South Carolina vs. Tennessee

Lane Kiffin brought many things to Knoxville this year.  He brought some excitement, Bryce Brown, his father Monte Kiffin to run the defense, and he brought his big mouth.  I'm not going to get into the fact that Kiffin's mouth has gotten him into trouble this year, what is more important is the fact that people were talking about the Volunteers in the preseason.  They're still buzz about this team, especially following an exciting finish against Alabama last weekend and a complete dismantling of South Carolina yesterday.  The fans believe, the team believes, and It will only take onemore quality win before the media starts to believe.  Tennessee has thier swagger back; more importantly, they have the potential to make niose in the SEC in two years or less.  I've been exceeding critical of Jonathan Crompton this season, but he's playing much better now than he was earlier this year.  Montario Hardesty has stepped up his game like a Senior should, averaging over five yards a carry with eight TDs.  He's been a weapon in the passing game too, averaging over 13 yards per reception with an additional TD.  The Volunteer defense, directed by an NFL legend, is third in total defense in the SEC and allows less than 18 points per game.  The Volunteer coacing staff has to wonder what might have been had close losses against Alabama and Auburn gone their way (not to mention the atrocious loss to ULCA).

SEC action this week offers six games and five in-conference contests. While Georgia sits idle, the other eleven teams from the SEC are preparing to commence hostilities.  Following the past two weeks, there are several questions that teams will be looking to answer this week.  Are Tennessee and Arkansas for real? Can Florida and Ole Miss find a consistent offense? I’m putting all of these questions aside for the moment, because I don’t think any of these teams are playing in the best SEC game this week.

Game of the Week:

Auburn (5-2, 2-2 SEC) at LSU (5-1, 3-1 SEC): 7:30 PM on Saturday 24 October (ESPN 2)

This game hasn’t meant as much in recent years since Auburn ceased to be a force in the SEC momentarily.  Gene Chizik’s new offense made a big impact in Auburn’s early season, but the “O” hasn’t looked as solid in their past three SEC games. LSU has been struggling to find an offense this season, but has a strong defensive unit which helped them win several close games so far this season. An LSU win ensures that the Bayou Bengals control their own destiny.  An Auburn win gives Alabama a nearly insurmountable lead in the SEC West and thoroughly mucks up the race for second place in the division.

Auburn’s offense seemed to be an unstoppable force earlier in the year, posting big numbers on the scoreboard and beating a very solid West Virginia team 41-30. I believe that coach Chizik and his offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn are on to something that will be effective for years to come in Auburn. Auburn currently stands second in the SEC in total offense and scoring offense. Last year, they ranked eighth and tenth respectively in those categories. While I love the new Auburn offense, it is hard to deny that the numbers have dropped dramatically in the past three games. The Tigers scored 26 in a win against Tennessee, 23 in a loss against Arkansas, and 14 in a losing effort against Kentucky. The back to back losses have sent a very promising season into a bit of a tail spin. Auburn was greatly exceeding expectations to date this year, now they’re just meeting them.

Recent offensive downturns aside, it has really been the defense that is letting Chizik down. Last year Auburn allowed an average of 18.0 points per game (5^th SEC) and 317.8 yards per game (6^th in SEC). This year’s defense isn’t faring as well, allowing 26.3 points per game (10^th in SEC) 367.6 yards per game (11^th in SEC). It is unusual to see Auburn in the bottom of the SEC with respect to defensive stats. Even in the last few “lean years” at Auburn, the defense played exceptionally well. Take a look at the stats below illustrating the slow demise of the Auburn defense.

Another week of conference play did much to clear up the picture in the SEC East. Florida and Alabama are the only undefeated teams following losses by Auburn and LSU, but several teams within the conference still control their destiny. I didn’t post my “Stock Market” analysis last week as a result of some unexpected issues with my “real job”, but I’m glad to be back in the saddle this week.

Alright, there’s no recap from last week to deal with, so let’s get right to the picks.

Week 7 Action in the SEC is lacks the big games of last week, but has a wonderful game this evening.  This preview will be very short, and my apologies for getting this out so late.  In the future I hope that my “real job” takes less of my time and can talk about sports full time.  

Game of the Week:

South Carolina (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC): 7:45 PM on Saturday 17 October (ESPN)

The Gamecocks may very well be the third or fourth best team in the SEC.  A close loss to Georgia is their only blemish so far this season, and they’ll be looking to keep it that way as they head into Tuscaloosa.  The South Carolina offense has had difficulty finding a running game, but the passing offense seems to be coming to life.  Meanwhile, the Gamecock defense has been very strong.  Led by the excellent play of Senior linebacker Eric Norwood, South Carolina ranks fourth in the SEC in total defense.  

Another week of conference play did much to clear up the picture in the SEC East.  Florida and Alabama are the only undefeated teams following losses by Auburn and LSU, but several teams within the conference still control their own destiny.  I didn’t post my “Stock Market” analysis last week as a result of some unexpected issues with my “real job”, but I’m glad to be back in the saddle this week.  

Alright, there’s no recap from last week to deal with, so let’s get right to the picks.

BUY:

The Mississppi Defense:  Ole Miss has had a rough go of it so far this season, but watching the game this past weekend solidified my belief that the Rebels have a stout defensive unit.  Alabama had to settle for 5 field goals inside the red zone, and their only touchdown came off of a 36 yard run.  This defensive unit also kept the team in the game against South Carolina despite the loss.  UAB this week won’t show us much, but I think that Houston Nutt’s defensive unit will perform admirably against the potent offenses of Arkansas and Auburn in the coming weeks.  Hopefully, Snead won’t keep throwing the ball (and the game) away.