SEC PRIMER (Week 5): Hunker Down and Hotty Toddy for today's Primer
STAFF REPORT
Allow RRS to be the first…. It’s Georgia and Ole Miss in the 2021 SEC Championship Game.
How does that sound?
Premature? If everybody else can dream it, why not us?
It’s funny how people who are paid so much money to give opinions can be so trivial in their thinking. Bama – done. Everybody knows that, right?
Here are a couple of examples…
Matt Hayes (Saturday Down South)….
“(Nick) Saban’s defense, his pride over 14 glorious seasons in Tuscaloosa, is driving around with a flat tire and no spare.”
“Now here we are, after a misleading rout of a bad Miami team to begin the season set expectations even higher, wondering how Alabama will survive the schedule unscathed.”
Dennis Dodd (CBS Sports)
“…it was a completely different game after Alabama scored touchdowns on its first three possessions. After that, Florida … won. Not the game, of course, but the battle.”
That’s a smattering of opinion but the gist is the same amongst so many others after Florida’s near-miss. Basically, it’s the same after every Bama loss or near-loss. Clocks can be set by it.
What will be said if the Gators go down to the Volunteers this weekend? There will be no “Florida had a let down.” The thought will continue like it has with Miami…. “obviously the Crimson Tide is reeling.”
As for the new favorites in the West, Ole Miss is getting a lot of love. Maybe it’s warranted. The Rebels are scoring on nearly every possession in about a minute’s time. Their quarterback is wearing out every defense put in front of him and Lane Kiffin is making sure he gets plenty of snaps. Last week, with the Rebels leading by 40 in the third quarter, Corral was still in the game chunking 40-yard passes.
It drips of days of the great Houston Cougars’ (and current SEC Network analyst) Andre Ware, who was still throwing passes after the game was 20 minutes done back in 1989. He more or less won the award because his stats were so gaudy.
Kiffin aims to do the same for his QB, although he is aware that if the Rebels can’t beat the Tide, it leaves Corral as a longshot.
But Ole Miss is good enough to go to Tuscaloosa and win, but enough of that until next week.
This is about the over reaction of three weeks of college football. Sure, there are problems with Alabama’s defense. There are also problems in places like Clemson, Notre Dame and most of the Pac-12 (again), but it’s way to early to bury any of these programs.
But let the fans of the SEC have their fun. Let them dream of a season without Alabama as its champion and make plans to cheer on to victory whomever the Crimson Tide’s next opponent might be.
SEC Schedule for Sept. 25 (Rankings are from AP)
Georgia State (1-2) at (23) Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC)
3 p.m. CDT • SEC Network
Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451)
Series: First meeting
Last week: Penn St. def. Auburn, 28-20; Ga. State def. Charlotte, 20-7
What about GS/AU
AUB defense is allowing 4 yards per play and giving up 45.7 ypg.
Anders Carlson has converted 12 consecutive field goal attempts.
Roger McCreary had a second INT this season against Penn St.
Ga State’s last game against an SEC foe was in 2019, a 38-30 win over Tennessee.
RRS Prediction: Auburn 53, Georgia State 20 (AU favored by 27)
Missouri (2-1, 0-1 SEC) at Boston College (3-0)
11 a.m. CDT • ESPN2
Chestnut Hill, Mass. • Alumni Stadium (44,500)
Series: First meeting
Last week: Missouri def. SE Missouri St, 59-28; Boston Coll def. Temple, 28-3
What about MIZZOU/BC
First ever meeting…Mizzou is 7-8 all time against current ACC members.
Mizzou has scored in every trip to the Red Zone (19).
BC is second in the nation in third-down conversion with 15 %.
Missouri has had just one turnover in the first three games.
RRS Prediction: Boston College 28, Missouri 24 (Mizzou favored by 1.5 )
(2) Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at Vanderbilt (1-2, 0-0 SEC)
11 a.m. CT • SEC Network
Nashville, Tenn. • Vanderbilt Stadium (40,350)
Series: UGA leads, 58-20 (Last meeting – 2019, UGA, 30-6)
Last Week: Stanford def. Vanderbilt, 41-23; Georgia def. South Carolina, 40-13
What about VU/UGA
Teams had last year’s game canceled due to COVID. UGA will make second straight trip to Nashville in the series.
Vandy had a season high 260 yards rushing in the loss to Stanford.
UGA’s first team defense has not allowed a touchdown in three games. The Dogs have given up a total of 23 points.
RRS Prediction: Georgia 39, Vanderbilt 7 (UGA favored by 35)
Tennessee (2-1, 0-0 SEC) at (11) Florida (2-1, 0-1 SEC)
7 p.m. EDT • ESPN
Gainesville, FL • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
Series: UF leads, 30-20 (Last meeting – 2020, UF, 31-19)
Last week: Alabama def. UF, 31-29; Tennessee def. Tenn. Tech, 56-0
What about UT/UF
The 51st meeting in the series. UF has a 30-20 advantage and has won 15 of 16 meetings. UT’s last win - 2016.
Tennessee has 29 TFL through the first 3 games of the season.
Game features the No. 2 rush offense (UF) vs. nation’s No. 5 rushing defense.
UF has 14 consecutive games of 400 or more yards of total offense, the first time for the program in 40 years.
Josh Heupel is 6-0 vs. teams from the state of Florida but has never faced the Gators.
RRS Prediction: Florida 30, Tennessee 24 (UF favored by 18.5)
(16) Arkansas (3-0, 0-0 SEC) at (7) Texas A&M (3-0, 0-0 SEC)
2:30 p.m. EDT • CBS
Arlington, Texas • AT&T Stadium (86,798)
Series: A&M leads, 41-33-3 (Last meeting 2020, @ A&M, 42-31)
Last week: Ark def. Ga. Southern, 45-10; A&M def. NM St, 34-0
What about A&M/ARK
Aggies have won 9 straight in the series and have not lost to the Hogs since they joined the SEC.
Both teams are looking for a 4-0 start for the first time since 2016 for A&M and ’03 for ARK. Also the last time two teams were ranked going into this game was 2016.
First time since 2003 ARK has rushed for 200 or more yards in first three games.
A&M’s Jalen Wydermyer owns school record for TDs for tight ends with 12.
A&M is the only team allowing less than 100 yards passing per game nationally.
RRS Prediction: Texas A&M 27, Arkansas 24 (A&M favored by 5)
LSU (2-1, 0-0 SEC) at Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC)
11 a.m. CDT • ESPN
Starkville, Miss. • Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (61,337)
Series: LSU, 75-36-3 (Last – 2020, MSU, 44-34)
Last week: Memphis def. Miss St, 31-29; LSU def. Central Mich., 49-21
What about Miss St/LSU
MSU competed a school record 50 passes in the loss to Memphis last week.
MSU defense has allowed less than 100 yards rushing in 13 games and 60 percent conversion in Red Zone.
LSU leads the nation in sacks with 19.
LSU wideout Kayshon Boutte leads the nation in TD receptions with 6. He has a TD catch in five consecutive games.
MSU ranks second in the SEC in passes good for 10 yards or more with 39.
RRS Prediction: LSU 31, Miss St. 25 (LSU favored by 2.5)
Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at South Carolina (2-1, 0-1 SEC)
7 p.m. ET • ESPN2
Columbia, S.C. • Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559)
Series: SC leads, 18-13-1 (Last meeting - 2020, UK, 41-18)
Last week: Kentucky def. Chattanooga, 28-23; Georgia def. SC, 40-13
What about SC/KY
SC has announced that Luke Doty will start at quarterback. He missed the first three starts with injuries but stepped in last week after Zeb Noland went down with an injury.
KY has won six of seven in the series. First road game of the season for the Cats.
SC forced three turnovers against UGA.
KY looking to start 2-0 in SEC play for first time since 1976.
Kentucky is second in the league in rushing defense (60 ypg).
RRS PREDICTION: Kentucky 27, South Carolina 17 (KY favored by 5)
Southern Miss (1-2) at (1) Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC)
6:30 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Tuscaloosa Ala. • Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821)
Series: UA leads, 35-6-2 (Last meeting - 2019, UA, 49-7)
Last week: Troy def. Southern Miss, 21-7; Alabama def. Florida, 31-29
What about SO MISS/BAMA
After beating Fla., Alabama has now won 32 straight against SEC East opponents.
A win Saturday would give Alabama 100 straight victories over non-ranked opponents.
Ty Keys became the sixth freshman since 2012 to start at quarterback for Southern Miss .
Bryce Young became the second QB to throw 10 TD passes in his first three games (Mac Jones was the first last season) for Alabama.
UF had the most-ever yards after contact against an Alabama’s defense under Nick Saban with 171.
RRS PREDICTION: Alabama 47, Southern Miss 10 (UA favored by 45)
OPEN: Ole Miss
RRS RECORD: Last week: 11-1 (2-7 vs. spread); Season: 32-7 (11-18 vs. spread)