I'm not responsible for the man's depression, How can I find compassion in the midst of a recession? How come all these questions keep fuckin' with my head And I still can't remember why I need a spool of thread.
Welcome back, faithful viewers! It's time once again for another SEC Weekend Preview here at the House of Hooch! I wanted to give you the original video to this song because it illustrates the story of this song so beautifully, but it's strangely absent from youtube, so you'll just have to use your imagination. I do highly recommend you actively listen to this song because it's funky and smooth and tells a great story, and one that I am hoping the Mississippi State defense takes to heart so they can shore up their lackluster performances through the rest of the season.
On to other matters... it's a smaller serving this week as MSU, Florida, Vandy and Auburn are all on a bye week, and baring any catastrophic meltdowns the winners should be readily apparent to anyone who can spell their own name without a cheat sheet. The exception to that would be the Missouri game, so we'll just dig right in and tell you why...
The SEC Football gods have granted us some guaranteed great matchups this year with Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia all having to play each other, the typical juggernaut matchup between Alabama and LSU, Mississippi State versus Texas A&M, and of course Auburn against Auburn. None of those games are happening this week.
Alabama v Ole Miss
Fozzy: Kermit I think we just hit something... I see a lot of red and blue in the rear view mirror. Kermit: No worries, Fozzy, just keep your eye on that National Championship.
After a rocky start Ole Miss seemed to straighten up and fly right last weekend on their way to a shutout of Tulane, and on the road no less. Alabama is movin right along, footloose and fancy free, though, and Ole Miss is unfortunate enough to be standing in their way. It's going to take a lot more than proper execution to lift the Rebels past the Tide this weekend, and there are few, if any, who would take that bet anyway. The Tide rolls on and the Rebels will be left picking up the pieces...
Alabama 41 - Ole Miss 10
Just as Ole Miss seems to get on the right track they run into Alabama, those poor cubs. Bama’s defense will be more than a match for Ole Miss’s surprisingly potent offense and the rebel black bears just don’t have a defensive answer for the Alabama offense. I agree with Mr. Hooch; this one is going to get ugly. Alabama 45 – Ole Miss 7
South Carolina v Kentucky
Is it basketball season yet? That's the mantra in Kentucky most years, and although their football program has improved substantially by leaps and bounds in recent years, they're still not on the level with the likes of Florida and South Carolina... which is a statement that would've seemed odd 4-5 years ago, but that's what hiring a guy like Steve Spurrier can do for a program. Unfortunately for the Wildcats and Joker Phillips they're just outclassed in this match-up.
South Carolina 41 - Kentucky 14
You said it sir; the wildcats are improving, but not to the level that South Carolina is playing at. The Gamecocks out classed Missouri last week, look for a similar performance this week against the wildcats, who are hoping against hope to bounce back from last week’s ouch against Florida. I’m thinking Carolina’s QB’s will slip up a couple of times and keep this one closer than it should be though. South Carolina 35 – Kentucky 17
Is my tie on straight?
LSU v Towson
Well, LSU finally played 'somebody' last weekend and came out looking not-so-fresh. Auburn took the Bayou Bengals down to the wire in their 12-10 game Saturday, and left much of the nation scratching their head as to the real nature of this LSU team. There's no doubt they're talented and physically gifted... there will ALWAYS be questions about the relative sanity of their coach. But were they just uninspired and looking past Auburn... to... Towson? Whatever the reason, LSU is not likely to slip up that badly, and especially against a lesser opponent.
LSU 45 - Towson 6
I see we’re back to this. Whelp LSU didn’t play their best game last week, and for the sake of Towson’s players let’s hope they wait a little bit to decide they want to come out and “prove” themselves. I think LSU will continue to slip in terms of execution, but they win this one easily on shear physicality. LSU 38 – Towson 3
TAMU v Arkansas
The wheels have officially fallen off the Arkansas program after Rutgers waltzed into their house and handed them yet another loss last Saturday. Meanwhile Texas A&M has been tuning up to give the Razorbacks yet another unmerciful beating by rolling off 70 points on South Carolina State... This has gone from a potential bowl year to a rebuilding year to a please-god-let-this-season-end-so-we-can-clean-house year for Arkansas. Even if John L. Smith DIDN'T lose 25 million dollars in real estate I doubt he could buy a win this weekend.
TAMU 45 - Arkansas 17
I would love to see Arkansas put a winning performance together in this game. I still want to see the newbies struggle in SEC play (yes I’m going to have this stance all year). Unfortunately, TAMU is just too good for that to happen. A&M will run away with this one and go 1-0 in the SEC West. TAMU 52 – Arkansas 14
Mizzou v UCF
Watch out, Tigers... that was a tough, if not unforeseen, loss to South Carolina last week, but you're walking into a trap with UCF. The Knights are a scrappy 2-1 team whose one loss came at the hands of undefeated Ohio State. UCF will be hosting their first ever SEC opponent and the Knights will be chomping at the bit to have a go at the new kids on the SEC block. Missouri should watch the MSU/Troy game to know what to expect... you can bemoan your 'tough schedule' later, but unless you get your game faces on you could be in for yet another disappointment. I'll probably regret this, but I'll still take Missouri to win.
Mizzou 35 - UCF 24
Well something has to make this week interesting. Since Rutgers gave me a point of Mr. Hooch last week, I’m going to go ahead and spend it on a probably misguided bet on UCF. Missouri got dominated last week by South Carolina and as a team they’re pretty beat up. I’m looking for them to look at this as a recovery week and fall victim to, as Mr. Hooch described, this scrappy UCF team. I hate picking against the SEC, but Missouri and Arkansas (and Auburn and Ole Miss) are just making it a little too easy right now. Missouri 14 - UCF 17
Georgia v Tennessee
Probably one of the most anticipated SEC games this weekend is Georgia and Tennessee... Tennessee has the capability to play above their 'level' and if they catch the Dawgs napping they might be able to snatch the win out from under Georgia. That said, Georgia is just dominant on both sides of the ball, and I think it's going to end up being far more than the Vols can handle for four quarters. This game will help define the pecking order in the SEC East, and you can bet the Bulldawgs are likely to be towards the top of that list.
Georgia 35 - Tennessee 24
You could argue that Georgia is the best team in the SEC East this year, and it wouldn’t be Tennessee making a case against you. Georgia is just too good for the Volunteers on every side of the ball (except maybe offense, but the bulldog’s defense is more than capable of handling the Vols). This one may not get ugly, as I think Tennessee will rebound from last week’s Akron performance, but it won’t really be close either. Georgia 31 – Tennessee 17
...and that's it! Not much else to see around the conference, so I'll leave you to it. Have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading and be sure to like us on Facebook and spread the word on Twitter! By the way, it's National Drink Beer Day here in America, so show your patriotism by having a frosty beverage! To really celebrate the day, here's a lovely lass from Oktoberfest 2012. Cheers!
Why do I get the feeling you're not looking at our beers?
Hello to all you faithful readers! Sorry this is late but I've been a little under the weather the last few days so I'm just getting caught up. Luckily the Professor stepped in and gave me some help so I can keep all you jibbering hooligans entertained... so let's do this! BOOSH!!!!
The SEC mostly took care of business this week, with only
one non-conference loss coming from a dismal Arkansas squad. Tennessee
struggled but pulled through against Akron and Mississippi State, Ole Miss,
Alabama, and Texas A&M all took care of business. I almost said South
Carolina but then I remembered Missouri is in the SEC, although you wouldn’t
know it from watching Saturday’s game, but I’ll get into that later. The SEC
gets an A this week since Arkansas non-conference losses aren’t really too
shocking to anyone anymore (except maybe Mr. Hooch. No I’m kidding, he did call
that being a close game, but hey I’ve got to take my chances where I can since
we more often than not pick the same teams).
Yeah, you got me there, Professor. I let myself fall prey to my own SEC bias... shame on me. Wait, no, what am I saying?? Shame on YOU, Arkansas!!! If we're gonna hold the new kids accountable then one of the 'regulars' shouldn't be imploding in such spectacular fashion!
"...shame on me." HA!
Alabama 40 v. FAU 7
That
happened. Alabama did what everyone expected, played mistake free football. FAU
put up a total of 110 yards of offense against Alabama’s ever-ferocious
defense. FAU’s only score came with just under three minutes left in the fourth
quarter with the game well in hand.
Excuse me, sir. You have some Wildcat stuck
in your teeth.
Well
Florida picked up the win and Kentucky only partially made me look like an
idiot (Thank you Rutgers for making up for that). I called Kentucky leading at
the half, which they not only failed to do, they didn’t even score in the first
half… or the second half. Florida’s defense pretty much kept Kentucky’s offense
off the field for most of the game, leading to Florida holding a fifteen and a
half minute time of possession advantage. Well alright, it was 15 minutes 22
seconds to be exact, but still, Kentucky got dominated by Florida’s defense,
which didn’t even need a half time speech this week to get going. This Florida
team has been improving every week, and they didn’t start out half bad.
I'll take my vindication where I can get it... I was within 3 points of the winning side of this score, but I gave the Wildcats' offense too much credit. Well, actually it's more like I didn't get the Gators' D enough credit. Sadly for Kentucky, I don't see any reason for this series to change in the next few years, so it's likely you'll see Florida having won 30 in a row before long. I'm sure there's a joke to be had here about nine lives and whatnot, but I'm not mathematically inclined enough to bother. Kentucky sucks.
Tulane 0 v. Ole Miss 39
Ole Miss’
impressive looking offense scored 26 points in the first quarter. It would have
been 28 except for some reason Hugh Freeze decided to go for two on the first
two touchdowns. He failed to convert both times. The offense would go on to
pile up 304 yards of rushing offense, an impressive number to be sure (I know
this isn’t the prediction, but I can’t help but go ahead and get on record my
prediction of Ole Miss not surpassing 80 yards rushing in 3 quarters against
Bama this weekend). Ole Miss’ defense, which was completely inept against Texas
two weeks ago, looked to rebound in this game, which they did. The shut out
would be more impressive if they weren’t playing Tulane, who is not only
Tulane, but a winless Tulane with a freshman quarterback. While they didn’t
allow Tulane to score this week, I would hesitate to call this unit improved,
and I still won’t hesitate to call them atrocious. The bright side is Ole Miss
seems to have this offense thing figured out, a step up from last year when
they had nothing figured out.
Kudos to you, OM, you handled your OOC opponent well, and on the road no less. OM's offense is starting to click, but the defense is still suspect, and will likely be even more so when the Rebels return to SEC play.
Texas A&M 70 v. South Carolina State 14
TAMU is
another team that is improving weekly. The Aggies looked impressive offensively
and the defense enjoyed its time against a softer opponent. This team could be
a real force in the SEC West this year with Auburn, Arkansas, and Ole Miss
down. The game at Mississippi State should be very telling for both teams.
TAMU is definitely making some noise in their debut SEC season, and that bodes well for their future. Every highschool footballer in Texas is watching A&M to see how they do, and to try to get an idea what this whole 'SEC thing' is all about, and the Aggies are putting on quite the show. If this continues it will translate into some strong recruiting classes in the next few years, and that could have conference-wide repercussions.
Georgia 48 v. Vanderbilt 3
Believe it or not, this is actually the line
for the bathroom at The World's Largest
Outdoor Cocktail Party... the Gator fans are
just happy their line is moving.
Vanderbilt
seems to take two steps back for every three steps forward, granted they are
playing a top 5 team. Georgia flexed some defensive muscles against the
Commodores and really dominated the entire game. Their performance in this game
really solidifies them as the SEC East frontrunner (A much more impressive
title this year than it has been recently), especially with Alabama, LSU, and
Mississippi State (The three-way 1st place tie from the SEC West)
missing from this year’s schedule.
Georgia and Florida appear to be returning to their storied dominance over the SEC East, but Tennessee and South Carolina would like a piece of that pie as well. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out, and I personally can't wait to see The Game Formerly Known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party."
South Carolina 31 v. Missouri 10
Well what
did you really expect? As predicted, Missouri is just not up to par with the
SEC just yet, what we didn’t count on was just how far behind the Tigers really
are. South Carolina pushed an undersized Mizzou around the entire game, falling
forward on almost every play and gaining at least three yards after contact
(contact with the player who would actually make the tackle that is) every
play. Missouri’s offense on the other hand was man handled by South Carolina’s
defense. Before the game Mizzou Nation tweeted something along the lines of
“The SEC really wanted to welcome us, 3 of our first 4 conference games versus
Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama”. Get over it. Ask TAMU how they feel
about their schedule. This is life in the SEC, you’re going to played ranked
teams week in and week out. The next lesson you’re going to have to learn is to
not overlook that 1 game that isn’t against an unranked team. Even Vanderbilt
will make you pay very dearly for that mistake. On the flip side South Carolina
looked good on defense and offense, playing a nearly complete game. This team
looks to be dangerous down the road.
Woe is you, Mizzou. Look, think of the SEC football as highschool... you've got the popular jocks (LSU, Bama, Florida, Georgia), the geeks (Kentucky, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt) the basket cases (Arkansas, Auburn) and everyone else somewhere in between. Now the geeks would love to have you, because misery loves company, but you gotta ask yourself, where do you want to end up? Keep whining and making excuses and you'll always be a wallflower. Man up and handle your business and maybe you'll get a shot at the prom queen...
You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... ...and an athlete... ...and a basket case... ...a princess... ...and a criminal... Does that answer your question?... Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.
Tennessee 47 v. Akron 26
The score
makes this one seem a lot closer than it was. This game almost made me look a
prophet as the Zip’s gave Tennessee everything they could handle through almost
three quarters. The Volunteers couldn’t be held back in the second half though,
scoring 24 points to Akron’s 3. I like Dooley, and it is good to see him get a
win. Hopefully Tennessee can get back on track and continue dominating
non-conference opponents.
This was much more high scoring than I thought it would be, but the end result is the same. The Vols tuned up on both sides of the ball and got it done when it mattered. That MSU/Tenn game in a few weeks is getting more and more interesting as it's implications start to unfold...
Arkansas 26 v. Rutgers 35
Miss me yet?
I would be
more happy to say “I told you so” if it didn’t mean that the SEC took a serious
hit here. Arkansas has some serious issues. I don’t think anyone expected the
Razorbacks to enter a rebuilding stage so abruptly, but this looks to be a
multi-season process of recovery. Give Rutgers credit though, these guys are
playing well on the road, and teamwork trumps talent a lot more often than
talent is comfortable admitting (see Mississippi State Men’s Basketball for
examples A – MMM).
I only have myself to blame for not pulling the trigger on this one. I really thought Arky would pull it together and scrap their way through this one. And even though I said it would be a close one, I gave the Razorbacks some (apparently) undue credit. At this point I'm not sure what else I could call a potential win besides Tulsa. It's going to be a long season in Fayetteville...
LSU 12 v. Auburn 10
Way to make
me look bad LSU. The Tigers (of the swampy variety) played well on offense,
totaling 351 yards of offense, but hamstrung by two fumbles and a 6-18
performance on third down. The defense played spectacular, forcing an early
safety and shutting out Auburn in the second half. They also generated three
turnovers (2 INT) and held Auburn to an abysmal 2-12 on third down (just to
throw salt on the wound Auburn was also 0-1 on fourth down). I’m looking for LSU
to use this as a learning experience (Missouri should also take note of what
happens when you overlook opponents) and improve going down the road. Auburn is
kicking itself after letting what would be a season saving win slip through
their fingers. This team not only is struggling to put itself in position to
win games, but can’t finish when they find themselves in sight of a victory.
I’m going to continue to blame coaching until Chizik decides to prove me wrong.
This game was just ugly. I pretty much concur with my esteemed colleague, Auburn had their chances and couldn't monopolize, but oh what could have been if they had. LSU will coast into their game in the Swamp undefeated, but the Gators can smell blood in the water now...
Mississippi State 30 v. USA 10
I hope this
is the last time I have to type this. Well it wasn’t pretty but Mississippi
State got the win again. South Alabama came out playing hard; you’ve got to
give them that. They never gave up, and they fought tooth and nail on defense.
I would like to think Mississippi State is a team with some grit. So far this
year, they have just refused to lose, no matter how hard they try and get beat.
The offense was hampered by an off night by Tyler Russell, who was making bad
reads, bad throws, and taking too much time doing both; time the offensive line
couldn’t provide. The line was playing without starting right guard Tobias
Smith for the second straight week, and that was the position that gave Russell
fits all night. It was a good thing Dak Prescott got in on the action because I
just don’t know if Russell could have handled being hit like that all night.
Speaking of Dak, he looked good Saturday. All of his throws were on the money,
and his legs were as effective as State fans have been lead to believe they
would be.
The defense
looked good against South Alabama’s offense. Whitely got himself an
interception (I believe the first by a Mississippi State safety this year) as
well as Jonathon Banks (The All-American who does NOT currently lead the NCAA’s
interception leading secondary in picks) whose over the back interception near
the goal line and subsequent fifty yard return was just dazzling. The Bulldogs
didn’t show too many defense looks this game, but did shuffle in and out a lot
of players, occasionally only rushing three linemen. Speaking of linemen, Josh
Boyd and Denico Autry practically lived in South Alabama’s backfield, with
Autry stopping the run and Boyd pressuring the quarterback these two could
become a potent duo for State’s uncharacteristically deep defensive line. I’m
looking forward to seeing this unit take on Kentucky (provided the linebackers
do a better job of covering the center of the field).
Devon Bell
was 3 for 3 Saturday including two 42 yarders, and added on three touchbacks in
the kickoff game. Two years from now that should be a routing day for this
talented kicker, but right now as a freshman it is a sigh of relief for the
bulldogs, who are looking at just about the toughest end to the season
imaginable in the SEC West this year. The only missed field goal of the night
came from back up kicker Charllie Granfield (also number 40) in the fourth
quarter (I guess Bell’s leg got tired?). The return game was also the best it
has been in a long while. If special teams can get it together that is just one
more dynamic to add to an already dangerously balanced team.
As much as I want to agree with the Professor I will do so with a caveat... This was another Sun Belt school. Granted we didn't show a lot of different looks on D, but Russell having a bad night against what should essentially be an exhibition team is cause for some small concern. It could be that he was sporting an undisclosed injury as we all know Dan Mullen doesn't talk about injuries. All I know is if that's the case this bye week couldn't come at a better time. It will be great to get all our guys back and healthy before we step in to the second half of this season... a half which takes MSU down a murderer's row of opponents including the current #1 and #2 teams in the nation. Still lots of good football left to be played, so make sure you tune in Friday for the SEC Weekend Preview!
As always, thanks for reading and be sure to like us and spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
And the punchline is you were never actually in control
But still, surrender anyway...
Welcome back, once again... to the House of Hooch! This week Mr. Hooch's beloved Bulldogs take on the Jaguars from the University of South Alabama, and so I tender the above lyrics as advice to USA. Yeah, chances are you're going to get rolled, but hey! Do it anyway!
So, this week we will flip the script and let the Professor respond to my assessment of the upcoming SEC games this weekend (Note: this week Professor D's responses will be bold and italicized). There are some promising matchups this weekend, and a few snoozers, so we'll take them in the order of entertainment value, from least to greatest... and away we go!
Bama v FAU
So apparently FAU, fresh off an SEC ass-whipping to the tune of 56-20 at the hands of Georgia, has decided that it's a good idea to wake the sleeping giant known as Alabama football. Defensive end Cory Henry was quoted as saying, "They ain't what people think. They're good and everything but they can be beat, too. They just execute well. They just execute and beat you." You can read some more brilliant musing by this future nobel laureate here. If Bama was going to sleepwalk through this one before, you can bet they'll be wide awake now. Look for Bama to strike early, often, and brutally en route to this rout...
Bama 63 - FAU 14
It’s
cute that you’re giving FAU 14 points. I like that. It’s about the only mercy
they’re going to see this weekend as Goliath catches David’s puny rock and
proceeds to step on him until you can’t tell the difference between his sling
and his jock strap.
Bama
56 – FAU 3
OM v Tulane
What do you mean Mardi Gras? This is just your average Monday afternoon in September...
Ole Miss squares off against Tulane in what is likely to be one of the last potential wins for the Rebels this season, and we're only in week 4. Tulane is 0-2 coming in to this game, and OM is desperate for a win after the beating Texas laid on them last weekend. The Rebels should be able to handle their business, and as an added bonus they'll get to party in New Orleans afterwards! Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!
OM 42 - Tulane 24
Mr.
Hooch is breaking out the French, and my Slidell roots appreciate it. This
should be an exciting game. Will Ole Miss’ dynamic offense continue to roll up
the yards after the beating they took at the hands of Texas? Will this defense
finally be able to stop somebody? By conference I hope so. I’m looking for Ole
Miss to take care of business and begin boarding up the windows for the rest of
their schedule.
OM
38 – Tulane 28
SCSU v TAMU
Texas A&M will host South Carolina State in what is almost assuredly another win for the Aggies. SC State is coming off a 56-0 gaff against Arizona, but things aren't going to get much better this weekend. TAMU will be looking to lock down those OOC wins to improve their SEC street cred, and these Bulldogs are just another victim.
TAMU 45 - SCSU 24
I
like that I get to yawn at this one. You go newbie, keep on representing.
TAMU
35 – SCSU 17
Tenn v Akron
The 2-1 Vols host the 1-2 Zips this weekend, and Akron will undoubtedly fall to 1-3 when the dust settles. The only chance for Akron is if they catch Tennessee looking ahead to next week's SEC matchup against Georgia, but credit Derek Dooley with enough coaching know how to have his boys focused on the task at hand. If this tune is getting a little played out then bear with me, but the level of talent in the SEC is just a cut above these OOC foes.
Tenn 45 - Akron 13
Is this what you wanted to see, Professor!? Are you happy now???
I’m
putting this game on upset watch. Don’t ask me why because I don’t have an
answer for you. The feeling isn’t strong enough for me to pick Akron, but I’ll be watching it close. Tennessee
looks to be one of the only “middle of the road” teams in a top heavy SEC this
year as Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Missouri all appear to be
down. Hopefully this game isn’t a step in the wrong direction
Tenn
28 – Akron 10
LSU v Auburn
It's Tiger versus Tiger as LSU and Auburn square off in LSU's first conference game of the season, and what is arguably their first true test of the season as well. Auburn breathed a brief sigh of relief after pulling out the OT win against giant-killers ULM last week in their own house, but the reprieve was short-lived. There's very little for Auburn to get excited about, but if there is any good news at all it's that 1) they play at home and 2) LSU is without their starting running back, Alfred Blue, who was injured in last week's game against Idaho. Unfortunately depth has rarely been an issue for LSU, and this year looks to be no exception. Backup RB's Kenny Hilliard and Jeremy Hill will share the load on the ground for the Tigahs, and Auburn's D will be hard-pressed to stop them.
LSU 50 - Auburn 24
Ow, stahp! STAAAAHHP!!
I’m
so happy LSU is finally playing someone of merit! Oh wait… Auburn’s defense
will be overmatched. They have a decent enough pass rush, but against LSU the
pass is the last thing that you should be worried about. Did you hear Blue was
out? Who cares? LSU fields like 90 running backs this year and my high schools
punter could put up 100 yards with their offensive line. This is going to get
ugly, quick, as LSU pounds Auburn on the ground. Kiehl Frazier is in for a long
night. A really long, painful, night. Two Tigers will go into this game, and
since it isn’t a fight to the death I guess two Tigers will come out, but one
will be limping.
LSU
48 – Auburn 13
UK v Florida
The Wildcats travel south to the Swamp this weekend to take on the undefeated Florida Gators on Saturday. Sophomore QB Maxwell Smith has nearly 1000 yards and 8 TD's already this season, and he will look to add to those numbers against a scrappy group of Gators. Unfortunately for Kentucky, Florida holds the record for the nation's longest active winning streak in a current series over Kentucky, having won the last 25 (that's not a typo. TWENTY. FIVE.) games against the hapless Kitties. Saturday will likely mark number 26.
UK 14 - Florida 35
I’m
going to call Kentucky being up at the half, but the second half Gators have
been unstoppable this year, and that is one hell of a streak they’re defending.
I can’t wait for some of these good teams to start playing each other to get
some real conflict and good back and forth going, but for now, I’m going to
have to stick with Mr. Hooch’s picks and go with the Gators at home.
UK
24 – Florida 35
TWENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS!
Ark v Rutgers
Now we're getting somewhere... Arkansas hosts the Scarlet Knights, who are undefeated and have shown they know how to play on the road, boasting wins over Tulane and South Florida. Arkansas is a shambles right now, both on the field and off. After a gut-wrenching OT loss to ULM, injured Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson publicly criticized his teammates, accusing them of "giving up" in the 52-0 loss to Bama last week. Also, interim head coach John L. Smith has recently filed for bankruptcy to the tune of TWENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS! (cue Dr. Evil) If he wants to continue pulling a paycheck, Smith will make sure the Razorbacks get their game-snouts on and post a solid win over Rutgers... but it's not that easy. Rutgers currently ranks fifth in the nation in points against, ninth in rushing defense and 12th in total defense... and that is with 2 out of 3 games being played on the road. Chances are Wilson will still be sidelined this weekend, which leaves Brandon Allen under center. The Hogs will need Allen to become something greater than himself if they hope to take this game over. My SEC bias may be showing, but I think they can pull it off... it'll be a close one, though.
Ark 24 - Rutgers 21
Now
this is a ball game! I smell blood in the water with this pick and I’m going to
go for it. Rutgers is a good, solid football team. The talent will be in
Arkansas favor, but as Rick Stansbury knows, talent is no substitute for playing
as a team, and the Scarlet Knights defense is going to shut down Arkansas
crippled offense.
Arkansas
14 – Rutgers 27
Mizzou v SC
The OTHER other Tigers are still seeking their first SEC win, having lost to Georgia 2 weeks ago. South Carolina and the Old Ball Coach are undefeated and looking to stay that way, though. The thing to watch in this game will be SC's QB (whether it's Conner Shaw or Dylan Thompson) versus Mizzou's pass defense. The problem is that the Cocks also have a bruising ground game with all-star RB Marcus Lattimore. Missouri just isn't quite where they need to be in terms of depth, speed or execution yet, so they're going to struggle in a hostile environment. That said, they will definitely put up a fight, and if they get a few lucky bounces anything is possible.
Mizzou 24 - SC 35
For your viewing pleasure...
You
said it sir. Missouri is just not up to speed yet with the likes of South
Carolina, no matter who the quarterback is. Maybe the Tigers (seriously? how
many of these striped cats can one conference hold? Isn’t there a law against
this or something?) will pull out a big win, but I just don’t see South
Carolina stumbling just yet.
Mizzou
28 – SC 35
Vandy v UGA
The Commodores travel to Athens to take on the #5 Bulldogs, who are undefeated through their first 3 games of the season. Vandy had a lovely exhibition against Presbyterian last weekend that ended with a 58 point shutout, but they're more likely to be the victim this Saturday. Georgia's defense is going to be more than the Vanderbilt offense can handle, and things aren't going to be any prettier on the other side of the ball. Aaron Murray and his receivers are going to slice the Commodores to ribbons through the air, and although there's not a single, dominant superstar Georgia has a solid stable of running backs as well.
Vandy 21 - UGA 35
Vandy
is improving, there is no doubt about that, but they are trying to do while the
SEC is rolling around in their huge golden piles of talent in a party some
teams just weren’t invited to. One of those teams was Vanderbilt. The
Commodores are going to put up one heck of a fight, but they’re going to go
down swinging against a Georgia squad I’m pleasantly surprised with.
Vandy
17 – UGA 27
MSU v USA
The Bulldogs were serviceable if not spectacular in last week's outing against the Trojans, and it earned them a #23 ranking in both the AP and USA Today polls. This week they face another Alabamian school in USA. Tyler Russell is around 10-15 passes shy of breaking MSU's record of consecutive passes thrown without an interception, and his passes are looking crisp. If he had a little help from the receivers last week he would be much closer to that goal, but them's the breaks. The Bulldogs are owners of a 12:1 turnover ratio on the season, and they will look to improve that number this Saturday. LaDarius Perkins will keep USA's defense honest by pounding the ball on the ground, and with a little help from a solid offensive line he should easily tally 2-3 TD's. Look for freshman Joe Morrow to have a good day as he tries to make amends for dropping everything that came his way at Troy. Throw Chad Bumphis in the mix and things could get ugly quick. Speaking of Bumphis, he is 1 TD away from breaking MSU's receiving TD record, and he will likely equal and then surpass that record by day's end. The advantage of home field will be a nice, if not unnecessary, bonus, and the Bulldogs will go in to their bye-week 4-0 as they take the extra time to rest up and prepare for Kentucky the week after.
MSU 49 - USA 21
Now who among my readers will get this reference? If you do, leave a comment!
These bulldogs are
looking good. Yeah the Troy game could have been better, but this is possibly
the most balanced team Mississippi State has ever fielded. They can run, pass,
and play some good D. The only sore spot is special teams. I’m going to give
Bell the benefit of the doubt AGAIN and call for him to have a good outing in
the 1 field goal attempt he’s going to get against a SEVERELY overmatched USA.
It will be interesting to see which of the multitude of targets at Tyler
Russell’s disposal will get their number called this weekend. Will the freshman
Morrow finally get his chance? Will the mighty senior Bumphis break into the
all-time record books? Will Jonathon Banks have the second most receptions on
the team? (Editor's note: LOL!!!) Will we finally see a punt return that goes more than 3 yards? Will
we.. okay that’s enough. My point is, it is time for the Bulldogs to tune up
the offense and get this defense some confidence going into the bye week.
Additionally I’m going to start placing bets on which of the two stand out
corners will get interceptions each game. I’m going with Banks in this one.
Slay has proven that you’re just going to have to take a shot at his
All-American counterpart, and I think, much to their demise, USA is going to
try.
MSU 45 – USA 13
And thus we come to the end of another SEC preview brought to you by the House of Hooch. Thanks for reading, and make sure you like us and spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, etc. using the links below or at the top of the page on the right. We'll be back next week with a recap of this weekend's action, and later in the week with an SEC preview for the upcoming weekend. Cheers!
Time for the recap of week 3 in the SEC! By now most of you know that we have a new co-host here at House of Hooch, Professor D. If you don't then to quote Moss from the IT Crowd, "You'd best put seatbelts on your ears, because we're about to take them for the ride of their lives!"
Have you tried turning it off and back on again?
The SEC as a whole made some significant
improvements this week with non-conference
victories by both new comers as well as
Vanderbilt. Yay Vanerderbilt! Auburn and Kentucky
tried pulling the conference down this week but
good showings by South Carolina, LSU, and
Alabama (Arkansas is on a 1 week probation from
being considered SEC) made up for it.
Mississippi State was borderline and Ole Miss
was, well, Ole Miss. Overall the conference gets a
B this week. Unfortunately I can’t give out an A
when we lose to the Big 12, no matter who beat
the PAC-12. Once again for this recap we’ll go in
order of excitement (Although it was hard to
keep Mississippi State in the ‘top’ spot this
week against Troy when we had that Missouri game).
I'd agree the SEC did a little better this
week... it's tough once you get into the bulk of the SEC schedule, though. This conference tends to cannibalize itself,
so only the greatest teams come through unscathed... And for the record, the
MSU/Troy game WAS exciting, just not the kind of exciting Bulldog fans really
wanted to see.
Idaho 14 v. LSU 63
Oh look... more Tigers.
Well that happened. I can’t wait to see this
power laden team face someone of merit. That LSU – Alabama game is shaping up to be a real
slugfest again this year, but that’s just the reality of the SEC West (excluding that one year Auburn
did something, and that one time Arkansas scared them for a little bit) recently: UA v LSU
in a battle for the SEC West/SEC/Regional/National/World collegiate championship in
November.
LSU is a solid, upper-tier SEC team that hasn't
been tested yet. I don't see Auburn or
Towson (who the hell is Towson?) testing them, either, so it looks like Florida may be
the first true test for the Tigahs... I should also apologize to Idaho for doubting
they'd get a TD. My bad, you weren't as
utterly awful as I thought, but still...
Florida Atlantic 20 v. Georgia 56
Georgia enjoyed a non-conference game the same
way any SEC school should. 56 points
and a school record 713 yards of offense (school
records are much more impressive when your
school is arguably the oldest in the country).
I’m not sure Georgia deserves their top 10 ranking,
but they have yet to do anything to suggest they
shouldn’t be there so hey, enjoy it.
We will find out over the next 2 weeks if Georgia
deserves that top ten spot. Consecutive
games against Vandy and at South Carolina will show what the Eastern Bulldogs
are really made of...
South Carolina 46 v. UAB 9
No joke... no funny caption. Just enjoy.
South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw is out for
awhile after re-aggravating the injury he took against Tennessee. The South Carolina
safety DJ Swearinger decided to repay UAB with
a cheap hit on a defenseless player for UAB late
in the third quarter and earned himself a one game suspension from the SEC; which means SC will
face Missouri without their quarterback
and starting safety, which could prove costly.
The good news for SC is all this happened against UAB and they still won handedly, but if SC ends up
floundering down the road, look back to this
game for reasons why.
From a fan's perspective, you hate to see
injuries and stupid penalties that result in suspensions, ESPECIALLY when they
come against lesser, non-conference opponents.
No disrespect to UAB, because the Blazer have nearly punched MSU's
ticket before, but this South Carolina team had them outclassed. Now the Cocks have to face Mizzou down two
starters… not ideal.
Ole Miss 31 v. Texas 66
...that night, Colonel Reb had a dream.
Well what did you really expect? It would’ve been
nice for the SEC to get this win, but Ole Miss just wasn’t the team to do it for us.
The only surprising thing about this game was the number of Ole Miss fans who thought they had a
chance at this one. And that’s all I’m going to say, because if Mississippi State is sitting at
7-0 when we go into Tuscaloosa we’re going to think we’ve got a shot at taking down Goliath;
the truth is though, we will only have one real win on the books, and that won’t be against
anyone close to the caliber of the Tide. So that’s where I’m going to leave this one. Ole Miss did
what everyone outside of Oxford expected, lose.
I gotta be honest, I turned this game off halfway
through the third quarter, and it's not just because of boredom. It was like watching the high school bully
beat up the scrawny little kid, and every time the kid gets knocked down you
just wanna yell "Stay down!" but he keeps getting back up. Credit to OM for not giving up, for whatever
that's worth… I definitely didn't expect them to put up 31 points, but that may
be more of an indictment of Texas' defense than anything else.
Texas A&M 48 v. SMU 3
This was an important game for TAMU. I can’t
stress the importance of this game
enough actually. Last year A&M had some
serious 2nd half issues. This year they took a lead into
halftime against Florida and didn’t score in the
second half, losing the game. Florida has proven
itself a second half team, and now TAMU has shown
that last week wasn’t a holdover from last
year. The Aggies came out and scored 21 points in
the 3rd quarter and while they only scored 7 in
the 4th, the score was 41 – 3, you can’t blame
them for not keeping their foot on the gas. This
team proved they can hang with the West by
participating in an SEC tradition: beating the crap
out of non-conference opponents early in the
season.
Job well done, Aggies. That's how an SEC team should conduct
themselves in OOC situations. Carry on.
Vanderbilt 58 v. Presbyterian 0
Hooray Vanderbilt! There are still some questions
floating around this team, namely a
sub-par passing game and a poor record on third
down, but they finally found a way to win big.
The Commodore’s running game came up big with
over 400 rushing yards, and the defense put
together an impressive game. Granted it was
against Presbyterian, but 58-0 is a score to be proud
of no matter the opponent (Except for you
Alabama. You should just expect it). Time will tell if
Vandy has turned the corner this season, but this
is one week where this team can pat themselves
on the back.
See my comment to TAMU, substitute Vandy, rinse
and repeat.
Alabama 52 v. Arkansas 0
Yup. That happened, and no one seems all that
surprised. Alabama’s defense isn’t exactly
flexing muscles, they’re finding them. And that
is scary. To be clear, I really hate Alabama.
Alabama and LSU hands down are the most hostile
environments I visited with the Famous
Maroon Band, but with some important differences.
LSU hates you because you have the
misfortune of playing them that weekend and they
love their LSU football. Alabama fans hate
you because in their mind, you aren’t Alabama and
therefore scum. LSU was a fun hostile
environment and a hell of an experience, Alabama
was cruel and you couldn’t pay me to go to
another game at that stadium (I will insert a
caveat here and say I have never had a problem with
a student or Alumni from Alabama, it is the fans
who never actually set foot on campus for
anything but sports). That being said, this is
one heck of a football team. The offense is clicking
in a dominant power game that will beat you in
the air, if they choose to that weekend, and the
defense is just suffocating. Yes they’ve taken a
step back from last year’s defense, but let’s face
it, this unit could have turned around and
sprinted in the opposite direction for ten minutes and
still been near the top of the SEC defenses. This
is going to be a scary team to watch down the
road.
Arkansas. At least this time you faced an SEC
opponent. If last week didn’t dash your
pre-season hopes of an SEC west run this week
surely did. “But our quarterback was injured!”
Your defense can’t tackle and your new coach
looks like he is trying to lose in the second half.
There’s always next year. (I’m really counting on
State to come through for me in this game
down the road and justify all the crap I’ve been
giving Arkansas this season)
The only people who didn't see this coming live in a delusional bubble nestled deep within the foothills surrounding Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Wow, lady... just. Wow.) Still, I feel for the
Razorbacks, I really do. State has been
in this situation, and it will suck the wind right out of you. I'm not sure of Tyler Wilson should've called
his team out exactly in the manner he did.
It almost seemed like he was attempting the Tebow-speech and ended up
dog-cussing his teammates. In any case
the Razorbacks will need to reevaluate their schedule and adjust their
expectations accordingly.
Auburn 31 v. ULM 28 OT
I was starting to feel sorry for Auburn, until I
remembered their national championship year a few years ago. I like to think State fans
would handle success better than those fans on the plains, but until we’re proven to be just as
susceptible I’m going to hold it against Auburn and enjoy watching this team struggle. Gene Chizik is
being revealed for the coach he truly is, unreliable. He is a poor motivator and has had
trouble finding a good staff. Frazier improved
Aw man, I was really hoping I could at least get
a new coaching job... I don't think they're happy
with me back home.
from last week’s debacle and only threw one
interception. He was helped out by a running game that was enjoying itself against a non-conference
foe until the fourth quarter, when the Tigers again seemed unable to move the ball. The one
positive of this team remains special teams, which won the game for the Tigers in overtime by
blocking ULM’s field goal attempt and then scoring a FG of their own, not trusting the
offense to move the ball past the 25 yard line (Interesting to note that the kick was made from
out of the redzone, where Auburn has now improved to just a single touchdown; a milestone
achieved in this game when Tre Mason ran the ball in from 1 yard out).
You mean that $180k crystal ball they bought a
few years ago? I hope they still enjoy
it as much as they did when it was shiny and new, because they're not likely to
see another one for a loooong time if things keep going the way they're going
down on the Plains. Popular opinion is
that Gus Malzhan WAS Chizik's offense, and that appears to be the case. Sure not having a guy like Cam Newton will
have an effect, but you can't go slinging $180k around EVERY year, can
you? Auburn may be bad, but ULM is also
pretty damn good and they deserve a lot of credit for beating 1 SEC team and
taking another to OT… if you're from any conference OUTSIDE of the SEC that is
a big accomplishment.
Kentucky 31 v. Western Kentucky 32
The difference between this game and the Florida
game is I wouldn’t have lost money on
this game; because I would never put money on
Kentucky. The Wildcat’s offense moved to ball
effectively through the air but was undercut by four
interceptions. The running game was
abysmal, totaling just 41 yards of offense. At
least they didn’t fumble though right? The worst
part of this loss though goes to the defense,
which couldn’t keep WKU off the field. The time of
possession battle was over 14 minutes in WKU’s
favor. The positives here are that Kentucky
showed some real class in this loss. Even when
WKU’s coach made a snarky comment about red
being the new blue in the state of Kentucky,
Joker Phillips stayed calm and didn’t bite at the jab.
He handled this loss with the appropriate level
of calm sternness that an SEC coach should have
after this kind of loss. Kentucky fans are
starting to call for a change of the guard when it comes
to coaching, I would urge caution. You have a
coach who looks to be laying a good foundation
when it comes to attitude. I’m not saying he is
the road to winning seasons, I’m just saying a
good foundation of discipline is a necessity when
it comes to sustaining a winning program (see
Auburn football post-Tuberville).
I did not see this game or hear about the
comments, but kudos to Joker Phillips on staying classy. Phillips is a solid coach that is attempting
to recruit football at a basketball school, in the heart of basketball country. No easy task.
Yet he's managed to raise the bar at Kentucky, so keep an eye on this
one. His stock is on the rise...
Tennessee 20 v. Florida 37
I’m glad I’m not a betting man or I would’ve lost
money on this one. I still think Florida
is overrated, but not by much. This is a good
team. They rushed for over 300 yards against
Tennessee and Driskel is looking better each
game. Florida’s defensive coordinator is doing
some impressive stuff in the locker room (see how
I’m not making a Penn State joke here?) at
halftime. In each of their SEC games this year
Florida’s defense has come out and shut down
opposing offenses. It seems the key to beating
this team is to jump out ahead in the first two
quarters and then buckle in because the Gators are
going to fight tooth and nail to take it away
from you in the second half. Tennessee didn’t
play bad, although Tyler Bray did toss two
interceptions and was forced to throw the ball
forty times; they just seemed overmatched in the
second half. The Vol’s offensive line is going to
have to do a better job opening up the running
game if they want to contend for the SEC East
crown because a one dimensional passing game
just isn’t going to cut it against what appears
to be a resurged Eastern Division.
It seems both the Professor and myself are guilty
of tipping the scales in favor of Tennessee here. I'm not sure if I've underestimated Florida,
overestimated the Vols, or a bit of both (most likely it's both). I honestly thought the score would be closer
(within one possession) and reversed, but that's why we play the games. Go Gata...
Missouri 24 v. Arizona State 20
I called this one out as being a close one last
week and it did not disappoint. Missourilooked to have it well in hand early but its
defense gradually started losing ground to a ferocious comeback attempt by Arizona State. This is a
worrisome trend for Mizzou who gave up 17 points to Georgia in the 4th quarter last week.
The good news is Missouri may have found its quarterback for the future in Corbin Berkstresser
who was in for the injured James Franklin and
the defense forced four turnovers. The bad news
is the defense couldn’t stop Arizona State from scoring in the 4th quarter and their kicker
missed three field goals (We feel you). This game was about as close as games can get across the board
with total yards of 318 – 296, 192 – 183 passing, 126 – 113 rushing all going in favor of
Mizzou. The difference came in turnovers where the Tigers were +3, and on third down with
Missouri going 10 of 22 compared to Arizona State’s 2 of 12, leading to a time of possession
difference of almost ten minutes. Missouri still has a long way to go to compete in the SEC, but
this was an important conference win over the PAC-12. We owe you one newbie.
As expected, the Sun Devils kept it close, but
the newest Tigers of the SEC sacked up and towed the conference line… but
seriously, shouldn't we at least have made them change their mascot? I mean 3
teams of Tigers in one conference? Whatever, I'm over it…
Troy 24 v. Mississippi State 30
A lot of people seem to be getting worried about
how close this one was. I’m not. Going
back to last week’s predictions Troy did pretty
much what I expected, they moved the ball. That
is what they’re good at. Troy is an offensive
juggernaut whose only limitation is how many
points their defense allows. The things I saw
this weekend that truly bother me were the number
of dropped passes by State receivers, and the
number of times Tyler Russell hit the dirt. Honestly
I think this was a case of this (mostly) veteran
receiving corps making a rookie mistake: seeing
the endzone and not the ball. In a game that the
defense could never really take control of,
despite four turnovers, the receivers looked like
they were trying to do just a little too much.
After being a non-factor in the Auburn game Joe
Morrow seemed to want to take control of this
game a little too much, and ditto for the rest of
those guys. I don’t see this becoming an issue as
the season progresses, these guys have just
played too many game for that to happen. Mississippi
State can count themselves lucky they got this
learning opportunity out of the way in a win, and
not a season altering loss. Last week I harped on
the offensive line for not giving Tyler Russell
better protection, particularly off the edge.
Tyler Russell was under a little more pressure than
State fans would like to see from a
non-conference opponent but there is one very important
number that needs to come into the discussion of
Russell’s protection. 0, it’s the number of
interceptions he’s thrown this year. So yeah,
Russell holds on to the ball for a little longer than
his protection can manage, but the payoff is he
isn’t making poor decisions. All things
considered this offensive line is doing a heck of
a job adjusting to a pocket passer and opening
up some lanes for the running game, even with
starter Tobias Smith still not 100%. Dylan Day,
the new center, has fit right into this unit and
done his job better than anyone expected. That
being said, I would still like to see Russell get
some more time in the pocket, because while I’ll
take the sack over an interception any day, I’d
prefer few more touchdown passes to Bumphis.
Speaking of Bumphis, the senior stepped up big.
Good job. Now go do it a few more times,
cause we’re going to need some leadership out of
you down the stretch when things get tough
and the SEC corners start frustrating the rest of
the receivers.
Tyler Russell and MSU are averaging almost 220 yrds/gm.
He is 47 for 83 and has 0 INT's on the season...
I'm not as worried as the average State fan, and
for roughly the same reasons. MSU
essentially put out a soft zone, prevent defense for the whole game in order to
attempt to limit Troy's ability to pull off the 'big play' and it worked…
mostly. It resulted in a win, which is
why I say it worked, but there were some defensive gaffs that the Bulldogs
clearly need to address, and I have no doubt they will. As for Joe Morrow, the guy is a true
freshman, and he's got the one thing you can't coach, size. Give him another year in the system under
Matt Ballis and drill it into his brain that he can't take his eyes off the
ball til he's got his mitts on it, and you're going to see a STELLAR receiver on
the field. One more number of note: 1. That is the total number of sacks allowed by
MSU so far this season. Keep the
turnover ratio and sacks to a minimum and this will be a very fun offense to
watch the rest of the way.
The defense seemed surprised by the ferocity of
Troy’s passing attack, and when they
adjusted, Troy’s OC did a good job of coming back
with a run. I said we would see what our
defense was made of, and overall they didn’t do a
bad job. They capitalized on almost every
mistake Troy’s quarterback made and while they
didn’t hold down the yardage numbers they did
keep the score manageable, not an easy task
against these guys. The only thing I saw on defense
that concerned me was the lines inability to get
at the quarterback. Troy didn’t exactly take their
time getting the ball out but I was expecting to
see a little more pressure from our guys.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, we won’t get to
see if that was a fluke or a trend until we face
Tennessee down the road (although we might get a
glimpse at Kentucky). As for special teams,
well we finally got a field goal, and then missed
an extra point. Two steps forward, three steps
backwards. On the plus side our kickoff coverage
looked better… so there’s that…
Another thing to keep in mind here is that Troy
has played the role of giant-killer before, knocking off Oklahoma State and
Missouri on the road. Having an SEC team
come to their house was the equivalent of the Super Bowl for them, so if you
don't think they were 'up' for this game you need to check your pulse. Meanwhile, it was probably a more daunting
task to keep MSU motivated after the win over Auburn due to the emotion wrapped
up in having lost the last 2 years by a VERY. NARROW. MARGIN. And the fact that the Bulldogs were riding
high after their first SEC win of the season.
As for the kicking game… I thought Bell had finally shaken off the
jitters when he hit that FG, but then he misses a PAT? Ugh.
Back to the drawing board...
Overall I’m alright with Saturday’s game. Yeah
the offense could have looked flashier,
and the defense could have tackled better, but
Troy is a known giant slayer, especially at home;
I’m just happy we came out of Memorial Stadium
with a win and can get back to Davis Wade
and start prepping for 4-0 and a climb up the
rankings.
Professor, you took the words right outta my
mouth...
...and that'll do it for the week 3 recap! Hope you enjoyed it. If you did be sure to click 'Like' at the top of the page and/or share the blog via the buttons below. Seriously, share it on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media you happen to frequent. We're not picky. Seriously.
