SEC PICKS: Auburn-LSU leads day of intriguing matchups
Associated Press
LSU players pile on Charles Scott (33) to celebrate his game-winning touchdown in the Tigers’ win over Georgia on Oct. 3. The ninth-ranked Tigers are coming off a bye week after a 13-3 loss to then-No. 1 Florida on Oct. 10, and are looking to record their third consecutive win over Auburn tonight.
Outside The Huddle
Published: October 24, 2009
Updated: October 24, 2009
EDITOR’S NOTE: Opelika-Auburn News sports designer Tim Cottrell picks the winners for this week’s SEC games.
LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 5-1
SEASON RECORD: 35-11
It’s subplot week in the SEC.
We’ll start with the game that might have the most.
At worst it’s in second place.
Auburn travels to LSU tonight to renew what may have been the best rivalry of this decade, especially over the last five seasons.
The visiting Tigers, who looked like world-beaters just two weeks ago, now look just beaten after ugly losses to Arkansas and Kentucky.
Ninth-ranked LSU, which has all-world talent but all-Pee Wee coaching, hasn’t looked like anything resembling a top-10 team thus far this season, other than on defense.
Both teams will be coming out with something to prove.
Considering Auburn’s struggles on run defense and the fact that LSU has the most bruising running back in the SEC, Les Miles and the gang would be dumb not to run Charles Scott 30-35 times and find other guys to run it some more.
In fact, the home-standings Tigers could probably win without throwing a pass. And considering quarterback Jordan Jefferson’s performance thus far this season, they might be wise not to.
Auburn will have to play a perfect game of football. And considering the depth problems are starting to get at them, it’ll be pretty tough to make that happen at this point in the season.
The pick: LSU 28, Auburn 14
Tennessee at No. 1 Alabama
Ever seen a cat wound a mouse and then just toy with it for a few hours before going in for the final kill?
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 Alabama-Tennessee game!
Nick Saban has probably been giggling like a school girl thinking of all the things his defense will do to much-maligned Vol quarterback Jonathan Crompton. He could very well re-enact the Snickers “Batman” commercial.
The pick: Alabama 24, Tennessee 7
No. 2 Florida at Mississippi State
Starkville has been a house of horrors for the Gators, with losses of escalating badness in their last three trips (1992, 2000 and 2004).
Don’t look for it to happen again, though there are some reasons to think it could.
Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen knows Tebow and the Gator offense better than anyone other than Urban Meyer, and he should. He ran the thing as offensive coordinator.
The Gators have not looked good offensively in recent weeks, and Mississippi State has been highly frisky thus far this year.
Still, I’m going with the Gators.
The pick: Florida 34, Mississippi State 24
Vanderbilt at No. 23 South Carolina
Can Steve Spurrier possibly lose three times in a row to Vandy?
No.
The pick: South Carolina 21, Vanderbilt 3
Arkansas at Ole Miss
The other potential subplot bowl winner.
Houston Nutt facing his old team again, the Rebels being borderline awful so far and whether it will ever stop, Arkansas being on the cusp of good things and needing a good road win to spark it all.
This one is a must-watch.
I’m not really sure which way to go on this, but I’ve liked the Hogs a lot more than the Rebs thus far.
The pick: Arkansas 31, Ole Miss 24
Louisiana-Monroe at Kentucky
Who will be Kentucky’s quarterback?
I don’t care, nor do I care about this game.
The pick: Kentucky 35, Louisiana-Monroe 10
Tim Cottrell is sports designer of the Opelika-Auburn News. He writes a weekly column on college football during the season. You can also read him on the O-A Sports Blog at oanow.com. He can be reached at 737-2511 or
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