Will Coach Oeux win his first game? Week 5 SEC Predictions
Ed Orgeron’s first game as LSU’s interim coach after the firing of Les Miles comes against Missouri on Saturday night, which may well get most of the attention on the SEC bill, although Tennessee’s trip to Georgia is a very interesting No.2. The other games might not raise too many eyebrows – with respect to Texas A&M’s trip to South Carolina!
So here are your games in order of interest level:
- Missouri at LSU
Trust me when we tell you that it wouldn’t be an interesting game if Les Miles hadn’t been fired on Sunday and Ed Orgeron’s in charge. The other great thing about this game is that Brent Musberger’s calling it. The bad thing is that he has to work with Jesse Palmer, who no doubt will come with something inane. Watch out for Missouri’s offense – it’s had a lot of fun recently and could well test LSU – especially late on if the Tigers are having their own problems scoring (as has happened all season!).
PREDICTION: The king is dead, long live the king. LSU’s a 12-point favorite to win. We’ll take them to win by 14. Although if we’re honest, LSU fans would probably just take a victory with more than one touchdown and some good clock management!
2. No.11 Tennessee at No.25 Georgia
Tennessee’s second half comeback and subsequent shellacking of Florida was of the ages, but a lot more is expected of the Volunteers going into Sanford Stadium, where they are four point favorites. They face a Georgia team that was bludgeoned by Ole Miss – and quite rightly so – and ARE ONLY RANKED BECAUSE THE POLLSTER PEOPLE ARE ON DRUGS. Seriously – Georgia has no play at both lines, which will mean that a tacked-up Nick Chubb will (again) struggle. UGA’s Isaiah McKenzie could be fun to watch, though. On the other side of the ball, we’re starting to love Josh Dobbs, and he might well be the best QB in the SEC.
PREDICTION: Tennessee by 10 in a slugfest in which the Vols only cover in the fourth quarter. OTHER BOLD PREDICTION: Georgia’s line play is going to be inept.
3. Memphis vs No.16 Ole Miss
Ole Miss looked gooooooood crushing the hell out of Georgia last week, but Memphis could actually give the Rebs more fits. They have played a far weaker schedule than Ole Miss, but they’ve actually looked pretty good.
PREDICTION: This could actually be pretty fun. Ole Miss is only a 14-1/2 point favorite, and for some reason we’re taking Ole Miss to win, but only by 10 in a really, really fun game.
4. No.9 Texas A&M vs South Carolina
One thing’s for certain: It’s going to be loud in Williams-Brice when the No.9 Aggies walk into the stadium to face Will Muschamp’s team. Not a lot is expected of the Gamecocks, who hilariously lost to an awful Kentucky team last week. Now, with South Carolina down, you’d probably think that NOW is the time that Muschamp will pull a win out of his behind and that they’ll call a stunning upset of the Top 10-ranked Aggies….but it ain’t going to happen. We will be shocked if it’s not out of control by half-time.
PREDICTION: Texas A&M’s an 18-point favorite. We think A&M by 21. And that’s being nice.
4. Kentucky vs No.1 Alabama
This won’t be close. Let’s not say that it will be, because it won’t be. Tim Williams’ suspension for the first half of the game for his pot/pistol arrest will make no difference whatsoever. Kentucky’s inability to tackle will.
PREDICTION: Alabama by 36 is what Vegas is calling for, so we think Alabama by 41. Because the Tide have got to beat the spread sometime, right?
5. No.24 Florida vs Vanderbilt
Florida’s a 10-1/2 point favorite in Nashville, and it’s pretty predictable why. Vandy has shown us nothing in SEC play, and they avoided a bullet against Western Kentucky when the Hilltoppers went for two because, well, going for two is fun. Florida’s offense went from good-to-awful in the space of a half the last time they were in Tennessee (last week, in Knoxville), but they should have the athletes to win pretty easily.
PREDICTION: This should be the easiest money of the week. Florida by 21.
6. Louisiana-Monroe vs Auburn
Apparently Auburn won in weird circumstances last week, and apparently it cost a head coach his job and apparently in between that weirdness some drunk German dude tried to burn down a Toomer’s Corner oak, and this week a student called Herron Taylor got an award from Auburn for trying to protect said tree but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we HAD TO WATCH THAT AUBURN VS LSU GAME BECAUSE IT WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE FOR 99.9% OF THE GAME. This week the half-full crowd in Jordan-Hare should see more touchdowns against a not-very-good ULM team.
PREDICTION: Auburn is a 32 point favorite. We’ll take them to win by 41.
7. Alcorn State vs No.20 Arkansas
Yawn. Razorbacks. Win. Not even erotic.
PREDICTION: Arkansas to win by 50. If it’s close, we’ll laugh.