This weekend is the final one for college football's regular season. It has gone by in a flash but there is still a lot more football left. Last week I was only 6-4 in my picks dropping my overall season mark to 90-21. ( 81%) All sixteen SEC teams are in action this weekend with some mighty big rivalry games on the card.
Friday
Mississippi State at Ole Miss ( Egg Bowl )
You can pick your score in this one. Ole Miss is still angry for the Rebels upset loss at Florida last week....a loss that likely knocked them out of playoff consideration.
Mississippi State is still riding high going into this one after the Bulldogs overtime upset of Texas A&M. This game is traditionally one of the best rivalries in college football But this week, Ole Miss will be well prepared and the Bulldogs are in real trouble.
Ole Miss 54 Mississippi State 21
Georgia Tech at Georgia
The Bulldogs are seemingly headed to the SEC Championship Game to face Texas....though a lot could happen this weekend. Georgia was the pre-season favorite to win the SEC but going into the final game of the regular season, the "Dawgs have two losses and they're both in the SEC ( Alabama and Ole Miss ) Georgia is not unbeatable as we've discovered and while they're favored to beat the Yellow Jackets, this game could be a lot closer than folks are expecting. Tech is not bad at all ( 7-4 ) and they're very capable of pulling off an upset in Athens.
Georgia 37 Georgia Tech 24
Saturday
Auburn at Alabama ( Iron Bowl )
Just like Mississippi State and Ole Miss, one is coming in off an upset loss while the other is jubilant over a huge upset win. This has been a disappointing season for both schools, especially for the Crimson Tide. When they knocked off Georgia early in the year it looked as if Kalen DeBoer wasn't going to miss a step in keeping his team in prominence in college football when Nick Saban retired. Since that game, 'Bama has lost to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma and will skip the SEC title game. If any three loss team can make the College Football Playoffs it would be Alabama but a 9-3 record after a win over Auburn sends the Tide to a good bowl game.
Alabama 34 Auburn 20
Arkansas at Missouri
This game has no meaning really for either team. It's not really a rivalry and it has no bearing on league standings or playoff possibilities. Both teams are already bowl eligible....Arkansas is 6-5 and the Tigers are 8-3. Mizzou is favored and the Tigers are at home, thus they should win. But the oddsmakers are saying it's Missouri by 3.5 points. Should be a good game.
Missouri 33 Arkansas 27
Florida at Florida State
This has been a terrible year for Florida State. The Seminoles are 2-9 overall and are facing a Gator squad that is coming off back to back upset wins over LSU and Ole Miss. Florida is picked to win by two touchdowns but this is a hated rivalry and stranger things have happened than a Seminole victory. Florida is 6-5 and headed to a decent bowl, especially if the Gators win on Saturday.
Florida 38 Florida State 14
Louisville at Kentucky
This battle in the Bluegrass state is usually one of the better games of the day. The Cardinals are picked to win by 3.5 points which really means nothing. Kentucky is not going to a bowl game so the game against Louisville is the Wildcat's bowl game. The 'Cats are 4-7 on the year which is a disappointment for Coach Mark Stoops who has put up a decent record at Kentucky but the Wildcat natives are beginning to get restless. Stoops has taken Kentucky to eight bowl games in his 12 years thus far and they've won four of them. A loss to Louisville could mean the end of a successful era at Kentucky.
Louisville 33 Kentucky 21
Oklahoma at LSU
The Sooners pulled off an impressive upset of Alabama last week and they looked good doing it. They totally throttled 'Bama quarterback Jalen Milroe, picking off three of his passes and keeping the Tide off the scoreboard except for one field goal. It was the best job defensively anyone has done all season on Alabama. On the other hand, LSU has been spiraling downward for several weeks now. after being ranked in the top ten for the first half of the season, the Bengal Tigers suffered a three game losing streak before beating Vanderbilt last week. I'm thinking the Sooners will play well enough to win.
Oklahoma 28 LSU 24
South Carolina at Clemson ( Palmetto Bowl )
This could be the best rivalry game of the weekend. Clemson is at home and they're favored by 2.5 points. The Tigers are hoping to win and have at least a chance to make the playoffs In the recent history of the series, the Tigers have won eight of the last nine meetings. Clemson is 9-2 while the Gamecocks are 7-4 and have been playing very well lately. I think Clemson's defense will be too much for South Carolina.
Clemson 27 South Carolina 20
Texas at Texas A&M
This is the premier game in college football this weekend. A&M is trying to bounce back from an overtime loss at Auburn, while Texas will be trying to win and stay alive for an SEC Championship match with Georgia. This game will live up to all expectations and it should be really wild in College Station this weekend. As much as I think Texas A&M will play well against the Long Horns, I think Texas is just too good.
Texas 34 Texas A&M 30
Tennessee at Vanderbilt
The Volunteers are favored by ten points but Vandy fans have been pointing to this game since the 'Dores upset Alabama. Vanderbilt will likely go to a bowl game regardless of whether or not they beat Tennessee. They've played well in the series lately, going 5-7 against the Big Orange in the last 12 years. However, they still trail big against the Vols all-time at 79-33-5.Tennessee looked awfully good last week in dismantling UTEP 52-0. If the Vols continue to improve on offense, they will handle Vandy. But if they struggle moving the ball, they could be in big trouble. Vanderbilt is a solid SEC football team and could give Tennessee fits.
Tennessee 38 Vanderbilt 27
* * *