Randy Smith
There is good news and bad news for the SEC this week. The good news is this: two teams, (Alabama and LSU) from the SEC are ranked in the top four in the first College Football Playoff poll. The bad news.....those two teams play each other this weekend and the loser falls out. More on that later.
(Thursday night)
Mississippi State @ Missouri:
This time last year, the Bulldogs were ranked in the College Football Playoff poll. This year, the Bulldogs at best want to be a spoiler for other teams with playoff aspirations. Missouri, unfortunately is not one of those teams. The Tigers are really struggling offensively since the suspension of quarterback Maty Mauk. Right now, the Tigers are trying to win games with their defense, and with Dak Prescott pulling the trigger for Mississippi State it's not likely the Tigers will win this one in Columbia.
Mississippi State 27 Missouri 10
LSU @ Alabama:
Once again, the game of the year in the SEC is between the Crimson Tide and the Bengal Tigers. In 2011 these two teams met for the national championship, with Alabama winning big. LSU wasn't supposed to be this good in 2015, but with Leonard Fournette having a Heisman type season, the Tigers can play with anybody. Everything that needed to come together for LSU this season has come together beautifully for Coach Les Miles. Normally, the home field advantage might be worth a couple of points for Alabama, but the Tide's only loss this season was in Tuscaloosa to Ole Miss. If Ole Miss wins out, they go to the SEC Championship Game as Western Division Champs. So, 'Bama will be doing some scoreboard watching as the Rebels face Arkansas in Oxford. If they do too much, LSU could sneak up on them. Not this week.
Alabama 31 LSU 24
Auburn @ Texas A&M:
Coach Kevin Sumlin's Aggies snapped a two game losing skid last week by outlasting South Carolina.. Tyler Murray seems to have settled in as the starting quarterback, replacing Kyle Allen. Auburn is still struggling, though Coach Gus Malzahn is sold on Sean White as his quarterback. This should be a good game, though Texas A&M should prevail. Auburn still needs two more wins to become bowl eligible but they won't get one of them this week, and likely not in the Iron Bowl at the end of the season.
Texas A&M 34 Auburn 24
Vanderbilt @ Florida:
The Gators all but wrapped up the SEC East title last week when they routed Georgia 27-3. They have two SEC games remaining against Vandy this week and South Carolina next week. The Gators still have a chance of playing for a national championship if they win out, but Florida State at the end of the schedule will be a tough match up. No problem for the Gators this week......
Florida 38 Vanderbilt 10
Kentucky @ Georgia:
This is a battle between two teams that are very close to having their seasons go in the tank. Kentucky is trying to avoid a second straight year of losing six straight games, while Mark Richt is trying to hold onto his job in Athens. A seemingly porous Wildcat defense may be just what the doctors ordered for the anemic Bulldog offense. There seems to be dissension among players and coaches on both teams, which could result in a good house-cleaning on both staffs, or even worse at Georgia. Unless the Bulldogs have completely quit, they should get it done this week.
Georgia 27 Kentucky 21
South Carolina @ Tennessee:
About 20 years ago, they used to say, "They remember what you do in November." Until last year, they had pretty much stopped saying that in Big Orange Country. Last year the Vols rallied for several key wins in November to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible. It's the same this year, only Tennessee needs just two more wins to secure a bowl bid, and if they win out, they finish 8-4. The Volunteers blasted Kentucky last week on the road and are favored this week to beat the Gamecocks again. South Carolina is 1-1 since Steve Spurrier stepped down, and they could still cause some big problems for someone for the rest of the season. I'm not sure about South Carolina, but Tennessee is on a mission; one that will not stop when the 2015 season ends. Coach Butch Jones mission is to win the SEC Championship. The Vols should be considered one of the real favorites to do just that next season.
Tennessee 38 South Carolina 20
Last Week : 6-0
Year to Date: 61-16
---
Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer. He is currently teaching Broadcasting at Coahulla Creek High School near Dalton, Ga.
His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for thirty years.
He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century.
In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have four grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, DellaMae and CoraLee.