SEC PICKS: South Carolina’s shot at upset slim and none

EDITOR’S NOTE: Opelika-Auburn News sports designer Tim Cottrell picks the winners for this week’s SEC games.

LAST WEEK: 5-2
SEASON RECORD: 31-9

It seems only fitting that the best game in a bland week of SEC football will probably be a fairly bland game.

A few interesting matchups are out there, but the only one that seems to have any pizzazz, to me, at least, is No. 22 South Carolina’s trip to No. 2 Alabama.

While it’s not very likely any style points will be earned on either side, the two teams come in playing somewhat similar styles.

Alabama can do a lot of things, but mostly chooses to play smashmouth football and leave the game in the hands of its outstanding defense.

South Carolina couldn’t score on Notasulga, so it completely relies on its very good defense to propel it to wins.

If everything breaks right, the Gamecocks could keep this close for a while, and maybe, maybe have a shot at an upset.

The more likely scenario, however, is the Tide defense implanting South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia in the turf and never letting him up.

The pick: Alabama 27, South Carolina 6

Arkansas at No. 1 Florida
This game might seem like a more likely candidate for best game of the week status, but here’s the thing: This seems like the perfect opportunity for the Gators to snap out of their funk.

Arkansas, fresh off dismantling Auburn, is probably feeling pretty good about itself at the moment.

The Gators, fresh off a road win over the No. 4 team in the country after which pundits everywhere began questioning whether they were the No. 1 team, will probably be angry.

And just ask Mark Richt what happens when Urban Meyer is angry.

The pick: Florida 49, Arkansas 26

Kentucky at Auburn
The only really interesting thing here is whether the Wildcats will be able to keep it close.

The defense is capable. However, with average quarterback Mike Hartline out, the Wildcats’ very average offense is going to be even less of a threat against a middling Auburn defense.

The Tiger offense should get its points, though probably not quite as many as normal.

And we’ll get to see how a team with so many young players handles getting humbled the way Auburn did last week.

The pick: Auburn 38, Kentucky 14

Georgia at Vanderbilt
Now here is quite possibly the most intriguing game of the day.

What?

It’s true.

Fresh off a humiliating loss in which they made Jonathan Crompton look like Johnny Unitas, the Bulldogs are reeling. They’ve been here before.

Two years ago, Georgia nearly lost at Vanderbilt, then Mark Richt finally decided that maybe, just maybe, he should act like he cared what was happening.

Next thing you know, the Bulldogs won seven in a row and were preseason No. 1 the following year.

Ever since, Georgia has returned to its nonchalance, and this game here might be the best chance yet to figure out whether the Dawgs are dead in the water or might pull themselves out and make a run at a good season.

This game really all depends on them, and not at all on Vandy.

They are really bad.

The pick: Georgia 21, Vanderbilt 14

UAB at Ole Miss
The Blazers, somewhat surprising in their not-totally-abysmalness, take on the Rebels, very surprising in their quite-awfulness.

In other words, an upset may be possible.

I wouldn’t bet on it or anything, but the Rebels were just effectively eliminated from SEC contention in October in a year in which they were supposed to finally get it done. That can be a little deflating.

The pick: Ole Miss 20, UAB 13

Mississippi State at Middle Tennessee
The Blue Raiders are a fairly dangerous bunch. They beat Maryland on the road earlier this year.

And they have Tony Franklin, who, as last year showed us, knows how to rack up points in droves on the Bulldogs.

But State is actually not all that bad, and in a few more games might be ready to really compete in the SEC (not win, compete).

The pick: Mississippi State 38, Middle Tennessee 31

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 .