and relatively mistake-free all season long, and has Marquis Maze to bail him out when he does make mistakes. LSU has a two-headed monster that they can go either way with, Lee as the game manager and Jefferson as the playmaker. If the run is being stuffed, Lee can make the pass downfield. If the passing game isn't working, throw in Jefferson to make the defense keep their eyes in the backfield and simultaneously freeing up receivers to make plays.

How about the coaches? Grass or Debbie cakes? It all depends on what you think is the more efficient management style, dictatorship or democratic. Saban plans every step, play and word spoken. Micromanager or detailed tactician? Miles shows up to the game as if he's playing a round of golf on his day off. Apathetic and lucky or a composed shepherd? Either way you see it, both these men find a way to inspire and lead their teams to wins.

The difference in this game could be any of the factors discussed, but the team that welds these moving parts more effectively will be the victor.³ I'll take the micromanaging dictator and the Crimson Tide. While this style of leadership doesn't bode well on most offices, it works in most college locker rooms and certainly helps keep players focused when most would be distracted by a trip to New Orleans.^4*

Notes:
1. It's clearly not a definite since the winner could always lose in Atlanta, forfeiting their spot in the title game. And as Clay Travis points out, if all the pieces fall into place, this could be a preview of the National Title game.
2. Even more ridiculous, Mark Ingram is the lone Heisman winner from Alabama. With all of the great athletes and teams that have played for the Tide over the years, it's shocking they have only had one.
3. Sorry for getting so "pregame show" obvious ("The team who scores more, will win") here. This really was a lazy way to close this post, but it's now 2:49 a.m. and my bed is calling out to me.
4. There is no VA game of the week this time out. But its not due to a lack of great and/or important games. We left the following games off the picks because I felt the LSU/Bama game deserved more depth than I typically provide. JMU visits New Hampshire. They'll need a win here to strengthen their playoff hopes. ODU plays Richmond at home with a chance to clinch their first trip to the playoffs. If they clinch, they'll be the first team to make the FCS playoffs in just their first year of eligibility. And UVA travels to College Park with a chance to clinch their first bowl birth since 2008 and their first under Mike London.
*If you haven't read Harvey's piece on the Cocktail Party yet, you should. It gives you a glimpse of just how much the win over the Gators means to the program and their fans.

LCB Picks: SEC & VA Games of the Week

Who else is happy that Hank Williams Jr. lost his job? I am. Not because of what he said (which was just plain stupid and a very weak analogy)  but because of how much that song could grate on the ears? I couldn't be happier to know that I will never have to hear that song again or have to relate it to football. I feel the same way about his MNF theme as I do about Faith Hill's Sunday Night Football intro and John Mellencamp's "This is our COOUUUNTRRY." All terrible, all horrendous. If I never heard any of these three songs ever again, I think I would stop going gray and live an extra five years.

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along.

SEC Game of the Week 
UGA v Tennessee @ 7:00 on ESPN 2:
I imagine many of you are asking why this would be the "game of the week" when their are two top-25 SEC match-ups this week (LSU-Florida and Auburn-Arkansas).  But after the beating Florida took last week from Alabama, can anyone see Florida beating LSU a week later? Didn't think so. Also, the Auburn-Arkansas is a game for third place behind Bama and LSU in the SEC West. As for UT/UGA, the winner will take a share of the lead in the East with South Carolina (who just benched their QB) and have a chance at their first SEC Championship birth since UT played in 2007, which is ages in this new era of college football.

David Pollack said that Georgia has rebounded nicely and are creeping up on teams since the loss to Boise State. But with a loss to USC (included two TDs by DE Melvin Ingram), a bye week against Coastal Carolina, and sputtering wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi State; I wouldn't start planning a trip to Atlanta in December just yet. Georgia's last two trips to Knoxville ended badly, with losses of 21 and 26. Another loss like that for Richt could spell "pink slip." Aaron Murray will need to rebound after a terrible game against Miss. State where he threw 3 picks, completed just 52% of his 25 passes and failed to reach 200 yards.

As I mentioned earlier, the Vols have dominated the Dawgs in K-town in the last two games. However, both were before Kiffin tore the team apart and Derek Dooley came to town. Now, his pants are magical but he'll need to get his teams' running game going to win this game. Tauren Poole leads the team in yards, but is averaging just 76.2 yards per game. If they can't find room for their backs to run, they'll be leaning heavily on the arm on Tyler Bray. Which is nothing new, but without Justin Hunter, he'll need to find another threat to fill the void. Last week it was De'Anthony Arnett grabbing two touchdowns against powderpuff Buffalo.

Expect big games out of Isaiah Crowell, Tyler Bray, and D'aRick Rogers. Expect Bacarri Rambo and Austin Johnson to be everywhere. Expect a close game. Expect a loss for Georgia. Both teams are evenly matched-up, but Georgia lacks the receiving threats that Tennessee has in Da'Rick Rogers and De'Anthony Arnett. UT 38, UGA 35.

VA Games of the Week
(12) Maine v (6) James Madison @ 3:30:
What a shocker? Another week, another top-25 game for James Madison. Now, FCS is a new thing to me, but I can't imagine a tougher stretch for a team than the one JMU is currently playing. Four straight weeks against ranked opponents and that's leaving out their opening game against UNC. If this is a normal thing for an FCS team, I apologize, but it seems like an incredibly difficult run for any team. What makes this game even harder, they'll be without WR Kerby Long (concussed), S Jakarie Jackson (hammy) and  QB Justin Thorpe (sticky-icky), while RB Dae'Quan Scott (shoulder) is expected to see little to no action.

Freshman QB Jace Edwards gets his second start but as long he doesn't turn it over, he will be successful. What JMU needs is a repeat performance from Jauan Latney and Jordan Anderson who combined for 261 yards last week against a talented, but down, Richmond squad. Without that, JMU could be in trouble.

This game will come down to the match-up of the CAAs best run defense and running back. JMU has shut down the run all season long, but face their toughest test of the season with Pushaun Brown coming to town. Whoever wins this battle, wins this game.

I'll take JMU for the win, as JMU's defense has been an immovable force. I, also, think the new backfield could end up being the start of something beautiful in Harrisonburg. JMU 20, Maine 10.

LCB Picks: SEC & VA Games of the Week

There is only one game of the week for this weekend. It has everything every 80's movies purported to us as rivalries; north v south, rich v middle/upper-middle class, white v tanned skin, and mountain men v city boys. It is of course, Florida v Bama JMU v Richmond. JMU, the capital of New Jersey, resting in the Shenandoah Valley.  Richmond, sitting on the banks of the James River. JMU, full of Jersey Shore misfits waiting for the ending of "The Sopranos" and the next Arturo Gatti fight, both which will never come. Richmond, a campus full of aristocratic southern gentlemen from the banks of the Baltimore Harbor. It's gametime fellas, and these two, wholly Southern institutions are ready to brawl. It may be over a spilled Sam Adams or a Cape Cod, but it's still a rivalry damn naggit.

This makes the third week in a row that JMU partakes in the picks of the week, which is just by chance but also shows just how tough their schedule has been. First Liberty, then W&M, and now Richmond. All three ranked at kick-off, all three with talented offenses. JMU has overtaken the first two, but now it has to overcome the loss of QB Justin Thorpe (5-game suspension for substance abuse) and overcome the Spiders. The wacky-tobaccky gets em everytime.

I visited both teams message boards to get a feel for the game that Teach and his fiancee will be taking in. What I found was a lot of hate. What I learned is that Richmond fans typically wear sweater vests. Unbeknownst to me, this is the staple for the average Spider alumnus. What I learned for JMU is that they are all backward hicks who like to fornicate with their sisters. JMU also has a big stadium, which is easy to fill up since all of their alumni is young and lives in DC. Whereas UR has trouble filling an 8.5k field with their tiny "select" population of undergrads and sweatervest wearing alumni.

The game goes down at JMU, the crowd should be pumped, the stadium should be full, and the jerseys will be a color most commonly referred to as "a mix of last nights dinner from Tacos El Primo and jungle juice" also known as "Barney Juice." Da'Quan Scott is still running the ball, JMU wins by a hair, but makes it look easy. JMU 21, UR 18.

Elsewhere in the South:
Florida takes on Bama, and if they have any chance of winning, they'll need a big game out of QB John Brantley. Or in other words, Bama wins big, 34-17.

ODU hosts future D-1 opponent UMass, in a "blackout" game. I'll be there to take pictures and recap the first CAA home game of my favorite FCS squad. I hope they win. But I also hope they can win by a minimum of 14 points, all in the name of John Calipari. 

LCB Picks: SEC and VA Games of the Week

There are a lot of interesting and possibly great match-ups this weekend. I wish I could cover them all, but I'm running a little late on time. So, for this week, my picks are going to be slightly abbreviated. And yes, I do know I have all week to write this piece. Time management has always been an issue of mine. Just know that I'm working on it.

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along.

SEC Games of the Week
(14) Arkansas v (3) Alabama @ 3:30 on CBS:
After a quick perusal on the google machine, it appears that Arkansas has turned into a fashionable upset pick for this game. I would guess it's due to the youth of Alabama's defensive front and the awesomeness of QB Tyler Wilson, which to me is always a funny reason (the youth, not the awesome QB) for a team to be favored. Aren't all of these guys young and inexperienced?  Sure, the freshman need to adapt to the speed of play in the SEC and realize they can't just touch a guy to insure a tackle (Fun-da-men-tals kids, WRAP HIM UP!). But that's why each FBS team has so many roster spots, to provide the depth needed to avoid starting a bunch of underclassmen. To be honest, the only teams that can use "youth" and "inexperience" as an excuse are the ones dealing with coaching turnover or a high amount of attrition. Alabama doesn't fit that bill. But it doesn't even matter, I could never pick Arkansas over Bama. Not, at least, with Trent Richardson playing for the Tide. Alabama 31, Arkansas 27.

(2) LSU v (16) WVU @ 8:00 on ABC:
This game, to me at least, holds more intrigue in the stands than it does on the field. Two of the more notoriously rowdy fanbases coming together for a night game in Morgantown. Couldn't these AD's just think of those poor couches for once? LSU 24, WVU 17.

VA Game of the Week
(8) James Madison v (16) William & Mary @ 7:00 on PPV:
If you read last week, you would know that I thought Liberty was the better team. I was clearly wrong as the Dukes overcame the challenge of playing in Lynchburg. What do they get for it? A trip to Williamsburg to play a ranked opponent that plays much better at home than anywhere else.

With lots of rain in the forecast, the weather is likely to be less than ideal. Add that to the fact that both teams have fantastic defenses and questions surrounding the quarterback position, and you get the most important ingredients to an ugly football game. Speaking of quarterbacks, JMU doesn't know which Justin Thorpe they're going to get, the one who almost blew the game against woeful CCSU or the one who helped lead them to victory over a ranked Liberty squad on the road. As for the Tribe, they just handed the reins from Michael Paulus to Michael Graham. This was a non-decision, as Paulus just couldn't seem to return to his pre-inury form and was hurting more than he was helping.  However,  if Graham's not the answer they're looking for and they can't find a way to move the ball with any consistency, it will be a long year in Williamsburg. Anyways, I like JMU to win, because they have Dae'Quan Scott and W&M doesn't. JMU 17, W&M 14.

LCB Picks: SEC and VA Games of the Week

It's week three of the college football season and I finally feel like I'm getting a good feel for the teams in the SEC. But I once defended the hiring of Lane Kiffin as the UT coach, so, take it with a grain of salt. As a way of deflecting that reminder of my lacking of judgment, lets get to the games.

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along.



SEC Game of the Week
Tennessee v (16) Florida @ 3:30 on CBS:
Those pants are filled with magic (insert Michael Scott here), almost enough to pull off the upset. Just not enough. But that's why UT has Tyler Bray, who as Clay Travis points out is the best QB in the SEC and the reason why many NFL teams will try to lose games next year in order to draft him, he's just that good or he has been against some mediocre to average (at-best) opponents. Da'Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter force Dan Quinn to make a tough decision; go zone and get torched through the air, blitz and get burned across the middle, or go man and get ran all over. Either way he goes, it spells doom for a team that has had trouble getting to the QB (2 sacks total against shitdeous squads, FAU and UAB). Florida has the homefield advantage and the edge in the talent department, but the trio is just too good to keep pace. The Swamp is made silent and UT wins 38 to 32.

VA Games of the Week
Virginia v UNC @ 3:30 on ABC:
Virginia goes to Chapel Hill for the next chapter in the "South's Oldest Rivalry." After confidence builders against W&M/JMU and Indiana/Rutgers, both teams come in at 2-0 . UNC is just weeks removed from the firing of Butch Davis, but their defensive front seven might be the best in the ACC. They're big, fast, and relentless. UVA's offensive line will have to step up big for the Cavs to win this one. However, if they can somehow hold the Heels d-line back, the Hoos have a chance to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2005 (which is also the last time they went 2-0). It won't happen. That defense of the Heels is fierce. The pick: UNC 35, UVA 14

James Madison v (19) Liberty @ 7:00 on ESPN3:
Not knowing much about either team, apart from Jerry Falwell's affiliation with Liberty and that Mickey Matthews career is reminiscent of a roller coaster, I decided to check out JMU's message board to see their thoughts on how this game will play out. What I found was a largely dejected fanbase. But who can blame them after the woeful performance against Central Connecticut State. QB Justin Thorpe went 5-11 for a net of 47 yards (his long was 28 yards), with two of those incompletions going to the other team (If I replaced Justin Thorpe's name in this sentence with Jamarcus Russell, would you even call me out?). The feeling on the message board is that with how bad the Duke offense is playing, it won't matter much how good their defense is playing.

I'm with the Dukes' posters on this one; Liberty QB Mike Brown goes HAM (he's a lock for 250 yards through the air and 70 on the ground), leads his squad to a 35 to 21 victory, Mickey Matthews' seat gets hotter, and Liberty gives a moment of release for one of the most depressing cities in Virginia. Seriously, Lynchburg could make Richard Simmons sad.

Elsewhere in the South:
Auburn tries to continue their magical run with a trip to the other "Death Valley." Should be a good game, but Auburn still hasn't been able to rebound from the loss of Nick Fairley and Cam Newton. But how can you replace two of the most dominant SEC players of the last decade? You can't, at least, not cheaply. Even with losing those two, I still like Auburn as teams that get this lucky seem to put it together more often than not.

Old Dominion and Hampton play in Norfolk. Both teams are 2-0. Last years meeting resulted in a 28-14 win for the Monarchs. ODU should have no trouble in their last tune-up before starting conference play in their inaugural season as a member of the CAA. W&M, Virginia Tech and Richmond get to play patty cake with New Haven (Division II), Arkansas State and VMI. All three teams are a lock to move to 3-0.

LCB Picks: SEC & VA Games of the Week

I had plans. Plans that consisted of previews for the SEC, NFL, and all of the D-1 college football teams that call Virginia home. These plans weren't that lofty. To be honest, with one dedicated afternoon, these could have become a reality. But life continued to get in the way and now all of these squads are foreign to me. Meaning all of the season previews would have been my crib notes of another writers' work and essentially useless. But now that we're one week deep, I am finally confident enough to tell you that Oregon can't match the speed and size of a top tier SEC team and that Virginia Tech could be in position to go the BCS National Championship the same season their most well known dog fighting alumnus will fall just short of the Super Bowl (just as long as they can get past those pesky Pirates of East Carolina).

Editors Note: This season, on top of the usual SEC picks, we will be picking the best games on the Virginia D-1 slate. We, as in the LCB, all spent our formative years in Virginia. So, we probably should have been doing this all along.

SEC Game of the Week
(3) Alabama v (23) Penn State @ 3:30 on ABC:
This game was picked for obvious reasons; it's Bama versus Penn State. It also happens to be the only SEC game with two ranked teams this week. I had the chance to watch a decent amount of both teams' games last week, enough to tell me Alabama will make it back-to-back seasons with wins over the Nittany Lions. Both teams played lesser opponents, Kent State for Alabama and Indiana State for Penn State. Both teams showed some weaknesses, most notably, behind center. Alabama's QBs combined for four interceptions, which would be a huge concern if they didn't have Trent Richardson and a top three defense. However, State's QBs struggled to recognize the defensive fronts and blitzes of Indiana State, a huge concern considering there not even considered an FCS power. Bama 33, PSU 20.

VA Game of the Week
Old Dominion v Georgia State @ Noon:
This really isn't that great of a match-up. Both teams are still in their infancy and building on their successes slowly but surely. However, I had to make this the pick game for a couple of reasons. First, Georgia State is coached by none other than Bill Curry. Yes, that Bill Curry. Secondly, Georgia State was forced to use a punter to fill their starting QB vacancy last week and their keeping with him. Thirdly, Georgia State plays in the Georgia Dome. Lastly, I go to Old Dominion. Now, let's expand on everything but my choice of college.

Bill Curry, seriously? The man has won a National Championship, coached in Super Bowls, and has whatever cache being an ESPN announcer brings. It boggles the mind that he isn't coaching somewhere on the FBS level, especially when this guy is still employed.

The punter/QB situation brings up even more questions. Does he still get to punt? Does he still wear a soccer cleat on his kicking foot? What are the chances in a third-and-long/shotgun formation situation that he accidentally punts the ball? I hope the answer to all these are yes, yes and 100%. As for the Georgia Dome. I'm not amazed they play there, after-all, they need somewhere to play. But I can't help but think how depressing this stadium must look with under 20,000 fans in the stands. It has to resemble a Marlins home game, right? Anyways, Old Dominion wins 28-17.

LCB Picks: SEC Championship Game

(2) Auburn v (18) South Carolina @ 4:00 on CBS
Langston: It's been a historic week, from the discovery of a massive amount of red dwarf stars (dramatically increasing the chances of finding extraterrestrial life) to the unearthing of a new life form. One would think with developments like these that nothing else would be much of importance, but one would be wrong. There was the guy who ate his cocaine to get out of a minor traffic ticket and Cam Newton's being cleared to play. These are things that matter. Many propose that the NCAA opened the floodgates to latch-ons, hang-arounds, and general slimeballs by clearing Cam Newton to play. Supposedly, they've done this thanks to a lack of damning evidence, even though poppa Newton admitted his intent to milk his sons talents for all he could. He gets off, for now, with a wag of the finger. Mississippi State gets off with a minuscule breakup. I still wonder why all of the question marks surround Newton and not State. Their institution had Kenny Rogers bargaining on their behalf with Cecil Newton? Do you really think they report this to the SEC if Newton signs with State? Fuck and no. But I digress. Cam is cleared and now we can focus on arguably the biggest game in both schools histories.

South Carolina has never won an SEC Championship or played in a BCS bowl, their lone conference championship came in the ACC, in 1969. On the other hand, Auburn has gone undefeated  five times, yet only one of those years ended with an AP National Championship. That was in 1957. This game could turn the tide for the Spurrier era in SC, taking it from underachieving to the most successful in the programs history. Auburn, with a win, would finally get the BCS National Championship bid it earned in 2004 and set up for their first National Championship in the modern-era.

South Carolina's chances lie in the legs of Marcus Lattimore, their true freshman RB. In their three losses, Lattimore didn't touch the ball enough. Against Arkansas he only had 11 carries, as Spurrier tried to keep up with the Hogs pass heavy offense at the same time forgetting that he has maybe the best back in the country. Against Kentucky, he touched the ball 15 times. And in their first loss of the season, against Auburn, he had just 14 carries. After this game, I commented that it's clear Spurrier has no idea what to do with a back as talented as Lattimore and I'm still not sure he knows how to best utilize his star back. Comparatively, in their three wins against ranked teams he carried the ball 40, 23, and 37 times respectively, this includes their biggest win of the season over #1 ranked Alabama. If SC has any shot in this game, Lattimore will have to touch the ball early and often. And even if Spurrier has it figured out, I still don't know if it will be enough.

Cam Newton is a freight train. On every play, you can guarantee every defender keeps one eye on the phenom, and yet he continues to make big plays throughout. And that gives reason enough to like Auburn, they make up for getting robbed in 2004. (Coincidentally, they lost their bid to a team (USC) who ended up getting stripped and could presumably follow in their footsteps.) Nick Fairley will hit Stephen Garcia, maybe even questionably, throughout the game. Spurrier's visor will hit the ground a minimum of three times. And Cam will grow his legend. Auburn 42, SC 34.

LCB SEC Picks: Game of the Week

(13) Arkansas v (22) Mississippi State @ 7:00 on ESPN:
Langston: Not a whole lot on the SEC front this week in important match-ups. The Vols have a chance to continue their surprising push to become bowl eligible behind true freshman Tyler Bray, and the way they've played of late they should have no problem with Vanderbilt and their horrendous secondary. Bama already played, it was a gimme against a first-year program that my current school (and two-year old program) beat to a pulp earlier this season. South Carolina plays Troy, a decent non-AQ team who's been on the wrong end of some close games, most notably a three-point loss to Oklahoma State; making this a tougher than average "auto" win game. LSU plays conference ragdoll Ole Miss. And Florida plays everyone's favorite FCS team, Appalachian State. Since their upset win over Michigan in 2007, the pride of Boone has played two FBS teams and lost both times, a blowout to LSU in 2008 and a barnburner against East Carolina in 2009. Florida should get more than it bargained for when scheduling a FCS team, but even with their idiotic three-QB system they will roll thanks to the talent disparity and Big Blue's oversight (Appy St isn't sneaking up on anyone ever again) in scouting. Now let's get to the game of the week.

Arkansas has a chance for something special, a spot in the Sugar Bowl. Say what you want about bowls and playoffs, but that would be a program changing invite. It would also return them to the level of success they enjoyed before Houston Nutt's departure. They would first need to win their last two (this game and next week versus LSU) and Auburn needs to win the Iron Bowl, but it's in their peripheral. On the other hand, Mississippi State has a chance to do something they haven't done in a long time, win 9 games. This could set up a berth in the Cotton Bowl, which would be their biggest game in a decade and their first appearance in the Dallas bowl game since 1998. If they do that and win the Jerry Jones bowl, bringing them to 10 wins on the year, they will have won almost half as many games this season as they did during the entire Sylvester Croom era (W/L record of 21-38) of 2004-2008. It would also mark one of the most impressive turnarounds for a program in recent memory, and remove the label of auto-win cupcake on the SEC schedule.

The high-octane offense of Arkansas should make it tough for Mississippi State to keep up. The Bulldogs haven't been able to score over thirty against an SEC team all year, relying on their terrific running game and Vick Ballard to keep pace. As for the Hogs, they make scoring look rather rudimentary, scoring thirty in all but two games. If the Bulldogs can pound the ball and shorten the game, they may have a chance to pull this one out. But that won't happen. Ryan Mallet and the boys from Fayetteville have the offense rolling, and the Hog defense has begun to show life late in the year. I think the Bulldogs put up a good fight, but in the end, they will not be able to keep up with their paltry 106th ranked passing offense. Hogs 45, Dogs 28.

LCB SEC Picks: Game of the Week

Georgia v (2) Auburn @ 3:30 on CBS
Langston:
The Cam Newton story feels too Salem Witchy for my tastes, as I have a hard time believing a college kid would call a coach (someone acted on his behalf, or without his knowledge) and demand pay-for-play and an even harder time believing this story would have gained any steam if Auburn was 8-2 and out of the BCS and SEC race. I don't know if he's getting or gotten money, but if he is/has, he is one of many elite athletes getting ducats for playing the game.

If you don't think is a witch-hunt, think again. Why the delay of all this information coming out? Mississippi State supposedly reported this to the SEC last January, most likely after they found out their bid was too low. ESPN learned of this in August, and yet nothing hits the wire until Auburn gets the number one spot in the BCS rankings. Acting on this breaking information, every reporter bolts to be the first to break the next Cam controversy, whether it was speeding tickets, stolen laptops or Florida leaking private educational information illegally two years after he left. It's all inconsequential and petty, that is until they show us proof that he knowingly took cash, and it's just making everyone involved look just as dirty as the allegations.

Now, this game is important because every Auburn game for the rest of the season has a huge effect on the rest of the country, and more-so than just the effects on the BCS title game. If War Eagle loses, the SEC, NCAA, and BCS will be bailed out from a potentially embarrassing situation. If they continue to win and Cam does get suspended or found to be taking the cash, everyone involved looks terrible. The SEC has had this information since last January, if they let him play this season knowing he was trying to get paid, they look like they don't care and are probably looking at some legal repercussions themselves. If he gets suspended after the SEC title game, your talking about a Newton-less Auburn team in the national title game against Oregon, in what would sure to be a blowout. Could there be a bigger nightmare scenario for the BCS, when there are teams like Boise and TCU that are still undefeated? I don't think so. As for the NCAA, I doubt they want to make stripping a team of a National Title an annual rite of passage.

As for the winner of this game, I can see it going either way, basically because Cam's playing status is still up in the air. If he plays, I see this being a close one, with Auburn winning by four to seven. If he doesn't, Auburn probably goes into a depression and Georgia rolls.

LCB SEC Picks: Games of the Week

(6) LSU v (5) Auburn @ 3:30 on CBS
Langston: A friend of mine was recently on a cruise when he decided to do the stanky leg. Now dancing on a boat after drinking for hours on end is never a good idea, let alone doing the always tricky stanky leg. He slipped and ended up tearing his ACL. This story has nothing to do with the game, I just thought it was funny, and yes I am going to burn for this very fact.

If anyone told you, with any conviction, that they knew who would win this game, they're probably fantastic liars or trained by the CIA to be a professional man/woman of mystery. No one has any idea how this game will play out. You got Chizik leaning on Malzahn's gimmicky offense. I say gimmicky because it was expected to crash and burn when used yet has turned into the best in the SEC. Then there is Les Miles, whose offense couldn't score 42 if given the ball in the redzone each possession. This is not uncommon for a team who can't pick a QB, let alone one that decides to switch QBs with seconds on the clock. And yes, that loss still burns.

Given the match-ups (the good and bad of LSU's defense and offense, the good and bad of Auburn's offense and defense), I see this game turning into a slugfest and coming down to a late three to seven point lead. And as Teach will add later, this is where Les is at his worst. However, Les is also extremely lucky. If he were doing the stanky leg on a cruise ship he would tear his acl, get surgery, and six month's later find out that the Doctor's messed up the surgery. But the mistake doesn't put any added risk to his life, instead it gives him super powers. Les' luck is probably his greatest strength as a coach and would be a fantastic reason to pick the Tigers, if not for Cam Newton. Even though Auburn's defense employs the Willie Martinez 15-yard cushion defense, a typical killer of any SEC squad, Cam Newton can score from any part of the field. And once you've seen him play, you'll understand when I say "Thank Lord Tebow that he transferred or us Tennessee fans could find no joy in the 2010 season. Addazio, Mississippi State, three straight losses; none of this would happen." Auburn 17, LSU 13.

Teach: I'm sure it's happened before.  In fact it probably happens all the time, but how weird is it that not only does one team's strength line up against the other team's strength in this match-up but their weaknesses as well.  LSU has a great defense. Auburn has a great offense.  Auburn can't stop anyone from throwing touchdowns against them.  LSU can't throw touchdowns.  The LSU defense and the Auburn offense will probably both make some great game-changing plays.  LSU's defense may be the best in the country, and Cam Newton is playing like the best quarterback in the country.  But I'm willing to bet that Auburn's defense finds a few more ways to make big plays than LSU's two quarterback system Les Miles' genius decision making.  I'm not a huge critic of two quarterback systems--I'm also not a proponent--but when I think about how LSU uses these quarterbacks, my mind goes back to the game with Tennessee, when Les Miles swapped Jordan Jefferson in for Jarrett Lee in the closing seconds on the Vols' goal line.  The result was a botched snap and a toilet bowl of chaos that Les Miles and company would have drowned in except for the fact that Tennessee had thirteen men on the field.  In other words, I'm not sure it's the two quarterbacks that are going to cost LSU as much as the coaching staff deciding when and how to use them.  Auburn wins 21-16.

LCB SEC Picks: Games of the Week

(12) Arkansas v (7) Auburn @ 3:30 on CBS
Langston: The first BCS standings of the season come out Sunday, and they will for the first time in what will seem like ages have no SEC teams in the top 3. With Alabama losing last week to SC, Auburn and LSU hold all the hopes to continue the SEC's dominant national title run. LSU has done it with defense and a little bit of luck. Auburn has made it here behind the arm and feet of Cam Newton, and mostly in the fourth quarter. If Auburn can win the next two against Arkansas and LSU it sets up an Iron Bowl with a ton on the line, the SEC West and a possible National Championship berth. This is what I'm hoping for, but unlike Teach I feel like Ryan Mallett is more of a Gus Frerotte, playing his best when you least want him too and playing his worst when the most is on the line. I see this game being an explosive race to the finish, and in the end it will have the Hogs bringing down the SEC's unbeaten total to one lucky team in LSU. I hope I'm wrong. Arkansas 38, Auburn 35.

Teach: No one really mentions Auburn. I think people should mention Auburn. I think people should mention that they are undefeated, have a great quarterback, and that Auburn frequently posts undefeated seasons when no one is watching. The only real question is are the Tigers allowed to post an undefeated season without being on probation because that seems to be the only glitch to a magical season for them, well, that and the fact that their remaining schedule still includes Arkansas, LSU, and Alabama. Today, the Tigers march on and live to be caught cheating another day (sorry, it was too easy).  My main reason for picking the Tigers is Ryan Mallett: I don't trust him. There's something about Ryan Mallett that reminds me of Ryan Leaf or Jeff George, and the moment I discovered this I was no longer able to bet on the Razorbacks. Auburn wins 28-24. 

Mississippi State v (22) Florida @ 7:00 on ESPNU
Langston: A couple of years ago, Dan Mullen promised John Brantley he would blitz the hell out of him when they played. John Brantley added confidently that "He hasn't forgotten that..," as if his team in the midst of a two game losing streak (after losing just two in two prior seasons) has nothing to worry about and is on the verge of making Coach Mullen pay for this statement made years ago. However, Florida is a team that everyone wants to beat and their injury report clearly shows that. Essentially, they are the Lakers of the SEC, they get everyone's best game. And while the Gators may want to use this game as a chance to prove they haven't dropped to Earth, Mississippi State will use this game as a press conference to announce their arrival as a conference contender, bringing the heat with the blitz and stuffing the ball down the much maligned Gators. State 28, Gators 24.

Teach: The odds just seem stacked against the Bulldogs.  If there was a year for them to upset the Gators, it would definitely be this year, because these are not the Gators of yesterday.  The problem is the Gators have are coming off two straight losses to the likes of Alabama and LSU.  If the Gators lose to Mississippi St., then there the feeding frenzy is on in Gainesville, where the chum actually get a chance to chomp the Gators.  I don't see it happening.  I don't see Urban Meyer allowing it to happen.  The Gators win 21-10 and keep their chances of winning the SEC East just barely alive, but alive none the less.