MSU v Arkansas

Skrillex - Levels Remix (CFB pump up vid)

[Mr. Hooch] Tell me that doesn't get you amped for some football...

Welcome back to a "normal" edition of the Weekend Preview here at the House of Hooch!  I won't bore you with the details, but various things kept interfering with Mr. Hooch's ability to put forth the product you've come to know and love the last few weeks (and no, it wasn't the losing streak, smartass), but we're back on track now, baby!  Enough with the small talk, though... let's do this!!!



W. Carolina at Alabama
The Crimson Tide will take out their frustrations on a 1-9 W. Carolina team this weekend, and it won't be pretty.  Alabama saw their dreams of an appearance in the National Championship game all but evaporate at the hands of unlikely spoilers Texas A&M last weekend, and you know they're not happy about it.  The defense will be playing to prove something after the Aggies gouged them last week, as will the offense after being stuffed on their last possession inside the 10 yard line... This won't be pretty...
W. Carolina 0 - Alabama 47
Alabama v. Western Carolina
[Professor D] Alabama is reeling after a stunning loss to Texas A&M. A weekend date with Western Carolina may be just what the doctor ordered for the Crimson Tide. Alabama doesn’t really have a challenge left on the schedule until the SEC Championship game in which the Tide will most assuredly be playing. After trashing Western Carolina this weekend Alabama has only lowly Auburn left on their schedule between them and an SEC West title. This game is going to get ugly quick as Alabama puts itself back together.
Alabama 41 – Western Carolina 3



Jacksonville St. at Florida
Florida has a 50 game win streak going against non-BCS conference teams.  Jacksonville St. actually beat a BCS team last year.  That team, incidentally, was fellow SEC member Ole Miss.  The long and short of it, however, is that Florida will not let another ULL gaff happen this week.  They will be tuning up for their annual showdown with FSU next week, and the Gators will roll...
Jacksonville St. 10 - Florida 30
Florida v. Jacksonville State
Florida hasn’t looked great for their last two games but Jacksonville State shouldn’t present the Gators with much of a challenge, then again Missouri shouldn’t have either. Florida escaped the last two games and I don’t imagine Will Muschamp will allow this skid to become a trend. This game comes at the perfect time for Florida. The Gators, even with their injuries, should come out firing, especially in the second half.
Florida 24 – Jacksonville State 13


Wofford at South Carolina
The Wofford Terriers (I'm not kidding) bring their triple option offense to South Carolina this weekend, and this could be a tougher game than it looks on the surface.  Many MSU fans will remember the Georgia Tech triple option which stifled the Bulldogs a few years ago... The Gamecock linebackers will have to play solid, disciplined defense to contain the Terriers' backfield.  If SC can hold on (and I think they will) they will have won 10 in a row at home and have their first undefeated season in their stadium since 1987.  That's big.
Wofford 21 - South Carolina 30
South Carolina v. Wofford
South Carolina has the grave misfortune of being a good team while Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU are all busy being great teams. The Gamecocks are fighting desperately for a decent bowl game and hoping that somehow Georgia or Alabama end up in the National Championship game. A loss to Wofford would take South Carolina out of contention for a decent post season game. That shouldn’t happen though as the Gamecocks will be more than a match for Wofford.
South Carolina 38 – Wofford 10


Georgia Southern at Georgia
Georgia already knows they're headed to Atlanta for the SEC title game... but if they keep winning, with a little luck they could work their way into the National Championship conversation.  That's motivation enough to stay focused this week as they play host to Georgia Southern.  That's not going to be as easy as it sounds though, as GA Southern also boasts a triple option offense, as well as an 8-2 record.  Be that as it may, Georgia holds a 4-0 record in this series, and they will have been focusing on the triple option in practice as their next game with Georgia Tech will also pose the same offensive strategy...
Georgia Southern 21 - Georgia 33
Georgia v. Georgia Southern
Georgia has locked up the SEC East and is hoping for a few slip ups from Notre Dame and Kansas State for a shot at the National Championship. The bulldogs have been on fire since  that close game against Kentucky and should more than handle Georgia Southern. The key to the games leading up to the SEC Championship will be staying healthy. If Georgia could stay healthy they have a pretty good chance against Alabama… well better than most teams would have.
Georgia 41 – Georgia Southern 14


Alabama A&M at Auburn
Auburn is playing for two things in their last two games of the season: pride, and Gene Chizik's job.  I'm not really sure the players are too concerned about the latter, though.  That being said this is a SWAC team and Auburn has a lot of frustration to vent.  Chances are they blow the doors off the place in this one, but there still won't be anybody in the stands by the second half...
Alabama A&M 10 - Auburn 27
Auburn v. Alabama A&M
The 2 – 8 Auburn Tigers take on the 7 – 3 Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Saturday. This will be Auburns third game against a team called the Bulldogs. They lost the first two in embarrassing fashion and the third could go the same way. Alabama A&M has played decent ball this year, not great, but pretty good for a team from the SWAC. Auburn meanwhile has been playing bad football for a team from any conference. This game could end up an embarrassing one on the Plains, something Auburn fans should be used to.
Auburn 17 – Alabama A&M 20


Sam Houston St. at Texas A&M
The prodigal son returns home to Kyle Field this Saturday as Johnny Football and the Aggies return to be greeted by a TAMU crowd which could likely be the most insanely amped 10th man that anyone has ever seen.  After knocking off the hands down favorite to make an appearance in the National Title game, TAMU will face an 8-2 Sam Houston team that is riding a 7 game win streak.  Unfortunately for the Bearkats, the Aggies are going to light them up brighter than the Jennings Osborne Christmas lights at Disney World...
Sam Houston St. 14 - Texas A&M 47
Texas A&M v. Sam Houston
Texas A&M is riding high after upsetting Alabama, and Johnny Manziel could probably beat Sam Houston with just an offensive line. This game will get ugly and stay ugly as Texas A&M finally gets a break from their SEC schedule, and they should celebrate in true SEC fashion by smashing an out of conference foe.
Texas A&M 49 – Sam Houston 10


Syracuse at Missouri
Two 5-5 teams will battle for a bowl bid when these two take the field Saturday.  Missouri is coming off a 4 OT thriller against Tennessee, and Syracuse is coming off an upset win of previously undefeated Louisville.  The Tigers' D-line will need to handle the Orange backfield if they want to win, but there's a lot of variables here.  How will Syracuse respond after the emotional win?  How will Missouri respond after the exhausting 4 OT game?  Can the Tigers manage with the slew of injuries they've had?  Can QB Nassib and RB Smith take control of the game for Syracuse?  If both teams come to play, and they should, this will be a fun one to watch...
Missouri 34 - Syracuse 21
Missouri v. Syracuse
Missouri desperately needs a win over Syracuse to become bowl eligible. They are sitting at 5 – 5 and will close out the year against Texas A&M, who will in all probability crush them. Syracuse is coming off a big win over previously undefeated Louisville and Missouri is coming off of an upset over Missouri. Syracuse should come out ahead over the Tigers, but stranger things have happened.
Missouri 21 – Syracuse 33


Samford at Kentucky
Excuse me while I pontificate on something for a minute... I thought Joker Phillips was a 'good guy' since Kentucky hired him.  He strikes me as the kind of guy who puts in good, honest, hard work in every facet of his game/coaching career.  I'm disappointed that Kentucky is firing him.  On the surface you see a 1-9 team in a coach's third year and you say "yeah, well, he had his time to make something happen..." but there are some extenuating circumstances here.  For one thing it's KENTUCKY, and it's NOT basketball.  You're a lower-tier SEC East team.  And to add to that, you're a lower-tier SEC team with THE NATION'S TOUGHEST SCHEDULE!  /end rantAnyway, this will be the last home game Phillips coaches and his seniors will want to send him off with a win, so you can expect to see a fired up Wildcat team take the field Saturday.  Samford has the talent to hang with Kentucky, but I'm giving them the nod anyway...
Samford 21 - Kentucky 27
Kentucky v. Samford
Kentucky is 1 – 9 and their only rout to improving that is through Samford as they close their season against Tennessee. Samford is 7 – 3 and this game feels a lot like the Auburn game described previously. Kentucky needs this win bad to save some face, but Samford may just be the better team. This may be a painful week for the SEC with Auburn and Kentucky facing potential losses against non-conference opponents.
Kentucky 17 – Samford 13


Ole Miss at LSU
They always say you can put the records aside when it comes to rivalry games... and Ole Miss would like to do just that.  The problem is this isn't a REAL rivalry just because you invented a trophy to give yourself on the odd occasion that you pull off an upset.  Like Tom Landry said, "When you get to the end zone, act like you've been there before." Don't create a trophy because you won a game you were trying to win.  Regardless of that, Ole Miss is a long shot at even covering the spread in this one.  LSU is just too talented all over the field, and especially against the pass which is the Rebel's bread and butter on offense.  The Rebel's will leave Tiger Stadium still in search of that elusive 6th win, looking ahead to a REAL rivalry game with Mississippi State next weekend...
Ole Miss 17 - LSU 30
LSU v. Ole Miss
LSU is on fire since Mettenberger’s sudden ability to pass the ball. Ole Miss meanwhile is enjoying their return to mediocrity. Ole Miss could be in this game at the half but LSU will be way more than the Rebel whatevers can handle. I don’t see this one ending close as LSU fights for a bowl berth.
LSU 38 – Ole Miss 21


Tennessee at Vanderbilt
Vandy is already bowl-eligible but would very much like to improve the value of their stock.  Tennessee needs to win out to have a shot at bowling.  Derek Dooley would also very much like to keep his job, so there's some added motivation for the Vols.  But if the Commodores can beat Tennessee and Wake Forest next week they will hit the 8 win mark for the first time since 1982.  That'll be more than enough reason to celebrate in Nashville.  Tyler Bray and Cordarelle Patterson can light you up in a hurry, but Vandy has the 3rd best passing D in the SEC, so that should be a good match up to watch.
Tennessee 20 - Vanderbilt 27
Vanderbilt v. Tennessee
Tennessee may have the best offense in the nation without a conference win. The Volunteers desperately need to beat in state rival Vanderbilt. Meanwhile Vanderbilt is hoping to make it back back to back years heading to a bowl game. The Commodores have been getting it done this year with good defense and a decent offense. They are playing good SEC football but Tennessee’s offense will be looking to outscore Vanderbilt, and I doubt the ‘dores ability to keep up with the scoring.
Vanderbilt 32 – Tennessee 45


Arkansas at MSU
The Bulldogs enter this game riding a 3 game losing streak, after opening the season with seven straight wins.  Arkansas stumbled out of the gate this season and spent most of the season trying to correct their costly mistakes.  The Razorbacks still have an outside shot at a bowl game, but they must win their last two games against MSU and LSU to do so.  MSU wants very badly to end the losing streak, add another SEC win to the tally and improve their bowl stock.
The key match ups in this game will be the MSU passing offense vs Arkansas pass defense, and Arkansas' rushing attack vs MSU's rush defense.  Tyler Wilson and Tyler Russell are essentially the same player on different teams.  Tyler Russell has a 60.5% completion ratio and 17 TDs.  Tyler Wilson has a 60.9% completion ratio and 18 TDs.  The difference will be the supporting cast.  For the Bulldogs Darius Slay and Johnthan Banks will keep an eye on Cobi Hamilton, as he is Wilson's favorite target.  MSU MUST stack the box and stop the run, and play man coverage on the wideouts to force turnovers from a turnover-prone Arkansas offense.  I am looking at you, Chris Wilson.  So help me god if I see 3 man fronts and zone coverage for more than 2-3 plays this game it better be players wearing Razorback Red.
The Mississippi State offense needs to come out passing in order to open up some opportunities on the ground.  Arkansas is much more susceptible to passing attacks that the ground game.  If Russell can continue to accurately hit his receivers in tight spots the Bulldogs will win this one walking away.  If the passing game struggles the Bulldogs may find themselves in trouble.  Luckily MSU is ranked 10th nationally in turnover margin... the Razorbacks?  They're 6th... from the bottom.  Sporting the 118th rank nationally in turnovers is what has cost the Razorbacks more than one game this season, so if the Dawgs can win the turnover battle it should put the game well in hand.
This will be just what the doctor ordered for the boys in Maroon and White.  While it won't mean anything to the players, it will be sweet justice for fans like me to see us end Arkansas' hopes at going bowling since we haven't beaten the Razorbacks since 2008, and they've done us the same favor on more than one occasion.  The Dawgs will wrap this one in Maroon and White and move on to dash Ole Miss' dreams of bowling next weekend in Oxford, and THAT will be a glorious day.
Arkansas 17 - MSU 28
Mississippi State v. Arkansas
Mississippi State is coming off of a three game slide while Arkansas is fighting for pride. The Razorbacks chances of a bowl game disappear with a loss, while the Bulldogs are fighting for a 10 win season for the first time in I don’t even remember how long. State seemed to get on the right track last week against LSU but just couldn’t pull out the win. The Bulldogs should see a different story unfold against the Razorbacks this Saturday. Arkansas won’t roll over for State though and it should end up a tough game.
Mississippi State 30 – Arkansas 24


As always, thanks so much for reading, we hope you enjoyed it!  Spread the word on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and tell all your friends!
As a bonus (or to make up for the lack of pictures, since I ran out of time), if you're in the Tupelo area tonight (Friday) you should head over to the BancorpSouth Arena at 7:30 and watch the MSU Ice Dawgs take on Tennessee tonight!  Here's a little motivation... see I'm going to a hockey game, so I picked a song with 'cold' in the title... because, you know... it's funny, or ironic, or whatever it is.  

Man my jokes are lame...
Breaking Benjamin - So Cold

Y'all have a great weekend!  #HailState and #GoDawgs!

SEC Recap: Week 11

[Mr. Hooch] As always there was a fair amount of what you would expect with a dash of "whatthehelljusthappenedtomyworld!?" this past weekend in the SEC.  I called a surprisingly accurate weekend with one notable exception, but I don't think I was alone in my prediction there.  I was out of touch with the modern world this past weekend and thus did not get to see any games, including our own, so these will be brief... anyway, tempus is fugit-ing so let's get to it...



Georgia 38 - Auburn 0

Auburn has a real shot at replacing Ole Miss as the low man on the totem pole in the SEC West, as they will likely go 0-fer when Alabama takes out their aggression on the Tigers next weekend in the Iron Bowl.  Georgia will head to Atlanta for the SEC title game, and couldn't care less...


[Professor D] Auburn v. Georgia

What can I say about this game. I don’t think even Auburn fans really expected to win
this one, but if they did they were royally disappointed. Georgia played like the Division Title
was on the line, which it was. The bulldogs looked as good as everyone who plays Auburn looks
this year. Hopefully Georgia realizes that if they win out and any of the undefeated lose they
have a decent shot at the National Title. Good Luck.




Vanderbilt 27 - Ole Miss 26

Vandy was down 23-6 in the third quarter and came roaring back to crush the Rebel's hopes of becoming bowl eligible this weekend.  Now the last chance Ole Miss has at going bowling lies in the Battle for the Golden Egg, and you can bet the Bulldogs have no intention of giving the Rebels that satisfaction, or of losing 4 in a row after a thrilling 7-0 start to the season.


Vanderbilt v. Ole Miss

My classes really need to lay off so I can spend more time on these games. Ole Miss
seems to have returned to the ranks of the middle of the road SEC teams, but Vanderbilt was
kind enough to remind them that they are still Ole Miss. This was a great game and a good
example of why Vanderbilt will be in a bowl game for the second straight year. Solid defense
and a capable offense. The Commodores aren’t flashy, but they’ve gotten the consistency they
lacked early this year.




Missouri 51 - Tennessee 48

It took all of four overtimes but the newest Tigers notched SEC win number 2 over the Vols on Saturday.  The Tigers could become bowl eligible with one more win, but Tennessee will need to win out against Vanderbilt and Kentucky to reach that magic mark.


Tennessee 48 v. Missouri 51

Tennessee again suffered from a total lack of defense. Tyler Bray’s 250 yards passing at
the end of the first half wasn’t enough to put away Missouri who secured their second
conference win of the year. Tennessee meanwhile is winless in the conference and Derek
Dooley’s seat just keeps getting hotter. That’s really all I have to say about this game. It was an
embarrassment to a conference who prides itself on having the best defenses in the nation.




Florida 27 - ULL 20

The Gators were flirting with disaster this weekend until they managed two scores in the last two minutes of the game to come from behind in the Swamp on Saturday.  With two seconds left on the clock Florida blocked a ULL punt and returned it for 6 to clinch the game.  The Gators have kept themselves in the conversation for a BCS bowl game with this win, but they still have 2 games left with Jacksonville State and Florida State to round out their season.


Florida 27 v. Louisiana Lafayette 20

Florida came out sluggish for the second week in a row, needing a heroic 4 minute final
drive and a late blocked punt touchdown return to secure the victory over Louisiana Lafayette.
The Ragin Cajuns lead 20 – 14 with just five minutes left in the game, but their special teams
(who had given up a touchdown on a punt earlier in this game) couldn’t come through. The
Gators have been left looking for answers after losing to Georgia earlier this year. Will
Muschamp has gotten away with some close wins but he needs to find a way to re-motivate his
team. With the SEC Championship race in the East locked down Florida needs to start playing
for a bowl game and getting ready to dominate their non-conference foe.




South Carolina 38 - Arkansas 20

The Gamecocks finished the SEC portion of their schedule with a win over the Razorbacks this weekend, moving to 6-2 in the SEC and 8-2 overall.  Arkansas will look to rebound against Mississippi State this weekend, and if they want any chance of a bowl game they will need to win both that match up, and the Battle for the Golden Boot against LSU the following weekend.  That's a tall task for this trouble team...


South Carolina 38 v. Arkansas 13

South Carolina came into this game without their leading rusher Marcus Lattimore who
sustained a potentially career ending injury in last week’s game. His replacement Kenny Miles
played well and gave the Gamecocks a legitimate ground threat not named Connor Shaw. In the
past three meetings Arkansas has put up over 300 yards of passing in each game and didn’t score
less than 30 points. Arkansas held all the momentum in the first half but couldn’t capitalize. Late
in the second quarter the physicality of South Carolina took over and the Gamecocks never
looked back. With this loss the road to a bowl game for Arkansas gets much narrower. The
Razorbacks will have to defeat both Mississippi State and LSU to get to six wins. South Carolina
meanwhile had their hopes of a BCS bowl game trashed when Texas A&M defeated Alabama. It
will be interesting to see how the Head Ball Coach gets his team ready to finish out the season.




Texas A&M 29 - Alabama 24

No, that is not a typo.  David (of a sort) hath slayed Goliath (more or less).  The Aggies jumped out to a 20-0 lead early, but Bama came roaring back with 2 second quarter scores to cut the lead to 6 at the half.  After the Tide scored a FG in the 3rd to take a 20-17 lead there was a flurry of activity from both offenses.  A&M connected on two huge passing plays for 42 and 54 yards respectively, putting Bama in a two-possession hole.  The Tide answered by scoring a TD, and then connecting on a 54-yarder of their own to put Bama inside the A&M 10 yard line, but a huge defensive set by the Aggies was capped off by a 4th down interception of AJ McCarron.  Congrats on the win, Aggies, and welcome to the conference.  You may have just become my second favorite SEC West team.

Bonus: Click this link and laugh your ass off at the meltdowns of Bama fans... it's hilarious.


Alabama v. Texas A&M

Texas A&M stunned Alabama early on jumping out to a 20 – 0 lead and never really
looked back. The Crimson Tide struggled throughout the game to get anything going offensively
as the Aggies defense continued their season long improvement. Johnny Manziel looked perfect
early on and left Bama stunned at the end of the game. The only thing holding Johnny Football
back from a Heisman Trophy is his redshirt freshman status. Yup. The SEC is going to have to
face this juggernaut for another two years at least.




LSU 37 - MSU 17

The Bulldogs had a better showing than their previous two games, but it still wasn't enough to overcome the Tigers.  There isn't a whole lot else to say about this one, and again I didn't get a chance to watch the game, so I can't comment on individual play outside of final stats.  I know that the Bulldogs do not like the three game losing streak they're on now, and they fully intend to right the ship against the Razorbacks this weekend.  I'm not sure there's a whole lot else to say, really.  Time to put this behind us and move forward... a 9-3 season is still well within reach, but neither of the final two games are the gimmes they looked to be at the start of the season.


LSU v. Mississippi State

This game should have ended 30 – 24. Mississippi State came out playing well on
offense and defense. Honestly I’m okay with this loss. LSU outplayed the Bulldogs but unlike
State’s last two games our players didn’t roll over and let the Tigers walk all over them. The
good news is State has escaped the toughest three games of the year with the offensive line
intact. Something State hasn’t been able to do in years. The Bulldogs are looking good heading
into their final two games against Ole Miss and Arkansas.




So with that I will bid you a fond farewell.  I'm sorry the blog has been so inconsistent of late, but it is what it is.  I should be able to put together a decent piece for the last two games, though, so make sure you stay tuned and check back on Friday!  Stop by our Facebook and like the page, share us on Twitter, or go old-school and email your gram-gram a link!  We really don't care, just love uusssss!  Kidding...

I now owe y'all 1 song and some extra pics... I swear I'll get there...

Y'all have a great week!  #HailState and #GoDawgs!

MSU v LSU

I owe you guys a song, sorry for the sparse post but shit keeps happening. Still hope you enjoy.



UL Lafayette at Florida

This should be a non-issue for Florida.  They have already finished the SEC portion of their schedule with a solid 7-1 record, and the only out of conference foe that has a chance to trip them up is FSU in a couple weeks.  Florida will take the next two games to fine tune the defense and try to put together a solid offense before the square off against the Seminoles to finish the season.

UL Lafayette 7 - Florida 24


Arkansas at South Carolina

South Carolina is looking to keep their BCS Bowl hopes alive, the Razorbacks are just gunning for bowl eligibility.  The Gamecocks will be without their premiere running back Marcus Lattimore who suffered a gruesome, season-ending knee injury two weeks ago that made more than a few grown men cringe and squeal like little girls (Mr. Hooch included).  In his stead will be Kenny Miles, who almost left the program after Lattimore's arrival, running the ball for South Carolina.  Meanwhile Tyler Wilson hops to dissect the SC secondary with the help of WR Cobi Hamilton.  Arkansas has put the dumpster fire phase of the season behind them, but it's still a tall task to walk into the enemy's house and come away with a win.

Arkansas 17 - South Carolina 27



Missouri at Tennessee

Two 4-5 teams are both eager to notch another win en route to bowl eligibility, but if you'd asked me at the beginning of the season which of these teams would have an SEC win and which likely wouldn't, I would have told you Tennessee all day over Missouri.  But it's the Vols who are looking for that first SEC win this weekend, and their powerful passing game faces the 15th ranked pass defense in the nation this weekend, which should make for an interesting game.  Missouri's offense has been nothing to write home about, but then again neither has Tennessee's defense.  This could become a barn-burner...

Missouri 27 - Tennessee 24



Texas A&M at Alabama

The number one team in the nation hosts the Aggies, and you have to think the results for TAMU will be similar to their matches with LSU and Florida.  Bama's defense is going to grind the prolific Aggie offense to a halt and punch Johnny Football in the face with old school, smash-mouth football.  With this win the Crimson Tide will secure their spot as the SEC West representative in the SEC title game this year, a fact that you can bet is not lost on Nick Saban and his boys.  The real question here is when does Bama take their foot off the gas?

Texas A&M 14 - Alabama 24


Georgia at Auburn

Just like Alabama, Georgia can wrap up their division with a win against Auburn this weekend.  The 2-7 Tigers have nothing to play for but pride, and they are very likely to go O-fer in the SEC this season as their final conference foe is football behemoth Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl.  Hospitals and first response teams are on high alert as the Auburn fan base, the ENTIRE fan base, is on suicide watch the next two weekends...

Georgia 33 - Auburn 6



Vanderbilt at Ole Miss

After an abysmal start to the season Ole Miss appears to be clicking just in time to keep their bowl dreams alive.  Whoever wins this one hits the magic 6-win mark, although Vandy has one more conference win than the Rebels going in to this game.  Should the Rebels win they will become bowl eligible for the first time since 2009, and will have TRIPLED their win total over last season's results.  Race riots be damned, that's progress.  But the Commodores also want that bowl game, as it would mean back to back bowl games for the first time in school history.  Vandy has been playing better football than the Rebels of late, but this should still be a good, competitive game.

Vanderbilt 24 - Ole Miss 21


MSU at LSU

The Bulldogs are reeling after back to back losses to Alabama and Texas A&M, and now travel to Baton Rouge to face ANOTHER top 15 team in LSU.  LSU meanwhile is also reeling from a heartbreaking loss to Alabama last weekend, even though QB Zach Mettenberger had a career game against the Tide.  The last time MSU defeated the Bayou Bengals was waaaay back in 1999, when the Bulldogs upended the Tigers 17-16 in Starkville.  The Dawgs haven't won in Tiger Stadium since 1991, and smart money says that is a trend that is likely to continue.

As a fan I want to reiterate that I still believe in these Bulldogs.  The Alabama game was disappointing if not unexpected, but the lackluster effort shown during the TAMU game was inexcusable.  That was a winnable game but the Dawgs were still hungover from the loss to the Tide.  If they want to have ANY chance at winning this one they will need to snap out of it.  Most reasonable fans predicted anywhere from 7-5 to 9-3 records this season, and the Bulldogs can still accomplish that.

It will take the kind of performance I outlined in the MSU/Bama preview for the Bulldogs to come away with the win this weekend, though.  And you can bet LSU won't be doing them any favors.  Tyler Russell and the offense need to get back to what they were doing so well to start the season... namely, completing plays.  LaDarius Perkins seemed to disappear the last two games, throwing the balanced Bulldog offense off kilter. Russell will have to find his receivers and hit his marks to open that up for Perk... and it doesn't have to be 15-20 yards down the field.  This offense has had more success with short crossing routes and passes to the TE's (another group whose absence has stifled this offense) than taking big stabs down the field.  Yards after catch and yards after contact are what this team needs, and that comes from fight, desire and drive.  The Bulldogs will have to sack up and take the game to the Tigers if they hope to have any chance here...

MSU 17 - LSU 27


[now begins the Professor's section]


A lot of teams are going to face some tough realities this weekend. Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Missouri all are in must win situations to go to a bowl game. Not everyone can win and someone will certainly go home disappointed. Arkansas certainly has the toughest road to a bowl game, but Ole Miss isn’t exactly a shoe in either. There could be some fun football on Saturday.
Florida v. Louisiana Lafayette
​Florida is going through some tough times right now following a tough loss to Georgia and a tough win against Missouri. The Gators are really in need of a reprieve and the Ragin Cajuns are certainly looking to capitalize on that. La Lafayette is having a decent year and will certainly end up with a winning season. Florida, however, is the only ranked team on their schedule. The Ragin Cajuns do boast wins over Troy and ULM, both of which have played well against their SEC foes this year. Florida is just too good to lose this one at home though. Even LSU couldn’t top the Gators in the Swamp and La Lafayette just isn’t up to the challenge of scoring against this defense.
Florida 24 v. La Lafayette 10
Auburn v. Georgia
​All of a sudden Auburn is the only thing standing in Georgia’s way of a trip to Atlanta and the SEC Eastern Division Title. Auburn will probably register only as a speed bump against this Georgia team, even if this game is being played on the Plains. The bulldogs are riding high after beating Florida and escaped a letdown after stomping Ole Miss. Auburn meanwhile is coming off of their second win of the season and, although it was a blowout victory, the Tigers just don’t have enough to play for to take down Georgia. Even if Auburn wins out they will not qualify for a bowl game this year. Georgia meanwhile has a few rings on their mind and will playing lights out ball on the Plains. The home crowd will keep Auburn in this game for a little while, but the bulldogs will put it away.
Auburn 17 – Georgia 38
South Carolina v. Arkansas
​This is a must win game for Arkansas if they want to go to a bowl game this year. They need two wins and their remaining three games are South Carolina, Mississippi State, and LSU. Getting two wins out of those games will be tough, not getting one against South Carolina makes it almost impossible. South Carolina meanwhile is facing the reality that they don’t have much of a shot at the Eastern Title. They do, however, have a shot at a pretty nice bowl game. That plus the home field should allow for the Gamecocks to make short work of Arkansas.
South Carolina 35 – Arkansas 21
Tennessee v. Missouri
​This is a huge game for both of these teams. Tennessee is looking to salvage something from their season and a bowl game could go a long way. The remaining schedule is favorable as they face the bottom teams out of the East, but Vanderbilt is going to be tough. That leaves Missouri and Kentucky as the easiest road to six wins. The Volunteers absolutely have to win this game at home, or Coach Dooley may have a long offseason. Missouri meanwhile is also in the hunt for a bowl game. The difference is they play Syracuse and Texas A&M in addition to Tennessee. I don’t have much faith in the Tigers ability to pull two wins out of that schedule but if they’re going to do it they better have them before facing TAMU.
Tennessee 45 – Missouri 35
Ole Miss v. Vanderbilt
​Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are both enjoying decent seasons this year and both are trying to get that last win to become bowl eligible. Vanderbilt by far has the best opportunity for that as they close the year against Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Wake Forest. The whatever-you-call-‘ems have a much harder road to postseason play that takes them into games against LSU and Mississippi State after facing Vanderbilt at home. As a State fan I hate to admit it but Ole Miss has a shot at getting that win against Mississippi State, but it would be far easier just to take care of business and beat Vanderbilt. The Commodores have other shots at a bowl game. As an SEC fan I would love to as many teams in the post season as possible, and as a State fan, I can’t root for Ole Miss against LSU or State. So I’m going with TSUN at home in this match up.
Ole Miss 21 – Vanderbilt 17
Alabama v. Texas A&M
​This has the potential to be a huge match up this Saturday. The most exciting offense in the SEC against Alabama’s suffocating defense. The Tide narrowly escaped Death Valley last weekend and should be happy to be back home in Tuscaloosa. TAMU meanwhile goes on the road again (could be a good song for this week Mr. Hooch). The Aggies haven’t looked great against the better defenses in the SEC with loses to Florida and LSU, but then again their only losses are Florida and LSU. A&M has a lot to be proud of this season but the Tide are just too much for Johnny Manziel to handle. The big time potential of this game will be dimmed shortly after Alabama’s defense takes the field. I don’t think this one will get out of hand, but it won’t be that close either.
Alabama 31 – TAMU 17
LSU v. Mississippi State
​There are a lot of things stacked against Mississippi State this weekend. Death Valley at night, LSU hasn’t lost two straight games in what feels like a century, State hasn’t been able to stop the run, LSU can run against anyone, State has an amazing secondary, LSU never passes. The cards are certainly stacked against the Bulldogs, but that’s life in the SEC. Mississippi State can’t afford to come out playing like they did against Texas A&M. Win or lose the Bulldogs have to play decent football. The important thing about this game is to send a message to Arkansas and Ole Miss: You aren’t getting your postseason qualifiers against us. LSU meanwhile has just had their hopes of a National Championship and an SEC title slammed in their face. If they are still hung up on last week’s loss State could come out firing. If the Tigers are angry, this one could get ugly quick. I would love to see Mississippi State’s seniors step up and put the team on their back in this game, but win or lose, we’ve got stay healthy for our last two games.

MSU 17 - LSU 28

SEC Recap: Week 10

Well there was definitely some good football to be had this past weekend... unfortunately only one team in Starkville delivered that level of quality, and it wasn't the Bulldogs.  I'd like to get in to more detail but real life is demanding far too much of my time lately so I'm not able to deliver the usual goods.  Hopefully the dust will settle soon and I'll be able to get back to this but this time around I'm going to let the Professor handle the recap.  I hope I can put something together for the weekend preview, but it just depends on how far over life intends on bending me and how much (if any) lube it plans on using... anyway, that being said, I'll hand you over to Professor D for your recap.





After one heck of a busy week last week I’m back to recap what I call “one super
depressing day of football”. The SEC overall did well, winning a slew of out of conference
games, despite some of them being closer than we would have liked. I give the conference a
solid B for the weekend. Titans Alabama and LSU flexed some impressive muscles, but close
victories by Tennessee and Arkansas over Troy and Tulsa, respectively, cast a slight shadow
over the conference.

Auburn 42 – New Mexico St. 7

Auburn finally caught a break when the 1 – 7 Tigers took on the 1 – 7 Aggies. Auburn
finally got their offense going over the 7th ranked team in the WAC, totaling 475 yards of
offense and putting up 42 points. The Tigers still didn’t do well through the air as they put in
freshman Jonathon Wallace at quarterback and totaled just 164 passing yards. Auburn definitely
won this game on the ground as their running backs put up over 300 yards rushing against one of
the worst defenses in the country. The most impressive thing about this game was Auburn’s
ability to limit New Mexico State through the air. The Aggies are in the top 50 when it comes to
passing yards and Auburn was able to hold them to just 7 points in the game. That’s real
progress for this unit. Unless they can pull off a miracle against Georgia or Alabama Auburn is
still looking at a winless SEC record, and they may have to worry about Alabama A&M robbing
them of their third win.

Kentucky 0 – Vanderbilt 40

The Commodores went on the road and shut out Kentucky Saturday, pulling them one
win closer to back to back bowl games, a rare thing in Vanderbilt’s history. The Commodores
have quietly put together one of the better defenses in the nation, ranking in the top 15 in points
against. The offense has done enough to give them a better than 50% record and fourth place in
the SEC East behind three top 25 teams. The ‘dore’s are laying a foundation for what could
become a legitimate football team, a strong running game and good defense. The bread and
butter of SEC teams. We’ve talked enough this season about how bad Kentucky is. Hopefully
they can get healthy and put together a better team next year, but there is no future for this team
in 2012. Samford may give the Wildcats a chance at two wins this year before heading to
Tennessee, but we’ll see.

Ole Miss 10 – Georgia 37

Ole Miss may have had the firepower to make this a football game if it were played in
Oxford. On the road Ole Miss just couldn’t compete with Georgia, who seem to have put there
South Carolina woes behind them. The bulldogs ran the ball effectively against Ole Miss’
defense, which is actually improving as the year goes on. Aaron Murray had a career day,
passing for 384 yards and 4 TD’s. It’s about time. Georgia fans were probably more excited
about their defense, which held Ole Miss’ normally prolific offense to just 10 points. The
bulldogs have the East in their pocket. All they have to do to get that short trip to Atlanta is not
lose….

Arkansas 19 – Tulsa 15

Arkansas played a rough game at home against Tulsa to try and keep their hopes of a
bowl game alive. The Razorbacks have 4 wins this year and would need to win two of their last
three games, against South Carolina, Mississippi State, and LSU. Good luck with that. The
defense looked better this week for Arkansas, but still allowed over 300 yards of offense by
Tulsa. The offense surpassed 100 yards rushing, a rare occurrence despite Knile Davis’ return.
Tyler Wilson had a decent day, passing for 272 yards but no TD’s and one interception.
Arkansas twice turned the ball over against the Golden Hurricanes. Turnovers are not something
they are going to be able to afford against the teams left on their schedule. Overall the
Razorbacks played well enough to win, but look dangerously close to slipping back into the
habits they started the year with.

Tennessee 55 – Troy 48

Remember back when Tennessee was scoffing at Mississippi State for almost losing to
Troy? At least we played them in Troy. Tennessee trailed for much of this game as their defense
surrendered play after play to the Trojans. The Volunteers only saving grace was their
quarterback, who threw for 530 yards and 5 TD’s. I think we know what happened to West
Virginia. Come on though Tennessee, you have to at least play defense against your out of
conference foe. An SEC team giving up 721 yards to Troy is just unacceptable. This win means
the Vols will probably make a bowl game this year, needing two wins in their final games
against Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. If Tennessee can’t get two wins out of that schedule
then they have some serious work to do on the recruiting trail while everyone who matters is
getting ready for a bowl game.

Florida 14 – Missouri 7

Florida came out slow against Missouri, still looking hung over from the world’s largest
outdoor cocktail party. The Gators again had turnover issues, fumbling on the opponents 18 yard
line, but not anything compared to Mizzou, who threw 4 interceptions against the Gators
defense. Missouri should be proud of how close they kept this game. In fact, they should throw
out those We Beat Kentucky or whatever they said 1st SEC win T-shirts in favor of some We
Only Lost by 7 to Florida T’s. Florida has fallen far in two weeks and they have a lot of work to
do if they don’t want to embarrass the conference in a (possibly BCS) bowl game.

LSU 17 – Alabama 21

It seems like every year college football gets a new instant classic when these two teams
face off. I wish I had some more time to write the analysis this game deserves but alas I do not.
LSU by far played the better game. Les Miles’ gambles didn’t pay off, but they showed a
confidence in his team the players have been missing this year, and they responded by racking
up 300 yards against the number one defense in the land and forcing 3 and outs all over the place
against a Heisman candidate. I don’t know how Alabama pulled a win out of this one, but it sure
did bite to watch. Hopefully LSU stays hung up on this game for a week to allow Mississippi
State to get back into relevance. I think Yeldon might be the most overrated running back
Alabama has ever had. The kid is quick, but he lacks the iconic power Bama backs have had
recently. He’s fortunate this year to be playing behind a great offensive line that allows him to

run through gaping holes, but he lacks the ability to break tackles and get serious yards after
contact. If Alabama can get through Texas A&M and the championship in Atlanta teams are
going to have a tough time beating them in the National Championship. I don’t think anyone
other than LSU in Death Valley at night has a shot at beating them, and that chance has come
and gone for the Tigers.

Mississippi State 13 – Texas A&M 38

I’m sort of glad I don’t have enough time to really delve into this game. The Bulldogs
looked hung over and Chris Wilson called the sorriest defensive game I’ve seen out of
Mississippi State. Outside of Cameron Laurence Mississippi State didn’t really seem to want to
play football on Saturday. Offensively the tight ends disappeared again and the running game
stalled. Nothing was clicking other than opponents helmets against Tyler Russell’s pads.
Defensively Johnny Manziel shredded the Bulldogs, who couldn’t protect the run or the screen
pass. The Aggies got away with a few holds but the Bulldogs couldn’t get off a block to save
their lives. A&M game planned for Mississippi State, the Bulldogs looked like the win would
just come to them. Baker Swedenburg looked good though, as did Chad Bumphis, and the
afore mentioned Cameron Laurence. Mississippi State needs to refocus and regroup, and get out
of Death Valley without any major injuries. Beating Arkansas and Ole Miss to close the season
will give the Bulldogs a chance to get 10 wins in the bowl game. That’s one heck of a season for
Starkville.

MSU v Texas A&M

SEC Weekend Preview: Week 10

Foster the People - Houdini

Got shackles on, my words are tied.
Fear can make you compromise.
With the lights turned up, it's hard to hide.
Sometimes I want to disappear!

(Raise up to your ability)

You never knew that I could find
What could come when we realize
Some won't stop with the compromise.



Welcome, welcome, old friends and new!  Thanks for stopping by the House of Hooch once again this week!  Our song this week is all about rising above yourself and achieving your potential.  The Bulldogs had a horrible outing last weekend, and worse still it came during our match with the number one team in the nation.  But as the coaches and players will tell you, you should never lose to an opponent two weeks in a row.  Bama beat the Dawgs last Saturday, and if they dwell on it they'll let Bama beat them again this weekend, too.  Fortunately I don't think Dan Mullen will let our boys dwell too long on the loss.  I still believe, and I know all of you do too, so let's get down to the nitty gritty!

(I have been busy with work and real life this week so I didn't get this done until late, and I think the Professor was also tied up this week, so you'll have to make due with only my incoherent ramblings this week.  Anyway, better late than never...)


Missouri at Florida

Florida is undefeated in the Swamp this year, and hasn't allowed so much as a touchdown in those four games.  Although the Gators lost to Georgia last weekend they are still a defensive machine, and if their defense can get penetration and force a hobbled James Franklin to make bad decisions with the ball they should be in good shape to win this one.  Missouri's D-line is no joke, though, and the Gators offense has been less than spectacular.  This should be an interesting game to watch...

Missouri 10 - Florida 24



Troy at Tennessee

Two solid offenses, two lackluster defenses.  Whoever manages to get some stops on defense is going to come out the winner in this one.  My money is on the Vols, as they will definitely need this win to have any hope of making a bowl this year, and allowing Derek Dooley to keep his job.  Lose this one, and the coaching carousel will start spinning a little faster...

Troy 17 - Tennessee 30



Tulsa at Arkansas

But shit, it was 99 cents!

Yet again, the offenses far outstrip the defenses for these two teams... The Razorbacks lost a heartbreaker to Ole Miss in Little Rock last weekend, and now face a 7-1 CUSA team that can put up points in a hurry.  The problem for the Golden Hurricanes (btw, thanks to R. Kelly this team name conjures up some pretty disturbing mental images...) is that their pass defense is ranking around the 94th or so in the country, and the Hawgs QB Tyler Wilson is sharp.  Arkansas should win this one by two touchdowns, although the separation may come late in the game.

Tulsa 24 - Arkansas 40



New Mexico State at Auburn

This should be a good way to boost Auburn QB Jonathan Wallace's confidence before going into games with Georgia, Texas A&M and Bama to round out the season (ouch).  Wallace will need all the confidence he can get with that road ahead of him, and Gene Chizik is eager to show Auburn fans that he is worth the money and the headache he's currently costing them, so I wouldn't expect Auburn to take their foot off the gas until very late in the game or they're up by 3 TDs or more.

New Mexico State 14 - Auburn 30



Ole Miss at Georgia

Ole Miss at Georgia... "are you kidding?"  That's what people said a few years ago, and then an unlikely team of Rebels beat the Gators in the Swamp, prompting Little Timmy Tebow to deliver a tearful speech declaring that no team would ever work harder to make up for such a glaring gaff.  Well this could be Bo Wallace's chance to make Florida regret taking them lightly.  Has Hugh Freeze elevated the Rebel's game to the level where they will be competitive with the Gators, or is it just a pipe dream?  Florida, MSU and Georgia are all one loss SEC teams vying for a BCS bowl berth... and if LSU beats Bama they will both be 1 loss SEC teams as well, leaving the West wide open.  However I just don't see the Eastern Bulldogs tripping up in this game, as their defense is too strong.  

Ole Miss 14 - Georgia 28


Vanderbilt at Kentucky

The Eastern Cellar Dwellers battle it out, but contrary to the norm it's Vandy who is favored over the Wildcats this year.  The Commodores are 4-4, Kentucky is 1-8. ("You feel that sting, big boy? That's pride FUCKIN with ya...") I'm callin Vandy the winner on the road...

Vanderbilt 28 - Kentucky 14



Alabama at LSU

This is the marquee match up this weekend, but if anybody cares the MSU/A&M game still has relevance(depending on the outcome of this one)... If LSU manages to pull off the (it's got to be labelled an) upset, then it's a 3-way race for the title in the SEC West.  Bama, LSU and MSU would be one-loss teams until somebody slips up, which would be the following week(which is when LSU plays host to the Bulldogs in Baton Rouge, assuming MSU defeats the Aggies this weekend... and yes I enjoy parentheses from time to time).  

You want proof that the SEC West is still the dominant division of the most dominant conference in college football today?  This is the third straight times the teams have met with both ranked among top five.  Do you understand the significance of the previous sentence?  Third STRAIGHT(as in 2010, 2011 and 2012, in a row people) time these two (SEC West) teams have faced off while BOTH being ranked in the top five IN THE NATION.(I swear I'll leave off the CAPS now, but I can't make any promises about the parentheses)

You want me to pick a winner? Fine.  I will have to go with the safe bet, even though my heart and head both want LSU to win just so we're still in the race. Bama is just ridiculously talented, both players and coaches.  That's not just me paying lip service to a Crimson Tide team that wiped the floor with us last week (granted, given our performance last week we would've lost the Troy and Tennessee games easily).  Here we go...

Alabama 34 - LSU 28



Texas A&M at MSU

This game's significance has increased after last weekend's loss to Alabama.  It was always an important game, as are all SEC matches, but now that the rest of the division is starting to take shape this will be a decisive game.  The Bulldogs are going to either come out still pouting and obsessing about the loss, or they are going to come out hungry, and ready to prove that they're more than a match for the Aggies.  I expect it will be the latter.  

Obviously the lynch pin to the Aggies offense is Johnny Football... he's a great passer who scrambles well.  His numbers on the season look very good... against bad teams. Although they average 45 points per game, in their two losses on the season (Florida and LSU) TAMU was held to 20 and 24 points respectively.  MSU has seen dual threat QB's before in players such as Denard Robinson, the Michigan QB when the Bulldogs faced the Wolverines two years ago in the Gator Bowl.  Manziel is probably a better passer while Robinson is better with his feet, but they're both serviceable in both departments.  You can just bet that the MSU secondary is eager to redeem themselves after an abysmal outing last weekend, though, and I expect we will see at least one INT, maybe more if we're lucky.

On the other side of the ball, Tyler Russell and the offense are also out to prove a point, and the Aggies defense looks far more likely a victim than the one they faced in Tuscaloosa, although they do have Damontre Moore, who has 18 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks on the season.  With the notable exception of the barn burner with LA Tech the Aggies have held opponents to 22 points per game.  The offense will have to execute cleanly if they want to move the ball and put up points.  And they will likely have to put up more than 24 to win the day, depending on how well the defense plays.

This game could very easily get out of hand early, but if the Dawgs shake off the loss to a damn good Bama team and come ready to play there's no reason they can't win, especially in their own house.  I still believe, and 8-1 looks mighty fine to me... 

MSU 30 - TAMU 24


And that'll do it for this weekend preview!  Thanks as always for stopping by, and be sure to like us on Facebook and retweet us on the Twitterz... Have a great weekend, #HailState and #GoDawgs!