Randy Smith: SEC Picks For Week 4

  • Friday, September 25, 2015
  • Randy Smith
Randy Smith
Randy Smith

A few weeks ago, it seemed as if we had been waiting for years for the college football season to get here. Now that we're three weeks into it, it's going too fast. This is always one of the most anticipated weeks of the season, because for Tennessee fans it's Florida week. 
UL Monroe at Alabama:
It appears the demise of Lane Kiffen at Alabama may have been reported a bit prematurely. Nevertheless, the loss last week in Tuscaloosa to Ole Miss was a tough one to take.
It knocked the Crimson Tide out of the top ten and deeply damaged any chances they have to be in the hunt for a national title. When Bear Bryant was coaching, when Alabama would lose a game like the one last week, the next opponent would pay heavily for that loss. That will be the case this week. 
Alabama 52 UL Monroe 14
Texas A&M at Arkansas:
The Arkansas Razorbacks have lost a pair of non-conference games in a row after last week's 35-24 loss to Texas Tech. This week, the Aggies of Texas A&M provide the competition which is much tougher than either of the last two opponents the Hogs have faced...and lost to. Everyone has big plans for Arkansas football in 2015, but it just hasn't materialized.  It likely won't materialize this week either.
Texas A&M 37 Arkansas 20
Mississippi State at Auburn:
LSU totally dominated the Tigers last week in beating them 45-21 in Baton Rouge. The loss was so devastating that Coach Gus Malzahn has inserted Sean White at quarterback, replacing Jeremy Johnson. If you remember in the pre-season, I only tabbed Auburn to finish third in the SEC West this fall. That may have been too high. Mississippi State is still a decent football team, with Dak Prescott, the top returning quarterback in the SEC pulling the trigger. Unless the Tigers have gone completely in the tank, they should bounce back this week, but it will be a tough one.
Auburn 27 Mississippi State 23
Southern at Georgia: 
Bulldog fans can stop worrying about quarterback Greyson Lambert's ability to pass the football. In last week's big win over South Carolina, he set an NCAA record for passing accuracy by clicking on 24 of 25 passes. The seventh ranked Bulldogs played their best game of the season so far in blasting the Gamecocks, and if they can avoid a big let down against Southern this week, things will be okay with the Bulldog Nation. By the way, Lambert's girlfriend,  Adeline Kennedy, will be crowned Miss Georgia next week.
Georgia 55 Southern 10
Missouri at Kentucky:
The Wildcast lost a heartbreaker last week in losing yet another contest to the Florida Gators. They were in it all the way, but were never able to solve the Gator's defense. I picked Kentucky to win in an upset last week, and the 'Cats let me down. So what do I do this week? I'm picking them to win once again against a Missouri team that by all rights, should have lost to UConn last weekend. 
Kentucky 24 Missouri 21
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss:
Ole Miss may struggle for a while with the Commodores, simply due to the "let down" factor. After all, it isn't every day you knock off Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and climb up to third in the polls. When the final horn sounds, the Rebels will be on top, though it won't be pretty. Vandy is getting a little better, but the Black and Gold just isn't good enough to knock off Ole Miss on the road.
Ole Miss 34 Vanderbilt 7
LSU at Syracuse:
The Bengal Tigers looked very impressive in beating Auburn 45-21 last week, and the most impressive Tiger was sophomore running back Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 228 yards on just 19 carries. Fournette is without a doubt the best runner in the SEC, and will hard for Syracuse to stop or even slow down. If LSU can keep him healthy the entire season, they will be very tough to handle in the SEC West.
LSU 31  Syracuse 17
UCF at South Carolina:
The Gamecocks are off to an 0-2 start in the SEC and this really wasn't expected. Coach Steve Spurrier's squad totally blew up in the second half at Georgia last week and that's unusual as well. Central Florida will give USC a chance to right the ship as they are 0-3 to begin the season. The Gamecocks have just one week to straighten things out, because next week, they play at Missouri.
South Carolina 35  UCF 10
Tennessee at Florida:
The Volunteers have lost ten straight times to the Gators. Last year, I boldly proclaimed the streak would end at nine straight. I was wrong. Just as I have been wrong on so many other occasions. In the preseason, everyone looked at the Florida game as one the Vols  would win. Florida had a new coach, they weren't very good a year ago anyway so Tennessee should be favored to win. Well, Florida is a three point favorite, which basically means the game is a toss up. I really need to have my head examined, because I'm picking Tennessee to win. The ten year losing streak has lasted long enough.
Tennessee 30 Florida 21
Last week: 7-3
Year to date: 29-6 

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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.

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