Will Georgia fire Mark Richt? Can LSU upset Bama? Week 10 SEC Predictions
Losing a game is something Georgia fans hate doing. Losing to a rival as insignificant as Tennessee (OK, that they VIEW as insignificant) is even worse. Getting blown out in The Cocktail Party by their most hated rival – again? Don’t just make Mark Richt’s chair hot. Burn it.
As soon as Georgia lost – and went their second straight game without a touchdown – the calls for Mark Richt’s head reached deafening height. Never mind that he was the winningest head coach the program had ever seen. Never mind that season after season Georgia had brought home competitiveness, bowl games, zillions of dollars into the team’s accounts and NFL Draft picks. If you lose in Georgia, you’re out.
And that’s where Mark Richt looks to be going….out.
This week life’s not going to be any easier for him as the Dawgs host Kentucky at home. The announcers will spend 2 hours talking about Richt’s job security, and the rest talking about what will be a horrible, horrible game.
Anyway, here’s your predictions for the rest of this weekend, which includes some game in Tuscaloosa between Alabama and LSU….
- LSU at Alabama
Both sides have had games where they’ve played impressively, but when it’s come to poorer opposition, both Alabama and LSU have contrived to stink the house down. We all know what’s going to happen: LSU’s going to hand the ball to Leonard Fournette, who’s going to run headlong into the impenetrable wall known as the Alabama front line. Alabama’s going to hand the ball to Derrick Henry, who’s going to run the ball at a pretty good but not-like-Alabama LSU front line defense. If that fails, they’ll go to their quarterbacks, who aren’t great. They will throw to their wide receivers, which are pretty evenly matched (at a push we’d take LSU). But Alabama has home field advantage, and a real need to win this one. Because if they fail, they don’t win the SEC West, don’t go to the SEC Championship Game, and don’t get in the College Football Play-Off. So, nothing big on the line then….
PREDICTION: Alabama’s a 6-1/2 point favorite with Vegas. We’ll take Alabama by 10. LSU really isn’t that good, folks.
2. Kentucky at Georgia
Because I’m one of the people who stops to look at the car wrecks. And the way both sides are going about their season, “Car Wreck” would be pretty appropriate right now.
PREDICTION: Georgia’s a 14-point favorite. We’ll take Georgia by 7 in another awful offensive showing.
3. Auburn at Texas A&M
Now Carl Lawson’s back for Auburn, the defense actually looks a little better. Will it be able to stop Christian Kirk or Kyler Murray? Probably not. But it should be really fun to see them try.
PREDICTION: Texas A&M’s a 7-point favorite? Really? That low? We’ll take A&M by 14.
4. Arkansas at Ole Miss
The Razorbacks have actually played better away than they have at home, which is why we give them a cat-in-hell’s chance at Ole Miss. Plus, Ole Miss hasn’t really looked the same since it was smashed on the road to Florida. The win over Texas A&M in the Worst Game In History a few weeks back righted the ship a little, but then they sank a little playing badly against Auburn. Arkansas could really spring an upset, you know.
PREDICTION: Ole Miss at 10-1/2 point favorite? I’m taking the Rebs by 7. But this will be close.
5. Vanderbilt at Florida
Florida’s ranked highly, so they could do with a win just to stay in the Play-Off conversation. This win will cement the SEC East for the Gators, too. Vanderbilt still trying to get up after being crushed by Houston.
PREDICTION: Florida’s a 20-1/2 point favorite. We’re taking the Gators by 28.
6. South Carolina at Tennessee
Tennessee could finish second in the SEC East. South Carolina could finish last. Both need to win for differing reasons.
PREDICTION: Tennessee’s a 17-point favorite. We’ll take the Vols by 21.
7. Mississippi State at Missouri (Thursday night)
If you like horrific offense, then you’ll love watching the team in gold and black on Thursday night. If you love watching a guy who’s underrated because he should be a Heisman contender, then you’ll love watching the team in the white (Dak Prescott). This game WILL be ugly.
PREDICTION: 9-6?? No really. Mississippi State’s a 7-1/2 point favorite. We’ll take MSU to win by 10.