SEC Week 10 Preview: Cancel your diary from 3.30 onwards in SEC land

If you’re on Death Row, it’s your last few days before the fryer and you’re somehow reading this article alongside a lot of pornographic material that the wardens have given you before your journey to the Great Unknown, I’d like to give you some advice: Plead that your last week should be spent watching college football – especially SEC Football.

At 3.30pm ET (2.30 pm God’s time), No.1 Tennessee rolls into No.3 Georgia with the SEC East on the line. And if things go really badly for the one of the sides, potentially a College Football Play-Off place, too.

Later on, No.6 Alabama rolls into Death Valley to face LSU. Even if the scoreline’s out of hand, it’s always pretty special when they play each other. And with both teams ranked and Alabama not looking unbeatable and LSU looking a lot better – and the fact that the noise in the stadium will be deafeningly loud – this one could hit seismographs.

Anyway, ask the warden for the TV to watch the games. Good on you for the future.

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Here are the previews for those games – as well as the rest of the SEC.

1. No.1 Tennessee at No.3 Georgia (-8, O/U 66.5): For years, the Georgia v Tennessee game was not on anyone’s radar. Generally because Tennessee wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Georgia hasn’t lost to the Vols since a Hail Mary in 2017, and has won the last 9 of 11. This year it will be a much tougher test for the Vols. Firstly, they face Hendon Hooker, who is as much a pain in the ass on his legs and he is with his arm. That’s why he’s No.10 in the country in total yards (2,676 (also leading the SEC), and he’s only thrown 1 pick all season. He’ll be throwing against a Georgia secondary that is tighter than a knat’s ass (only 5 TDs given up, 6 interceptions grabbed) – although arguably Georgia hasn’t faced any QB of note this season (Bo Nix was in his first game at Oregon!). Georgia will be challenged by a high-speed juggernaut of a Tennessee offense featuring two of the best WRs in the game (Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman), averaging an astonishing 49.4 points per game (1st in the Nation). It seems as though 3-and-outs don’t exist with this lot. Conversely on the defensive side, they are a bit of a shambles. Their secondary seems AWFUL, giving up 300.8 yards per game. However, they’ve only given up 10 TDs and have grabbed 9 interceptions. Whether that’s the standard of QB they are facing or whether they are just plain opportunistic, we just don’t know. The secondary will have to be at its very best if they are to stop Brock Bowers. The Georgia TE is probably the best player in college football right now – and showed that with a 154 yard performance….on 5 receptions. There’s also Darnell Washington, a best of a tight end who’ll run you over. Expect them to be Stetson Bennett’s main targets. Knowing how quick-fire Josh Heupel’s offense is and how one or two mistakes might kill them, Georgia will try and control the game by using Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton to conserve some and ram the ball down Tennessee’s throat. Georgia ranks 5th in the country in time of possession (35 mins per game), so expect them to do the same here. What will be interesting to us is Georgia’s main weakness – the lack of a complete game. Against Kent State it was a struggle. They should have lost to Missouri. Of course, they rebounded by annihilating Auburn and Vanderbilt (as expected), but against Florida they flew out to a comfortable lead, before suddenly getting complacent and giving the ball away twice in two drives. They can’t afford to do that against the Vols – even if Stetson Bennett (who suddenly isn’t the frontrunner for the 2022 Heisman Trophy after some mixed performances), or hell will break loose. This, kids, is gonna be fun. PREDICTION: Georgia wins by 3 on a last-minute field goal. Georgia 45, Tennessee 42.
2.  No.6 Alabama (-13.5 O/U 56.5) at No. LSU: Alabama has been the most disappointing team of 2022. For some reason, it seems as though the players are biding their time to leave before the NFL before doing something crazy-good. Is it motivation? Probably. Because when they going 100%, then they’ll kill just about everybody. Bryce Young can pick apart everybody with surgeon-like accuracy, and Alabama can score how it wants. They’ll walk into the Game of Alcoholic Mayhem against a LSU that’s been riding its luck a little of late – but has also been helped by Jaylen Daniels, who has been very accurate (No.2 in passing completion %, No.3 in pass completions), but hasn’t run as much as people thinks he has (9th in rushing yards, 5th in rushing attempts). Last game against Ole Miss he put up a show though, running for 121 yards and 3 TDs and throwing for 248 and 2. His weapons Malik Nabers and Kayshon Boutte will be a handful for the Bama’s secondary – despite the fact that it didn’t allow a touchdown against Will Rogers and a very useful Mississippi State offense two weeks ago. It will be interesting to see how LSU’s front – one of the worst in the country in sacks allowed (116th (26, 3.25 sacks per game)) can deal with Bama’s trio of linebacking freaks Will Anderson, Henry To’oto’o and sophomore sensation Dallas Turner. Good luck with that. Expect Alabama to attack LSU’s medicore rushing defense with Jahymr Gibbs, who’s averaging a staggering 6.9 yards per carry. PREDICTION: Alabama wins, but it’s really tight. Alabama 38, LSU 31.
3. Auburn at Mississippi State (-12 1/2 O/U 51): Bryan Harsin’s finally been canned, and so all the talk will be about the players not giving up on the team etc etc. The bit that I’m most excited about is seeing Cadillac Williams conduct ceremonies on the sideline – because he’ll be the first black head football coach in Auburn history. Because if you actually think about the play, then Auburn will probably get walloped. Auburn hasn’t been able to stop many people, and Mike Leach’s offense – however bad it looked against Alabama – will be hard to stop today. PREDICTION: Mississippi State rolls. MSU 38, Auburn 13.
4. Kentucky (-1 O/U 40) at Missouri: We wouldn’t normally put this game ahead of Florida’s trip to Texas A&M, but Will Levis’ moronic take that Will Levis should be the second QB taken in the next draft piqued our interest. Yes, that Will Levis who couldn’t throw for over 100 yards against the country’s worst passing defense. Yes, that Will Levis who leads the SEC in interceptions (13) and is just 9th in completions (130). Missouri has had seven of them so far this season. What’s more interesting is that if Mizzou’s defense will be able to stop Chris Rodriguez, who’s shaking the rust off now and is looking scary. Missouri has a big problem in itself: It’s at quarterback. Brady Cook had his first not-crap day against South Carolina last Saturday, and Kentucky’s defense is so much better. This game could down to special teams – a weakness on both sides. Eesh. PREDICTION: Missouri with the ‘upset’. Missouri 21, Kentucky 13.
5. Florida at Texas A&M (-3 O/U 55.5): Texas A&M and Florida have both bumbled along this season, with a combined 2-6 SEC record. Both teams have had abject quarterback play, although Texas A&M’s defense has managed to keep them in games even if their offense has been pitiful. However, the Aggies found a little more in them last week with Conor Weigman. And Evan Stewart is going to be rough to handle for a defense that can’t stop anybody, and Devon Achane is one of the most exciting players in college football. Anthony Richardson is going to Florida’s answer on the ground. Expect bootlegs and everything in an effort to give their QB the ball – because he’s not a wonderful passer of the ball. If Justin Shorter – who’s No.1 in the SEC in receiving yards per reception – can get the ball and gets some room, then Florida could make this very interesting indeed. PREDICTION: Florida with the upset as the anger continues to rise in College Station. Aggies fans then quickly forget about it and hit the bar to watch Georgia v Tennessee and the World Series. Florida 28, Texas A&M 25.
6.  No.17 Liberty University at Arkansas (-14.5 O/U 61): As I have nothing nice to say about Hugh Freeze, all I can say is that I hope Liberty gets the crap kicked out of them. PREDICTION: They will. Arkansas 48, Liberty 21.
7.  South Carolina (-7 O/U 48 1/2) at Vanderbilt: Getting stabbed in the head with a 30ft long dildo would be fun than watching this one. PREDICTION: WHO CARES (Vanderbilt by 3).