The Vols Fall Again:
Well, another big game and another big loss for Tennessee. The frustration has been present for quite some time within much of the Big Orange fan base, and is now showing itself with the players on the field. Tennessee was flagged with personal foul after personal foul in the loss at Georgia. And now, UT AD Mike Hamilton appears to be unwilling to guarantee that he will not make a change.
This week, the Vols get a Mississippi St. team that is capable of pulling the upset. However, the Bulldogs do not match-up well with the Vols. Look for Montario Hardest, Lennon Creer and Arian Foster to find lanes with which to work. State will have confidence after upsetting the #13 ranked team in the country last week. However, Tennessee should find enough offense, put the clamps down defensively and walk away with a much needed win.
It has been very obvious to everyone with at least casual interest in the University of Tennessee that the Volunteer program has lost its luster. A win over Mississippi St., with all due respect, will do nothing to change public opinion. A win next week might.
Some people insist on letting the season play out before they jump to conclusions and I would likely be counted as one that is in that camp. But, there is a very real possibility that Tennessee will need to win its last two games to get to 6-6. Is that acceptable?
Bobby Johnson to Clemson:
That’s going to be a popular story line to watch. The Vanderbilt coach does not possess the name that will electrify a fan base watching the new hire press conference. He’s not a young up and comer. But, what he is, is a damn good football coach. Will he be the next Clemson Coach? I don’t know. But, if they’re smart, they’ll take a long and serious look.
Coach Johnson told us a story one night on my old show on 1510 WLAC about how he got into coaching. He said that many years ago, he would sit in the stands at Clemson games watching the action and coaching from the stands. He would tell his wife what he thought the team should do and what he might do differently. He had a good job at the time, paying decent money, yet Coach Johnson’s wife looked at her husband and told him that if he wanted to be a coach he needed to be a coach. So, he quit his job and joined the Clemson staff as a graduate assistant with no salary. It was a volunteer position. But, he was doing what he believed he was supposed to be doing. He had faith that it all would work out. And work out, it has. Johnson eventually became a defensive coordinator, moved on to a head coaching position at Furman and now he’s on the brink of something special at Vanderbilt.
Bobby Johnson would be a great choice for Clemson.
Last Week:
Last week’s performance helped prove why I do not choose to take action based upon my predictions. It was a rough week as I went 1-4 against the spread and overall. My lone win was a 27-10 prediction on the Georgia/Tennessee final. Florida looked like the National Championship contender that I predicted they would be before the season began, with their absolute dismantling of LSU in every phase of the game. The old ball coach went in to Lexington and won. That was a tossup going in, I just chose to go with the home team. Vandy could not stand prosperity and now has a real task in front of them in Athens Saturday. And, Arkansas beat Auburn. Did anyone see that coming? I understand the problems that Auburn is having offensively, but Arkansas had shown nothing good previously. Oh well. It’s a new week!
For the season I am 29-20 ATS and 37-14 overall.
Arkansas at Kentucky: Cats by nine. Last week, Arkansas got its first big football headline grabber since Petrino called the Hogs. Can they get back to back SEC wins? I don’t think so. The Cat D should be up to the challenge, and offensively, I think they’ll be able to move the ball on Arkansas. But, I also don’t think they’ll cover.
The Pick: Kentucky 24
Arkansas 20
Ole Miss at Alabama: Tide by 13. Ole Miss has showed signs this year that the program is headed in the right direction. But, what happens to the Rebels when they play on the road at the #2 team in the country? I think Alabama will be able to run the ball against Ole Miss and will keep the ball out of Jevan Snead’s hands. Snead will have to be near perfect for Ole Miss to have a chance. It’s a big line, but the Tide should roll.
The Pick: Alabama 27
Ole Miss 13
LSU at South Carolina: How does LSU respond to the beat down in the Swamp? With a win. The Gamecocks have been playing better, but it’s still anybody’s guess as to which QB will step up from game to game. Inconsistent QB play is not what you strive for in SEC play, especially when confronted with an angry LSU bunch out to prove that last week’s dreadful performance was not a clear look within the heart of this team.
The Pick: LSU 20
South Carolina 10
Vanderbilt at Georgia: Dawgs by 15. That’s a lot of points for one ranked team hosting another. But, Vanderbilt still has some work to do before Vegas gives them respect. Last week’s loss in Starkville did nothing to help that cause. But, in 6 games, that was the first time Vanderbilt failed to cover. The Dores will start Mackenzi Adams at QB, which is the right move. But, Georgia is by far the better team. The question is, are they 15 points better?
The Pick: Georgia 31
Vanderbilt 23
Mississippi St. at Tennessee: The Vols are favored by 8. Tennessee has had a well documented difficulty in trying to find its identity offensively. The Vols ran for a staggering one yard against Georgia. Mississippi St. does give up rushing yards which should aide Tennessee. Nick Stephens showed signs against Georgia. St., of course, upset 13th ranked Vanderbilt last week providing the bulldogs with some confidence heading into Neyland Stadium. Tennessee will find enough offense, and St. will not.
The Pick: Tennessee 24
Mississippi St. 17
– Quick Note: I have accepted a position at 104.5 WGFX in Nashville and will be doing evening shows when time is available.
Thanks for reading. Happy footballing! -Brent.