SEC football kicks off this weekend in full force for the first time in 2008. We've had a handful of high profile games and good contests, but you can't find more than one game this weekend that doesn't get you interested for some reason. Only South Carolina plays a weak opponent and Kentucky takes the weekend off. Other than that, you could turn yourself into a serious couch potato watching the remainder of good contests in conference this weekend. Here's a rundown of each game, what in interesting or important about each match up and what teams can do some serious "proving" this weekend.
Arkansas vs Alabama - Nearly everyone is picking Alabama....probably just as much for the poor wins by the Hawgs so far as it is for Bama's performance against Clemson three weeks ago. Arkansas can prove a ton by winning this game. They can make a statement that they are a team to be reckoned with and that they aren't going to go down in the West without a fight. It is also the first true test for this Petrino offense against a good SEC team. Alabama has less they can prove just due to the fact that nobody has much respect for Arky yet. An Alabama win will give them a slight bit more credibility in the top 10, but most will be waiting to see the Tide against Clemson in a week. Interesting match ups on both sides of the ball. First, can the Alabama offense, namely John Parker Wilson, be effective against an SEC defense. The Hawgs are very young and honestly have not looked very good on the defensive side of the ball and if Alabama cant move the ball on them, it would be a bad sign. The other match up is truly Saban vs Petrino......can the Hawgs move the ball on a defense that looks much better than many thought it would to this point. Put me with the majority on this one......Bama wins by double digits.
Auburn vs LSU - There hasn't been a better 4 year series anywhere in college football...maybe in any football. Every game close, every game nasty and every game with some form of controversy or strangeness to it. Typically this is a defensive game, especially when played at Jordan Hare. Last 2 results are 10-9 and 7-3....that 7-3 game was the most well played 7-3 game I've seen in my lifetime. Auburn's offense has looked pretty bad, despite an encouraging performance against Southern Miss, the Tigers followed it with a horrid outing at MSU on that side of the ball. LSU's offense hasn't proven much to this point either, especially at QB. The disadvantage for LSU is only having played two games, and them both being against teams that were seriously lacking in the type of size and speed they will see on Saturday. Practicing against it is one thing, playing is completely different for guys like Andrew Hatch and Jarrett Lee. Both teams have a ton to prove and this is normally the game that turns the season for the winner and the loser. The winner will jump into the national discussion and be the outright favorite to win the West and get to Atlanta. I'll bet on the home team in this rivalry until that streak gets broken, but I'm not very comfortable doing it.
Florida vs Tennessee - Is a healthy Percy Harvin really the answer for the Gators? This was to be the premier offense in the conference or maybe even nationally with Tim Tebow coming back and the weapons and returning players at his disposal. Hasn't happened yet. The Vols have looked pretty inconsistent and in my opinion rely on the passing game too often. Crompton has not looked very accurate or poised and too many times they run the ball well early and abandon it later in the drive or game. This is a season saving kind of game for Tennessee after the UCLA debacle. They face Auburn, Northern Illinois and Georgia in the next three weeks and the fans could be looking at 2-4 at the midpoint of the season with Alabama, South Carolina, improving Vandy and Kentucky left to play. Fulmer's extension will get quite a bit of talk the week if the Vols get beaten badly. Florida was a media favorite for the SEC title and BCS title game birth. To live up to that hype, this team needs an offensive breakout game. Nothing like a John Chavis defense to help you out. There isn't a more predictable defensive coordinator in the conference.
Vandy vs Ole Miss - Winner likely gets a bowl trip and has a big leg up on the bottom half of the conference to shore up that spot. Both teams are good enough to beat almost anyone in the SEC on a good day....both are thin enough and inexperienced enough to lose to anyone as well. Not many fans nationwide or even in the SEC region will be watching this game with the headliners that we have this weekend, but it is a monster game for both schools. Vandy has a chance to be 4-0 with a 2-0 record in the SEC...that is just silly.
Georgia vs Arizona State - One of the two out of conference games that matter this weekend. Arizona State struggled last week and some of the luster has since worn from this match up. I expect a better Bulldogs offense and a game that isn't that close. Georgia can prove a lot by blowing out a Pac 10 team as far as the national pundits and polls go. It will be a common opponent between the Trojans and Georgia as well. Expect more Moreno and long balls by Stafford with a suffocating defense against an opponent that didn't look so good against big, physical teams a year ago.
Miss State vs Georgia Tech - Huge test for the Bulldogs after a tough home loss in the 3-2 nightmare game. There defense is built to stop the run, and that is what Tech does. If MSU cant win this one, look for a very long season and Sly Croom being the basement team of not just the West, but the entire conference.
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