It’s a given that No. 13.0 LSU really needs to show its worth this weekend in Columbia against the Cocks. The humiliation at the hands of Florida last week left the college football world – and any Tiger fan with a brain – wondering what this team is all about.
And the No. 35.5 Cocks are on a four-game winning streak and sit on the brink of having a pretty good year after a 1-2 start. Their only quality victories, though, have come over Ole Miss and Kentucky in a pair of seven-point wins.
The Cocks are No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 in the country in pass defense, allowing just 132 yards per game. And 8th-place in SEC rush defense is still No. 30 in the country, so Carolina is No. 3 in the country in total defense.
The Tigers supposedly have a good ground game, and turning Jarrett Lee loose to throw into Cock coverage seems rather ill-advised. But Carolina has no run game (last in the SEC, No. 104 in the country) and leans heavily on the pass. The key for the Tigers here is not giving up a lot of pass yardage and points so we don’t have to turn to our own pass game to keep up.
Unfortunately, LSU now sits at No. 9 in SEC pass defense and total defense, and No. 10 in scoring defense. That could be a problem. LSU does not want to get in to a touchdown contest with the Cocks.
This one concerns me. I’m not going to pick the Cocks, but my confidence is not high.
LSU 34 – 31
Elsewhere in the SEC:
No. 22.5 Vanderbilt at No. 9 Georgia: Vandy just doesn’t stack up well against the Dawgs – or against anybody, really. Except Auburn. We hope you enjoyed your time in the Top 25; good luck on that bowl eligibility thing.
Dawgs 45 – 17
Ole Miss at No. 2 Alabama: Imagine the Tide football complex … luxurious, high-tech and filled with pictures of the Bear and crimson-colored shag carpet. You have to think there are a lot of televisions in the complex, and you can bet your life that Fonzie has been playing Ole Miss’ win over then-No. 4 Florida non stop this week. The Kentucky scare was a great motivational tool for Saban, and combined with being able to show his kids what happened to Florida, you have to figure there will be a lot of focus and no let-down this week.
Bama 31 – 20
Arkansas at Kentucky: Could there be a less-compelling SEC game this season?
Kentucky 24 – 17
Mississippi State at Tennessee: The only game that could be less compelling than Arkansas / Kentucky. The only appeal here is the potential to watch Phil Fulmer squirm on the sideline and possibly be escorted out of the stadium and permanently off campus by his athletic director sometime in the second half.
Mississippi State 8 – 5 (3 OT)
