MSU v Alcorn

POST-DRAGONCON BLUES...

First off allow me to make my apologies for not getting a weekend recap out this week. Like I mentioned in last week's preview I thought this might happen, and sure enough I was completely wiped out from my epic weekend so I really didn't have a chance to catch any games, much less replays, so I don't have much to offer in that regard. My epic weekend was truly epic though, and I've decided to share some pics from DragonCons past to give you an idea of what you missed. Meanwhile Professor D has stepped up and delivered a brief synopsis of this past weekend's games, so let's get that out of the way first... Professor, take it away! (Editor's note: the font has freaked out in various places and I have neither the time nor desire to pick through and fix it... please just roll with it)

Saw Xerxes here a few times, dude was uncanny... DragonCon, yo.

(Professor D) Well folks Week 1 was about as difficult to predict as I expected it to be. Some things went according to plan, and so many things didn’t. Overall I was 9 - 4 on my picks, compared to Mr. Hooch’s 10 - 3, although he gets a bonus fan point for having faith in our Bulldogs. I’m going to be honest I only saw parts of the Mississippi State and Alabama games this week and nothing else. Watching the scores was enough to know I would’ve just hated it. Plus, you know, Dragon*Con. So without further adieu, lets get down to why I’m really glad I was in Atlanta not watching football this weekend.

Tennessee 45 - Austin Peay 0

This blasted up Stormtrooper represents
Austin Peay's feelings after that game.

Well Tennessee certainly couldn’t have asked for a better start to this year. All the questions surrounding the Volunteers program, about how awful their defense would be, or how inept could the offense be without last year’s passing attack, and finally, how will coach Jones do in his opening game? Well, Tennessee racked up an impressive 45 points of offense against an unimpressive Austin Peay, which is a good sign, but in my opinion there wasn’t much question to Tennessee scoring points behind that offensive line. What was truly impressive was the big fat 0 the defense held Austin Peay to. I don’t care how poor a team you’re playing, blanking the scoreboard is impressive, and the Volunteers just sent out a big message to the SEC about their program.

Missouri 58 - Murray State 14

Well I have to admit the Tigers were better on both sides of the ball than I expected. Missouri put up points at will, particularly late in the game, and didn’t have much trouble keeping Murray State out of the endzone. We’ll see if these guys are for real this year soon enough, for now though, give yourself a pat on the back Missouri.

Florida 24 - Toledo 6

So I kind of expected Florida to lay an egg in this one. Boy was I wrong (a familiar theme this weekend). The Gator defense came out stifiling, allowing just over 200 total yards all game. Wow. That is a recipe for a lot of wins in the SEC. The other half of that though is scoring points. Compared to Missouri and Tennessee it almost looks like the Gators may be in trouble, but I don’t really see it. Toledo is a much better opponent than either of the other teams. I think Florida may be the real deal out of the East this year, although I wouldn’t trust much of what I say right now, partially because...

Most Kentucky fans probably would've prefered
looking at these cats instead of their own
last weekend.

Kentucky 26 - Western Kentucky 35

Wow. Kentucky is now 0 - 2 in the last two meetings with the Hilltoppers. How insane is that? I have to say it was a toss up calling the upset between Kentucky, Auburn, and Arkansas, and I picked wrong. Kentucky is in some serious trouble this year. Of the SEC losses, this one surprised me the most, and probably spells the most trouble. Hold on Cats, basketball season isn’t that far away.

Auburn 31 - Washington State 24

One of the few things I did get right was the margin of victory in this game. 7 points. That’s all that separated the recent National Champion Auburn Tigers from defeat at the hands of the lowly Pac-12 Washington State Cougars. Auburn looks to be exactly the team I expected them to be this year. Bad, but loaded with talent. This team is raw, flashing between greatness and an all around bumble-f*&$. The Tigers could give us some fun games this year as they make some serious upset bids, but I expect this team to play to level of their opponents, losing a lot of close games.

Arkansas 34 -  University of Louisiana-Lafayette 14

Arkansas (middle) knocking out the first two weeks' competition...

Well I went out on a limb and it really bit me in the behind. I’m going to be honest with you guys, I don’t know much about how this game (or many of the others) went down, but on the surface it looks like the Razorbacks may be finally inching their way forward as a team. Offensive and defensive numbers are looking okay, a huge change from last season, and the coaching appears to have stabilized. Indications are the future could be bright for Arkansas, but the future isn’t this year. Enjoy the win, relish it, because I’m still not convinced there will be many once they hit the teeth of that schedule.

South Carolina 27 - North Carolina 10

So South Carolina took care of business this weekend, their defense a little bit more complete than I expected, and the offense within reason of what was anticipated. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised the Gamecocks held on to their number 6 ranking, but it doesn’t change the fact that I am. Despite this win, which is kind of impressive, Connor Shaw went an okay 11 - 20, a bad sign for an offense that won’t live up to their expectations on the run game. Sure Mike Davis went for 115 yards on just 12 attempts, but I’m willing to put that on North Carolina’s D more than the talent of the Gamecocks backfield. I don’t know, congrats on the win, but I’m still not convinced. Also, Clowney was impressive. Like really impressive.

Alabama 35 - Virginia Tech 10

“Oh lordy lordy Alabama’s O-line is in trouble and the losses are rainin’ upon us!” “Alabama’s defense has officially reloaded and the Crimson Tide look well on their way to a three-pete!” Alright ESPN, I realize you do opposing viewpoints all the time as a way to generate hype, but seriously? Sure the O-line didn’t look up to last year’s standards, but last year’s standard was National Championship and first round draft picks. Jeez give these guys a couple games to play together! Sheesh. That said, the defense does look pretty good, although Virginia Tech may not prove to be the best measuring stick. Overall, I think Bama is in position to….. Whatever. They won, they won big, I’m depressed just thinking about it. Moving on.

Poll: What's more distracting?
A) Johnny Manziel's antics
B) Catwoman's cleavage

Texas A&M 52 - Rice 31

Well then. Texas A&M was interesting in this game, or if you’re an Aggies fan, troubling. “Umm Professor? You do see the 52 points they put up right?” Yup. Yes I do good sir with the well thought out, admirably phrased question! And handsome too… ahem, as I was saying. Texas A&M scored 28 points in the first half of the game without Johnny Football. With him? 24. Huh. Interesting. The Aggies were actually more dangerous against a fresh Rice defense without Manziel than they were with him against a unit that had already given up 28 points. Maybe this is because the Owls had no defensive scheme against a non-Manziel led Aggie attack, but I think there is a more complete reason. Johnny Manziel is a distraction fast approaching liability. His on the field antics far overshadowed his play, and the team played worse with him on the field. Sure A&M won handily against an all around pretty good team, but what happens when Bama comes to town and Manziel is too busy signing his center’s ass to read the blitz coming at him? A&M may be ranked number 7, but I don’t expect them to finish that high after seeing this year’s team (Manziel).

LSU 37 - TCU 27

LSU won a shootout….. against TCU. What? Seriously, I know I kind of predicted this (let me have it, I didn’t win a lot this weekend), but wow. LSU’s offense really showed up against a TCU defense that should shape up to be pretty good this year. The Tigers have to be proud of this win and looking forward to this season. Their schedule just started looking a whole lot easier with the exception of Alabama, Texas A&M…. Florida…….. and Georgia. Whoa. Nevermind. Well at least it looks like LSU should hold their own against that schedule now. I fully expect LSU to head into the Georgia game undefeated, as this offensive display certainly makes them favorites over Auburn, the Tigers only threat before facing the Bulldogs. That Alabama game should be fun again.

Clemson 38 - Georgia 35

Ummm guys…. Anyone remember the score I predicted for this game? 38 - 35, Georgia. Damn. So close. Just like Georgia was. I have to say I’m disappointed in the Bulldogs defense. Georgia has one heck of an offense, and while Clemson is dangerous, they aren’t Georgia dangerous on that side of the ball. I just can’t believe the bulldogs let Clemson look that good. But, like so much this week, it happened. I’m still pretty high on Georgia, but with LSU on the schedule out of the West they’ve certainly got an uphill battle to get in position for a National Championship.

Vanderbilt 35 - Ole Miss 39

It turns out Stormtroopers aren't all work
and no play after all...

This one hurt. This hurt bad. I really thought Vandy was going to pull it out at the end of that game, but they just threw it away. This is the type of loss that can really haunt a team, and the type of win that can propel the other. I hope neither happens. I hope Vanderbilt picks themselves up and runs the gauntlet in the East, and Ole Miss falls flat on their undeserving faces. Ugh. I don’t even want to get into this game, and since Dragon*Con really has our backs against the wall on timing, I won’t.

Mississippi State 3 - Oklahoma State 21

Let’s just jump right into the bad from this game, and end on a better note. Mississippi State’s offense scored 3 points. More points than the number of third downs they converted. That is unacceptable. I’ve said for a couple of years now Dan Mullen really needs to reconsider his offensive coordinator. The play calling is atrocious, everyone in the stadium knows what’s about to happen. In the first quarter we played our game. We ran, we passed, we were balanced, and it was wonderful. We controlled the clock, kept Oklahoma State’s offense off the field. Then what happened? Coaching happened. We have four experienced running backs behind an experienced offensive line, and a receiving corps with no starts under their belt. Why were we not running the ball effectively? Why did Tyler Russell have to stand in the pocket and throw to guys who weren’t ready for this game? Because the offensive line has taken a step backward. I know its early and we don’t know how good Ok State’s defense is, but these guys have faced LSU, Bama, and South Carolina. They should have the experience to open up running lanes, or stop the quarterback from getting hammered. This is the biggest worry for me going forward. I think the receivers will get better, there’s too much talent there not to, and the running backs have all proved they’ve got talent. None of that matters though if there’s nowhere to run and Russell has no time to develop plays. It’s time to break down and go recruit us an o-line, cause our guys are just not up to task. Also, Devon Bell? I’m officially over you. I gave you the benefit of the doubt last year cause you were young and being asked to kick 40+ yards, but you’re not young, and that was a chip shot. Recruiting goal number 2: get a kicker who can boot it out the back of the endzone on kickoff and make a 35 yard field goal every time.

This Bulldog defense could be
super-sexy... only time will tell.

Now that that’s over with, on to the good. Man, what a defense this is going to be. Those linebackers are impressive, and the defensive line is so good we’ll probably redshirt Nick James. I don’t know why Quay Evans didn’t make the trip to Houston, but I imagine it’s an attitude problem. Hopefully he gets his head on straight, because if you add him to this mix, it doesn’t matter if our coverage unit is young, the guys up front can make up for it. Oklahoma State came out and tried to do what they do, and our guys stopped them. If you had told me OSU would put up 21 points before the game I’d have been ecstatic. The worst thing that came out of this game on defense is injuries. Both of our starting corners went down, one for the year. That’s a problem, but we’ve got enough talent there to make up for it. Cycle the next guy in and lets move on. Speaking of injuries, I’m not too concerned that Tyler Russell is out right now. Dak has skills and its time he got some experience to go with it. I look forward to seeing him work, and with the offensive line trouble we’re having right now, a dual threat quarterback might be just the thing. Also, Baker Swedenburg. Man, the way our offense looks he may just win MVP this year. The guy is a lifesaver as a punter, and the coverage is about as good as it gets. Which is good, cause I don’t expect to score a whole bunch.

Overall State fans should really try sticking to the positives of this game. No we won’t be upsetting LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, or South Carolina, but Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky, and even Ole Miss just started looking a whole lot more manageable after watching our defense. Alcorn State should provide our offense just the breather they need to get something going. Things are, strange as it seems, looking up. We should be heading into the last two games of the year (Arkansas and Ole Miss) one win away from a fourth straight bowl game. I know it isn’t the 10 wins we wanted, but hey, its better than a lot of State fans have gotten for a long long time.

(Mr. Hooch) Thank you, Professor! Entertaining and insightful as always! Now we move on to this week's previews of all the action in the SEC. I apologize for the brevity of my portion, but between vacation, work and birthday obligations there just wasn't a lot of time for me to flesh these out this week. I'll still be making some quick assessments and projections, but going forward things should start to become more consistent. At any rate, let's get to it!

MIA (OH) at UK - Miami (Ohio) isn't equipped to deal with an SEC team, even if it is the reeling Wildcats.

This one will likely be over before it starts. The Redhawks will score late to lessen the sting somewhat, but it will still be a solid win for the 'Cats.

Kentucky 27 - Miami (OH) 10

FLA at UM - The REAL Miami (or at least the one most college football fans pay attention to) hosts the Gators this weekend, and this game has some teeth. Both teams performed well in their openers, but Florida's defense is going to work over Miami's offense when it's all said and done.

Florida 17 - Miami 10

WKU v TENN - Tennessee will win this game in the trenches. Their O and D lines will wear down and overpower the Hilltoppers' throughout the course of the game. Western Kentucky goes 1-1 against the SEC, which is good by any other conference's standards.

Tennessee 30 - Western Kentucky 17

TOLEDO v MIZZOU - Missouri will hand Toledo their second straight loss to an SEC team in as many weeks. The Tigers' offense will hit their stride and put on a show in anticipation of their upcoming game with Indiana.

Missouri 35 - Toledo 14

SC v UGA - South Carolina has owned this series of late, winning the last three meetings in a row. Georgia hoped to walk into this game 1-0 but faltered against Clemson. The Gamecock's defense will work it's magic on the Bulldog's offense, and UGA limps out from between the hedges 0-2 and 0-1 in the SEC.

South Carolina 30 - Georgia 21

SEMS v OM - This game will be about as exciting as reading End User License Agreements on all that software you illegally downloaded, unless you're a RebelShark fan. Then it'll be as exciting as clicking "I read this" on that EULA when you actually didn't. But not much more.

Ole Miss 35 - Southeast Missouri State 10

SAMF v ARK - Samford beat Georgia State in week 1, but Arkansas did their job as well. Playing in War Memorial Stadium is never a treat. Arkansas will crush Samford and Razorback Nation will be riding high into week 3.

I slept with Johnny Manziel and all I got was
his autograph... on my, uh, parts of me you can't see.
Oh well, at least I didn't get Rainbow Herpes...
wait, what the... DAMMIT!!!

Arkansas 42 - Samford 14

SHSU v TAMU - Bearkats will get manhandled by the Aggies and we still won't know how good (or bad) TAMU really is. But maybe Johnny Autograph Shenanigans Football can remind everyone that he is a decent QB, and not just an on-field train wreck waiting to happen...

Texas A&M 42 - Sam Houston State 17

UAB v LSU - Do I really need to say it? LSU wins... Big.

LSU 49 - UAB 6

APSU v VANDY - Vandy takes out some aggression on Austin Peay after their upsetting loss to OM. Austin Peay has no answer for the unbridled rage of the Commodores.

Vanderbilt 28 - Austin Peay 14

ALCORN v MSU - The Bulldogs faltered on the offensive side of the ball in Houston last weekend en route to a 21-3 loss at the hands of Oklahoma State. While the defense was serviceable for the most part the offense just couldn't establish a rhythm, and injuries didn't help matters. MSU lost Jay Hughes for the season, and Tyler Russell will sit out this game due to a concussion he sustained in last Saturday's outing. Not how the Bulldogs wanted to start their season, as you can imagine...

So now the Dawgs return home to the friendly confines of Davis Wade Stadium and are no doubt eager to blow off a little steam, much to the chagrin of the Braves. Alcorn opened well with a 63-12 win over Edward Waters, but the competition will be many orders of magnitude greater this time around. Truthfully there isn't much of a way to build this game up other than to say that if the margin of victory is not 2 TD's or greater then Bulldog Nation is in for a loooong season.

This little lady could beat Alcorn 35-14 by herself... and If I were Alcorn
I'd let her! But the Dawgs have to do better.

Now, why wouldn't we win by more than two touchdowns, you ask? Les Koenning. That's why... apparently Koenning is German for "unimaginative, generic, vanilla-flavored offense." Every school has that subset of fans who are, shall we say, unintelligent and yet highly vocal? But when the armchair QB's are calling the plays and getting them right, your days of job security as an offensive coordinator are numbered. For all the talk that Mullen calls the majority of the offensive plays there is still the fact that Koenning is the one up in the booth with the bird's eye view, and so he should be more of an asset to his head coach. I respect Dan for taking the heat, but Les doesn't deserve his protection if he's not going to bring anything to the table.

We won't learn a lot about our offense this weekend, because the chances of Dan and Les opening up the playbook with this being Dak Prescott's first start at QB are very slim, and I have to imagine they will want to hold something back for the swing game at Auburn next weekend, as well as the rest of the season. What we will learn is how good of a decision maker Prescott is, but even that will be somewhat suspect. SEC defenses will move significantly faster than this SWAC opponent.

Ultimately here are the things you should look for: The offense needs to establish a rhythm with a new starting quarterback and put up more than 30 points against this subpar opponent. The defense needs to blank said opponent. Barring a shutout holding the Braves to 1-2 field goals would still be considered acceptable. The final score SHOULD look something like 52 - 0. I think it will end up more like 42 - 10 with Alcorn putting up one last score late in the game against bench players, but that should still give this team some much needed confidence going into week 3 with a road game at Auburn looming.

Mississippi State 45 - Alcorn 10

Now we will swing back over to Professor D for his picks for this weekend... take it away, Professor!

(Professor D) Week one is in the books (whew) and it’s on to week two, which I’m dubbing the non-conference carousel. Seriously, three of the non-conference opponents on this week’s schedule just finished an SEC match up last week, and one of them walked out with a win. Will anyone knock off

The SEC is the Kratos of the college
football pantheon...

the SEC this weekend? In my opinion, there are really only four real chances of that, and I don’t know that I’ll pick any of them, certainly not more than one. It’s kind of a short week here at the House of Hooch, so I don’t know how detailed I’ll be able to get on some of these games. Good news is I’ll be in town this weekend, so should start getting my own feel for some of these guys rather than having to read up on all of them.

LSU v. UAB

Oh man, I hope I get to tune into this one and see some of the action. It’s going to be hilarious. UAB was pretty decent in their conference not too long ago, but they’ve fallen off since, going 3 - 9 last year and 2 - 6 in Conference USA (which featured winless Southern Miss). LSU should manhandle these guys. The score itself could get funny, but what I really want to see is UAB’s defensive line taking on LSU’s o-line in the fourth quarter. Seriously, the Tigers are fully capable of putting up 300 yards on the ground in this game. Gonna be nasty.

LSU 56 - UAB 10

Ole Miss v. Southeastern Missouri State

Ughhh I still can’t believe Ole Miss won that game. Well they’re probably going to do it again this week. At least this time I’ll see it coming and have time to prepare. Southeastern Missouri State is 0 - 1 after losing to Southeastern Louisiana in the We Have Ridiculous Names Bowl last week. That does not bode well for them against an Ole Miss team that is flying high after what I’m sure Hugh Freeze views as Divine Intervention. Sorry, I just think Hugh Freeze is delusional and I hate the way he uses his faith. Do I really have to predict a score for this? I guess the best I can hope for is Freeze starts talking about a Holy Crusade through the SEC West to take the Rebel Black Land Ewoks to the holy land.

Ole Miss 42 - Southeastern Seriously Get A Shorter Name I Don’t Like To Abbreviate Too Much Missouri State 10

Texas A&M v. Sam Houston State

Gettin real tired of your shenanigans, Manziel...

Well the drama is over (not) and Johnny Manziel will take the field against Sam Houston State. I’ll blow through the actual game real quick (honestly I won’t be watching). A&M is probably going to win. Like, more than likely. Probably. Dang, I really want Sam Houston State to do something crazy. They won their season opener 74 - 0. Like whoa. Granted they played Houston Baptist, but still, 74 is a lot, and you can’t get lower than 0. Yeah the Aggies are probably going to blow them away, but it’d be awesome if Sam Houston State could get that offense going and put up some points. Outside the actual game though, will Manziel stay out of trouble or will he turn out like almost every other child star?  If you read my recap of week one you know I think Manziel is turning into a parasite for this Texas A&M team. Just like last week, the Aggies may get the win, but will Johnny Football do enough damage to cost them the season?

Texas A&M 52 - Sam Houston State 21

Arkansas v. Samford

Yeah, like I said, the SEC schedule is much easier this week than it was in week one. Last week Samford went on the road against Georgia State and won 31 - 21, which is cool and all, but on the road to Georgia State is nothing like on the road to Arkansas. The Razorbacks should have their way with the Bulldogs (there are as many Bulldogs playing this week in SEC matchups as there are Tigers) this weekend. I won’t get too much into it, because I really don’t think Arkansas will do anything unexpected this year, and neither will Samford. This game should be exactly what everyone thinks it will be, meaningless.

Arkansas 38 - Samford 14

Vanderbilt v. Austin Peay

I would probably watch this game if I can. Mainly because I want to see how Vanderbilt responds

You don't need a golden lasso,
I'll tell you the truth right now!

to last weeks game against Ole Miss. Austin Peay rolled over for Tennessee last week in a 45 - 0 loss, and despite what happened last Thursday, I still think the Commodores are a better team than the Volunteers. I don’t know if the Governors (‘Ello Govna!) will be blanked a second week in a row, but I don’t expect them to make waves against this SEC competition. The Commodores should come out fighting, they need a good moral victory to wash the taste of last week out of their ears (we taste with those I promise).

Vanderbilt 34 - Austin Peay 10

Kentucky v. Miami (OH)

Oh Kentucky. You guys really need to win this one if you want anyone to show up to your next game (Louisville… LOLOLOLOLOLOL). Unfortunately Miami (OH) is still a bit of a mystery this year. They opened up against Michigan State (ouch) and did about what you’d expect against that kind of competition. Kentucky, is not that kind of competition. Still though, you got to think the Wildcats will come out snarling after last week. At least I hope they do, cause I’m going to pick them again in what is going to end up a duo of well intended but probably stupid repeat picks from last week.

Kentucky 27 - Miami (OH) 21

Tennessee v. Western Kentucky

I want to watch this game. Tennessee dominated a weak opponent while Western Kentucky beat an SEC foe. Yeah, I know it was Kentucky, but still. I think the Volunteers will continue what should be a better than expected season with this game, especially if that defense really is as improved as it appears to be. The guys in orange could really upset a few folks in the East if they are. I’m not sure how I feel about Tennessee coming back as a legit SEC threat. On one hand, I don’t like them, on the other, they play Alabama every year. Ok, yeah I want them back. Come on Volunteers!

Tennessee 38 - Western Kentucky 20

Claw? What claw? I didn't see a claw where I was looking...

Missouri v. Toledo

I mentioned last week that Toledo could pull an upset against Florida. Well, Florida turned out to be really frickin’ good, so I have no idea what Toledo could be capable of. Unfortunately, Missouri also looked pretty good in their opener, and I have to give the nod to the SEC. Even if they are newbies. They’re also playing at home, which could prove the difference. I think Toledo has a legit shot at upsetting Missouri, and it’s really tempting to call it, but I’m going to go with the safe bet here. The Tigers offense looked great last week, and the defense was passable, I’ve got no reason to be hard on the poor guys.

Missouri 31 - Toledo 21

Auburn v. Arkansas State

Umm…. guys….. Arkansas State rushed for 509 yards in their opener against Arkansas Pine-bluff. That’s 509 yards… rushing… I can’t resist this, I’m going for it. Arkansas State is going to get the upset. Sure their defense may not be anything special, and the offense hasn’t faced anything on the caliber of Auburn, but I don’t think the Tigers can overcome that kind of ground attack. I think

Nerds have a sense of humor... who knew!?

Arkansas State eats the clock, gets a couple key stops, and comes out of this 2 - 0. Arkansas State, by the way (so you won’t all think I’m crazy), won ten games last year, is riding a 9 game winning streak having last lost in September of last year to Western Kentucky. Excepting a 17 - 13 victory over #25 Kent State in their bowl game, the Red Wolves have been scoring 30+ points per game, topping 40 in eight of their last fourteen matchups. I’m starting to wonder if this would even be an upset. Seriously, of their three losses last year, two came to Oregon and Nebraska. These guys are the real deal, and I think they take down the Tigers. You know what though? Let’s go back further with this Arkansas State team. Since the end of the 2010 season they are 21 - 6 averaging just under 35 points per game. Whoa.

Auburn 17 - Arkansas State 28

Miami (FL) v. Florida

The rivalry that should be. Miami was a powerhouse of college sports not too long ago and the Florida - Miami game was one of the biggest in the country. When the SEC went to an 8 game conference schedule, the Gators dropped Miami from the list of non-conference opponents. And really, who can blame them? Florida State and Miami as non-conference opponents? Heck no, and with Miami’s…. colorful… history, Florida State became the easy choice. Miami leads this series 28 - 26, making this an important pride game for the Gators. Both these teams are on the upswing, but I give the edge to Florida. The Gators looked ferocious in their season opener against Toledo, giving up just 6 points and scoring 24. Sure Miami also gave up just 6 points and scored 34, but that was against Florida Atlantic. FAU is just not up to par with Toledo. Either way, this is going to be a hard hitting game, and will end with bruised bodies and bruised egos. Miami accused Florida of canceling the traditional rivalry with the Hurricanes because they were afraid of losing. The Gators countered there was just no room on their schedule with the new SEC requirements. All the back and forth means fireworks whenever these two finally get a chance to go at each other.

I think Florida’s offense will be enough to handle the Miami defense down the stretch, and Florida’s defense should be able to keep the Hurricanes in check. I don’t expect this to be a high scoring affair, but I do expect Florida to get the win. They have to if they want to reclaim their spot at the top of the SEC East. Well, okay, they don’t actually have to since it’s a non-conference game, but with the Georgia loss to Clemson last week, and the Georgia - South Carolina matchup this week, a win could cement the Gators as the early favorites in the East.

Florida 17 - Miami 13

Georgia v. South Carolina

Alright. Georgia was my preseason team to beat and they laid an egg in round one. Let’s not do that again, cause I’m not quite ready to jump off this bandwagon just yet. Despite last week’s results, I still think Georgia is the team out East. I just don’t see South Carolina being a complete enough unit to run the gauntlet of the SEC. That said, it’s early in the season and South Carolina is riding high after beating down North Carolina in their opener while the Bulldogs are…. well we all remember. I think the two headed monster of a rushing attack will be enough to negate Clowney, although Aaron Murray better remember to put his contacts in on the eyes in the back of his head, cause the beast will be coming. Murray was stellar against Clemson last week, throwing for over 300 yards and picking apart Clemson’s defense. South Carolina, meanwhile, looked…. well I’m not really sure what they looked like. They weren’t flashy, they weren’t lucky, they just managed to get things done. I don’t think that’s enough against a team like Georgia.

To say this game has huge implications in the race for the SEC title would be an understatement. This game could define the race for the National Championship, with hopefuls Florida, Alabama, LSU (Yes I said it), and Texas A&M all probably having to go through one of these two teams to get there. That’s big. Really big. I don’t buy either of these teams rankings, I think Georgia should have SC’s rank, and SC should have Georgia’s. But time will tell. Once again I will be picking Georgia in a close game. Come on (Han) ol’ buddy, don’t let me down.

Georgia 28 - South Carolina 21

Mississippi State v. Alcorn State

Well it’s time to wash the taste of last week out of our mouths and move on. Mississippi State

Navin R. Johnson... Sounds like a typical asshole.

will be without two starting corners, two backup tight ends, and their starting quarterback. But this is Alcorn State, and Dak Prescott isn’t your typical back up. This game is vital for the Bulldogs. We’ve got to break in our young receivers, and get some confidence for our offensive line. Tyler Russell not being in the game certainly doesn’t help us try out the youngsters at receiver, but it does help our offensive line. I don’t expect Dak to hold the ball as long, and his ability to scramble out of the pocket will be a relief. I really hate our play calling, and have for years, but against this defense it would be perfectly acceptable to simply let our running backs go wild. What should be a four-headed monster at running back could really cruise over Alcorn State, but that doesn’t do a whole lot for getting some experience to our receivers. Sigh. Basically what I’m trying to say is, this is a game where I really wish I could trust our offensive coordinator to take this as an opportunity to shore up our weaknesses. Unfortunately, I do not trust our offensive coordinator, and think our coaches will use this opportunity to run up the score and try for a motivating victory. Ugh. Sorry I don’t have more for you, but there aren’t a whole lot of questions about our team to debate. The offense has talent but no leadership, the defense is ferocious but without support. We’re excellent punters and terrible field goal kickers. And Alcorn State is still Alcorn State.

Mississippi State 42 - Alcorn State 14
(Mr. Hooch) So that's it for a slightly abbreviated run down of this week's games! Thanks so much for reading, and as always if you like House of Hooch be sure to give us a little love by clicking the Facebook, Twitter and/or Google+ links at the top of the page! We will be back next week with more House of Hooch, so until then #HailState and #GoDawgs!

MSU v Oklahoma State

MSU v Oklahoma State

It's game week, bitches! And I'm more pumped than Tuco Salamanca after testing out Heisenberg's Blue Sky! TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT!!! As is quickly becoming a tradition among my friends, yours truly, Professor

D., Timelord_MK, Frodo the Bar Hobbit and several others will be whisking ourselves away to beautiful and scenic downtown Atlanta to attend Dragon Con 2013, and indulge our inner-geeks in a Hedonism-esque nerd-fest of epic proportions! If you've never checked out Dragon Con I can't recommend it enough... there's something for everyone! But I digress! And also Dragon Con doesn't pay me, so let's get back on track...

It's time to run down this week's match ups and see if we can prognosticate the results to all our SEC showdowns. Ole Miss and Vanderbilt give us this week's lone conference contest, so we know somebody is walking away with that all important first win in the conference column. Can the SEC run the table against their non-conference foes? Lets dig in and find out!

(Editor's note: Since I took first run at the season preview I will give Professor D first run at this week's picks. The Professor tends to include more facts and figures in his picks anyway, whereas everybody's favorite Hoochie-man tends to shoot from the hip a hell of a lot more... so if this works well we may stick with the format, but the situation is fluid so nothing is final just yet.)

(Professor D) It’s time! The folks at the House of Hooch (all two of us) have been gearing up and sweating bullets to bring you the predictions for week one of the 2013 College Football season. A couple of formatting notes for my section, the first team will be the home team unless the game is played at a neutral site, then the first team will either be the SEC team or the one I like more. Speaking of, neutral site games are marked as such, and, where applicable, the result of last year’s matchup is shown in brackets. The matchups are also ordered by my interest in the game.

We’ve got a slew of non-conference opponents on the lineup for week one, as expected. What isn’t expected is the quality of most of those non-conference opponents. The good teams in the SEC are facing good teams abroad, while the lower portion of the conference mostly faces off against middle of the road teams (great in their conference). What does that mean? It means this is going to be a nightmare to pick, but that’s our problem not yours. Like, I could go 0 for 13 this week, or 1 - 12. Alabama is really the only team I completely trust to handle business this week. So, without further adieu, off to it!

Tennessee v. Austin Peay

Austin Peay isn't likely to catch Tennessee napping...

Tennessee will be in a position far too common for my taste in week one: fighting for its life as a relevant team in the SEC. Sure that sounds a bit dramatic, but hear me out. The Volunteers are breaking in a new coach, new quarterback, new receivers, and hopefully a new defense. That’s a lot of new on the board for Tennessee, and while Austin Peay may be a cupcake compared to the SEC, a loss pretty much ends the Volunteers’ season hopes. So yeah, the offensive line will probably be enough to muscle up a run game that can win the day, but man… can you imagine if they couldn’t?

Tennessee 31 - Austin Peay 20

Missouri v. Murray State

See above. If Missouri wants to start playing with the big boys they’ve got to win the games they’re supposed to, and it all starts against Murray State. Much like Tennessee, the Tigers will most assuredly be the more talented team on the field (as any SEC school should be against non-conference foes…. except Mississippi State…. because, well, Oklahoma State). Unlike Tennessee, however, Missouri isn’t breaking in a new head coach or nearly as many new faces. Gary Pinkel (what a name) will go down in history as one of the best coaches in Mizzou history, but if he can’t pull out a winning season his job may be in jeopardy. A loss against Murray State in the opener could spell doom for the head coach, and almost certainly for Missouri’s young season. I think the Tigers will pull this one out, but again…. can you imagine if they couldn’t?

Missouri 33 - Murray State 27

Florida v. Toledo

Sniff sniff…. hmm what’s that I smell? Could it be an upset? Hmmmm. Some of you guys out there probably think I’m crazy for thinking it just might happen, and you’re probably right, but Toledo could

Gator fans are hoping they can shake off the funk
of their bowl game loss to Louisville and get back
to chompin on the opposition.

be poised to pull the annual opening day shocker we normally get with College Football. Toledo returns a wealth of experience from a team that last year went 9-4, and has been recruiting better than teams like Georgia Tech and Boston College. Sure they’re not on the level of Florida or anyone else in the SEC, but still, for a school like Toledo that’s insane. If they get some production out of their recruits this year, with the experience being held over from last year’s season, Toledo could do some damage. The Gators are coming off a disappointing end to what was, overall, a fantastic season. The loss to Louisville stings, but how will Florida use that disappointment this year? If it follows them into the first game, watch out, things could get nasty. Of course the sheer power of the Gator defense should knock Toledo flat on their haunches by the fourth quarter, but who knows… who knows…

Florida 31 - Toledo 20 (but MUCH closer going into the 4th quarter. like 21 - 20)

Kentucky v. Western Kentucky [32 - 31 OT WKU]

If you’re wondering why I decided to start including the results from previous years, this is why. Kentucky lost, albeit in overtime, to Western Kentucky last year, and to be honest, they never recovered. The Wildcats’ season ended before it ever truly began against the Hilltoppers, and this year they will be fighting for their lives to avenge it. Standing in their way? Themselves. Kentucky is easily the more talented team, but Western Kentucky will come out firing trying to find some way, any way, to replicate last year’s win and propel themselves to another successful season. The recent history should make this game a lot of fun to watch, but I think the Wildcats pull themselves out of some trouble and come away with the win.

Kentucky 28 - Western Kentucky 25

Auburn v. Washington State

Washington State plays in the PAC-12, making this game a must win for the SEC. The Cougars will also be showcasing first year head coach Mike Leach. WSU had one of the worst rushing attacks in College Football last year, helping contribute to a dismal 3-9 record. Shucks a 3-9 team out of the

Ugh, what's that smell?
Oh yeah, I'm in Alabama...

PAC-12? Surely they’ll get stomped by that SEC caliber defense and talent right? Oh wait, this is Auburn. The Tigers have talent, oh my do they have talent, but they just haven’t been able to put together a coaching staff that could take advantage of all those 4 and 5 star recruits. The result last year was Auburn went 3-9 overall, and an abhorrent 0-8 in the SEC. Two 3-9 teams from last year, each with well respected new head coaches, facing off to open the season. You should probably be slapped if you think this one is an open and shut case. Here’s what I think happens: Auburn gives up an early lead to the Cougars as their offense spins its wheels trying to get something going, finally gaining traction in the second quarter. Meanwhile the defense slowly starts to figure out how to stop Washington State through the air, letting the Tigers’ superior talent on the defensive line take care of the run. Slowly but surely the Tigers reverse the shootout and come out on top. Boy do I hope I’m right. I’m counting on Auburn’s talent and homefield advantage to pull them through against the more experienced and probably better coached Cougars.

Auburn 45 - Washington State 38

Arkansas v. University of Louisiana-Lafayette

I’ve really been flirting with calling the upset so far, but here? I’m going for it all out. Arkansas is

Buck up, little Hawgy! It's a long season...

reeling from last year’s disaster of a football season, desperately trying to get back on track. It wasn’t long ago that the Razorbacks were dark horse candidates for the National Championship. My how that ship has sailed. The Ragin’ Cajuns meanwhile are trying to make three straight 9 win seasons. They’ve got an offense that averaged over 35 points per game and they return the dual threat quarterback who did it in Terrence Broadway. This kid is pretty good, and against Arkansas’ defense, I think he’s just going to go nuts. I think the Razorbacks are going to surrender a lot of points early in the game (like 28 by halftime) and, though they’ll try, not be able to recover. It could be Washington State, it could be Toledo, or it could be Western Kentucky. I’ve given the SEC the benefit of the doubt so far, but this is where luck runs out.

Arkansas 31 - University of Louisiana-Lafayette 42

South Carolina v. North Carolina

You guys all saw me tear into South Carolina pretty good in the preseason review, and I’m sticking to it. I’ll just come out and say the Gamecocks are going to win this game, but it’s going to be much closer than South Carolina fans want it to be. North Carolina went a respectable 8-5 in an ACC conference that turned out to be anything but. The Tar Heels have got an up and coming quarterback with enough of last year’s targets and protection to dig in a get comfortable. Until Clowney happens, I mean. But you know, until then things look fun! My point is they should score a few points before the

Andrew Luck, RGIII and Cam Newton running the 40.
Where is Clowney? He's already done and sippin
on a Gatoraid...

Gamecocks superior size and skill up front end their hopes at an upset. The problem is the run game, which is without last year’s superstar All-American Giovani Bernard. They’ll be relying on a fresh sophomore to get something going against… oh yeah… Clowney and company…. well nevermind. At least Larry Fedora (formerly of Southern Miss fame) put in a fast paced offense last year that should score at least a few points. South Carolina, meanwhile, has to find a way to put up some points of its own. Sure they return Connor Shaw, but he’s lost some of his best targets and will be getting no run support. Add that to the Tar Heels being anchored by a veteran safety on defense and this could be a recipe for disaster. I’m counting on the home field advantage, and the pseudo rivalry feel of the game to tilt the scales in Jadeveon… I mean South Carolina’s favor. Oh yeah, and Clowney. I really can’t wait to watch this guy play again. I know you’re all probably sick of hearing about him, but I’m going to indulge myself anyway. Holy crap. This kid is incredible. He runs a 4.46 40? Are you kidding me? RGIII ran 4.41 at the combine. Yeah, that’s right, Clowney is a defensive lineman who runs on pace with a track star. Whoa.

South Carolina 24 - North Carolina 20

Alabama v. Virginia Tech (neutral site)

This game probably shouldn’t be this far down the list, especially as I learn more about what Virginia Tech will actually be fielding against the Tide, but the potential for disaster has them down a little further than is probably warranted. Virginia Tech was an ACC powerhouse not too long ago, but they ended up a disappointing 7-6 last year as their conference took a nose dive led by Virginia Tech and Florida State. The Hokies will start three freshmen on defense against what should be a juggernaut offense for the Crimson Tide (yeah, just what Alabama needed, a great offense). That alone spells doom for Virginia Tech. Combine that with the Elephants (if you didn’t want to be called an elephant you should have picked a different mascot!) returning so much of last year’s team and you’ve really got a recipe for disaster. The only hope the Hokies have is that returning quarterback Logan Thomas can somehow engineer an offense capable of putting up some points and Alabama falls flat on its face. Probably not going to happen, and this one will get very ugly, very fast.

Alabama 45 - Virginia Tech 13

Texas A&M v. Rice

Well it’s getting down to the wire and all indications are Johnny Manziel will suit up for Texas A&M when it takes on Rice this week. Good thing too, because while Rice may not look it at first glance, this is a team with real potential. I’ll get to A&M I promise, but I’d like to talk for a second about Rice. The Owls were 1 - 5 and reeling from a loss to Memphis (come on, nobody loses to Memphis except Southern Miss) when something happened. Don’t know what it was, but Rice ended the season 7 - 6. That’s one hell of a turn around. After losing 5 of their first 6 the only loss the Owl’s suffered came to eventual Conference Champion Tulsa. What’s more, last year isn’t really last year for Rice. They lost just three contributors from last year’s team. They return two better than average quarterbacks, a full committee of running backs, all but one receiver, and seven offensive lineman with starting experience. They also return all but one of their defensive linemen, ditto for linebackers, and every defensive back. That’s a lot of experience for seventh year coach David Bailiff. The kind of experience that smells of big upsets and conference championships. In addition to all that playing time Rice will also be breaking in a recruiting class significantly more talented than the ones they’ve

Johnny Football will be the 12th man for
the first half of Saturday's game.

been working with. The Owl’s lineup works for size over speed on offense, and most of their receivers are in the 6’ 3” to 6’ 5” range with big, punishing running backs. All told, this could be Rice’s year in Conference USA, and if you’re scanning channels and see them on ESPN this year, give ‘em a chance. Could be fun.

That said, big running backs don’t scare the Aggies, see Alabama, who does big running backs better than anyone except maybe LSU. Dual threat quarterbacks like those fielded by Rice don’t scare the A&M defense much either, seeing as they face arguably the best, certainly the most explosive, dual threat QB in history (Cam Newton is really the only one who comes close, being a more impressive athlete. Manziel has a more natural passing ability, and where Newton was a punishing runner, Johnny is just damned elusive). The only real threat Rice poses against Texas A&M’s defense is through the air. The Owl’s receivers are huge, and a potential source for points against an Aggie team that is sure to put them up. Rice may return a wealth of experience on defense, but there is some lack of talent, and, well…. Johnny Manziel. If he’s on the field, the Aggies are going to score, a lot. I don’t know if this one will get out of hand, but A&M should cruise to an easy victory.

All of that, of course, depends on Manziel. If he doesn’t play, things could get interesting.

Texas A&M + Manziel 45 - Rice 28 Texas A&M - Manziel 28 - Rice 24

(Editor's note: We have just learned that Manziel will sit the first half of this game in what can only be described as a "dog and pony show" version of a suspension. For this reason I have taken the liberty of averaging Professor D's prognostications. The final result is: Texas A&M 36.5 - Rice 26)

LSU v. TCU (neutral site)

Well we’ve officially left the cupcakes behind with this one, maybe. This game is a true nightmare to pick. On one hand we’ve got the perennially talented LSU breaking in a new offense and what is basically a whole new slate of defensive personnel. On the other hand we have perennially underrated TCU who was decimated by injuries on offense (I mean decimated. Lost their top two running backs after the number one guy left the team in the offseason), lost their starting quarterback to a drug arrest and rehab, and just cannibalized by a myriad of issues on defense including, but not limited to: graduation, the draft, and a drug bust that saw starting linebackers and linemen kicked off the team. Whoa. All things considered TCU’s 7-6 record is something of a miracle. Those seven

Yeah, you see that? That's blood.
DO YOUR JOB, O-LINE!!!

wins came in large part thanks to a defense that was just unbelievable. They were starting freshmen and sophomores against teams like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas, and they performed. Like, really performed, returning the Horned Frogs to the top 15 in every major defensive category. All that experience and talent on defense faces off against a whole bunch of talent and a whole lot of question marks in LSU’s offense, which looks to make better use of Zach Mettenberger behind an experienced offensive line and familiar receiving targets. That matchup should be the best toss up we’ve watched since Arkansas played Auburn last year in the Dumpster Fire Championship, albeit for totally different reasons. TCU’s offense returns their quarterback from rehab and two good running backs from injury. They also return a solid receiving corps. The only talent hole is the offensive line, which has experience, but not the right kind, giving up loads of sacks last season and not doing much for the run game. Combine that with all the question marks players returning from injuries and rehab comes with, and no one really knows what to make of the Horned Frogs offense. Of course, no one really knows what to make of LSU’s defense either. We know they’ll be talented, and that defensive line will be chomping at the bit to get a hold of TCU’s offensive front, but can the rest of the group play up and give the Tigers a win? I have no idea. To be honest, this game could be a blowout Horn Frogs victory, the Tigers could run away with it, it could be a great, solidly close game, or two teams bumbling around the field unable to do anything. No clue. My prediction is a random (and yeah, hopeful) guess to be honest.  

LSU 24 - TCU 17

Clemson v. Georgia

I can’t wait to get a look at this Georgia team this year. If they can fill some holes on defense this team will be a lot of fun to watch. Clemson, meanwhile, has a preseason ranking largely built on beating LSU in their bowl game last year. It won’t last. The Tiger’s have stars, and they’re getting there with depth, but that’s compared to the ACC, not the SEC, and Georgia is a force to be reckoned with in the SEC. Clemson has the offense to win games and could give the Bulldogs a headache. Ranked 8th in the country, expectations are high for Clemson, and the schedule could deliver. Georgia will have to travel to play the Tigers in their own stadium, as will Florida State, and the Tigers offense should be beastly in the beginning of the season. They’ve got loads of talent across the board, and experienced offensive line, a star quarterback, and a solid rushing attack. Hmmm, the more I think about it this could be better game than anticipated. Clemson did go 11-2 last year, and yeah, they did beat LSU. Oh, wait, I forgot, the secondary is atrocious and Aaron Murray is set to break every passing record in the SEC this year. Maybe they’ll just pull everybody into coverage and try to shut down the passing game that way? I mean, the front four should be really, really good, able

What's that? Oh, you called me 'girly'
because my name is Gurley...
How original.

to handle whatever running… backs… Georgia…. oh, I forgot about the Bulldogs two headed monster of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. Both of them are top 5 running backs in a conference that includes Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Texas A&M (yes, their running backs are really good too), and Mississippi State (MSU is included here simply for the incredible string of running backs that have been produced in recent years). Clemson may have a top 10 run defense this year, but Georgia could be the number 1 rushing attack in the country.

I realize I’m sort of sending mixed signals here, with Clemson potentially being really good this year, and my aspirations for Georgia to go to the SEC Championship. Truthfully, this could be an incredible game if Clemson comes out on fire and the Georgia defense takes its time getting into the game. This could be a disaster for the Bulldogs, but I’m counting on a disappointing end to last year’s season to propel them into this road game with a vengeance.

Clemson 35 - Georgia 38

Vanderbilt v. Ole Miss [27 - 26 Vanderbilt]

Whoa buddy. Let’s just get this season started shall we? Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. Both teams are coming off surprisingly solid years as everyone expected the Rebels to roll over and play dead, and Vanderbilt isn’t supposed to put together back to back 9 win seasons ever. Both teams are looking to make improvements again this year, with the opening game being an excellent opportunity to jump out on the right page. Vanderbilt returns a wealth of experience, and just enough talent, while Ole Miss fields a wealth of talent, and just enough experience. Last year’s game was a classic that saw the Commodores eek out a one point win, and this year is shaping up to be another nail biter. Each team is a solid mid range SEC team this year with their sights set on big upsets and miraculous seasons,  but only one can start the year 1 - 0 in the SEC. I know it’s weird for me to not go on and on with a game that has this much potential, but truth is, both of these are “wait and see” teams for me going into this year. Will Vandy’s depth rear its ugly head and hamstring the Commodores? Will Ole Miss be able to develop its sudden burst of talent into a true contender in the SEC? Either way, this game is just the beginning, and my prediction is more of a hope than anything.

Vanderbilt 27 - Ole Miss 24 OT

Mississippi State v. Oklahoma State (neutral site)

Well it has to happen eventually. Oklahoma State is one of like 5 teams favored to win the Big 12 this year as Oklahoma and TCU are also surging and Texas is trying to right a talent heavy ship. The Cowboys are built for speed, and they're built for a lot of future success. They’ve got talent, coaching, experience, and everything else you could want in a football team. They will probably finish just outside the top 10 this year, although they could easily end up a top 10 team. They’ve got loads of talent and experience returning on both sides of the ball and while they may be changing coaches, that hasn’t slowed them down in the past. Mississippi State meanwhile is a team full of untested potential and fingers-crossed hopefuls. The defense is loaded with talent, but an inexperienced secondary could spell doom for the Bulldogs early on. The front four should generate more pressure, and be solid against the run, but they’re just a bit out-classed by Oklahoma State’s offense. If State can pull out a win it will be on the shoulders of the linebackers. They will be called upon to make inhuman plays against the pass, stop the run, and blitz the quarterback, and if they aren’t perfect, this

Here's hoping the Oklahoma State offense has
about as much rhythm as soulless this fan...

could get ugly. The good news is the linebackers are easily the second most talented corps on the team this year, behind a stable of running backs that has the Bulldog offense set for the next three to four years. Speaking of running backs, if the defense pulls off a miracle and stops the Cowboys from putting up ridiculous numbers on offense, it will be the running backs who win this game. They’ve got to eat up both yards and time to give our boys a rest against OSU’s hurry up offense, but they’ve also got to score some points, because you can be sure the Cowboy’s will. If Tyler Russell made similar strides going into this year as he did going into last, he still probably shouldn’t throw the ball much this game. An interception puts the Bulldogs in a huge hole in this game, two would end it. It’s not that I don’t trust Russell to throw good passes, truth is for better or worse I do, I just don’t trust these young receivers to be where they’re supposed to in the opening game on a national stage. It just isn’t going to happen. Who knows though, maybe everything comes together in a way State fans haven’t seen since upsetting Alabama 6 - 3 in Jackson oh so many years ago. More than likely though, I’ll be hiding out at Dragon*Con with a wardrobe of Mississippi State Baseball clothes reliving Trey Porter’s perfectly laced ball into right-center to put State up 5 - 4 against Indiana in the 8th inning of the Bulldog’s game 2 of the CWS. Man, that was a great hit. Kid had been sitting on the bench for weeks, pinch hits a perfect 2-RBI ball. He even held the bat out after his swing, which was textbook. He knew his job was done, and he was going to enjoy that moment. I don’t blame him. Oh yeah, back to football… crap.

Mississippi State 17 - Oklahoma State 35

[ROUND 2... FIGHT!]

(Mr. Hooch) I'll be approaching this week's games a little differently. Thursday night brings us a couple of good games to whet our appetite, so we'll hit those first:

UNC at South Carolina - I have to believe South Carolina will be takin care of business in their season

SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!!

opener. UNC is a solid team, but South Carolina has shoved their way into the upper crust of the SEC East, and they do not appear to be planning on taking any steps backwards at the moment. You can expect Clowney's "wow factor" to cause some concerns for UNC's OL and QB, and the result is that the rest of the Gamecock's defense will be very opportunistic when that focus on Clowney presents openings elsewhere.

South Carolina 27 - UNC 17


Ole Miss at Vanderbilt - This is probably one of the games I am most interested in this week for a number of reasons. First off, it's the only in-conference match up in the SEC, so the chips will start to fall one way or another when this is wrapped up. Also, this game is going to tell us a lot about how far the Rebelsharks and the Commodores have come in the off season. Ole Miss had a better than expected season, due in no small part to the Bulldogs rolling over and playing dead for most of the Egg Bowl to let them round out the season with a big win and a bowl game. The 'Dores also had a great season, capped off by their first ever back to back bowl trip. This is a tough choice for me, because my heart wants OM to lose and lose big, but my knowledge of the Vandy of yesteryears tells me they're gonna come up short. Ultimately I think it comes down to the fact that this is Hugh Freeze's second year as head coach and with junior QB Bo Wallace at the helm their offence is going to put up more points than Vandy's.

Ole Miss 28 - Vanderbilt 24


Then we move into the weekend and knock out the rest:

Toledo at Florida - The Toledo Rockets travel to the Swamp in what casual observers would call a David and Goliath match up, but hold the phone, chief! Toledo is playing some of their program's best football to date and this scrappy bunch of Rockets will come into this game with a chip on their shoulder, looking to prove their worth against an upper-tier SEC East opponent. Unfortunately for Toledo they will more than likely be outclassed by the athleticism of the Gators. The Gators' secondary put up some solid numbers last season, and virtually all of them are back, so even though they have to reload on the defensive line they will be a tough task to take through the air. Look for at least 2 picks from the Florida defense en route to a double digit win, but the Gators will only pull away late in the game.

Florida 34 - Toledo 17

I didn't know I couldn't do that?
(Hey, it worked for Dave Chapelle...)

Rice at TAMU - The Aggies lead this series an astounding 50-27-3, and the Owls will need more miracles than Jesus pulled off in the entire New Testament to have a prayer at winning this one. This is just gonna be... ugh, man... like, ouch. TAMU will skate and Johnny Autograph Football will return to something of his former glory once his on-field displays make the media forget about his off-season shenanigans. There just isn't a whole lot else to say about this.

(Editor's note: As noted previously, we found out today that Manziel will sit the first half, so I have listed my adjusted prediction below my original one.)

TAMU 45 - Rice 14

Adjusted prediction: TAMU 44 - Rice 14

Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas - This is another litmus test of sorts for an SEC team that is rebuilding their program after a disappointing run the last couple of years. Brett Bielema takes over as head coach for the Razorbacks, and from all accounts the players and fans have bought in to his system. There is a lot of LOUDEST) fans in all of college football. While both teams have something to prove with this game, it will be Arkansas that walks away victorious.

Left: Brett Bielema's wife. Right: Brett Bielema and wife.

...I'll take door #1, please.

giddy intensity around the program right now as the Hawgs look to erase memories of last year's abysmal 4 win season. However Razorback fans have not yet forgotten that heartbreaking 34-31 loss to Louisiana-Monroe in overtime last season, and Louisiana-Lafayette comes into this game as a team with much the same build. Their no-huddle, spread offense could have the Hawgs on their heels if they don't come out ready to play and play hard. Arkansas will have the benefit of home field, and the Razorback fans are some of the best (read:

Arkansas 28 - Louisiana-Lafayette 17


Alabama "at" Virginia Tech - AJ McCarron, Amari Cooper and TJ Yeldon... It's true that the Hokies' defense is legit, but Bama's offense is legit-er. There's just no way to shut down the Tide all over the field, so as long as the coaches and AJ make the correct calls and reads this could be a foregone conclusion. Virginia Tech would need to catch Alabama literally asleep on their feet to win this, but being the first game of the season you never know how some teams are going to start out. I realize I said there was a chance the Hokies could sneak up and snatch a win from Bama, but after looking a little deeper I just don't see it happening. The Tide rolls on towards what they hope is their three-peat of National Championships...

Alabama 47 - Virginia Tech 24


Austin Peay at Tennessee - Butch Jones opens his coaching era at Tennessee looking for the program's

Come at me, Austin Peay!

800th win, which would put them in some elite company with only 7 other programs in the country, and only one other SEC program (Alabama), and chances are they'll get it. To say Austin Peay might give Tennessee a run for their money would be a slap in the face, even in Tennessee's current state of disarray. The Governors won only two games last season, a 56-0 shellacking of Culver-Stockton (I also said "Who?") and a 38-31 win over Tennessee Tech. There are quite a few high school teams that could probably give Austin Peay more than they could handle, and although the Vols may be experiencing a slump recently they are still more than stocked to take on the likes of the Governors.

Tennessee 35 - Austin Peay 10

For the best coffee (and signs) in Starkville look no further...

Washington State at Auburn - Auburn plays host to the Cougars in this season opener, but Auburn's new head coach is a familiar face around the Plains. Gus Malzhan was the offensive coordinator at Auburn from 09-11, which by all accounts were the halcyon days for this particular set of SEC Tigers who went winless in conference last year for the first time since 1980. However Washington State is in their second year under another noteworthy head coach, Mike Leach. Bulldog fans will recognize the name Ellis Johnson, who is Auburn's defensive coordinator, and that should help improve the defensive stats somewhat. Auburn's offense will likely be anchored by Tre Mason, who is a legitimate threat for the Cougars' defense. JUCO transfer Nick Marshall is no Cam Newton, but then again I doubt he... his dad... his church... oh you get the idea. SOMEBODY got a $180,000 hand out. Regardless, Auburn should handle Washington State handily an walk away with 1/3 of their total win count from last season.

Auburn 34 - Washington State 21


WKU at Kentucky - The Hilltoppers face the Wildcats, and both teams are sporting new, high profile coaches this season. Mark Stoops leads the 'Cats while Bobby Petrino is the mastermind behind WKU's new look. Last season WKU handed Kentucky a heartbreaking 32-31 overtime loss last season at Commonwealth Stadium, and you can be certain the Wildcats intend to get a taste of revenge this time around. Antonio Andrews and the Hilltoppers don't plan on making it easy, though. The senior running back led his team to the school's first ever bowl game tallying 1728 rushing yards and a whopping 3161 all purpose yards. Can the Wildcats' defense shut down a Petrino offense that has shifted from a ground and pound approach to focus more on the passing game? Mr. Hooch thinks they can, at least well enough to pull off the win...

Kentucky 28 - WKU 21


Murray State at Missouri - If not for the injury bug ravaging the Missouri offensive line it's possible that the third? fourth? set of Tigers from the SEC could have managed wins against Vandy and maybe Florida, and winning either of those would've had the Tigers bowling in the post season. Alas, this was not the case, but last season's woe's could be this season's WOO's! for Missouri. They return a host of experience on the offensive line and, injuries not withstanding, that should bolster their somewhat lackluster offense this time around. Meanwhile the Racers and new QB (and Ole Miss transfer) Maikhail Miller will be airing out the ball at almost every opportunity. They averaged 51 passing attempts per game, and completed 69% of them. Those aren't numbers to scoff at... still, SEC newbies or not, Missouri outclasses Murray State all over the field, and this will just be a warm up game for the Tigers.

Missouri 35 - Murray State 10


Georgia at Clemson - No cupcake game for Georgia to open the season... Clemson is coming off an 11-2 outing last year, including a 25-24 win over perennial SEC powerhouse LSU in the Peach Bowl. The Tigers

GRR, BABY! VERY GRRR!

will look to add another win over an SEC opponent to kick their season off, and if they get one it could be the beginning of a legit run at the BCS Championship Game. Clemson's two losses were at the hands of South Carolina and FSU, which basically means they didn't just get lucky last season, they were damn good, and they will field a team that is much the same this season. Georgia is no slouch either, however. Both teams boast strong QB's and offenses, so the "offense sells tickets, defense wins championships" will certainly be true here, as the winner will be off on their way to a possible National Championship appearance. This is a really tough call to make... if it were in Georgia I would definitely give the Dawgs the nod, although I still think it would be close. However playing on the road at Clemson is going to be a tough test early for Georgia. Will they be able to handle it? I think so, but one lucky/unlucky break could change the face of this game.

Georgia 21 - Clemson 17


LSU at TCU - This one is likely to be a defensive slugfest, and that will likely favor LSU as TCU's corp of linebackers is relatively inexperienced. Both offenses should be in good shape, especially since the Horned Frogs will have their star QB and feature RB back in the lineup. LSU lost several players to the NFL draft, but by virtue of the fact that they've been winning consistently in the SEC for a number of years there is no shortage of elite players waiting to step up and deliver. This is another SEC/Big-12 matchup, as is Oklahoma State v MSU this opening weekend, so there is a lot of conference pride on the line as well. This will be one of the more interesting games to watch this weekend, and I hate that for Big-12 fans because they're going to tune in to watch one of their teams get worked over by a stronger, faster, more athletic team. Although the disparity isn't as extreme as say Rice v Texas A&M, the difference in talent level is there, and it will become more readily apparent as the game wears on.

LSU 24 - TCU 17


MSU "at" Oklahoma State - And last but CERTAINLY not least, there's our game. At first blush most of the country would say Oklahoma State will win this one walking away. But Dan Mullen and the Bulldogs might have something to say about that. The Cowboys enter the season as a popular pick to win the Big-12 and there's certainly no shortage of talent on the roster, although there are some questions.

For starters there appears to be a bit of a quarterback controversy, as neither JW Walsh or Clint Chelf have stepped up as the clear leader. Be that as it may, MSU's secondary is talented but inexperienced, and the

An oldie but a goodie.
Dat smirk...

Cowboys will definitely be testing the MSU defense through the air early and often. OSU has some solid receivers that could give this young secondary headaches, and double teaming a receiver like Josh Stewart isn't an option when it opens up passing lanes for Tracy Moore or Rashaad Sample. Like it or not you can expect to see this young secondary get burned a few times during the course of the game, so it's best just to hope that when they do get beat they don't let it turn into 6 points or 50 yards in a single play. Luckily for the Bulldogs, the Cowboys will be replacing 1400 yard rusher Joseph Randle, and MSU's defensive line should be stout, meaning they will plan to more or less shut down the run and make OSU try to beat them through the air.

For the Dawgs the offense should look pretty familiar. 5th year senior Tyler Russel returns, along with the best little running back nobody knows, LaDarius Perkins. State also returns 4 starters to the offensive line, including Gabe Jackson who is just an absolute beast. You can expect this O line to push the Cowboys around and open up some nice holes for the ground game, which sets up nicely for some play action passing to break a big play every now and then. With new defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer OSU plans to employ the blitz much more this season, but the Bulldog's O line should be able to manage for the most part.

Ultimately this game may turn into a bit of a barn-burner, with both offenses capable of scoring early and often. The difference will be which team can come up with a couple big stops on 3rd and short yardage or goal line/red zone situations. In that department I would give the nod to MSU, questionable secondary or not. Turnovers could make or break this game for either club. I expect there will be at least 1 pick through the air for both teams, so field position when that happens is going to be a huge factor.

This is a hard one for me to call, and although some of that may be due to my personal bias, I'm just not sold on Oklahoma State being that much better than a middle-tier SEC team. I know I may regret it, but it's the beginning of the season and anything could happen, so I choose to believe for the time being. We will see what that's worth on Saturday...

MSU 35 - Oklahoma State 28


And thus we have come to the end of the first regular season installment of House of Hooch! I hope you've all enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing. Be sure to check back next week for a weekend recap (tentatively scheduled, as vacation comes first) and next week's previews! Also share us with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ by clicking the buttons at the top of the page. Thanks for checking us out, an until next time, #HailState and #GoDawgs!!!