It's game week, bitches! And I'm more pumped than Tuco Salamanca after testing out Heisenberg's Blue Sky! TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT!!! As is quickly becoming a tradition among my friends, yours truly, Professor
It's time to run down this week's match ups and see if we can prognosticate the results to all our SEC showdowns. Ole Miss and Vanderbilt give us this week's lone conference contest, so we know somebody is walking away with that all important first win in the conference column. Can the SEC run the table against their non-conference foes? Lets dig in and find out!
(Editor's note: Since I took first run at the season preview I will give Professor D first run at this week's picks. The Professor tends to include more facts and figures in his picks anyway, whereas everybody's favorite Hoochie-man tends to shoot from the hip a hell of a lot more... so if this works well we may stick with the format, but the situation is fluid so nothing is final just yet.)
(Professor D) It’s time! The folks at the House of Hooch (all two of us) have been gearing up and sweating bullets to bring you the predictions for week one of the 2013 College Football season. A couple of formatting notes for my section, the first team will be the home team unless the game is played at a neutral site, then the first team will either be the SEC team or the one I like more. Speaking of, neutral site games are marked as such, and, where applicable, the result of last year’s matchup is shown in brackets. The matchups are also ordered by my interest in the game.
We’ve got a slew of non-conference opponents on the lineup for week one, as expected. What isn’t expected is the quality of most of those non-conference opponents. The good teams in the SEC are facing good teams abroad, while the lower portion of the conference mostly faces off against middle of the road teams (great in their conference). What does that mean? It means this is going to be a nightmare to pick, but that’s our problem not yours. Like, I could go 0 for 13 this week, or 1 - 12. Alabama is really the only team I completely trust to handle business this week. So, without further adieu, off to it!
Tennessee v. Austin Peay
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| Austin Peay isn't likely to catch Tennessee napping... |
Tennessee will be in a position far too common for my taste in week one: fighting for its life as a relevant team in the SEC. Sure that sounds a bit dramatic, but hear me out. The Volunteers are breaking in a new coach, new quarterback, new receivers, and hopefully a new defense. That’s a lot of new on the board for Tennessee, and while Austin Peay may be a cupcake compared to the SEC, a loss pretty much ends the Volunteers’ season hopes. So yeah, the offensive line will probably be enough to muscle up a run game that can win the day, but man… can you imagine if they couldn’t?
Tennessee 31 - Austin Peay 20
Missouri v. Murray State
See above. If Missouri wants to start playing with the big boys they’ve got to win the games they’re supposed to, and it all starts against Murray State. Much like Tennessee, the Tigers will most assuredly be the more talented team on the field (as any SEC school should be against non-conference foes…. except Mississippi State…. because, well, Oklahoma State). Unlike Tennessee, however, Missouri isn’t breaking in a new head coach or nearly as many new faces. Gary Pinkel (what a name) will go down in history as one of the best coaches in Mizzou history, but if he can’t pull out a winning season his job may be in jeopardy. A loss against Murray State in the opener could spell doom for the head coach, and almost certainly for Missouri’s young season. I think the Tigers will pull this one out, but again…. can you imagine if they couldn’t?
Missouri 33 - Murray State 27
Florida v. Toledo
Sniff sniff…. hmm what’s that I smell? Could it be an upset? Hmmmm. Some of you guys out there probably think I’m crazy for thinking it just might happen, and you’re probably right, but Toledo could
be poised to pull the annual opening day shocker we normally get with College Football. Toledo returns a wealth of experience from a team that last year went 9-4, and has been recruiting better than teams like Georgia Tech and Boston College. Sure they’re not on the level of Florida or anyone else in the SEC, but still, for a school like Toledo that’s insane. If they get some production out of their recruits this year, with the experience being held over from last year’s season, Toledo could do some damage. The Gators are coming off a disappointing end to what was, overall, a fantastic season. The loss to Louisville stings, but how will Florida use that disappointment this year? If it follows them into the first game, watch out, things could get nasty. Of course the sheer power of the Gator defense should knock Toledo flat on their haunches by the fourth quarter, but who knows… who knows…
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| Gator fans are hoping they can shake off the funk of their bowl game loss to Louisville and get back to chompin on the opposition. |
Florida 31 - Toledo 20 (but MUCH closer going into the 4th quarter. like 21 - 20)
Kentucky v. Western Kentucky [32 - 31 OT WKU]
If you’re wondering why I decided to start including the results from previous years, this is why. Kentucky lost, albeit in overtime, to Western Kentucky last year, and to be honest, they never recovered. The Wildcats’ season ended before it ever truly began against the Hilltoppers, and this year they will be fighting for their lives to avenge it. Standing in their way? Themselves. Kentucky is easily the more talented team, but Western Kentucky will come out firing trying to find some way, any way, to replicate last year’s win and propel themselves to another successful season. The recent history should make this game a lot of fun to watch, but I think the Wildcats pull themselves out of some trouble and come away with the win.
Kentucky 28 - Western Kentucky 25
Auburn v. Washington State
Washington State plays in the PAC-12, making this game a must win for the SEC. The Cougars will also be showcasing first year head coach Mike Leach. WSU had one of the worst rushing attacks in College Football last year, helping contribute to a dismal 3-9 record. Shucks a 3-9 team out of the
PAC-12? Surely they’ll get stomped by that SEC caliber defense and talent right? Oh wait, this is Auburn. The Tigers have talent, oh my do they have talent, but they just haven’t been able to put together a coaching staff that could take advantage of all those 4 and 5 star recruits. The result last year was Auburn went 3-9 overall, and an abhorrent 0-8 in the SEC. Two 3-9 teams from last year, each with well respected new head coaches, facing off to open the season. You should probably be slapped if you think this one is an open and shut case. Here’s what I think happens: Auburn gives up an early lead to the Cougars as their offense spins its wheels trying to get something going, finally gaining traction in the second quarter. Meanwhile the defense slowly starts to figure out how to stop Washington State through the air, letting the Tigers’ superior talent on the defensive line take care of the run. Slowly but surely the Tigers reverse the shootout and come out on top. Boy do I hope I’m right. I’m counting on Auburn’s talent and homefield advantage to pull them through against the more experienced and probably better coached Cougars.
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| Ugh, what's that smell? Oh yeah, I'm in Alabama... |
Auburn 45 - Washington State 38
Arkansas v. University of Louisiana-Lafayette
I’ve really been flirting with calling the upset so far, but here? I’m going for it all out. Arkansas is
reeling from last year’s disaster of a football season, desperately trying to get back on track. It wasn’t long ago that the Razorbacks were dark horse candidates for the National Championship. My how that ship has sailed. The Ragin’ Cajuns meanwhile are trying to make three straight 9 win seasons. They’ve got an offense that averaged over 35 points per game and they return the dual threat quarterback who did it in Terrence Broadway. This kid is pretty good, and against Arkansas’ defense, I think he’s just going to go nuts. I think the Razorbacks are going to surrender a lot of points early in the game (like 28 by halftime) and, though they’ll try, not be able to recover. It could be Washington State, it could be Toledo, or it could be Western Kentucky. I’ve given the SEC the benefit of the doubt so far, but this is where luck runs out.
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| Buck up, little Hawgy! It's a long season... |
Arkansas 31 - University of Louisiana-Lafayette 42
South Carolina v. North Carolina
You guys all saw me tear into South Carolina pretty good in the preseason review, and I’m sticking to it. I’ll just come out and say the Gamecocks are going to win this game, but it’s going to be much closer than South Carolina fans want it to be. North Carolina went a respectable 8-5 in an ACC conference that turned out to be anything but. The Tar Heels have got an up and coming quarterback with enough of last year’s targets and protection to dig in a get comfortable. Until Clowney happens, I mean. But you know, until then things look fun! My point is they should score a few points before the
Gamecocks superior size and skill up front end their hopes at an upset. The problem is the run game, which is without last year’s superstar All-American Giovani Bernard. They’ll be relying on a fresh sophomore to get something going against… oh yeah… Clowney and company…. well nevermind. At least Larry Fedora (formerly of Southern Miss fame) put in a fast paced offense last year that should score at least a few points. South Carolina, meanwhile, has to find a way to put up some points of its own. Sure they return Connor Shaw, but he’s lost some of his best targets and will be getting no run support. Add that to the Tar Heels being anchored by a veteran safety on defense and this could be a recipe for disaster. I’m counting on the home field advantage, and the pseudo rivalry feel of the game to tilt the scales in Jadeveon… I mean South Carolina’s favor. Oh yeah, and Clowney. I really can’t wait to watch this guy play again. I know you’re all probably sick of hearing about him, but I’m going to indulge myself anyway. Holy crap. This kid is incredible. He runs a 4.46 40? Are you kidding me? RGIII ran 4.41 at the combine. Yeah, that’s right, Clowney is a defensive lineman who runs on pace with a track star. Whoa.
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| Andrew Luck, RGIII and Cam Newton running the 40. Where is Clowney? He's already done and sippin on a Gatoraid... |
South Carolina 24 - North Carolina 20
Alabama v. Virginia Tech (neutral site)
This game probably shouldn’t be this far down the list, especially as I learn more about what Virginia Tech will actually be fielding against the Tide, but the potential for disaster has them down a little further than is probably warranted. Virginia Tech was an ACC powerhouse not too long ago, but they ended up a disappointing 7-6 last year as their conference took a nose dive led by Virginia Tech and Florida State. The Hokies will start three freshmen on defense against what should be a juggernaut offense for the Crimson Tide (yeah, just what Alabama needed, a great offense). That alone spells doom for Virginia Tech. Combine that with the Elephants (if you didn’t want to be called an elephant you should have picked a different mascot!) returning so much of last year’s team and you’ve really got a recipe for disaster. The only hope the Hokies have is that returning quarterback Logan Thomas can somehow engineer an offense capable of putting up some points and Alabama falls flat on its face. Probably not going to happen, and this one will get very ugly, very fast.
Alabama 45 - Virginia Tech 13
Texas A&M v. Rice
Well it’s getting down to the wire and all indications are Johnny Manziel will suit up for Texas A&M when it takes on Rice this week. Good thing too, because while Rice may not look it at first glance, this is a team with real potential. I’ll get to A&M I promise, but I’d like to talk for a second about Rice. The Owls were 1 - 5 and reeling from a loss to Memphis (come on, nobody loses to Memphis except Southern Miss) when something happened. Don’t know what it was, but Rice ended the season 7 - 6. That’s one hell of a turn around. After losing 5 of their first 6 the only loss the Owl’s suffered came to eventual Conference Champion Tulsa. What’s more, last year isn’t really last year for Rice. They lost just three contributors from last year’s team. They return two better than average quarterbacks, a full committee of running backs, all but one receiver, and seven offensive lineman with starting experience. They also return all but one of their defensive linemen, ditto for linebackers, and every defensive back. That’s a lot of experience for seventh year coach David Bailiff. The kind of experience that smells of big upsets and conference championships. In addition to all that playing time Rice will also be breaking in a recruiting class significantly more talented than the ones they’ve
been working with. The Owl’s lineup works for size over speed on offense, and most of their receivers are in the 6’ 3” to 6’ 5” range with big, punishing running backs. All told, this could be Rice’s year in Conference USA, and if you’re scanning channels and see them on ESPN this year, give ‘em a chance. Could be fun.
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| Johnny Football will be the 12th man for the first half of Saturday's game. |
That said, big running backs don’t scare the Aggies, see Alabama, who does big running backs better than anyone except maybe LSU. Dual threat quarterbacks like those fielded by Rice don’t scare the A&M defense much either, seeing as they face arguably the best, certainly the most explosive, dual threat QB in history (Cam Newton is really the only one who comes close, being a more impressive athlete. Manziel has a more natural passing ability, and where Newton was a punishing runner, Johnny is just damned elusive). The only real threat Rice poses against Texas A&M’s defense is through the air. The Owl’s receivers are huge, and a potential source for points against an Aggie team that is sure to put them up. Rice may return a wealth of experience on defense, but there is some lack of talent, and, well…. Johnny Manziel. If he’s on the field, the Aggies are going to score, a lot. I don’t know if this one will get out of hand, but A&M should cruise to an easy victory.
All of that, of course, depends on Manziel. If he doesn’t play, things could get interesting.
Texas A&M + Manziel 45 - Rice 28 Texas A&M - Manziel 28 - Rice 24
(Editor's note: We have just learned that Manziel will sit the first half of this game in what can only be described as a "dog and pony show" version of a suspension. For this reason I have taken the liberty of averaging Professor D's prognostications. The final result is: Texas A&M 36.5 - Rice 26)
LSU v. TCU (neutral site)
Well we’ve officially left the cupcakes behind with this one, maybe. This game is a true nightmare to pick. On one hand we’ve got the perennially talented LSU breaking in a new offense and what is basically a whole new slate of defensive personnel. On the other hand we have perennially underrated TCU who was decimated by injuries on offense (I mean decimated. Lost their top two running backs after the number one guy left the team in the offseason), lost their starting quarterback to a drug arrest and rehab, and just cannibalized by a myriad of issues on defense including, but not limited to: graduation, the draft, and a drug bust that saw starting linebackers and linemen kicked off the team. Whoa. All things considered TCU’s 7-6 record is something of a miracle. Those seven
wins came in large part thanks to a defense that was just unbelievable. They were starting freshmen and sophomores against teams like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas, and they performed. Like, really performed, returning the Horned Frogs to the top 15 in every major defensive category. All that experience and talent on defense faces off against a whole bunch of talent and a whole lot of question marks in LSU’s offense, which looks to make better use of Zach Mettenberger behind an experienced offensive line and familiar receiving targets. That matchup should be the best toss up we’ve watched since Arkansas played Auburn last year in the Dumpster Fire Championship, albeit for totally different reasons. TCU’s offense returns their quarterback from rehab and two good running backs from injury. They also return a solid receiving corps. The only talent hole is the offensive line, which has experience, but not the right kind, giving up loads of sacks last season and not doing much for the run game. Combine that with all the question marks players returning from injuries and rehab comes with, and no one really knows what to make of the Horned Frogs offense. Of course, no one really knows what to make of LSU’s defense either. We know they’ll be talented, and that defensive line will be chomping at the bit to get a hold of TCU’s offensive front, but can the rest of the group play up and give the Tigers a win? I have no idea. To be honest, this game could be a blowout Horn Frogs victory, the Tigers could run away with it, it could be a great, solidly close game, or two teams bumbling around the field unable to do anything. No clue. My prediction is a random (and yeah, hopeful) guess to be honest.
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| Yeah, you see that? That's blood. DO YOUR JOB, O-LINE!!! |
LSU 24 - TCU 17
Clemson v. Georgia
I can’t wait to get a look at this Georgia team this year. If they can fill some holes on defense this team will be a lot of fun to watch. Clemson, meanwhile, has a preseason ranking largely built on beating LSU in their bowl game last year. It won’t last. The Tiger’s have stars, and they’re getting there with depth, but that’s compared to the ACC, not the SEC, and Georgia is a force to be reckoned with in the SEC. Clemson has the offense to win games and could give the Bulldogs a headache. Ranked 8th in the country, expectations are high for Clemson, and the schedule could deliver. Georgia will have to travel to play the Tigers in their own stadium, as will Florida State, and the Tigers offense should be beastly in the beginning of the season. They’ve got loads of talent across the board, and experienced offensive line, a star quarterback, and a solid rushing attack. Hmmm, the more I think about it this could be better game than anticipated. Clemson did go 11-2 last year, and yeah, they did beat LSU. Oh, wait, I forgot, the secondary is atrocious and Aaron Murray is set to break every passing record in the SEC this year. Maybe they’ll just pull everybody into coverage and try to shut down the passing game that way? I mean, the front four should be really, really good, able
to handle whatever running… backs… Georgia…. oh, I forgot about the Bulldogs two headed monster of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Both of them are top 5 running backs in a conference that includes Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Texas A&M (yes, their running backs are really good too), and Mississippi State (MSU is included here simply for the incredible string of running backs that have been produced in recent years). Clemson may have a top 10 run defense this year, but Georgia could be the number 1 rushing attack in the country.
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| What's that? Oh, you called me 'girly' because my name is Gurley... How original. |
I realize I’m sort of sending mixed signals here, with Clemson potentially being really good this year, and my aspirations for Georgia to go to the SEC Championship. Truthfully, this could be an incredible game if Clemson comes out on fire and the Georgia defense takes its time getting into the game. This could be a disaster for the Bulldogs, but I’m counting on a disappointing end to last year’s season to propel them into this road game with a vengeance.
Clemson 35 - Georgia 38
Vanderbilt v. Ole Miss [27 - 26 Vanderbilt]
Whoa buddy. Let’s just get this season started shall we? Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. Both teams are coming off surprisingly solid years as everyone expected the Rebels to roll over and play dead, and Vanderbilt isn’t supposed to put together back to back 9 win seasons ever. Both teams are looking to make improvements again this year, with the opening game being an excellent opportunity to jump out on the right page. Vanderbilt returns a wealth of experience, and just enough talent, while Ole Miss fields a wealth of talent, and just enough experience. Last year’s game was a classic that saw the Commodores eek out a one point win, and this year is shaping up to be another nail biter. Each team is a solid mid range SEC team this year with their sights set on big upsets and miraculous seasons, but only one can start the year 1 - 0 in the SEC. I know it’s weird for me to not go on and on with a game that has this much potential, but truth is, both of these are “wait and see” teams for me going into this year. Will Vandy’s depth rear its ugly head and hamstring the Commodores? Will Ole Miss be able to develop its sudden burst of talent into a true contender in the SEC? Either way, this game is just the beginning, and my prediction is more of a hope than anything.
Vanderbilt 27 - Ole Miss 24 OT
Mississippi State v. Oklahoma State (neutral site)
Well it has to happen eventually. Oklahoma State is one of like 5 teams favored to win the Big 12 this year as Oklahoma and TCU are also surging and Texas is trying to right a talent heavy ship. The Cowboys are built for speed, and they're built for a lot of future success. They’ve got talent, coaching, experience, and everything else you could want in a football team. They will probably finish just outside the top 10 this year, although they could easily end up a top 10 team. They’ve got loads of talent and experience returning on both sides of the ball and while they may be changing coaches, that hasn’t slowed them down in the past. Mississippi State meanwhile is a team full of untested potential and fingers-crossed hopefuls. The defense is loaded with talent, but an inexperienced secondary could spell doom for the Bulldogs early on. The front four should generate more pressure, and be solid against the run, but they’re just a bit out-classed by Oklahoma State’s offense. If State can pull out a win it will be on the shoulders of the linebackers. They will be called upon to make inhuman plays against the pass, stop the run, and blitz the quarterback, and if they aren’t perfect, this
could get ugly. The good news is the linebackers are easily the second most talented corps on the team this year, behind a stable of running backs that has the Bulldog offense set for the next three to four years. Speaking of running backs, if the defense pulls off a miracle and stops the Cowboys from putting up ridiculous numbers on offense, it will be the running backs who win this game. They’ve got to eat up both yards and time to give our boys a rest against OSU’s hurry up offense, but they’ve also got to score some points, because you can be sure the Cowboy’s will. If Tyler Russell made similar strides going into this year as he did going into last, he still probably shouldn’t throw the ball much this game. An interception puts the Bulldogs in a huge hole in this game, two would end it. It’s not that I don’t trust Russell to throw good passes, truth is for better or worse I do, I just don’t trust these young receivers to be where they’re supposed to in the opening game on a national stage. It just isn’t going to happen. Who knows though, maybe everything comes together in a way State fans haven’t seen since upsetting Alabama 6 - 3 in Jackson oh so many years ago. More than likely though, I’ll be hiding out at Dragon*Con with a wardrobe of Mississippi State Baseball clothes reliving Trey Porter’s perfectly laced ball into right-center to put State up 5 - 4 against Indiana in the 8th inning of the Bulldog’s game 2 of the CWS. Man, that was a great hit. Kid had been sitting on the bench for weeks, pinch hits a perfect 2-RBI ball. He even held the bat out after his swing, which was textbook. He knew his job was done, and he was going to enjoy that moment. I don’t blame him. Oh yeah, back to football… crap.
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| Here's hoping the Oklahoma State offense has about as much rhythm as soulless this fan... |
Mississippi State 17 - Oklahoma State 35
[ROUND 2... FIGHT!]
(Mr. Hooch) I'll be approaching this week's games a little differently. Thursday night brings us a couple of good games to whet our appetite, so we'll hit those first:
UNC at South Carolina - I have to believe South Carolina will be takin care of business in their season
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| SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!! |
South Carolina 27 - UNC 17
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt - This is probably one of the games I am most interested in this week for a number of reasons. First off, it's the only in-conference match up in the SEC, so the chips will start to fall one way or another when this is wrapped up. Also, this game is going to tell us a lot about how far the Rebelsharks and the Commodores have come in the off season. Ole Miss had a better than expected season, due in no small part to the Bulldogs rolling over and playing dead for most of the Egg Bowl to let them round out the season with a big win and a bowl game. The 'Dores also had a great season, capped off by their first ever back to back bowl trip. This is a tough choice for me, because my heart wants OM to lose and lose big, but my knowledge of the Vandy of yesteryears tells me they're gonna come up short. Ultimately I think it comes down to the fact that this is Hugh Freeze's second year as head coach and with junior QB Bo Wallace at the helm their offence is going to put up more points than Vandy's.
Ole Miss 28 - Vanderbilt 24
Then we move into the weekend and knock out the rest:
Toledo at Florida - The Toledo Rockets travel to the Swamp in what casual observers would call a David and Goliath match up, but hold the phone, chief! Toledo is playing some of their program's best football to date and this scrappy bunch of Rockets will come into this game with a chip on their shoulder, looking to prove their worth against an upper-tier SEC East opponent. Unfortunately for Toledo they will more than likely be outclassed by the athleticism of the Gators. The Gators' secondary put up some solid numbers last season, and virtually all of them are back, so even though they have to reload on the defensive line they will be a tough task to take through the air. Look for at least 2 picks from the Florida defense en route to a double digit win, but the Gators will only pull away late in the game.
Florida 34 - Toledo 17
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| I didn't know I couldn't do that? (Hey, it worked for Dave Chapelle...) |
(Editor's note: As noted previously, we found out today that Manziel will sit the first half, so I have listed my adjusted prediction below my original one.)
TAMU 45 - Rice 14
Adjusted prediction: TAMU 44 - Rice 14
Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas - This is another litmus test of sorts for an SEC team that is rebuilding their program after a disappointing run the last couple of years. Brett Bielema takes over as head coach for the Razorbacks, and from all accounts the players and fans have bought in to his system. There is a lot of LOUDEST) fans in all of college football. While both teams have something to prove with this game, it will be Arkansas that walks away victorious.
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| Left: Brett Bielema's wife. Right: Brett Bielema and wife. ...I'll take door #1, please. |
Arkansas 28 - Louisiana-Lafayette 17
Alabama "at" Virginia Tech - AJ McCarron, Amari Cooper and TJ Yeldon... It's true that the Hokies' defense is legit, but Bama's offense is legit-er. There's just no way to shut down the Tide all over the field, so as long as the coaches and AJ make the correct calls and reads this could be a foregone conclusion. Virginia Tech would need to catch Alabama literally asleep on their feet to win this, but being the first game of the season you never know how some teams are going to start out. I realize I said there was a chance the Hokies could sneak up and snatch a win from Bama, but after looking a little deeper I just don't see it happening. The Tide rolls on towards what they hope is their three-peat of National Championships...
Alabama 47 - Virginia Tech 24
Austin Peay at Tennessee - Butch Jones opens his coaching era at Tennessee looking for the program's
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| Come at me, Austin Peay! |
Tennessee 35 - Austin Peay 10
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| For the best coffee (and signs) in Starkville look no further... |
Auburn 34 - Washington State 21
WKU at Kentucky - The Hilltoppers face the Wildcats, and both teams are sporting new, high profile coaches this season. Mark Stoops leads the 'Cats while Bobby Petrino is the mastermind behind WKU's new look. Last season WKU handed Kentucky a heartbreaking 32-31 overtime loss last season at Commonwealth Stadium, and you can be certain the Wildcats intend to get a taste of revenge this time around. Antonio Andrews and the Hilltoppers don't plan on making it easy, though. The senior running back led his team to the school's first ever bowl game tallying 1728 rushing yards and a whopping 3161 all purpose yards. Can the Wildcats' defense shut down a Petrino offense that has shifted from a ground and pound approach to focus more on the passing game? Mr. Hooch thinks they can, at least well enough to pull off the win...
Kentucky 28 - WKU 21
Murray State at Missouri - If not for the injury bug ravaging the Missouri offensive line it's possible that the third? fourth? set of Tigers from the SEC could have managed wins against Vandy and maybe Florida, and winning either of those would've had the Tigers bowling in the post season. Alas, this was not the case, but last season's woe's could be this season's WOO's! for Missouri. They return a host of experience on the offensive line and, injuries not withstanding, that should bolster their somewhat lackluster offense this time around. Meanwhile the Racers and new QB (and Ole Miss transfer) Maikhail Miller will be airing out the ball at almost every opportunity. They averaged 51 passing attempts per game, and completed 69% of them. Those aren't numbers to scoff at... still, SEC newbies or not, Missouri outclasses Murray State all over the field, and this will just be a warm up game for the Tigers.
Missouri 35 - Murray State 10
Georgia at Clemson - No cupcake game for Georgia to open the season... Clemson is coming off an 11-2 outing last year, including a 25-24 win over perennial SEC powerhouse LSU in the Peach Bowl. The Tigers
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| GRR, BABY! VERY GRRR! |
Georgia 21 - Clemson 17
LSU at TCU - This one is likely to be a defensive slugfest, and that will likely favor LSU as TCU's corp of linebackers is relatively inexperienced. Both offenses should be in good shape, especially since the Horned Frogs will have their star QB and feature RB back in the lineup. LSU lost several players to the NFL draft, but by virtue of the fact that they've been winning consistently in the SEC for a number of years there is no shortage of elite players waiting to step up and deliver. This is another SEC/Big-12 matchup, as is Oklahoma State v MSU this opening weekend, so there is a lot of conference pride on the line as well. This will be one of the more interesting games to watch this weekend, and I hate that for Big-12 fans because they're going to tune in to watch one of their teams get worked over by a stronger, faster, more athletic team. Although the disparity isn't as extreme as say Rice v Texas A&M, the difference in talent level is there, and it will become more readily apparent as the game wears on.
LSU 24 - TCU 17
MSU "at" Oklahoma State - And last but CERTAINLY not least, there's our game. At first blush most of the country would say Oklahoma State will win this one walking away. But Dan Mullen and the Bulldogs might have something to say about that. The Cowboys enter the season as a popular pick to win the Big-12 and there's certainly no shortage of talent on the roster, although there are some questions.
For starters there appears to be a bit of a quarterback controversy, as neither JW Walsh or Clint Chelf have stepped up as the clear leader. Be that as it may, MSU's secondary is talented but inexperienced, and the
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| An oldie but a goodie. Dat smirk... |
For the Dawgs the offense should look pretty familiar. 5th year senior Tyler Russel returns, along with the best little running back nobody knows, LaDarius Perkins. State also returns 4 starters to the offensive line, including Gabe Jackson who is just an absolute beast. You can expect this O line to push the Cowboys around and open up some nice holes for the ground game, which sets up nicely for some play action passing to break a big play every now and then. With new defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer OSU plans to employ the blitz much more this season, but the Bulldog's O line should be able to manage for the most part.
Ultimately this game may turn into a bit of a barn-burner, with both offenses capable of scoring early and often. The difference will be which team can come up with a couple big stops on 3rd and short yardage or goal line/red zone situations. In that department I would give the nod to MSU, questionable secondary or not. Turnovers could make or break this game for either club. I expect there will be at least 1 pick through the air for both teams, so field position when that happens is going to be a huge factor.
This is a hard one for me to call, and although some of that may be due to my personal bias, I'm just not sold on Oklahoma State being that much better than a middle-tier SEC team. I know I may regret it, but it's the beginning of the season and anything could happen, so I choose to believe for the time being. We will see what that's worth on Saturday...
MSU 35 - Oklahoma State 28
And thus we have come to the end of the first regular season installment of House of Hooch! I hope you've all enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing. Be sure to check back next week for a weekend recap (tentatively scheduled, as vacation comes first) and next week's previews! Also share us with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ by clicking the buttons at the top of the page. Thanks for checking us out, an until next time, #HailState and #GoDawgs!!!
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