Once my mother-in-law came just to stay a couple nights, And decided she would stay the rest of her life. I watch my little children play some board game in the kitchen, And I sit and pray they never feel my strife. But then my partner called to say the pension funds were gone. He'd made some bad investments, now the accounts are overdrawn, and I took a walk!
So this week's blog will be a little different for a couple reasons. One is that I'm flyin solo as the Professor is occupied with other Professorly duties, and two is that we have a song for the recap, which you may have noticed. I expected to have to use this one after a loss, and I'm glad Bama was our first loss. I was only able to watch the first quarter of the MSU/Alabama game, and honestly that was probably a good thing for my sanity. Reading comments and reviews it sounds like MSU didn't bring it's A game... or B game, or C game... The Bulldogs turned in a crap performance, and it's a testament to what Dan Mullen has done with this program in a few short years that a majority of our fans are disappointed that we didn't play better against the number one team in the nation.
In addition to that, I wasn't able to watch any other games due to travelling this past weekend, so I'm going to forego the usual recaps of individual games this time around. Don't take this as sour grapes, though. I said in my post last week that I believed in our team, and that has not changed. I still believe in MSU and this football program, and I still believe in our players and coaches. Very few, if any, programs in the modern era can go from where we were as a program 4 years ago to beating the number one team in the nation in that length of time. I am disappointed that we weren't more competitive but I still believe we will have a very good season. For the record, like I said last week two of the most important keys to winning this game were penalties and turnovers. We took two costly penalties in the first quarter, and did not win the turnover battle.
At the beginning of the year, if you had asked me what I thought our record would be at season's end, I would have told you that I expected losses to LSU and Bama as practically a given. That hasn't changed. Those programs are much more stacked with athletes at every position, and recruiting that kind of depth takes time and continued success. There is a good chance MSU could finish anywhere between 8-4 and 10-2 this season, and that is a successful season. String 4-5 of those together and recruits will take notice. Do it for 8-10 and you'll be competing with the big boys. We just have to keep our heads up and keep on grindin...
Sorry for all of you expecting a detailed rundown of the weekend's action, but life and work kinda got in the way this week. The weekend preview is still coming, though, so be sure to check back here Friday afternoon to see a preview of the MSU/Texas A&M game and the rest the SEC has to offer! Have a great week!
SEC Weekend Preview: Week 9
(Mr. Hooch) Welcome back, friends! It's time for the SEC Weekend Preview of Week 9, and this week's song is Thrift Shop by Macklemore. If you haven't heard this song, or better yet watched the video, do yourself a favor. I'll wait here...
Mackelmore - Thrift Shop
I'm gonna pop some tags, Only got twenty dollars in my pocket. I - I - I'm hunting, looking for a come-up, This is fucking awesome! Walk up to the club like, "What up, I got a big cock!" Nah, I'm just pumped, just bought some shit from the thrift shop. Ice on the fringe, it's so damn frosty, That people be like, "Damn! That's a cold ass honkey." Rollin' in, hella deep, headin' to the mezzanine, Dressed in all pink, 'cept my gator shoes, those are green. Draped in a leopard mink, girls standin' next to me. Probably shoulda washed this, smells like R. Kelly's sheets...(Piiisssssss) But shit, it was ninety-nine cents! (Bag it)
Done? Good... now aren't you glad you took the time to check that out? This song is blowin up right now, kinda like our beloved Bulldogs. Dan Mullen will walk into the 'club' that is Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday sporting the thrift shop version of SEC athletes, compared to Nick Saban's "$50 t-shirt" athletes, and both will be sporting undefeated records. How's that for some thrifty shoppin? Dan Mullen has done an incredible job not only recruiting but developing the talent that is available to him, and this is the result. Now some of our fans (and theirs) will try to tell you that Bama doesn't respect MSU, and that they're probably looking past us to their game with LSU next weekend, but here's what the boys from Bama don't want you to know. They're scared. If not scared, then definitely worried... Seriously, think about it. They have been king of the hill for so long they don't know how to lose, and nobody outside of Starkville would've thought the Bulldogs would be 7-0 walking in to Tuscaloosa this Saturday. So now they look at the schedule and see an undefeated Mississippi State, and it scares them. It scares them because they would be so embarrassed if they lost to lowly MSU. It scares them because they know it's happened before. It scares them because they know it can happen again...
Most of you who have read this blog for the last few years know that I generally try to keep a reserved, logical approach to predicting our games. But not this week... this week I'm like the Fox Mulder of
Thanks to BigMotherTrucker from
Forums.SixPackSpeak.com for the pic.
Mississippi State. I WANT TO BELIEVE!!! If I have to eat crow next week well then I'll deal with that next week, but here is what I'm doing, and what I want all of YOU to do up until game time on Saturday. Believe. Believe that MSU can beat Bama. Believe that the Bulldogs can topple the number one team in the nation. Believe that our boys can do it... because they do. The boys in Maroon and White believe they can do it, and so should we.
(Professor D) It’s finally here. Mississippi State fans had the Tennessee game circled at the beginning of the year as the game that would tell us what to expect for that brutal final stretch. The hurdle that was Tennessee has been jumped. The gauntlet it is upon us and Mississippi State is staring down the barrel of 5 straight games in the SEC West. There are no more breaks, there are no more tune-ups and with the resurgence of Ole Miss and Arkansas’ sudden ability to actually play football, there are no gimmies. This is SEC football, and Mississippi State is undefeated. The two divisions turn inward this week in the SEC and Vanderbilt will play the conferences only out of conference game and LSU gets a break. On Monday we will either have a clearer picture of what the standings are going to be, or realize we have no freaking clue what is about to happen. Either way, it’s a weekend of reckoning.
Now, let's get down and dirty with some predictions for our other SEC games this weekend, and then we will wrap up with the MSU/Bama tilt. Enjoy...
U Mass at Vanderbilt
UMass has not won a single game this season, even against competition such as Miami (OH) Redhawks, Ohio Bobcats, and Western Michigan Broncos... Vandy has wins over Missouri and Auburn. Even Missouri and Auburn could've won three with UMass' schedule. Vanderbilt will have a nice little exhibition game this weekend while they prep for a showdown with Kentucky next weekend.
UMass 7 - Vanderbilt 24
Alright Vanderbilt, Mississippi State took care of its non-conference foe last week. This week it falls to the Commodores. The good news is Vanderbilt gets this game at home, where they have been at their best. The Commodores have put together a decent defense and the offense has its moments. That should be enough to give Vanderbilt the win against UMass, which is something Vanderbilt desperately needs if they want to make it back to back bowl games. A loss to the Minutemen would almost guarantee that the Commodores would not be bowl eligible at the end of the season. It really shouldn’t be too hard for Vandy to come out with a win though. UMass hasn’t won a game all year against foes like Western Michigan and Bowling Green. If Vanderbilt loses this game James Franklin may be in trouble. You simply don’t lose at home to a team that is 0 – 7. Vanderbilt 42 v. UMass 13
Kentucky at Missouri
Welp, somebody's GOTTA win. Both the Wildcats and the Tigers come in to the game winless in the conference, so at the end of it all one team, whether they deserve it or not, will have an SEC win. I was going to go in to more detail about the struggles each team has faced, but I don't have three hours to waste and you don't want to read 47 pages on two teams that suck. Missouri will suck less, and I think ultimately it will be their special teams play that gives them the edge over Kentucky.
Kentucky 10 - Missouri 21
With Arkansas' sudden turn around the only truly terrible SEC team not playing in this game is Auburn. If either of these teams wants to win an SEC game this year, Saturday is their best chance. Kentucky still plays Vanderbilt at home, but the Commodores are no pushover for the Wildcats. Missouri gets Florida, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. Good luck with that Tigers. Both of these teams have the offensive weapons to win this game, and both have defenses perfectly capable of negating any momentum generated by those offenses. That isn’t to say the Wildcats or the Tigers will be fielding a great offense on Saturday. Both teams started the year with high hopes that were quickly scattered by injuries, especially to their starting quarterbacks. Kentucky plays a lot of freshmen on defense, freshmen who are starting to get the hang of SEC football. Missouri meanwhile has a bit more experience, but not quite the talent level Kentucky does. The Wildcats did get a spark last week in a closer than expected loss to Georgia. It could be just what they needed to generate a strong finish. It won’t result in a bowl game, but it would do wonders for Joker Phillips' job security and Kentucky’s ability to recruit in the offseason. On the other hand Missouri has a game-changing kick returner in Marcus Murphy. A special teams touchdown could make this a tough game for Kentucky to win. Neither of these teams will go bowling, but this is a matter of pride. Who wants to win an SEC game more? I’m probably going to regret this, but despite the games local I’m going with Kentucky. I’ll be damned if Marcus Murphy ruins another pick for me (I’ve had the score for 2 Missouri games predicted perfectly, except they decided to go and run back kick offs for touchdowns in both of those games). Missouri 20 v. Kentucky 24
Texas A&M at Auburn
The Aggies are coming off a tough loss at home to LSU, and Auburn... well, Auburn continues to spiral downward. Johnny Football will be eager to prove himself and his team's worth, but even if they post 75 points in a shutout nobody will be impressed, because Auburn is just that bad this year. Actually, Auburn is off to their worst start in 60 years, and even though LSU gave the conference a blueprint on how to contain Manziel the Tigers won't be able to execute it well enough to pull out the win. As hot as Derek Dooley's seat may be, Chizik's is already on fire... good thing he will have $9 million to get some burn treatments on that ass...
TAMU 45 - Auburn 14
I actually considered picking the upset in this game. Texas A&M is coming off a brutal loss to LSU at home, the game is at Jordan-Hare. I almost started to get a little crazy thinking about what Auburn almost did to LSU (could you imagine what LSU’s season would look like now if they HAD lost???). Then I remembered the Auburn – Arkansas game and was brought back to reality. Baring a continued meltdown by Georgia (I mean Colossal meltdown… like Chernobyl or a Michael Bay movie) a loss Saturday pretty much guarantees that Auburn will not win an SEC game this year. I take way too much joy in that. Wouldn’t it be cool if they managed to beat Alabama for their one SEC win though? Man that would be amazing. Too bad they won’t be undefeated since Mississippi State will have already taken that from them (kidding, read on for that analysis). The Aggies’ high powered offense may have run face first into a purple and gold painted brick wall last Saturday, but the Tigers they will be facing this weekend are less brick wall and more gently sloping grassy knoll that will cushion your fall if you happen to trip over your own feet and provide a nice place for a picnic. No but seriously, this is a terrible defense. A&M should have no problem putting up another 500+ yard 50 point performance on the Plains. You know I used to want to see Chizik fired, but I think I’d rather him stick around so we can beat up on Auburn for the next few years. This has been fun. Auburn 10 – Texas A&M 52
Tennessee at South Carolina (17)
South Carolina was on top of the world when they knocked off Georgia to the tune of 35-7, and it looked like they had a legitimate shot at making a run to the SEC Championship, but they fell from #3 two weeks ago to #17 this week after losing two straight to LSU and Florida. However the Gamecocks are still bowl eligible and the Ol' Ball Coach is telling his boys there's still plenty to play for. On the other side of the field the Volunteers are still searching for that first conference win, and would like nothing more than a signature win over a top 25 ranked team. They will have to make some drastic improvements in order to accomplish that goal. The Gamecocks are talented and pissed off... Tennessee is just pissed. Derek Dooley's seat gets hotter and hotter as the season progresses...
Tennessee 14 - South Carolina 27
South Carolina is reeling after back to back losses to LSU and Florida, but those may be two of the top three teams in the SEC this year (One of them may actually be the best, and if you’ve watched Mettenberger play this year you should know who I’m talking about). Tennessee actually has a chance to win this game. They have what could be the best offensive line in the conference to take on South Carolina’s talented front 7, and if Tyler Bray can limit the turnovers this could turn into a shoot out. The problem for Tennessee is even if they get into a shoot out against the Gamecocks, South Carolina has an offense that can keep up with the Volunteers. So if both offenses can score points, I guess it’s going to come down to defense. Hmm that’s tough. Who do I trust to win a football game: Tennessee’s defense, or South Carolina’s (I said Tennessee had a chance I didn’t say it was a good one). South Carolina may be all but out of the running for the SEC East, but they can get back on track to a decent bowl game with a win this weekend. Actually if the SEC sends two teams to the National Championship and LSU loses a couple of games, South Carolina could go to the Sugar Bowl. It sounds unlikely, but it’s more probable than Georgia beating Florida and letting the Gamecocks back into the race to Atlanta. South Carolina 42 v. Tennessee 20
Ole Miss at Arkansas
Both teams are coming off the bye week, and both offenses continue to improve as the season progresses. This has the makings of a shootout written all over it, as neither defense has put up impressive numbers this season. Ole Miss is coming off an emotional win over Auburn... not emotional in the sense that Auburn was a marquee victory, but in the sense that it snapped their 17 game SEC losing streak. The Rebels look to build on that by taking advantage of a Razorback team that stumbled in the first half of the season before finding it's identity... or at least it's ID card. Arkansas has gotten
Lilu Dallas. Multi-pass.
a bit of their swagger back, and that's bad timing for a hopeful team of Rebels. However even the oddsmakers aren't completely sold on Arkansas, as they are only a 5 point favorite at 'home' in Little Rock. (Home is really Fayetteville, AR, in case you're confused) Playing in War Memorial Stadium is tough for anybody, but this Ole Miss team will find it more difficult than most unless they can make something happen on defense.
Ole Miss 27 - Arkansas 35
Who would’ve thought at the beginning of the year that this would be one of the games to watch this weekend in the SEC? Back then Arkansas was supposed to be a National Title dark horse and Ole Miss was the worst team in the SEC. Four weeks later this still didn’t look like an interesting game as Arkansas’ dumpster caught fire (You thought that reference was over didn’t you?) and Ole Miss decided it was a football team after all. Then Arkansas started to put together some decent games and all of a sudden this game has meaning. Ole Miss can cement their return to relevance and take a big step to becoming bowl eligible (they would have to beat Georgia, Vanderbilt, LSU, or Mississippi State). Arkansas meanwhile can prove they really have turned this season around and threaten to earn their own bowl eligibility (they would have to win two more games against Tulsa, South Carolina, LSU, or Mississippi State). Both of these teams need to go to a bowl game to sustain their momentum. With their remaining schedules that means they have to win this game. The question then becomes who wants it more. Arkansas has the more talented offense, but Ole Miss has been playing with some fire. That and Arkansas' defense is terrible, granted the rebel whatevers are only marginally better. This is a tough game to pick. If it was in Oxford I’d call Ole Miss with some degree of confidence. Hugh Freeze hasn’t been bad on the road though. I’m setting myself up for a bad week of picks but I’m going to go with Ole Miss. Arkansas 27 – Ole Miss 35
Florida (3) "at" Georgia (12)
If you're wondering why 'at' is in quotes, it's because this annual match up between the Gators and the Bulldogs, formerly known as The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, is played in Jacksonville, FL. The Gators are in control of their own destiny, and a win here would secure them a berth in the SEC title game in December. Florida put on a clinic in their defeat of the Gamecocks last weekend to the tune of 44-11. However the Bulldogs are also in control of their own fate... by winning the rest of their conference games THEY would be the ones in Atlanta for the title game. Georgia's defense was thought to be a strength of the team, but they haven't lived up to the hype, whereas Florida's smothering defense has been everything you'd expect and more. Florida's offense is nothing to write home about, though, while the Bulldogs rank 18th in the nation in overall offense. This will be a great game to watch, but my gut tells me I'll have to go with the old adage that 'offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.'
Florida 24 - Georgia 17
They've got a point about the jorts....
It wasn’t that long ago that this looked to be one of the premier games the SEC would see this year. Then came Georgia’s slide into mediocrity, and Florida’s rise to Elite status. The bulldogs lost bad to South Carolina, took a week off, then came back sluggish against an awful Kentucky team. In that same span of time Florida beat LSU, went on the road to beat Vanderbilt, and returned home to crush that South Carolina team that shut down Georgia. The Gators capitalize on every mistake their opponent makes, and Georgia makes their fair share of mistakes. Will Muschamp has Florida in national title contention, and with their strength of schedule it could be argued that Florida and not Alabama deserves the number one spot in the SEC. You can bet they won’t be letting the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party (change the name if you want to, it’s just too good to go away) stand in their way. The state of Georgia should be used to people marching into their territory and burning everything in their path. This time though the invaders are headed to Atlanta, not through it (I love history). For Georgia to have a chance in this game Aaron Murray needs to play mistake free football. Their freshman duo of running backs can’t get discouraged by the number of 2 yard gains they're going to have against the Gators. They aren’t in there to score 50 yard touchdowns, they’re in there to give Murray a chance to throw for a first down if the Florida defense sells out on the run. They also cannot fumble. Every time they drop the football the Gators get seven points. Don’t give the Gators seven points. The other thing Georgia has to do is play good disciplined defense, something that they surprisingly haven’t been able to do this season. Jarvis Jones is going to have to take over the game and force a few turnovers for the bulldogs. Not necessarily to turn into points, but more just to stop Florida’s running game and get them off the field for a bit. Even if Georgia manages to do all of that, they will still need a bit of luck to hold off the second half bull rush Muschamp is sure to engineer. Florida 35 – Georgia 24
Mississippi State (13) at Alabama (1)
There's so much I want to say, I honestly don't know where to begin. Let's start with the obvious... both teams are undefeated, so the winner of this game is in the driver's seat on the road trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. The media talks and talks and TALKS about how MSU hasn't 'played anybody' and let's face it, they're right. But Bama has only played one 'somebody' this season, and that was then #8 Michigan in the first week of the season. Do I really need to explain that preseason rankings are stupid as hell? There shouldn't be any rankings until at least 3-4 weeks into the season, otherwise you're just praising a team on what they did last year, and that doesn't even begin to cover changes in coaching or players due to graduation, attrition, etc. But be that as it may, Michigan was somebody when Alabama beat them in Arlington, and Bama gets the name recognition lovefest every season anyway. But none of that matters, because this Saturday the Bulldogs will have the opportunity to prove to Alabama and the rest of the world that they do deserve their ranking, and they are, in fact, a quality football team.
Much has been made of the fact that Dan Mullen's Bulldogs have had close calls earlier in the season, such as the Troy game. What people don't realize is Dan is the kind of coach that likes to play EVERYTHING close to the chest. He will not comment on injuries, for instance, because it gives opponents more to plan for if they don't know who they'll be facing. In the same respect, the Bulldogs played vanilla in the first half of the season because they could get away with it. If you let us beat you vanilla, we will beat you vanilla... no need to pad stats or add to highlight reels. So when it comes to this game Saturday, you can expect to see some new wrinkles on offense.
One thing you're likely to see is Dan opening up the playbook a lot more. I'd be willing to bet there will be a much greater role in the offense by our tight ends in Tuscaloosa. Marcus Green and Malcolm Johnson are quietly having themselves quite the season. Green is averaging 11.3 yds/reception and already has 5 TDs on the season. Malcolm Johnson made a spectacular return to play after recovering from a torn pectoral muscle with his athletic one-hand catch against Tennessee. In fact, the Tennessee game is the only other game this season that has seen such production from the TEs. But that's not all... Dan Mullen hasn't been shy about swapping out QBs in the redzone, either. Dak Prescott has come in on many redzone possessions in a variation of the wildcat formation, and with his size and ability to scramble he gives opposing defenses fits. Prescott has been good for three rushing TDs and one through the air as well. Then there's offensive mainstays Chad Bumphis and LaDarius Perkins. Bumphis is averaging 16.5 yds/rec and has 6 TDs, Perkins is averaging 5.8 yds/carry and has 8 TDs. The MSU offense is more balanced than it has ever been, and that can only benefit the Bulldogs as it keeps opposing defenses guessing as to where the next strike is coming from.
But there's more to this game than offense... Alabama's defense ranks #1 in the nation, and that's a daunting task for any offense, even one designed by offensive mastermind Dan Mullen. Nick Saban is a defensive genius himself, so it will be interesting to see the chess match unfold on Saturday. Athletically speaking Alabama is well equipped to handle the Bulldogs, but it doesn't matter how strong or fast you are if you're looking left when your opponent goes right. Will Mullen's play-calling be able to keep the Crimson Tide guessing, or will Bama's suffocating defense turn the dual-threat Dawgs into a one-dimensional stick figure? If you think Alabama will handle MSU handily then you're not alone... most of the nation thinks likewise. But until the clock strikes zero on Saturday, I believe!
Darius Slay doin what he does...
Alabama's offense is headed up by Heisman hopeful AJ McCarron, who has been solid all season. McCarron is completing 68.8% of his passes and has 16 TDs and 0 INT's on the season, but he's not so impressive with his feet, posting -45 yds rushing on the season. Of course he hasn't had to be good with Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake running the ball for him. The three have combined for 17 of Alabama's 18 rushing TDs this season, and Yeldon and Drake are just freshmen. That is a credit to Bama's offensive line and their recruiting. The difference here is that the Crimson Tide does not field lockdown corners like MSU does, so the Bulldogs are going to stack the box and bury the run, forcing McCarron to go to the air and try to connect with Amari Cooper and the rest of the receiving corps to move the ball up field. This will hopefully play right into the waiting hands of Darius Slay and Johnthan Banks, who are the nation's premiere defensive duo. Cooper is a first class receiver, so the match-up here will be a lot of fun to watch. Fun fact: the last team to intercept an AJ McCarron pass? Mississippi State. That INT was Cameron Lawrence, who will be on the field Saturday marshaling the Bulldog defense. Don't think AJ is sleeping on that fact, either.
So where does this leave us? Well I could be realistic and pessimistic and say that MSU has little, if any, chance at beating Bama, but I won't do it for one simple reason. The players and coaches believe they CAN win in Tuscaloosa. Mississippi State has beaten the 'unbeatable' Alabama teams before... they ended legendary Bear Bryant's undefeated streak at Alabama, after which the Bear came to the MSU locker room and congratulated the Bulldogs on their game. But there is a culture of acceptance among many MSU fans... acceptance of the perception that we can't beat the big dogs of the SEC, acceptance of the perception that we will only rise so far... Luckily Dan Mullen has his boys fighting and driving, grinding and believing in themselves. He's not willing to accept his position like some simpering lackey. So if the team believes they can win, why shouldn't we, the fans, believe in them as well? The answer is there is NO GOOD REASON not to believe... so I do.
MSU 24 - Alabama 20
My heart is racing even as I sit here typing this. Most State fans know their team has only a slight chance of upsetting Saban’s dynasty, but there is a chance. That’s all we dared hope for when we saw this year’s schedule. As soon as it came out Bulldog fans started thinking “wait, could we be 7 – 0 headed to Tuscaloosa?” and guess what. Mississippi State is undefeated, and Alabama is as untested as we could have hoped. The best game anyone has given the Tide so far this year is Ole Miss. I like to think my Bulldogs will fight as hard and valiantly as that school up north did, and Mississippi State certainly has the edge in talent against their in-state rival. The downside is Alabama has steadily been improving every week since the Michigan game to start the season. The holes Ole Miss exploited to stay in the game, such as the Tide’s weak pass rush and undeveloped passing game, have since closed. The emergence of Amari Cooper at wide receiver means the Tide is firing on all cylinders offensively. As far as the pass rush, the Tide still don’t have a consistent pass rusher, but they’ve taken to just bulldozing the center and trusting their big, disciplined linebackers to contain the quarterback once he starts running for his life. Mississippi State’s offensive line has been decent this year but they will need one heck of a game to give LaDarius Perkins some running room and Tyler Russell time to find the open receivers.
LaDarius Perkins has to have a good day for the Bulldogs to stand a chance...
Let’s go through some match ups in this game. We’ll start with the trenches: Alabama’s offensive line vs. Mississippi State’s defensive line. Alabama certainly has the edge in experience… and talent. The Bulldogs haven’t really been able to get at opposing quarterbacks this year, except that last quarter in a half against MTSU when they were pissed off about Johnthan Banks being hurt. State’s linemen will have to play with equal fire the entire game if they want to pressure McCarron into making some poor decisions against the Bulldog secondary. Which brings us to: Mississippi State’s secondary vs. McCarron and the Tide’s receivers. The Bulldogs have what some say is the best secondary in the nation. The only real competition for that title comes from Alabama. McCarron has been perfect all year, but he hasn’t faced anything close to what the Bulldogs will bring into town at corner and safety. If McCarron is given enough time though it will still be tough for Banks and company to get their hands on a football. One way State can help its cause is by shutting down Alabama’s running game. Something no other team has been able to do this year. State hasn’t been overly successful against the run this year. The defensive linemen and the linebackers will have to be fast and strong to stop Alabama’s running backs. The problem is the Bulldogs have been picked apart over the middle when the linebackers move up to stop the run. The end story is, Alabama is going to score a few points. Mississippi State will just have to score more, not an easy task against the best defense in the country. Tyler Russell will need to have another perfect game, limiting mistakes against one of the top pass defenses in the country. The receivers will have a tough time getting open, but the tight ends could find some running room against the Tide’s slower linebackers. LaDarius Perkins is also going to have to have a great game running against Bama’s line. State’s offense will also need to find a way to get Perkins the ball in space, away from the Tide’s big lineman. All and all Mississippi State has a tough uphill battle to fight in order pull out a win in Tuscaloosa. Chances are the Tide will come out of this game with another victory, but you can be sure that the Bulldogs will put up one heck of a fight. That’s really what State fans want to see. Wouldn’t it be sweet to be sitting atop the SEC West with an 8 – 0 record and Alabama off the schedule. That doesn’t mean the Bulldogs would have an open door to Atlanta. Texas A&M, LSU, Arkansas, and Ole Miss would still be looking to spoil State’s almost formed dreams. I think it’s time to bring back an old Mr. Hooch standby: The Wild and Woolly. Actual Prediction Alabama 31 – Mississippi State 17 Wild and Woolly Alabama 21 – Mississippi State 24
There are tons of football movies and sports movies in general where coaches give inspirational speeches to their teams. One of my favorites is The Replacements with Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman. If you've never seen it do yourself a favor, it's a fun movie. At a pivotal moment in the final game a reporter asks the coach, played by Hackman, what it's going to take for his team to win this game... his answer is as true for this team as it has ever been for any underdog facing the 'unbeatable' foe. "Heart. Miles and miles of heart." So go watch your favorite inspirational sports movie, and take the hope and the spirit and the excitement from that and channel it into your support for these Bulldogs. They can do it. WE can do it. We are Bulldogs, not lap dogs, and we're here to win! Hail State!
As always, thanks for reading, and be sure to stop by House of Hooch on Facebook and give us a like! Just click here. Have a great weekend, and Go Dawgs!
(Mr. Hooch) Well that was certainly a fun weekend! Mississippi State wins handily, as do Florida and Bama, while LSU and Georgia struggle to retain control of their own destinies (such as it is). South Carolina tripped up and slipped behind in the race for the East, as did the Aggies in the West. There was definitely some fine football viewing to be had, and on the weekend both the Professor and yours truly were 100% with our picks! So, let's dig right in and see 'what had happened.'
(Professor D) This was certainly a good weekend of SEC football. Mississippi State won the conference’s one out of conference game. Florida has everyone questioning why we ever though there was a three horse race in the SEC East, and Alabama looked so good that undefeated Mississippi State is a 24 point underdog this weekend (and State fans seem like the only ones scratching their heads). The only real surprises this weekend were the Mississippi State and the Georgia scores. Overall I would give the SEC a solid B this weekend. Georgia and South Carolina didn’t play up to par and coupled with Tennessee’s big loss made the conference look a little weaker than SEC fans would like.
Alabama 44 - Tennessee 13
Well, Alabama did what Alabama does, and this time it was the Vols who were on the receiving end of things. AJ McCarron went 17-22 with 306 yards and 4 TDs, and I'm pretty sure he took a nap and had time for some juice and cookies while he was at it. We will look at Alabama and their strengths and
What? You didn't think Bama's QB would just eat any old juice and cookies, did you?
weaknesses in more detail in this weekend's preview, but suffice it to say that most folks would tell you the Crimson Tide is the only team that can beat the Crimson Tide. MSU will have to play a near perfect game and get a lucky bounce or two to have a shot at beating Bama.
If you’re wondering why Mississippi State is a 24 point underdog against the Crimson Tide, this is why. Alabama annihilated the Volunteers this weekend where as Mississippi State won in a shoot out. The Crimson Tide’s defense was as impressive as it has been all year. The offense is still clicking, although so has everyone else who played Tennessee. The Volunteers are still trying to figure out how to play defense. This has been an embarrassing season for the former National Champions. The offense is impressive (when not playing the number one defense in the nation) but that’s really the only bright side of this team. The Tide almost seemed to abandon their potent running game in favor of a passing game that may actually be underrated. Mr. Hooch gave you the stats, McCarron was as dominant as Lacy normally is in the run game. That’s a dangerous sign for everyone with Alabama on their schedule. And we haven’t even gotten into their defense. Tennessee may have the best offensive line in the conference, yet Tennessee was still unable to keep up with Alabama. The Tide may not be the machine they were last year, but they are still the big man on campus in the NCAA.
Florida 44 - South Carolina 11
Well this was not the neck-and-neck struggle I thought it would be, but in the end I backed the right horse at least. Things started out bad for the Gamecocks when Conner Shaw fumbled inside their own 5 yard line and Florida recovered on the 1. At one point in the first quarter Florida was winning 7-3 and had total rushing yardage of -1. Turnovers, man. Turnovers. The Gators didn't need to dig deep and put together another stellar second half this time around, but something tells me they would've if they had to. Florida has 2 games left that could potentially trip them up... Georgia this week and FSU to close the regular season. Win those two and handle a weak Missouri team and the Gators will be off to Atlanta in late December...
In my opinion Florida secured the SEC East with this win. Not only did they beat South Carolina, they dismantled them. The Gamecocks never really had a chance. As Mr. Hooch said, they beat themselves on the first possession. I expected Florida to win. I did not expect them to put up 44 points on what was once one of the finest defenses in the land. South Carolina needs to go back to the drawing board. There are still some good bowl games on the table for the Gamecocks to compete for, but they will need to regroup from the last two weekends if they intend to make a run at them. Florida meanwhile looks like the powerhouse the East has been lacking the past two years. Everyone thought Georgia would step into that roll, but the Gators have come from mediocrity to rip that from them. This Saturday should set the East in stone, but after watching Georgia and Florida this weekend, I’ve already made my picks. The Gators can run the ball with the best in the nation (as proved against LSU) and they play defense better than just about everyone. They are also better coached than anyone (including myself) expected them to be. Florida’s second half adjustments have been incredible this year. Like Mr. Hooch said, they didn’t need a big second half to win this game, but I’m convinced Will Muschamp would have delivered if they did.
Vanderbilt 17 - Auburn 13
You wanna know just how bad this Auburn team is? They won the turnover battle in this game, forcing 3 turnovers from Vandy will giving up none themselves, and still lost. Two seasons removed from a National Championship, and the Tigers have one win (over Louisiana Monroe, in OT no less) eight weeks into the season. The wheels on the bus are falling off, falling off, falling off... Frankly it
Um, Coach Chizik? I think we got on the wrong bus!!
couldn't happen to a better team. I can't imagine Gene Chizik is feeling good about his job security right now, but one bright spot for the Chizz is that if Auburn fires him this year he will walk away with $9 million dollars... Pocket change to a program that pays $180k for a QB, right?
I really enjoyed this game, a lot more than I should have. It is a little concerning to me that as a human being I could take this much delight in the failure of others. Auburn is bad this year. They will not be bowl eligible and they may not win an SEC game this year. Sweet music to my ears (The truly scary part is that I actually hate Alabama much more). The Tigers are one of the worst offensive teams in the FBS and their defense isn’t much better. The SEC should count themselves lucky Auburn will not be in a bowl game this year. They would be an embarrassment to the conference. Vanderbilt meanwhile is quietly starting to put together a decent season. The Commodores are as good on defense as they have ever been and the offense seems to improve every week (if they can figure out how to hold onto the footall). If they can beat three of the remaining teams on their schedule (UMass, Tennessee, Kentucky, Wake Forset, and Ole Miss) they will be bowl eligible. That is definitely an achievable goal for this team, and would go a long way to improving the future of this program.
LSU 24 - Texas A&M 19
Well the Tigers started out sluggish, like a wet sponge on Saturday in College Station, but by halftime they had taken the lead and would not relinquish it. Johnny Football threw an uncharacteristic three INTs and 0 TDs on the day as the Aggies faced a defense that, while riddled with injuries, was still head and shoulders above the rest of the competition A&M has faced this season with the exception of Florida. LSU signal caller Zack Mettenberger threw an ugly 37% on the day, but he did manage a touchdown pass late in the first half to put the Tigers on top. The Aggies tried some hook and ladder action at the end of the game and ended up looking like the Keystone Cops... LSU gets a
bye this week before facing #3 Alabama (note: that #3 is a prediction of where Alabama will fall to after they lose to MSU this weekend. Call me Fox Mulder, but I wanna believe!), while TAMU travels to Auburn, presumably to get back to business as usual.
I think I called LSU not scoring more than something close to 24 points on the road in the SEC. The Tigers did just that, and the defense did its job and held A&M’s potent offense to just 19 points. LSU is proving that you really don’t need a quarterback to win football games. I don’t know how Zack Mettenberger has fallen this far, but he is awful. Really, why is he still the starting quarterback? You can’t tell me that in LSU’s inexhaustible depths of talent there isn’t a QB who can do better than 37%. There just has to be someone better on that roster. But the Tigers managed to pull out a win on the road. The Aggies are no slouch at home and Les Miles should be proud of this win. Texas A&M shouldn’t read too much into this loss. LSU has a great defense, and although Johnny Manziel made some mistakes, that is to be expected from a freshman against a team of this caliber. This loss shouldn’t diminish any of the progress that has been made in College Station this year.
Georgia 29 - Kentucky 24
The SEC East version of the Bulldogs had to put in considerably more effort than their Maroon and White brothers from the West, but in the end they did come away from Kentucky with a win. Aaron Murray slung the rock for 427 yards through the air totaling 4 TDs while the Bulldogs turned in 504 yards of total offense on the day. After a first half that saw Kentucky jump out to a 7-0 lead, then Georgia tie it up, then Kentucky score again, the Bulldogs were down 14-7 when they found the endzone... and bounced the PAT off the upright. However just before halftime the Dawgs kicked a FG to go up 16-14. In the second half it was all Bulldogs, except for a late TD by Kentucky to keep it close.
What has happened to Georgia? They were supposed to be the equal of Alabama and LSU this year out of the East, but they have looked everything but in their last two games. Kentucky is bad. How they managed to end this game within one touchdown of Georgia I don’t know, but more power to them for it. Georgia’s defense isn’t the strength of this team they were expected to be. In fact I would go as far as to call them a liability to an impressive offense. Aaron Murray has looked good the past couple of games, despite the bulldogs inability to function on defense. Mark Richt is going to need to turn this team around fast if he expects to keep his job much longer. On the other side of the coin Kentucky’s freshman are starting to play decent football. A bowl game is out of the question, but the future could be bright for these Wildcats and Joker Phillips (If the fans will give him a chance).
MSU 45 - Middle Tennessee 3
Walking in to this game Mississippi State knew this was the very definition of a trap game, and they would have none of it. The Bulldogs struck first on a Tyler Russell pass to Chris Smith, who would have 2 TDs on the day when it was all said and done. MSU would go into halftime leading 10-3, but whatever Dan Mullen said in the locker room definitely got the Dawgs attention as they unloaded in the second half. This was a solid, all-around performance by the Bulldogs and it couldn't come at a better time. This was basically the live-game version of a tune up before State travels east this weekend to take on the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
Some individual stats: Tyler Russell was 17 of 21 for 191 yards, 3 TDs and no INTs. Dak Prescott was 3 for 4 netting 24 yards, and also ran his own TD in on the ground late in the game. LaDarius Perkins and Derrick Milton would contribute rushing TDs as well. On the defensive side of the ball it was a return to the dominating defense the Bulldogs put on display to open the season, and the cherry on top was Johnthan Banks' INT.
Johnthan Banks always knows how to "Do the Right Thing."
Mississippi State looked exactly like all the analysts thought they would in the first half. They were sluggish on offense and the defense relied on speed rather than power of discipline to hold the Blue Raiders to just a field goal. LaDarius Perkins came out of the locker room hot when he broke a 64 yard run to boost State’s lead to 17. I’ve been reading a lot about Mississippi State’s second half turn around in this game, but I disagree. With five minutes left in the third quarter the score was 17 – 3 with the only score on the Bulldogs side being Perkins afore mentioned run. Then Johnthan Banks happened. Banks was close to getting two picks earlier in the game and finally got his hands on one late in the third. It was the 16th of his career, tied for first in Mississippi State history. Banks returned it deep into MTSU territory before finally being tackled, and then fell on by the Blue Raiders. Banks didn’t get up, but rather began clutching his knee and hitting the ground. Davis-Wade fell silent and didn’t stir until Coach Mullen began chewing out the ref for not calling a late hit (which turned out to be a good no call, but you can’t blame Mullen for being furious). The stadium came back to life when number 13 made it to the sideline but the game had changed. Whether the late hit was dirty or incidental the Bulldogs took it personally. They scored twice in the last five minutes of the third. The subs didn’t let up much either once they came in, adding on two more in the fourth. The defense, which hadn’t recorded a sack all game, got to the quarterback three times after Banks went down, and the Blue Raiders one drive that had potential ended, fittingly, with a goal line interception. Mississippi State played the best half they’ve played all year defensively in the second half. If they can couple that kind of defense with the offensive play they had in the first half against Tennessee and, win or lose against Alabama, it will be a special season for the Bulldogs. Tyler Russell continued to have a great season this weekend, but the better defenses on State’s schedule are still to come. Same goes for the running backs. Perkins is the go to back, but Milton, Griffen, and Robinson are ready to share the load when Perkins comes out. They are going to have to put together some good games down the stretch. It is going to be a fun end to the season.
Something that we will touch on more in this week's preview but I want to mention now is the Bulldogs lead the nation in turnover margin at 16. Alabama is only a few places back with their 14, though. Another key factor that is not being mentioned is the Dogs are playing some very disciplined ball this year. They are averaging around 4 penalties per game for an average of roughly 36 yards per game. Alabama has very similar stats as well, so one could make the argument that winning these two categories would go a long way to determining who walks away a winner Saturday night. But again, that is something we will touch on more in our weekend preview, so with that said, thanks for reading, be sure to stop by our Facebook page and like us (Look! The link is RIGHT HERE!), and retweet us til the cows come home! Have a great week!
Look at me, Look at me Driving and I won't stop. And it feels so good to be Alive and on top. My reach is global, My tower secure. My cause is noble, My power is pure. I can hand out a million vaccinations, Or let 'em all die in exasperation. Have 'em all healed of their lacerations. Have 'em all killed by assassination. (Mr. Hooch) Welcome back faithful viewers! This week MSU faces Middle Tennessee State, and there are some good games on the slate for the rest of the SEC as well. The song this week is Handlebars by the Flobots. I was reminded of this song when reading some message boards earlier in the week. I was reading a post about how MSU doesn't get much respect from the national media, and how some of our in-state rival Ole Miss' fans continually poor-mouth the program, to which a poster responded "It's good to be hated again." I think that just
about sums it up... the rest of the conference, hell the rest of the NATION be damned! MSU is 6-0, soon to be 7-0 and going in to one of the biggest games this year as one of two undefeated SEC teams vying for the top spot in the SEC West! Of COURSE people are going to hate us... that just goes to show that our reach IS global, our tower, secure. Our cause is noble, and our power is pure. Hate all you want, but the Bulldogs worked hard to get where they are, and they deserve it...
(Professor D) With three teams off this looks to be a light week across the SEC in terms of numbers, but in terms of match ups, there are a couple of huge ones. Great offenses will square off with legendary defenses. The former new kids on the block go up against an old giant whose looking to step back into the ring. And one of the SEC’s many rivalries gets another lopsided installment. Here we go with week 8.
Now on to the show! Auburn at Vandy It's the interdivisional battle of bottom dwellers! Ok that's not exactly fair to the Commodores, as they actually have a win in the conference, but it's out there now... anyway, Auburn limps into this game toting the SEC's worst offense, and still looking to pick up their first conference win. Vanderbilt has notched an SEC win already, having defeated Missouri on the road, but the first half of the Commodores' schedule was a murderer's row with teams like South Carolina, Florida and Georgia proving to be more than Vandy could handle. I like Vanderbilt's chances in this one, though. Auburn is an unmitigated disaster, and with no clear leader at the QB position that's not likely to change. The Dores look to pick up their second conference win this weekend, and there's little the Tigers can do to stop that... Auburn 10 - Vandy 24
Vanderbilt can salvage their hopes of a bowl game with a win over Auburn this weekend. Auburn on the other hand can… get a win? That’s really the best I’ve got for the Tigers in this game. For the Tigers to be bowl eligible this year they will have to win five of their last six games. With a schedule that includes Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama that’s a tall order. This game may be Auburn's last chance to notch an SEC win this year, but they will have to go into Commodore territory and take it from a Vanderbilt team that is probably best described as “scrappy”. The offense hasn’t been anything special, but they are decent enough moving the ball. The defense has been middle of the road nationally, which puts them pretty low in the SEC. The good news is Auburn is worse in almost every statistical category. Gene Chizik’s team has also played especially poor on the road, while Vanderbilt has been particularly strong at home. This makes for a pretty decent match up, but one Vanderbilt will ultimately win. Vanderbilt 17 – Auburn 10
Alabama (1) at Tennessee The most interesting thing about this game for MSU fans will be watching AJ McCarron to see how much truth there is to the rumors that he has a meniscus tear. If true that could give the Bulldogs a little help next week in Tuscaloosa... As for this week, the Crimson Tide travels to Tennessee to collect another SEC win, much the same way a farmer would pluck a ripe apple from a tree, and with possibly less effort. Bama
There's definitely an apple-innuendo-laden joke in here somewhere...
sports the number one overall defense in the nation, and that means it's going to be a long night for the Vols. The Vols are as good a team as any with 3 losses this season, especially when you consider all 3 losses came at the hands of teams ranked #15 or higher in the nation. Unfortunately this time they're playing #1. I could go into detail, but what's the point? Alabama 35 - Tennessee 14
Tennessee has the sort of passing offense that could strain Alabama’s secondary; especially with Tennessee’s offensive line. That isn’t to say Alabama’s secondary are a bunch of slouches, they're probably the second best in the SEC actually. If Tyler Bray, injury or no, can do what he couldn’t against Mississippi State and get his receivers in the game the Volunteers have a chance to put up some points. That doesn’t mean the Volunteers have a chance at winning, they just have a chance to not make it look so bad. Alabama is in rhythm, and they can keep the beat without a metronome…. and I’m sure ride a bike with no handle bars (see I got around to referencing Mr. Hooch’s songs eventually). (Editor's note: YAY!!!) Derek Dooley’s squad will again be cut down by a complete lack of defense. Theoretically Tennessee could score 28 against the Tide, but they will not be able to hold Alabama to less than 35 in the game. Nick Saban just has too many weapons, on the ground and in the air, for this sub-par Tennessee defense to hold down the score. This will be another win for Alabama, and Tennessee’s SEC woes will continue. Alabama 42 – Tennessee 17
Georgia (13) at Kentucky Georgia is looking to rebound from a tough loss to division foe South Carolina. The normally prolific offense was nowhere to be seen in the loss, where they managed only one touchdown on the game, as Aaron Murray went an abysmal 11 for 31 in passing. Unfortunately for Kentucky, this will be the game where a pissed off Georgia team bounces back. The Bulldogs will come out swinging, with Murray likely taking to the air early to set the tone. The Wildcats will find themselves outclassed yet again, and will need more than a little luck to pull off the upset. Georgia 41 - Kentucky 10
Georgia has had their fair share of disappointments defensively, but nothing to the collapse of Kentucky. The Wildcats were supposed to have a ferocious offensive attack this year, but injuries have sidelined most of their starters and Joker Phillips job has come into serious questions. Meanwhile just when Mark Richt thought his seat had cooled off it is starting to get a little warm again. The Bulldogs have only faced one top 25 team this year, a game which they lost 35 – 7 against South Carolina. The good news for Georgia is that even healthy Kentucky is not a top 25 team. Mark Richt should have no problem coaxing enough out of his defense to come out of this game with a win, but don’t expect a win against the Wildcats to soothe disgruntled fans. Kentucky 7 – Georgia 42
South Carolina (9) at Florida (3)
This should be a great game to watch. Wil Mushchamp's Florida Gators are giving fans a reason to get excited again, and the Ol' Ball Coach is bringing his Gamecocks back to the Swamp for a little visit to his old stomping grounds. This game will help shape the top half of the SEC East, as Florida looks to stay undefeated in the conference and South Carolina looks to rebound from the heartbreaking loss at LSU last weekend. Florida will try to keep the explosive South Carolina offense on the sidelines by managing the clock and pounding things out on the ground. If South Carolina should win they would put themselves in a tie for first place in the East with Florida. More importantly, this game could have National Championship implications for both teams... Home field advantage is ultimately what led me to giving the nod to Florida, but the Gamecocks could very easily take control of this game if they jump out to an early lead. South Carolina 17 - Florida 27
One of two stellar match ups this weekend in the SEC, the undefeated and well coached Florida Gators will take on the one-loss and hungry South Carolina Gamecocks. For South Carolina the formula for this game is similar to the formula last week for beating LSU (we all know how that turned out). Stop the run and force Florida to go to the air. The Gamecocks certainly have the defense to do just that, but can they shake off their performance at Tiger Stadium and actually get it done this Saturday? I don’t know if I see South Carolina losing two in a row, but this schedule is tough. Florida has the defense to hold down South Carolina’s scoring within striking distance, and the home field advantage should give the Gators enough of a push to overcome their traditional 1st half slump. This pick may come back to bite me, but I think the SEC East race will close up a little bit and Florida will remain undefeated.
Florida 24 (with the FG coming in the first half) – South Carolina 17 (but just 7 in the 2nd half)
LSU (6) at TAMU (18) The one-loss Tigers travel to College Station to take on the Aggies this weekend, and this promises to be a good game for a number of reasons. Just like the SC/Florida game, this game his implications for how the Western division will shake out. Should TAMU upset the Tigers they will set up Alabama and Mississippi as the only SEC West teams left undefeated. The Aggies are on a 5 game winning streak, and their only loss so far was the season opener to Florida. Will A&M's Johnny Football and his electric offense be able to move the ball as effectively against LSU as they have against other, lesser opponents? Smart money says no... look at the score of the Florida/TAMU game. The Aggies only managed 17 points against a legitimate SEC defense. LSU should be able to hold them to a similarly low output, so the question becomes can the Tigers move the ball on offense? Admittedly the Tigers' O-line has some gaps due to injuries, but they should still be able to do what's needed to win this game. LSU 21 - TAMU 14
This may just be a game of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Well almost unstoppable and almost immovable, seeing as Florida has stopped and moved both. Anywho, this is a great matchup. Texas A&M’s improvisational offense versus LSU’s talent heavy defense. So will A&M’s defense fold under LSU’s running game, or will LSU’s one dimensional offense let down Tiger fans again this season. I don’t see LSU scoring more than 21 points on the road against an SEC opponent, except
Missouri, but it still makes me twitch to count them as an SEC opponent right now. The big question in this game is how Johnny Manziel will do against LSU’s defense. LSU’s line is big enough to take the pass away from Manziel, but if they start getting sack-happy Manziel will shred this LSU defense. If the lineman can play disciplined all game and contain Manziel, A&M could be held to single digit points. That’s right I said it. LSU could hold TAMU to single digit points, but they would have to play some disciplined football. I can’t believe I feel like I’m picking an upset by giving LSU the nod in this game. If this game was being played in Death Valley it would be much easier to pick. At College Station, with the Aggie 12th man their backs, A&M has looked good all year, even in that loss to Florida. A loss, it should be noted, which LSU and Texas A&M share. Although Arkansas is TAMU’s traditional rival (now that Texas is out of the
Did he call us dirty? Imma discipline his face with mah corndog, son!
picture) this feels like the makings of a good SEC rivalry. The Tigers and the Aggies are already starting to butt heads on the recruiting trail, and the rugged military style of the Texas A&M clashes beautifully with the down and dirty Bengal Tigers. Could LSU have finally found their rival? This game could very well be the beginnings some good old fashioned SEC hatred. Texas A&M 17 – LSU 21
Middle Tennessee State at MSU Danger, Will Robinson! Danger, Danger!! Can you say 'trap game' kids? Because that's exactly what this match up is... Middle Tennessee beat Georgia Tech's triple option by three TD's a few weeks ago, proving that they are not to be taken lightly, and they're coming off a win over FIU last week. Unfortunately for the Blue Raiders they lost their star running back Benny Cunningham in that game, and that is going to hamstring an offense that was already outclassed coming in to the game. The Blue Raiders will have to take to the air, which more than likely will play into the hands of Johnthan Banks and Darius Slay, who are looking to tally a few more INT's this week. (Fun fact, MSU is currently leading the nation with their +15 turnover margin) I just can't see Dan Mullen letting his Bulldogs come in to this game focused on what's down the road, though, instead of the game at hand. LaDarius Perkins will run all over the meager MTSU defense, which will only serve to open up the passing game for Tyler Russell. This one will likely get out of hand early, which works in the Bulldogs' favor as it will allow them to rest starters and get some valuable game-time experience for the 2nd and 3rd strings. Call me cocky, but I don't really feel the need to delve too deeply into this match up... Wrap this one in Maroon and White. Middle Tennessee 10 - MSU 31
This might be the most important game of the year for Mississippi State. A win will guarantee Mississippi State a winning season. A big win will get some younger guys their last playing experience until they become starters next year. A loss could send State into a tailspin that would leave State fans scratching their heads at the end of the season; especially with Arkansas and Ole Miss playing decent football. I don’t see Mississippi State losing this game, but a big time win could be vital moving forward. Getting our starters off the field as soon as possible should be a priority to avoid injuries. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tobias Smith and Malcom Johnson saw very limited action in this game. Dak Prescott should get in on a few drives as well. I’m not sure I like the idea of playing this game with next week in mind, but if the starters take care of business early on that should become the mentality halfway through the third quarter. Tyler Russell should have no problem tearing up Middle Tennessee’s secondary, and Perkins should enjoy a softer run defense. The worry and upset potential for MTSU comes on the other side of the ball. The Blue Raiders have a decent run game, even without starter and Sun Belt rushing leader Benny Cunningham. Actually the Blue Raiders have a pretty decent football team. They rank middle of the road in pretty much all aspects of the game, and that is the type of balance that can take down bigger opponents. In fact it’s exactly what Mississippi State will be relying on down the road to try and take down some of the giants left on our schedule. There are many things Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen is good at. One of those things is keeping his team focused and preparing for the game in front of them. Mullen has lost just one game in which the Bulldogs were favored in his 3+ year tenure as head coach. The one loss was last year’s heartbreaker against Auburn in which Mississippi State was a 7 point favorite. It seems like his formula for success is to give some of his senior leaders ownership over the teams focus. Beginning with Anthony Dixon, then Chris White and K.J. Wright, and now coming to Tyler Russell, Johnthan Banks, and Chad Bumphis. There are certainly other leaders on the team, but those are the big three in my mind, and it will be their job to make sure the rest of their team mates take the Blue Raiders seriously. The whole Bulldog Nation is counting on them to pull out the W so State can roll into Tuscaloosa 7 – 0. On the whole I think the fan base is realistic about our chances against the Tide, but you can’t blame us for celebrating the possibility of a win. We didn’t think we would have that again for a long time. Mississippi State 35 – Middle Tennessee 10 And there you have it... It's always interesting to me to see where the Professor and I differ on picks, scores, etc. It would appear great minds think alike, as most of our score predictions were within 3-7 points of each other. And in case you're wondering, we both write our pieces separately, and then I throw them into the blog, so there's no collusion happening here, folks. We're just that good. As always, thanks for reading, and be sure to stop by the new Facebook page for House of Hooch! Also be sure to spread the word on Twitter and tell all your friends, we'll be here all season, and remember, the 10:30 show is completely different! Be sure to tip your bartenders and waitresses, they're out there workin hard for ya! Until next time, folks...
