SEC Recap: Week 7

(Mr. Hooch) Wow.  What a weekend!  I said there would be some good football, and the SEC did not disappoint.  Both the Professor and I missed only one pick (LSU/SC), and I even said it could easily go the other way, so I feel pretty good about my choices.  So, let's take a closer look at what happened...


(Professor D) The TV peoples got exactly what they hoped for this weekend: two great primetime SEC matchups. LSU v. South Carolina and Mississippi State v. Tennessee were both great games. Texas A&M had their hands full in an out of conference match up, Arkansas finally started playing football, and Auburn took their second loss of the season to a team from Mississippi. Oh yeah, and Missouri returned a kickoff for a touchdown. They also gave up 21 in the first half.




Bama 42 - Missouri 10

Hey look, Alabama rolled Missouri.  So what else is new?  Alabama didn't do anything cute or fancy, and they didn't need to in order to deal with these clawless kitties who call themselves Tigers.  I'm not even going to bother rehashing this game since it was expected and there is little to nothing worth mentioning from either team.  Meh.

Yeah yeah, Alabama wins again,
we get it... meh.

I don’t blame you Mr. Hooch. I’ll get into it a little bit before moving on to bigger and better… wait we haven’t been through Arkansas yet… before we move on to other things. The only two things that anyone looking at this game three weeks ago wouldn’t have guessed were the weather and Missouri scoring a touchdown. But if you had told them the Tigers would get into the endzone, I bet they would have told you it would be on a kickoff return. Missouri couldn’t get anything going against Alabama’s defense all game. They amassed just 129 yards of offense in the game. You heard me. One Hundred and Twenty Nine total yards of offense, in the game. 126 of those yards came through the air too. Some third grade math will tell you Missouri couldn’t run the ball for anything against the Tide. Corbin Berkstresser, Missouri’s freshman quarterback, totaled -50 yards rushing for the game. He almost spent more seconds on his back than he threw incompletions, and he threw a lot of incompletions on route to 12 of 19 passing. Alabama’s offense slowed down after scoring 21 in the first, but still totaled 533 yards of offense. They had almost triple Missouri’s total offense just on the ground as the Tide’s backs ran behind a very talented offensive line for 362 yards and 6 touchdowns. This game was as lopsided as everyone outside Columbia expected it to be (in fact, if Mizzou hadn’t scored that touchdown on special teams, I would have nailed the score 42 – 3).




Ole Miss 41 - Auburn 20

Now this game, on the other hand, was fairly interesting, at least in terms of defining the bottom half of the SEC West totem pole.  Ole Miss snapped a 16 game SEC losing streak dating back to 2010 at the expense of Auburn.  That's not the kind of stat/fact/fun figure you wanna be involved in if you're Auburn.  Credit the Tigers what little you will, but they were within striking distance, being down only 1 TD early in the fourth quarter, but the Rebels reeled off back to back TD drives and put the game away.  And with this loss, Auburn has all but solidified their position as the low man on the SEC West totem pole this season.  Oh how the mighty have fallen...

Twemble in fear of da Awbuwn Tiguhs!

Yeah it’s amazing how far Auburn has come from that national championship; of course it’s also pretty amazing how far Ole Miss seems to have come this year. Bo Wallace has proven to be a legitimate threat for Ole Miss at quarterback as the rebel what-evers finally pulled themselves up out of the bottom of the SEC West. Wallace had just five incompletions in 22 attempts against Auburn’s awful defense. The Tigers on the other hand have nothing going on either side of the football. The offense can’t score and the defense can’t stop anyone else from scoring. All in all it is going to be a rough year for Auburn fans (unless they pull an Arky, but I just don’t see that happening). Ole Miss should take a hard look at the film though as they scored 14 points on what I would call “fortunate” plays. Auburn fumbled a snap in the endzone which was recovered for a touchdown. Then an Ole Miss player rolled over the Auburn defender, never touching the ground, and in the confusion took off for a score. That’s 14 points that may not be there against better opponents. But that’s for the coaches to worry about; the fans should just enjoy having something to cheer about for the first time in three years.




Florida 31 - Vanderbilt 17

Florida is flourishing under Will Muschamp, and the Gators are becoming known as a '2nd half' team.  With a 4 point lead at the half the Gators weren't exactly in control, but Florida has been outscoring it's opponents 98-23 in the second half this season, and they did it again on Saturday.  You may remember the fun fact I put forth a few weeks ago when Florida played Kentucky.  Going in to that game Florida had a 25 game win streak going in that series.  It's now 26.  Well, going into this weekend's game Florida also had a 21 game win streak going over Vandy.  It's now 22.  Ouch.

The sad part about those streaks is they don’t seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. Florida seems to be at the beginning of a major upswing this year. Many analysts were looking for Florida to stumble a bit on the road against Vanderbilt, and I’ll be honest, I probably didn’t give the Commodores the home field advantage they deserved. After all they did put up 11 more points than I expected. Florida however, was exactly what I thought they would be(THEY WERE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!). 31 points scored, all on the ground, by the running tandem of quarterback Jeff Driskel and running back Mike Gillislee. The gators ground game has been dominant this year as both Driskel and Gillislee have emerged as legitimate running games. Driskel has also been effective with his arm, amassing 74 completions in just 111 attempts. Vanderbilt’s Jordan Rodgers had a decent game with 17 of 31 passing and 237 yards. The problem was a complete lack of run defense as Florida totaled 326 rushing yards. The Commodores are still trying to figure out what kind of team they are going to be this year, while Florida is proving just how tough and well coached they are every week. Will Muschamp should be a midseason favorite for coach of the year in the SEC (with honorable mention of course being Dan Mullen, but we’ll have to see how the rest of the season goes for that). The Gators were rewarded for their efforts by jumping Oregon in the BCS for a number 2 ranking in the computers.

THEY WERE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!

Arkansas 49 - Kentucky 7

Well, if Arkansas can keep playing like this they may yet salvage what started out as a dismal, disappointing season.  The Razorbacks reeled off a staggering 533 yards of total offense on the hapless Wildcats.  Relatively unknown before this game, freshman receiver Jonathan Williams caught 3 passes. Two of them

U mad, bro?

were TDs.  And they averaged 50 yards per catch.  This is very much what the talking heads expected of this Arkansas team in the preseason, so there's every possibility that the Hogs could get back to .500 with a win over Ole Miss this weekend.  If they manage that I promise I will retire the moniker of 'Dumpster Fire' for the rest of the season... or at least until they fall below .500 again.


It’s really too bad wins against Ole Miss aren’t as easy to come by as they have been the last three years. Mr. Hooch said it though, Arkansas is starting to look like the team they were supposed to be this year. The Piggies certainly didn’t need that canceled 4 th quarter to put this one away. Kentucky might have preferred to call this one after the first, when they trailed 28 – 0. Arkansas has started playing football in the past two games. We still don’t know if that is the product of Arkansas finally remembering they have talent, or if it’s a result of Auburn rolling over and Kentucky’s slew of injuries. Everyone with Arkansas on the back half of their SEC schedule is hoping it’s the latter. The better teams in the conference got comfortable counting on that one as a win. Kentucky meanwhile is having the worst defensive season a team not named Baylor can have. The freshman starters just can’t stop anyone on third down where teams have converted almost 56% of their attempts. They also allowed Tyler Wilson to throw for 372 yards and five touchdowns. Granted Tyler Wilson is one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC, five TD’s is still a little much. Arkansas did exactly as I predicted and started running Dennis Johnson over Knile Davis, and it has worked. Johnson had 12 carries for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns against Kentucky. Joker Phillips is going to have a long year ahead of him, but with all the freshmen he’s playing you would think the Wildcats have something along the lines of a promising future. Arkansas meanwhile, is starting to put together a decent season, but they’ve still got some tough opponents to face in the latter half of the season.




LSU 23 - S. Carolina 21

LSUFreek's gifs are 'freeking' hilarious...

LSU managed to screw up my picks for the second straight week by defeating the Gamecocks at home.  Jeremy Hill had 2 TDs and 124 yards on 17 carries for the Tigers, and QB Mettenberg threw for 148 through the air with no TDs and one INT.  South Carolina ended their 10 game winning streak, which was the longest active winning streak in FBS until Saturday.  As we mentioned last week, Death Valley is one of the toughest places in all of college football to play, especially at night, and the Gamecocks learned that the
hard way.  This is still a VERY good S. Carolina team and they will need to put this loss behind them if they hope to beat Florida this weekend.  And this LSU team, which let Auburn hang around the entire game and lost on the road to Florida, has finally shown they deserve their ranking.


This was a game of Juggernauts and LSU was not to be denied the win in Death Valley. The Tigers came out livid after last week’s loss to Florida, accepted the fact that they cannot pass, and ran the ball straight down the throat of the number 2 rush defense in the nation. I was happy to see South Carolina remain in the top ten, there is no shame losing to LSU at night in Death Valley. Les Miles’ quote (which was just amazing, especially after he backed it up) “This is where opposing teams dreams come to die” was spot on. After such a hoe-hum start to the season I fully expected LSU to drop two in a row against the East, but the Mad Hatter proved again that despite having played for two national championships, he is still an underrated coach. Even without two starters on the offensive line LSU had their way with the Gamecocks front seven, piling up 258 yards of rushing against one of the top defenses in the SEC, and by extension the nation. Mettenberger had another down day but as LSU has done for two seasons the Tigers left their quarterback in the dust as they plowed through defenders. South Carolina should take solace in the fact that they were able to put up 21 points against this defense. Sure the Gamecocks could have played better defensively but 21 points is impressive against LSU.




Texas A&M 59 - La. Tech. 57

Johnny Football and the Glass Cannons just managed to outpace Louisiana Tech. in their footrace Saturday, and it all came down to a failed 2 pt. conversion attempt by the Bulldogs at the end of the fourth, which, if successful, would've forced the game into overtime.  Manziel broke his own school and SEC records which he set earlier this season by going 576 yards and notching 6 touchdowns in this game.  As impressive as that is, it's worth noting that while A&M appears to be able to score practically at will, their defense bears a striking resemblance to swiss cheese.  Also, the one solid defense that the Aggies have faced thus far, Florida, held them to 17 points in their own stadium to open the season.  TAMU is good, no doubt, but games still looming with LSU, MSU and Alabama are likely to have a much lower numbers in those offensive statistical columns.


For the second week in a row Texas A&M went on the road and grabbed a tough win. This team is showing some second half grit they were certainly lacking last year, and most of that is due to the sensational Johnny Manziel. I’m going to get the fan boy talk out of the way now and just say wow this kid can play ball. There is no way Johnny Football stays four years at College Station. The freshman quarterback accounted for 576 yards of offense and six touchdowns. He’s the type of run and gun athlete teams dread facing at quarterback. With that out of the way let’s move on to what Aggie fans should be worrying about. TAMU is not the same team on the road that they are at home. At home the Aggies are one of the best teams in the nation with only a loss to current top 5 Florida. On the road they’ve struggled to put away Ole Miss and La Tech, both of which are having better than expected years, but with the schedule A&M has left their road difficulties may become a problem. After LSU at home they get Auburn, Mississippi State, and Alabama all on the road. That’s tough. For now though there is plenty to celebrate for A&M fans as they boast an offense that can score with ease and a defense that plays hard and well above their talent level. That was the story as the Aggies did just enough to contain the bulldogs ferocious offense and give Johnny Football the chance to get the win. For Louisiana Tech this means a probable permanent drop from the top 25 (fun while it lasted I guess) this season, while for A&M it is a much needed win against a non-conference opponent; the Aggies get into the meat of their schedule next week with four straight games against SEC West opponents.




MSU 41 - Tennessee 31

What a game.  What.  A.  Game.  This game had Mr. Hooch on the edge of his seat (actually, on his feet) practically the entire time.  The Bulldogs opened with a strong drive which stalled late, forcing a FG.  Tennessee's ensuing drive gave the Vols their only lead of the night at 7-3, but MSU answered later in the first when Josh Robinson scampered into the endzone to put the Dogs on top for good.  Tight end Marcus Green would catch 2 TD passes from Tyler Russell, much to the delight of Bulldog fans everywhere.  LaDarius Perkins broke the century mark again with 101 yards and 1 TD on 23 carries, although the Vols managed to limit MSU to 142 total rushing yards this game, making this the first game of the season Mississippi State has not run for 150+ yards.  Other big players included Chad Bumphis who made several key catches at critical moments and caught 7 passes for 93 yards on the night, and Johnthan Banks who had a relatively quiet night... until the forced fumble he recovered late in the fourth quarter put the game away for MSU.

This was an all around solid performance by the Bulldogs, and it came at just the right time.  Although the win won't convince much of the national media that the Bulldogs deserve to be a top 15 team it does prove that their 6-0 record is not a fluke.  This weekend MSU will face a Middle Tennessee team which managed to defeat Georgia Tech's triple option on Tech's home field a few weeks ago.  If the Blue Raiders can catch the Bulldogs looking ahead to a possible showdown of SEC West undefeated teams with Bama next week things could take a turn for the worse.  But with pragmatist Dan Mullen at the helm it's unlikely that he will allow his team the luxury of looking too far ahead.  As fans, however, we can enjoy postulating the 'what ifs' until next Saturday...


Mr. Hooch summed up most of the important stats pretty well there. This was a huge game for the Bulldogs. The defense gave up over 200 yards on the ground, but they were facing possibly the best offensive line in the SEC and everybody was more concerned with the pass. It seemed like the mindset was “If you think you can run the ball the whole game and come away with a win, have at it.” To the defenses credit it worked. Continuing with the defense Johnthan Banks had another outstanding game. Despite all the talk before the game Tyler Bray was very reluctant to throw the ball in the vicinity of Banks. One of the few times he did Banks made such a good play on the ball the receiver patted him on the helmet after the play. Darius Slay also had an impressive game, despite giving up a touchdown late in the game, and was also an avoided target by Bray. So if he wasn’t throwing to the corners, who was the amazing Bray throwing to? Short answer is no one. Bray totaled just 148 yards in the air, his least prolific game as a starter to date. The few passes he did throw picked on line backers and safeties. Speaking of safeties! Corey Broomfield got his interception! It was one of two take aways by the Bulldogs. The other came from the previously mentioned Banks. For four years this kid has been the clutch player for Mississippi State. When the offense is down and in need of a break, Banks is the return guy you send in to get some field position back. When the offense can’t score and the Bulldogs need points, Banks gets the pick 6. When the Bulldogs are gunning for a comeback, Banks forces the turnover. When opposing teams are charging down the field and the defense is on its heels, Banks comes up with the turnover. I’ll stop now, but seriously each of those examples has happened in the last four years. At the end of this I’ll come up with a list of games Banks has single handedly kept Mississippi State in, whether we came out with a win or not.

Offensively Mississippi State could not have looked much better in the first half. The Bulldogs ate time with the run game and yards with the pass. Tyler Russell was brutally efficient and Perkins kept grinding yards. Chad Bumphis continued to have an incredible senior season and the tight ends were almost flawless. Marcus Greens drop on an easy floater on 3rd and 8 was the only blemish I can remember from the TE position. The offensive line certainly plays better with Tobias Smith in the game. When he came out, the offense stalled. The third quarter belonged to Tennessee. Lucky for fans, this isn’t your daddy’s Mississippi State team. This team found a way to win the game. The final drive began with 5:22 left on the clock. Somehow with only 60 yards to work with, Russell and company managed to eat all buy 9 seconds and come away with a touchdown. That touchdown was on 4th and 9 on a pass to Malcolm Johnson in the last 6 inches of the endzone. Johnson made a one handed grab and Davis-Wade Stadium exploded. The number three crowd in history (2010 was one heck of a year for attendance) was on its feet and roaring as Mississippi State closed the game with a kick off. All of a sudden the Bulldogs are 6 – 0 with just one out of conference game at home standing between them and the biggest game Mississippi State has played since the 1999 SEC Championship. I’m sure me and Mr. Hooch will spend quite a bit of time later this week telling you how this team cannot overlook an upset happy MTSU, but for now I’m going to go to sleep with dreams of College Game Day in Tuscaloosa and analysts drooling of Johnthan Banks and Tyler Russell.

Here is that list I promised you:

October 24, 2009 Banks gets two pick 6’s off of Tim Tebow to keep Mississippi State in the game. The offense just wasn’t able to get it done.

September 25, 2010 Banks and Whitely smash Georgia’s receiver in the endzone to force a fumble, recovered by State.

October 30, 2010 Banks gets a game ending interception against Kentucky who was marching down the field for a comeback score in the 4th quarter.

November 20, 2010 Banks forces a fourth quarter fumble against Arkansas to help send the game to overtime.

September 10, 2011 Banks gets his 3rd career pick six to break a 14 – 14 tie in the eventual loss to Auburn.

September 15, 2011 Banks follows a second down pass break up with an interception to give the bulldogs the ball down 6 – 12 in the second half against LSU.

September 24, 2011 Banks picks off ferocious La Tech with the game tied at 14 to give the Bulldogs 3 points in a game that was sent to overtime.

October 15, 2011 Banks ends a South Carolina drive with an interception to keep the game 12 – 7. If Banks had been on Jeffery on that final play things could have been different, but the bulldogs lost 12 – 14.

October 29, 2011 Banks forces a crucial fumble to help State on to a win against Kentucky.

November 19, 2011 Banks sacks and forces a fumble in the first half against Arkansas to give the Bulldogs a chance to make it 14 – 10 before halftime.

September 8, 2012 Banks records two interceptions to stop any chance for Auburn to come back.

September 22, 2012 After the offense came out lackluster in the second half Banks picked off South Alabama to end any chance of a comeback.

October 13, 2012 Banks forced a fumble in a crucial Tennessee drive to set up a much needed Bulldog touchdown on route to a 6 – 0 start.

Of course the rest of the team contributed to all of those plays, but it was a lucky day when Mississippi State made the trip to Maben, Mississippi to offer quarterback/corner Johnthan Banks a scholarship.


I have to hand it to the Professor, that is an outstanding write up with some solid info... I'm sure you're all enjoying his contributions as much as I am, so with that I'll leave you to ponder all things Maroon and White.  As always, if you like it, share it on Facebook, Twitter or whatever ya got.  Have a great week and check back on Friday for our weekend preview!

MSU v Tennessee

SEC Preview: Week 7

DJ Fresh - Gold Dust (Flux Pavillion remix)

Got you in my palm, now listen good, you can't escape it.
Bring you to my world and we'll just see if you can take it.
Don't you be afraid, I know you're strong enough to make it.
Go-go-go...
It's like gold dust!


(Mr. Hooch) Welcome back once again, my friends!  We are gearing up for an exciting weekend of SEC football here at the House of Hooch and we've got some great matchups to go over!  Our musical feature this week is some durty dubstep from DJ Fresh... not a lot to the lyrics, but this is the kinda song that gets Mr. Hooch amped up, so I thought it was appropriate... As for football, I love this time of year because the conference schedule is well under way and you can start to define that pecking order of who's better than whom.  Still some pretty big question marks in a couple of places, so let's get to it!

(Professor D) Wow. We’ve got another great weekend of games coming up. Not quite as evenly matched as last week, but I’m looking forward to it. This weekend could have a huge impact on the SEC standings as several teams will be vying for positions and pride. It’s going to be a fun weekend, so let’s get right down to what this couple of amateur writers/professional fans think is going to go down.

TAMU v La Tech

Texas A&M suffered a significant setback on the road last week against Ole Miss but still managed to crack the top 25, and deservedly so. This week they go on the road again to face a ranked Louisiana Tech. You heard me. Ranked. This is they type of non-conference foe that can really come back to haunt you in the SEC. La Tech boasts the number three offense in the country and averages over fifty points per game. La Tech's quarterback Colby Cameron should probably be in talks for the Heisman this year, but unfortunately he plays for La Tech. If he can engineer an upset against Johnny Football though he could really start attracting some national attention. Last year Cameron completed 118 of 215 passes for 13 touchdowns. He had a completion percentage of almost 55% and a quarterback rating of 137.2 thanks to only 3 interceptions. This year he's thrown 123 completions in just 180 attempts for 1456 yards with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. So basically in six games he's already tied or bettered his numbers from last year when he split time with 17 year old Nick Isham who transferred to Arizona State. Cameron has a completion percentage of 68.3% and a quarterback rating of 160. The bulldogs top notch offense has resulted in a 5-0 season. The problem is the defense allows over 35 points per game and is ranked 106 in the FBS. This is a problem facing the Aggies, even if it is at home. Remember how I said La Tech had the number 3 offense in the country? TAMU is number four, and that's with Florida and Ole Miss in their schedule. Texas A&M is also a much more complete team than La Tech, allowing only 14.8 points per game while scoring 44.6. That's a formula that will win a lot of football, including this Saturdays game. The bulldogs high powered offense is going to score points, but the Aggie defense will be able to do enough to give the SEC newcomers another out of conference win, albeit a tough one.

La Tech 33 - Texas A&M 42

Louisiana Tech has quietly snuck into the rankings at #23, and sports an undefeated 5-0 record this season.  The problem is that those wins haven't come against anybody worth mentioning.  All 5 teams have losing records through their first five games, with Houston being the best of those at 2-3 with wins over Rice and North Texas.  Meanwhile the Aggies have played some quality opponents... ok, at least ONE quality opponent in Florida, and they only lost by 3 points to the Gators.  But taking the strength of schedule out of the equations, you are still left with these stats: Texas A&M is currently ranked 8th in the nation in points for, and 14th for points against.  La Tech? 3rd is points for... 109th in points against.  That's going to be the problem for the Bulldogs.  This could very well be a barn-burner, but the Aggies will definitely come out on top.

TAMU 41 - La Tech 27


Auburn v OM

Seriously, guys.  Pick one and stick with it...
I swear, you're worse than the Auburn
War-Tiger-Eagle-Plainsmen!

The standings at the bottom of SEC West should become clear after this game. With Arkansas beating Auburn last week the Tigers can guarantee a spot at the bottom of the barrel by laying an egg in Oxford on Saturday. It shouldn’t be too hard, Gene Chizik just has to prepare the Tigers the same way he’s been preparing them all season, and Ole Miss will do the rest. The rebel land shark colonel something-with-white-hair-on-his-face black bears showed last week that they can compete at home. Granted Texas A&M had a rough day, Ole Miss still played a tough, albeit incomplete, game. They get a shot at redemption against a struggling Auburn. Six weeks ago I would have confidently predicted this as a victory for the Tigers. This week, with equal confidence, I will predict an end to Ole Miss’ SEC woes as they finally get a victory against an SEC team. It will be their first since 2010 after 16 straight losses. Ole Miss Quarterback Bo Wallace is completing over 60% of his passes for over 1300 yards so far this season. This is bad news for an Auburn defense that hasn’t exactly been… well… good. Ole Miss is scoring 31.3 points per game while Auburn is allowing 23.6. Auburn averages a pitiful 15.4 points per game (good enough for 119^th in the FBS) while Ole Miss allows 27.7. What that means is the Ole Miss defense should catch a break against an anemic Auburn offense. The home field advantage is pretty much the nail in the coffin for Auburn. This one is shaping up to be quite the battle for last place in the SEC West.

Ole Miss 27 – Auburn 17

Auburn is on suicide watch after losing to the Arkansas Dumpster Fires last weekend.  Meanwhile Ole Miss showed signs of life by playing a solid Texas A&M team down to the wire only to lose in the last two minutes.  Arkansas has a 1 game lead over Auburn and OM in the race to see who can get out of the SEC West cellar first, and that win came at the expense of this frazzled Auburn team.  The Rebels are still looking for their first conference win, and they have to be licking their chops at the site of this uncoordinated Auburn team.  I don't know what the line on this game is, but I think this could be a close one.  It's really difficult to convince myself that either team is going to EARN their win, but one team HAS to come out with a 'W', so here we go...

Auburn 17 - Ole Miss 21




Bama v Mizzou

I fully expect to read some tweet from Mizzou Nation complaining about how hard their schedule is on Saturday. After six weeks I really feel like I’m beating a dead horse here, but Missouri has proven they aren’t up to the challenge of taking on good SEC teams at home, or even sub-par teams on the road. So while this game is in Tiger territory, Alabama is a class above anything they’ve faced in at least a decade, and Columbus isn’t anything like the Tiger Territory Alabama normally has to visit. This game is going to get ugly. Nick Saban prepares his team every week as 

if they’re playing for a national championship, because in the SEC, you are. One game can cost you everything in this league, just ask Florida about that SEC championship in ’09. If you want to compete, you have to come out ready to play every Saturday. This game will just be another harsh lesson Missouri is going to have to learn this football season.

Missouri 3 – Alabama 42

The Missouri Tigers are still licking their wounds, most of which were sustained by their ego, after losing to the Commodores last weekend.  "Boo hoo! Our schedule is so tough! This isn't fair!"  Welcome to the SEC, BITCH!  If you thought it was tough before then wait til Saturday... Alabama is going to steamroll you like you were a third rate cartoon character created purely for the gag.  As much as I'd like to think Missouri could present some challenges for the Crimson Tide, they just can't.    

Alabama 41 - Missouri 6


Fla v Vandy

Both of these teams are coming off of big wins for their program. Vanderbilt got what could be a season saving win in the eyes of Commodore fans against Missouri, while Florida put itself in National Title contention by beating LSU. That’s pretty much how this game looks to play out, Vanderbilt playing for pride, Florida playing for titles. This looked like a trap game for Florida at the beginning of the year: traveling to Vanderbilt, coming off a game against LSU, looking ahead to Auburn. Now that the season is in full swing though nobody is going to get caught looking ahead to Auburn. Will Muschamp will have his gators ready and focused on the task at hand: thrashing the Commodores and preserving that top 5 ranking.

Vanderbilt 6 – Florida 31

Will Muschamp has the Florida Gators firing on all cylinders this season, which comes as a bit of a surprise to non-Gator-fans... They handled a befuddled LSU team in The Swamp and now turn their attention towards Vanderbilt.  The Commodores had to have been pleased with their win over Missouri last weekend, but it would be a bit of a stretch to imagine them pulling a 'W' from the jaws of these gators... especially now that Florida can smell the blood in the water.  Their games looming with Georgia and South Carolina will be very telling as to how qualified they are to represent the SEC East in the conference championship game, and as the Professor said, move into contention for National Championship chatter.

Florida 24 - Vanderbilt 10


UK v Ark

It's an SEC cripple fight!!!

This is going to be interesting. Arkansas finally put together a winning performance last Saturday against Auburn while Kentucky fell, somewhat valiantly, to Mississippi State. Neither of these teams really has a lot going for them this year, but Arkansas’ got talent, while Kentucky has injuries and freshman. I’m going with the talent and the home field. Arkansas has a pitiful running game despite the return of Knile Davis who is only averaging 3.2 yards per carry and has just 2 TDs this year. I’m looking for Arkansas coaching staff to do the smart thing and play senior running back Dennis Johnson a lot more. Johnson has half the carries Davis does, and only 20 fewer yards. He’s averaging over 5 yards per carry and has 3 TDs. Davis may have been the star before his injury, but Arkansas needs a running game, and Davis just isn’t the guy to bring it anymore. In addition to the inability of the offense to score points (Arkansas ranks 94^th in the FBS in that category, which still isn’t as bad as Kentucky) the Razorbacks also can’t seem to stop the opponent from scoring as they allow 35 points per game. Even those numbers aren’t as bad as Kentucky though, who’s once promising offense has been decimated by injuries and now scores just 20.5 points per game. The defense, also no stranger to injuries, is allowing teams to score just over 30 points per game. All of this is a recipe for one gross but entertaining game, unless you root for either of the teams actually playing in it. Kentucky’s starting freshman will be on their heels again against Tyler Wilson as the Razorbacks pass their way to a win.

Arkansas 30 – Kentucky 20

This inter-divisional match between the low men on the totem pole could actually be a good game to watch... it just depends on which teams show up.  Arkansas is riding high after a win over Auburn which, if nothing else, keeps them out of last place in the Western Division.  Kentucky meanwhile limps into this game winless in the SEC and hoping against hope that Arkansas will pull another fantastical meltdown of epic proportions.  Was the win over Auburn a fluke, or are the Razorbacks getting their act together now?  The outcome of this game won't tell us much about that, but in the end I have to think the Hogs will pick up their second SEC win...

Arkansas 27 - Kentucky 17


SC v LSU

LSU’s offense flopped for the third week in a row against Florida and they finally paid for it with a loss. South Carolina rolls into town with a defense that barely allows teams into the double digits and an offense that knows how to finish a drive. LSU still has an impressive defense, allowing teams to score just 12.8 points per game, but the offense is only averaging 9 points in SEC games. To be fair those games were being played in hostile territory while they will be taking on the Gamecocks back home in Death Valley. Les Miles has a tough job ahead of him getting his offense ready to move the ball though, and while I think Miles is an incredible coach, I don’t think anyone could get this offense ready to face South Carolina’s defense. LSU fans are going to join Arkansas and Auburn in the head scratching on Sunday as what should have been a season of redemption and pretty trophies will quickly turn into a struggle just to stay in the top 10. It’s going to be a great game in Baton Rouge.

LSU 5 – South Carolina 17

This is going to be a great game.  There's so much riding on it for both programs... but mainly it's National Championship game consideration.  That may be a bit of a stretch in LSU's case as they would have to win out, which would include beating a strong Alabama team, to make it to Atlanta in the first place.  However the Gamecocks' row is no easier to hoe.  They still have Florida on the schedule, who has proven they deserve consideration in that same conversation, as well as a Tennessee team that is better than many predicted to start the season, and could easily spoil a season or two for their SEC East brethren. And then they close out their schedule with Clemson, who is currently ranked 16th in the nation, and beat SEC foe Auburn to open the season.  South Carolina's defense could wreak havoc in the backfield for LSU as they have some of the best pass rushing going this season, and LSU's O-line is suspect after losing tackle Chris Faulk.  If the LSU QB keeps holding the ball as long as he has been he will find himself becoming intimately familiar with the turf behind the line of scrimmage.  Still, LSU is no stranger to national title chatter and they have something to prove after losing to Florida last week.  South Carolina is coming off the big (and very convincing) win over #5 Georgia, so their emotions could work for them or against them.  I expect coach Spurrier will not let his boys get too worked up one way or another... this ain't his first rodeo.  So, who will it be?  LSU has home field advantage, and Death Valley is one of the 

You gotta hand it to Boudreaux...
Disguising his beer hat as a viking helmet
is pretty inspired.

most brutal places to play, especially at night since it lets the Tiger fan base get... um... nice and loose? (read: extremely liquored up)  But the Gamecocks have already won 2 SEC games on the road this season, so it's not out of the question for them to notch a third mark in that category.  Although something tells me I might regret this choice, I am going to pick SC for the win...

South Carolina 17 - LSU 14

MSU v Tenn

The game Mississippi State fans have been waiting for all season is finally here. Tennessee rolls into Starkville boasting an impressive passing offense, but waiting for them at Davis Wade will be Mississippi State’s lethal secondary. If Tennessee has done their job in the film room they should come out firing on the short passes, especially over the middle. The bulldog linebackers are going to have to step up and have a career day against the pass to prevent a shoot out.

            First lets meet the Volunteers who come in 3 – 2 overall and 0 – 2 in the SEC, but don’t be fooled; those two losses came to Florida and on the road at Georgia. Tyler Bray comes into the game completing over 60% of his passes and has 14 TD already. Helping him out is a pair of receivers who will probably end up in the NFL some day. Justin Hunter has 33 receptions for 456 yards on with 4 TDs, but only three of those receptions came on the road against Georgia. Cordarrelle Patterson has 21 receptions for 290 yards and 2 TDs, but also struggled on the road. The rushing game has been consistent for Tennessee with feature back Raijon Neal averaging over 4 yards per carry. He also had 104 yards against Georgia on the road. The defense however has been suspect, ranking 86^th overall in the points against category. The Volunteers have been especially porous against the run.

            What that means for Mississippi State is, in a nutshell, it’s time to play some old man football. The defense needs to be on its toes and ready to play. The secondary should be able to shut down the long pass for most of the game, but it will be up to the linebackers to stop Tyler Bray from picking them apart underneath. The good news is Tennessee has a habit of turning the ball over, with 10 turnovers on the year, 7 of which were interceptions. Those are dangerous numbers playing against a Mississippi State defense who loves to take the ball away. If the defense can force Tennessee to be one dimensional on the ground then Mississippi State could find itself bowl eligible after its second October game. If the bulldogs can’t stop the short pass, it will fall on the defensive line to pressure Tennessee into some bad decisions. Tennessee has a decent enough offense line, but if State’s talented defensive front can come out and play above their experience level it would open up another route to a Mississippi State victory. Neither team allows many sacks, in fact they are tied for fewest sacks in the SEC at 3, but Mississippi State and Tennessee are 13 and 14 when it comes to generating sacks as well. Offensively Mississippi State’s game plan will be similar to what was used against Kentucky: a balanced attack, using short passes to pull the linebackers back into the secondary, and then pounding out the game on the ground. Clock management could be essential as Tennessee has the ability to score in a hurry, but Tyler Russell has been good about keeping control of the clock all year though.

            Overall I’m looking for this to be a close game, determined by which defense can hold out the longest. If State can avoid turning the ball over and giving Tennessee extra possessions then the defense should be up to the task of limiting Tyler Bray’s passing attack. This should be a great game and the fans at Davis Wade should be packed in an rowdy after a day of drinking and watching football in the Junction.

Mississippi State 27 – Tennessee 21

Oh what a game this will be... MSU fans have been salivating over this game since the start of the season.  Many were quietly optimistic that the Bulldogs could possibly enter this game 5-0, but if you know anything about southern football fans and their superstitions you'll understand why very few, if any, have made much of it until this week.  If State can win here and take care of business next week against a pesky Middle Tennessee team they will march into Tuscaloosa at 7-0, squarely under the spotlight as they take on what most would have to think would be a still undefeated Crimson Tide.

But not so fast, my friend!  There's a game to be played here, and it's going to take everything the Bulldogs have got to come away with a win.  Tennessee's only losses so far this season both came against ranked opponents, namely #18 Florida and #5 Georgia.  Also Tennessee has the advantage of coming off a bye week, so they've had 2 weeks to rest and gameplan for MSU.  Whether or not that time off has helped the Vols floundering defense remains to be seen, however.  The Vols defense has trouble stopping teams both on the ground and in the air, and this is the most balanced MSU offense that most of the fans have seen in their lifetimes.  If Tennessee loads the box to stop Perkins chances are Tyler Russell will find an open receiver down field or in the flats.  If Tennessee pulls back into a prevent defense you can bet Russell or Perkins will gash them for 6-8-10 yards.  It all comes down to Tyler Russell making his reads, and I think he can do that.  He has shown poise this season and is currently sporting a 10:1 TD to INT ratio.

On the other side of the ball, the Bulldog defense, which started the season strong before stumbling a bit in recent games, is still good for the 11th ranked team in the nation in points against.  Compare that to Tennessee's rank of 86th in the same stat and it might give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.  But you cannot overlook the veteran signal caller Tyler Bray who will be taking the snaps for the Vols.  Bray's TD:INT ratio is not as good at 14:6, but he is a confident and consistent QB.  Bray and the Volunteers like to air out the pass more so than running the ball on the ground, though, and that could spell disaster for the boys in orange.  Bray will be facing 2 of the best defensive backs in the country in Darius Slay and Jonathan Banks, who are interception machines with 4 and 3 on the season, respectively.  To be fair, Bray will be targeting 2 future NFL receivers in Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson.  The match up between the MSU secondary and the Vol receivers will be an exciting showdown and definitely one to keep an eye on.

It's hard for Mr. Hooch not to show some bias in this pick, but in the few lucid moments when I am thinking clearly I am still confident that MSU can win this game.  They match up well with Tennessee at all the right positions, and they have home field advantage.  However it will take a complete game and consistent effort from the Bulldogs to pull off the win, and Dan Mullen knows that.  I believe he will have the Dawgs primed and ready when they take the field Saturday night...

MSU 31 - Tennessee 21

And that does it for the SEC Weekend Preview here at the House of Hooch!  It's sure to be a wild weekend, as the Professor, Mr. Hooch and several of our friends will be attending a Breaking Bad costume party tonight, followed by a long day of tailgating and football, and capped off with a great game at Davis Wade Stadium!  So if you see us out and about feel free to stop us and tell us what you do (or don't) like about the blog.  We love talking SEC football... probably a little too much.  Anyway, thanks for reading, and be sure to like us on Facebook, retweet us on Twitter, or just throw the link in an email or on the social media of your choice!  Seeya next week!

SEC Recap: Week 6

Well, that certainly escalated quickly... I don't think I could've done much worse if I had tried to make the wrong calls going into this past weekend.  Although the conference largely cannibalized itself this weekend, I'd still say it was a C performance at best.  There's no way to dress up this pig, so let's just get down to it and see what went wrong, for whom, and what it means for the rest of us...

Sure it is, Cheech...
Sure it is.

The conference certainly did cannibalize itself this weekend, but I liked seeing Vanderbilt and Ole Miss prove what SEC fans have been saying for years. There are no weekends off in the SEC. I liked seeing those bottom teams put up a fight. What I didn’t like was seeing some of the upper teams roll over like a weeble put on its head. Maybe it’s because I didn’t get to actually watch the games (I was out of town with no tv or internet, and my wallet couldn’t support BWW for more than the State game) but I’m going to give the SEC a B for the weekend. Mainly for surpassing the Big 10 as the number one conference (on paper only, we’ve all known who was number one in reality) and for putting three teams in the top 5 this week.







MSU 24 - Kentucky 17

We'll start with the one game I was actually close to predicting, either in final outcome or score.  The Bulldogs set the tone of the game and held on for the duration, while the Wildcats struggled to find any rhythm offensively.  MSU is 5-0 for the first time since 1999, and this sets up for a hell of a game come this Saturday night.  Tennessee is 3-2 (0-2) coming into this meeting, but has proven to be more formidable than many thought early in the season.  The Bulldogs will have to put together a complete game to stave off the onslaught, but we will look at that in more detail in this weekend's preview later.


I really feel bad for Kentucky. They played the best football they could with the personnel they had left. Injuries have really hamstrung (bad um tiss) this team. As Mr. Hooch said, Kentucky’s previously potent offense just couldn’t get anything going against Mississippi State’s defense. To the Bulldog’s credit though the defense did play really well considering how unpredictable Kentucky’s offense was going to be this week with so many key injuries. On offense Mississippi State looked much improved from the last two games, yet this unit has still barely begun to scratch the surface in terms of potential. What Tyler Russell did particularly well this weekend though was control the clock; lots of short passes that took advantage of Kentucky’s week line backing corps. The running game slugged things out on the ground and gave State the balance that really has become the identity of this team. Defense, Offense, and Special Teams all operated at about seventy percent Saturday. Progress, but with the remaining schedule the time is now for Dan Mullen and company to coax out that complete performance fans have been waiting for.



TAMU 30 - Ole Miss 27

You read that right, and to add insult to injury (just in case you didn't catch the game) Ole Miss led for most of the game.  Of course that's bound to happen when you turn the ball over SIX times... But Johnny Football came up big when it mattered, connecting with Ryan Swope (a name other SEC teams should take note of) with under 2 minutes left in the game to take the lead from the Rebels.  Credit this Ole Miss team for taking the game to the Aggies, but they couldn't hold the lead when it mattered.  This game showed that Ole Miss is not the gimme that we thought, but A&M may not be the juggernaut we thought, either.  At least they held up my predictions, though...


I completely agree with my colleagues’ statement “This game showed that Ole Miss is not the gimme that we thought, but A&M may not be the juggernaut we thought, either.” I will go one step further and say that I think A&M is exactly what they appeared to be… at home… on the road in hostile SEC territory though the Aggies look like they may have some struggles (good news for State fans). Ole Miss for the second week in a row fought hard for a loss. That’s a good sign for this program moving forward, and a reminder to the rest of the SEC that the easy pickin’s had to end sometime.



Arkansas 24 - Auburn 7

The freaks come out at night...

...unlike Arkansas and Auburn, who seem dead set on giving Mr. Hooch an aneurism.  This Auburn team has more personalities than some of the worst patients ever to grace the halls of the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane.  Are they the 'good' team that played highly ranked Clemson and LSU teams down to the wire, or are they they 'bad' team that lost to MSU (you've GOTTA be bad to lose to the Bulldogs, right national media?) a few weeks ago?  And Arkansas finally snapped their losing streak and showed glimpses of the talent everyone expected out of them to start the season, although whether they're actually turning the corner or not remains to be seen.  Still a very unlikely outcome, especially with the Razorbacks on the road.  I know I've got some old friends who are Arky fans, so kudos to you, Hogs.  You hustled for every bit of it and you should relish this win, even if Auburn will be labelled a 'bad' team for losing to you.  Join the club.



I’m sensing some bitterness here. Not that it isn’t justified, Auburn really screwed us over in terms of picks and as State fans we really needed them to come out and play. For the second game this season Auburn had 5 turnovers. I don’t know if you could do that in C-USA and come out with a win. Arkansas also sacked Auburn quarterbacks eight, yes eight, times. Some of those could be attributed to a freshman quarterback being a little to indecisive, but some of those fall squarely on the shoulders of the offensive line. Arkansas did finally show some of that offensive talent we expected going into the season as Tyler Wilson went 20-27 and despite not throwing a touchdown pass was sharp all game. He also didn’t throw an interception, which Auburn backup quarterback Clint Moseley did twice, in the end zone. I guess one of these teams had to come out with a win though, and despite earlier predictions, Arkansas just seemed to want it more.



Vanderbilt 19 - Missouri 15

Well, it looks like I let me respect for the Aggies shine a little undue light on Mizzou, and I paid for that pick with a loss.  The newest Tigers posted some respectable stats hosting the Commodores, but in the final 7:30 of the game Missouri was unable to put together anything resembling an offensive drive.  I unfortunately did not get to watch this game as I was making the rounds on a few other match ups that were giving me fits at the time, and I'm kind of glad I didn't.  I like Vandy more than the Tigers, mainly because Mizzou has given me exactly zero things to like about them, from their ability on the field to their whining off of it, so I'm glad the 'Dores got the win, but I still look like an ass for giving the nod to Missouri and showing any respect for them, home team or not.  So if you're asking yourself "What's the  point, Mr. Hooch?" well then just look at it like this.... the Alabama game this weekend not withstanding, pretty much the next time I pick Missouri to win, you might do well to bet against me.  Right now that Kentucky game is looking like a coin flip, so you may want to take the 'Cats if you're a betting man.

The Professor and Mr. Hooch
are both suffering CSW syndrome.

You know I had Vanderbilt picked to win this game right up until five minutes before sending off my “final draft”. Not that it will count for anything. Like Mr. Hooch I was thrilled to see Vanderbilt come out of this with the win, because again like Mr. Hooch, I don’t really care for Missouri that much. Missouri beat Vanderbilt in almost every statistical category this weekend except for three: completion percentage, time of possession, and points scored. The Tigers outgained Vanderbilt 395 – 295 in total offense with 39 more yards of passing offense and 61 more yards on the ground. Both teams tied with 17 first downs and 1 turnover. The difference in this game, as my colleague pointed out (boy he’s just dead on this week isn’t he?), was Missouri’s inability to produce points after long drives. It will be interesting to see how these two teams move forward from this game. Will Vanderbilt finally gain some traction and start putting up wins? Will Missouri… well no we pretty much have learned all there is to know about Missouri. They just aren’t cut out for this league right now.



Florida 16 - LSU 6

Serrsly gerz, wherz mer hert!?

Ok, on this one I'll go ahead and admit I was taking a bit of a risk calling for LSU to win in the first place. I even said as much in my prediction, but you gotta go out on a limb sometimes.  The Florida defense lived up to the hype in this one, and Will Muschamp should be proud of what his Gators accomplished.  Florida is looking more and more like the powerhouse of days gone by with every game, only they're getting it done on the defensive side of the ball instead of the classic Spurrier Gators, or even the Urban Meyer led teams.  LSU, meanwhile, continues to show more and more weakness, talent not withstanding.  Yes, they are loaded with physical specimens, but something is clearly not clicking.  Is it Les "The Mad Hatter" Miles finally letting his crazy show, is the offense just not clicking, are there too many individuals on the team?  I'm not really sure I can answer the question, but after winning by the skin of their fangs to a 'BAD' Auburn team and losing on the road to Florida, the Tigers definitely don't look as daunting.  Still they will be one of the tougher games for the Bulldogs this season, and they are never a team to be taken lightly...


This game really didn’t surprise me. Florida is playing some good, consistent football right now. Don’t get me wrong LSU has been consistent too, just not in the right way. The Gators used a pound-it-out running game in the second half and exposed a potential weakness in LSU’s defense on route to a 14 – 6 comeback win. LSU finally proved it does not deserve to be a top 5 team, just as Florida proved it deserves some serious consideration in terms of a national title. Some analysts have been saying that this game has given the SEC West title to Alabama. I disagree. I don’t think LSU’s loss to Florida clenches the race in the West. I think it blows it wide open. Alabama has a tough schedule left, and while they look unbeatable so far there is a lot of good football left to be played. Mississippi State and Texas A&M are both salivating at the chance to make their run in the coming weeks. I really wish I had gotten to see this game to really give a better analysis of these two teams, but alas it is not so.



South Carolina 35 - Georgia 7

What.  The.  Fuck.  Seriously, Georgia, WTF???  Thanks to a 76 yard opening drive followed by a batted pass that was intercepted on their next possession Georgia found themselves down 21-0 in the FIRST QUARTER.  As I watched this farce unfold I clearly remember telling myself that Mark Richt would go into that locker room and rally his troops, and the Bulldogs would come back out with a vengeance in the second half.  Nope.  Georgia's lone touchdown came in mop-up time, with less than 2 minutes to go in the game, when victory was all but assured for the Gamecocks.  This is the classic, textbook definition of 'shitting the bed.'  Steve Spurrier had to be happy with Conner Shaw, who went 6-10 with 162 yds and 2 TDs, although the Ol' Ball Coach would never let on to something like that.  Georgia is no doubt reeling from this loss, but they are still a solid upper-tier SEC team this season and could easily find themselves in a BCS bowl game if they put this behind them and move on.  But based on the performance of Georgia (outside of this travesty),

And I ♥ you, crazy cock lady...

Florida and South Carolina coupled with a floundering LSU it looks as though the pendulum is swinging back the other way, and the SEC East is attempting to assert that they are the premier division of the premier conference in the land.  It now falls to the 2 undefeated teams left in the West, Alabama and MSU, to defend the SEC West's bragging rights, and that is no small task.  The Tennessee/MSU game this weekend will have major implications throughout the conference.


I really thought Georgia was the team to beat in the SEC East this year. South Carolina didn’t waste time proving me wrong. 21 points in the first quarter against Georgia’s defense is impressive. The Gamecocks looked good as they dominated every aspect of the game against Georgia. How the bulldogs will rebound from this setback remains to be seen, but the three horse race for the SEC East has been trimmed back to two. It’s going to be an interesting second half of the season.


And there you have it... Not at all what we expected going in to the weekend, but there was some outstanding football played on Saturday, and there will be more this next weekend, so be sure to tune in Friday afternoon when we release the SEC Weekend Preview for Week 7!  Thanks for reading, and don't forget to tell your friends about us!

SEC Preview: Week 6

Gotye - The Only Way

All the things you thought you came here for,

Everything you thought you knew for sure.

No meandering, no more wondering

Everything is true.

Welcome back to the House of Hooch for the SEC Weekend Preview!  This week's song lyrics are pulled from an amazing track by Gotye, and they are meant as guidance to the Bulldogs.  You've made your own way here, and this is the only way to get what you want.  No meandering, no more wondering, everything is true.  Now it's time to take it and make it your own... The road to Atlanta takes you through Lexington this weekend, so handle your business.  Now I'll turn you over to the Professor and let him sizzle your synapses with his powerful prognostications!

Alright folks here we go with week 6, and as bad as last week’s matchups were is as good as they are this week. The Georgia – South Carolina game is going to garner a lot of attention this week, as it should, but we’ve also got Florida – LSU, Missouri – Vanderbilt, and Auburn – Arkansas. The tops are taking on the tops; the bottoms are taking on the bottoms. Oh yeah, and those middle teams Mississippi State and Texas A&M are taking on a couple of teams that could provide some shockers… maybe… probably not. Let’s get down to it, as I’m sure the games for this fine Saturday of football are going to be intense and unpredictable.

Johnny Football has his eye on Colonel Reb this weekend.

Ole Miss v. TAMU

This is one of only two games this weekend I honestly feel confident predicting, yet even so, things could get interesting in Oxford. Texas A&M boasts one hell of an offense this year with Johnny Football (I do love that nickname) leading the attack. Defensively, Ole Miss is struggling this year. But despite their lack of talent you have to give them credit for not throwing in the towel (I’m looking at you Arkansas). Similarly the Aggie defense fights tooth and nail throughout the game to give their offense the best chance to come out with a win, not that the offense needs it. I’m looking for this one to get ugly late in the game, but the home field should keep Ole Miss in it for at least a half.

Ole Miss 21 – TAMU 42

I have to agree with Professor D, it's hard to call this anything but a win for TAMU.  The Aggies have been steamrolling their opponents this season with an average margin of victory of about 37 points through their first four games.  I'm not sure the Ole Miss defense can make a dent in that number, but if their offense comes to play it could happen.  I wouldn't hold my breath, though...

Ole Miss 17 - TAMU 47

I CAN HAZ SEC WIN??? YAY!!!

Missouri v. Vanderbilt

This game won’t matter much to most of the SEC teams, but to Mizzou and Vandy it

could very well define their season. Both teams are in desperate need of an SEC win or even just a good game. The Commodores came into this season looking to build some momentum and earn some respect in the SEC East. They appeared to be on track after a close game against South Carolina to start the year but since then they’ve been nothing but disappointing. A win against Missouri could go a long way to making this a bearable season. Missouri on the other hand came in with what they thought would be one of the most impressive offenses in the league. It didn’t take long for that notion to disintegrate. Getting an SEC win at home could really revitalize this fan base going into a game against… oh yeah, Alabama. Well they at least would get a few days to enjoy the win. Predicting this game is tough. On paper Missouri looks like the favorite, but Vanderbilt has shown some ability to rebound in the past. If Missouri is looking ahead to Alabama then this game could be very interesting. Will the home field advantage be enough motivation for the Tigers? Or will Vanderbilt finally step up and get a win in the SEC. Tough to say, but I’m going with the home team.

Missouri 17 – Vanderbilt 13

As tempting as it is to go after this one as an 'upset' (and I put that in quotes for a reason) I have to think Missouri will be picking up their first SEC win at the expense of the Commodores this weekend.  Neither team is going to dazzle anyone, but Missouri is a more consistent and complete team than Vandy at this point.  I expect Missouri's special teams to be the difference maker in this one, as Marcus Murphy boasts three punt returns for touchdowns this season already.  It's going to be a hard fought game, but unless the Commodores get a few lucky bounces the day will belong to the Tigers, and Vandy will remain winless in the SEC.  At least they won't be alone...

Missouri 21 - Vanderbilt 17

Auburn v. Arkansas

Oh the difference one month can make. At the beginning of the season this looked to be one of the great games in the SEC west this year: a dynamic Arkansas offense going against a revamped Auburn. Instead what we get are two teams struggling to stay relevant to the SEC. It feels like beating a dead horse to say it but Auburn’s defense showed some life against LSU, who despite struggles of their own isn’t nearly as bad as Arkansas’ offense. Arkansas on the other hand hasn’t shown any life this year. The difference between these two teams is going to be that Auburn wants to play football this year and Arkansas doesn’t… that and the fact that the game is being played on the Plains.

Auburn 14 – Arkansas 10

Do you think the Arkansas dumpster fire
smells like bacon?

...and here's why Vandy won't be alone.  Auburn and Arkansas are also winless in the SEC, which makes for another game that is going to define a season for at least one team.  The dumpster fire that is Arkansas football right now desperately needs a win, but the Hogs have all but checked out already, and we're only on game 5 of the season.  This game pits Auburn's last place offense of the SEC against Arkansas' last place defense of the SEC.  How's that for underwhelming?  As the Professor pointed out, for two teams that were projected to do great things this season, this is a slap in the face.  Still, pride matters, and Auburn has shown more pride in their game by playing a suspect LSU team down to the wire than the Razorbacks have in their 4 game skid.  While I won't diverge from the Professor in terms of picking a winner, I will say I expect a higher score.

Auburn 27 - Arkansas 17

Florida v. LSU

Oh my what a football game this could be. Florida has been surprisingly good this year, especially in the second half. LSU meanwhile has just been finding a way to win. LSU has the edge in talent but Florida has been executing on a much higher level all year. The home field could again prove to be the advantage as the Swamp is by far the toughest crowd LSU has played in front of all year. Florida’s defense should have a field day against a one dimensional LSU, but then again it wouldn’t be the first time a team came in and ran the ball down the Gators throats and came out with a win (I know it was a very different Florida but man did it feel good to do Maroon and White in the Swamp). LSU’s defense meanwhile seems more than up to the challenge of taking on a surprisingly dynamic Gator offense. Both teams will be up and ready for this game, as it could be the defining moment for a struggling LSU or a rising Florida. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think Florida’s execution will trump LSU’s talent.

Florida 13 – LSU 10

...and from the wars of the winless we come to the battle of the undefeated.  Both Florida and LSU are perfect on the season.  Two teams enter, one team leaves.  This is going to be a good game to watch regardless of the outcome, but that being said I am going to go out on a limb and pick LSU here.  I have been calling them out as being 'not as advertised' for much of the season, and especially after the Auburn game, but they are still stacked with talent across the board.  So to that end I will call for LSU to win this one, and the Professor and I will have something to talk about on Saturday.

Florida 14 - LSU 17

You gotta love it when girls
cheer for Cocks...

South Carolina v. Georgia

How many great football games can we fit in one  Saturday? Number 5 v. Number 6 in the nation, the SEC East title on the line, national championship implications (maybe?), this game has it all. Georgia has a great offense, but will this defense be all it was hyped as? Tennessee played them well and South Carolina is a much better team than the Volunteers. South Carolina meanwhile showed some weakness to Kentucky’s offense last week; can they get that sorted out before Georgia’s running backs blow the game open? I cannot wait to find out. I’m flipping a coin and making up numbers for the pick.

South Carolina 29.7 v. Georgia 35 – 6i

Yet another battle of the unbeatens will unfold as South Carolina hosts the Bulldogs this weekend.  Georgia's offense has been solid, but so has the Gamecock's defense.  This one could go about a million different ways and the batteries in my crystal ball are dead, so I have no idea what's going to happen.  I have to guess it will ultimately come down to who has the stronger ground game, and I have to give the nod to the Bulldogs for that.  Marcus Lattimore is very good at what he does, but Georgia knows that South Carolina's offense is one dimensional, so look for them to stack the box in an effort to shore up Lattimore's opportunities on the day.  I have enough trouble with real numbers, so I'm not going to throw out imaginary numbers like the Professor and muddle things even further.

South Carolina 24 - Georgia 31

Kentucky v. Mississippi State

The gauntlet is upon us State fans; it’s time to see what this team is made of. Sure the bulldogs are coming in as double digit favorites and Kentucky’s lineup is riddled with injuries, but that doesn’t change the fact that this game is huge. The bulldogs have had two long weeks to think about what it means to be 4 – 0 and if they’re still looking ahead to being 7 – 0 going into Alabama this game could be a real shocker. With Tennessee and a surprising Middle Tennessee State still to come Dan Mullen cannot afford to lose focus now.

I know I don't look like it, but I really am
chomping at the bit...

Mississippi State’s offense is chomping at the bit to get a hold of this Kentucky defense. They’ve allowed almost two hundred yards per game on the ground and the bulldogs are balanced enough to make them pay if they sell out against the run. But Kentucky has a pretty good offense as well. They played hard at home against South Carolina and will come out firing in front of that home crowd again this week, no matter who is playing quarterback. This time though they’re going up against what State fans are calling (or so I’ve heard) Precinct 913.

Mississippi State’s secondary is loaded with talent and experience and they’re putting up some impressive numbers. Numbers that could still be misleading as the starters have sat the fourth quarter almost every game this year. If the defense has the type of game they’re capable of this one might not be in question for long, but if they struggle like they did on the road at Troy we might end up in a shoot out. Lucky for us our kicker seems to have gotten over a bad case of the freshman jitters.

I hesitate to say too much more about this game; Mississippi State has been iffy off the bye week in the past, but Dan seems to have gotten these guys focused after two lackluster performances in a row. If State can finally put together that complete game fans have been looking for we’ll be riding high coming back home to face Tennessee. If not, well, a once promising season would quickly turn into a very unforgiving fall.

Kentucky 14 – Mississippi State 24

Like the Professor said, it's time to hunker down and take care of business.  This Kentucky team is entirely beatable, but they shouldn't be overlooked or taken for granted.  The Bulldogs have a lot going in their favor, as they'll be facing a rotation of 2 true freshman QB's who will be forced to air it out given the Wildcats' anemic ground game.  You better believe Jonathan Banks and Darius Slay are licking their chops in anticipation of picking off a few errant passes on Saturday, and if the Kentucky QB committee is foolish enough to throw in their directions that's exactly what will happen.  

Then there's LaDarius Perkins.  Perk is quietly making his way up the offense charts, and you can expect MSU's leading rusher to have a field day at Kentucky's expense.  The stability of the Bulldog's ground game just opens up the passing lanes for Tyler Russell and the stable of receivers.  The balanced offense is going to be more than Kentucky can handle, and I expect this one to get out of hand early, leading to lots of substitutions on the Maroon and White side of the field.  If that happens it means MSU will be getting valuable playing experience to the second and third bodies on the rotation, which will pay dividends when Tennessee comes to town next week.  

Kentucky 14 - Mississippi State 31

And that's a wrap on another SEC Weekend Preview from the House of Hooch.  Thanks for reading and be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and spread the lovin wherever you go!  Have a great weekend!