Showdown Saturday in the SEC

Today, you are going to see firsthand why the SEC is the preeminent conference in all of college football. Three games featuring teams that are ranked in the top 15, one traditional rivalry, one road test for a preseason top 10 team, and one Homecoming.

I’m not going to lie to you, I’m pretty excited that we have a weekend like this in college football and Georgia is playing Vanderbilt. For those of you who haven’t watched college football this year, this is a different Vanderbilt team than we have seen for the past few years.

James Franklin is now the coach of Penn State, and Vanderbilt has gone back to being the doormat of the SEC. They aren’t nearly as talented as they have been under Franklin, and they are going to missing their starting quarterback. They will be starting a freshman in his first game, between the hedges, against a Georgia defense that needs some positive momentum. Good luck Vanderbilt.

Georgia fans need to be looking for three things on Saturday.

First, with the return of Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley, can Hutson Mason be effective in the passing game? The entire season depends on Mason’s ability to take a little pressure off the running game, and this will be the easiest chance that Mason will have for finding his touch on deep passes.

Second, the defense needs to have a high energy, shut-down kind of day. We need to see the defense have a lot of success, and ideally, force multiple turnovers. Just like Hutson Mason, the defense needs some positive momentum heading into the toughest three game stretch of the season.

Third, is number 3. I don’t want to see him today. With Sony Michel already out, and Keith Marshall not nearly his  old self, Todd Gurley shouldn’t have to play the second half of the game. Georgia needs to get off to a great start on offense, blow the doors off of the ‘Dores, and give Gurley the rest of the day off. No player in the country means more to his team than Todd Gurley means to Georgia, we can’t risk a silly, unnecessary injury against an opponent like Vanderbilt.

Georgia is going to roll on Saturday, so just sit back and enjoy the rest of the SEC games this week.

Georgia 45   Vanderbilt 13

Here is a quick look at the rest of the day in the SEC:

Florida v. Tennessee (Noon, SEC network)

This game is important because, by definition, one of these teams has to win this game, and the other team will lose. The winning team will have just a sliver of hope for the rest of the season, while the losing team should start looking at Spring Practice dates and recruiting rankings. Tennessee’s weak offensive line plays into the strength of the Florida defense, but Florida is terrible on offense and AJ Johnson should be able to keep the Florida running game under control. I think it’s going to be close.

Florida 20  Tennessee 23

Texas A&M v. Mississippi State  (Noon, ESPN)

Kenny Hill and the Aggies have been the surprise of the season so far, but Mississippi State could take over that title with another win. The bizarro Bulldogs have already won on the road at LSU, which means a win versus the Aggies would put them undefeated in conference, and two big tests down. I am on record saying that no SEC team is going to run the table this year, so avoiding an early loss is critical with so many big games left on the schedule. Mississippi State might be for real, but they are going to have to prove it.

Texas A&M 48  Mississippi State 35

Alabama v. Ole Miss (3:30, CBS)

It is not an overstatement to say that this is the biggest game in the Grove since Archie Manning was playing quarterback. Ole Miss has been on the rise since Hugh Freeze became their coach, and this is the culmination of everything they have worked towards. Last year, the Rebels knocked off LSU, but beating King Saban and the Tide would be a pivotal moment for the program. Oxford, which is an amazing place to see a football game, is going to be crazy, but the Tide are used to big games, and they are going to be focused on “the process.” I thought this was Bama’s loss before the season, so I’ll stick with it.

Alabama 30  Ole Miss 31

LSU v. Auburn (7:00, ESPN)

LSU’s season is on the line. With a home loss to Mississippi State two weeks ago, the Tigers are on the brink of being reduced to the spoiler role and it is barely October. Big games loom for both of these teams, so neither can afford to lose Saturday night. I think the Tigers are going to win…. Just kidding. LSU will play well, but Auburn is too good.

LSU 24  Auburn 33

South Carolina v. Kentucky (7:30, SEC Network)

Can you imagine a more beautiful thing than the Ole Ball Coach losing to Kentucky, I can’t. With Georgia looking like they could lose again this season, we should all be cheering for the Wildcats to go ahead and get their big win this season over a wounded Carolina team, giving the Gamecocks their third SEC loss.

Carolina 24  Kentucky 27

Enjoy a fantastic Saturday!

Go Dawgs!