Week 11 Scorecast and Synopsis

Here are the picks for Week 11. Keep in mind that the panelists' records and picks are made
based on the spread.

Synopses:

Jeremy

1. Kansas State @ TCU - If this game were in Manhattan, I may go in a different direction. Kansas State has been extremely good this year and really should be undefeated. They outplayed Auburn but couldn't put the Tigers away. The more I see TCU, the more I think they could be the real deal. I'm taking the Horned Frogs to cover here because they are playing at home, but I think this is going to be a battle. TCU  31-24

2. Notre Dame @ Arizona State - If Arizona State wins this game, there's a legitimate chance they can make a playoff push. How they lost to the Dread Pirate Leach and Washington State, I don't know. Notre Dame is hanging on because they managed to stay close against the suspect Noles. I just think it's been smoke and mirrors and a trip to the desert will expose some of those weaknesses. Arizona State 34-24

3. Ohio State @ Michigan State - The playoff committee obviously has devalued the Big 10 to the point where I'm not sure the winner of the conference has much of a chance unless they catch some major breaks. Ohio State has a chance to change the national perspective of them after an inexplicable loss to Virginia Tech. Michigan State has the chance to show they are the class of a weak conference. I think they get it done. Michigan State 38-21

4. Alabama @ LSU - A few years removed from the Game of the Century, these two meet in another meaningful November game. The Tigers showed there is still some bite in them after upsetting Ole Miss in Death Valley a couple of weeks ago. Many feel Bama is the best one loss team in the country. I think Blake Sims is going to struggle in this game. Baton Rouge is a nightmare to play in and he hasn't been the same QB on the road. I just don't know if LSU has the guns to keep up with the Tide in the long run. The Tide win but I'll take the Tigers and the points here. Alabama 23-17

Brian

1. Kansas State @ TCU - Both teams have played solid all year and managed close wins over conference opponents. Further, both teams have proven coaches. I trust Bill Snyder a little more as a coach and like the fact Kansas State has been exposed to Auburn. I like Kansas State to pull a major road victory here. Kansas State 27-24

2. Notre Dame @ Arizona State - Notre Dame did not play well last week against Navy. However, I still feel, as I have felt all year, the Fighting Irish have a solid team. Even though Arizona State is silently creeping up, I think Notre Dame will squeak by the Sun Devils. Notre Dame 31-28

3. Ohio State @ Michigan State - Ohio State has burned me several times on the spread this year. Had this game been in Columbus, I would have been tempted to go with Ohio State. However, the game is in East Lansing, and Ohio State hasn't shown me anything special recently. Mark Dantonio will have the Spartans defense primed to stop the Buckeyes. Michigan State 28-21

4. Alabama @ LSU - LSU surprised me with their play against Ole Miss in Death Valley a few weeks ago. I didn't give LSU a chance. The Tigers victory over the Rebels at least makes me think about this game for a little bit. I still like Alabama to win due to them being a little more consistent this season. I just don't know which LSU will show up. Alabama 35-28

Keppel

1. Kansas State @ TCU - Horned Frogs may win.

2. Notre Dame @ Arizona State - Sun Devils may win. 

3. Ohio State @ Michigan State - Spartans may win. 

4. Alabama @ LSU - Crimson Tide may win. 

Trivia Challenge Winner

Congrats to David for winning the Trivia Challenge and a $20 Amazon Gift Card. 

GRH will be resuming another 20 weeks of trivia in the near future!

Final Scoreboard
Name	Week Score	Cumulative
Bruce*	30	111
Bryan	40	167
Derrick	25	107
Josh*	45	135
Jarred	35	49
Jim	0	5
David*	50	190
*Note: Extra points for Blog Submission

Week 10 Poll and SEC Standings

Florida sure did show up against Georgia, or Georgia didn't show up. I don't want to say anything else about that game. In other news, Auburn won another nail biter over Ole Miss. Here was my poll at the end of Week 9. Here is my update at the end of Week 10. 

Further, below the rankings, I will list a few superlatives from the week. 

Week 10 Top 10

1. Mississippi State

2. Florida State

3. Alabama

4. Auburn

5. Oregon

6. Notre Dame

7. Michigan State

8. TCU

9. Kansas State

10. Arizona State

Week 10 SEC Standings

1. Mississippi State

2. Alabama

3. Auburn

4. Ole Miss

5. Georgia

     LSU

7. Missouri

8. Arkansas

9. Florida

10. Texas A&M

11. South Carolina

12. Kentucky

13. Tennessee

14. Anchor Down. 

Team of the Week: Auburn

A-Holes of the Week: Georgia. Pissed me off!

Failed execution of the week: Georgia letting Florida run a Fake FG for TD

Current Projected SEC Champion: Alabama. Mississippi State is still top dog until they lose, but Alabama has looked awfully good lately. I don't expect MSU to win at Alabama. 

Brain Droppings

Tough weekend to be a UGA fan. My initial attempt at Brain Droppings turned into a piece on the future of Mark Richt at Georgia. Be on the look out for that tomorrow. In the meantime, let's take a look at what happened this weekend...

Thuds - UGA - Installed as an favorite in the race for a National Championship earlier in the week by some Vegas oddsmakers, UGA looked outclassed by a desperate Florida team on Saturday. The Gators manhandled the Dawgs starting on the line of scrimmage. New starter Treon Harris only needed to throw 6 passes (only 3 complete for 27 yards) as Florida just crammed it down UGA's throat. The defense was also on point after the first quarter and there was no answer from the Dawgs. Looks like another Florida bowl game against Nebraska (God, not a third year in a row, for both team's fans). South Carolina - Let's stay in the SEC Least. Carolina managed to blow a two TD lead with two minutes left in the 4th Quarter against Tennessee. They also managed to give up like 450 yards passing to one of the most inept offenses in the conference. All of this prompted Coach Spurrier to walk out of his post-game presser after 45 seconds and admit to contemplating hanging it up. Ouch. Stanford - Oregon hammered Stanford over the weekend and the team that was supposed to be Alabama West has lost 4 games. Their top-ranked defense was exposed and their offense has no punch whatsoever. This has been quite a drop for what was the best team in the PAC-12 the past few seasons.

Studs - TCU - They overcame a 9 point 4th quarter deficit against what has become a solid WVU team in Morgantown. TCU may have just played their way into the Final Four. Their offense struggled for much of the day but made plays when it mattered. Next up: A huge game against K-State. Arizona State - Beat a very game Utah team late Saturday night. This team has a chance to get into the playoff conversation for real with a win over Notre Dame this weekend. Their only loss came in a route in the best game UCLA has played this season. They still have to hurdle Arizona in the PAC-12 but they have a legitimate chance to be the team facing Oregon in the PAC-12 title game. Auburn's Lucky Rabbit Foot - Usually when things bounce your way one year, they don't the next. Auburn continues to be the beneficiary of inexplicable plays. That doesn't mean they aren't any good. They are incredibly good. But they managed to beat Ole Miss the other night because the Rebels turned it over twice in the games waning minutes inside the 5 yard line. I guess Gus Malzahn has been living right, living to the beat, you can't touch.

Playoffs - (1) Mississippi State (2) FSU (3) Auburn (4) TCU - This has become a little easier since we know where the committee stands. No reason to drop the two States after this week. Auburn has two wins over top 10 teams on the road and TCU is the class of everyone else not in the SEC at this point, though Oregon looked like it's normal self against Stanford this week. Bama is right there and if it takes care of business moving forward will be in the mix very easily.

Next Week: An absolutely huge weekend of football. Notre Dame/Arizona State, Bama/LSU, TCU/K-State, hell, I'll even throw in Ohio State/Michigan State. These are the weekends we love college football. I'll be freezing my ass off in Lexington, KY watching the Dawgs play a Kentucky team I am very worried about.Take the gift 11 right now if these teams play like I expect. On the bright side, bourbon.

SEC Power Rankings:

14) Vanderbilt - 

13) South Carolina - Wow. What a collapse. This team beat ECU and Georgia (who both also lost inexplicably this week)

12) Tennessee - They may have found their QB. The question is whether or not Butch is gonna stick around now after he was reportedly interested in the Michigan job last week.

11) Kentucky - I thought they would beat a punchless Mizzou team on the road. Nope. Maybe a punchless UGA team at home though.

10) Texas A&M - Their helmets looked cool. Their QB didn't. I don't like them against anyone in the West right now.

9) Arkansas - Still winless in the SEC though a very game effort against Miss State on the road.

8) UGA/Mizzou/Florida - These teams don't deserve to be tied for 6th or 7th. Mizzou controls it's own destiny in the East and they lost to Indiana. Talk about an anomaly. UGA beat Mizzou 34-0, Mizzou beat Florida 42-13, and Florida beat UGA 38-20. Odd year.

5) LSU - Mighty test against the Tide this weekend.

4) Ole Miss - From penthouse to outhouse in two weeks. Rebels have to play spoiler.

3) Alabama - I think they're on the outside looking in but that will change if they keep winning.

2) Auburn - They did just enough to win on Saturday night. The schedule is unforgiving but if they manage it, then they deserve the #1 seed.

1) Mississippi State - The defense saved the day, turning Arkansas away twice in the closing minutes when they were threatening. A breather this week before the Tide.

The Future of Coach Richt: Takes After Florida Debacle

This past weekend was hard to take for Georgia fans. Prior to the game, the Mark Richt criticism was pretty mild this season, especially given losing Gurley for 4 games due to suspension. After the Florida debacle, the Richt rioters have started back up again. Both Jeremy and Brian of GRH analyze the extent to which criticism is warranted. 

Jeremy's Take

I texted my dad from section 416 high above EverBank Field in Jacksonville on Saturday at 3:30. The text simply read: "There are no Florida fans here." And it was true. Florida fans were quite casual about filling into the stadium prior to kickoff against the Dawgs. And though it filled in by the end of the first quarter, they didn't miss anything. Florida looked like they were supposed to for the first 15 minutes. But something was awry. I just couldn't help but have the feeling that we were letting them hang around. I guess the truth is, they were letting us hang around.

UGA lined up for a field goal into the wind as time was about to expire in the 1st quarter. To that point UGA had held the ball for 11 minutes, ran for over 100 yards, and recovered a Gator fumble near midfield. However, with the kick they would've only been up 10-0. The problem is that it never got to that score. I wondered why we kicked into the wind but I guess it might not have mattered. The kick apparently missed, though I didn't have a vantage point to tell. The UGA kicker thought it was good but I guess he didn't either. Florida had life and though their next drive was stopped at about the same place on the field, rather than miss a kick on 4th down, Florida faked it and not only managed to pick up the 1st down but a TD. Things took a dramatic turn and Florida dominated the rest of the game.

It was a familiar story line for us Georgia fans. I've been to Jacksonville for just about every one of the last 25 editions of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and have been on the losing end of more than I have the winning side. But this wasn't about losing to Florida. It was about losing to a team that was, up to this point in the season, inferior. It was about being befuddled on another fake kick when you know the other team has nothing to lose. It was about being completely dominated on the line of scrimmage. It was about getting away from your bread and butter too quickly. It was about "Georgia-ing" away another opportunity to make a run.

The call-in shows are lighting up with the Fire Richt and Bobo is an idiot talk. I can't rightly condone that. Richt has won an average of 9.7 games a year in his 13 years at the helm of UGA. He's won 2 SEC titles and played in the SEC Championship game 5 times. The 2012 edition of the team was 5 yards away from playing for the National Championship. The 2007 team was jobbed by voters because it didn't play for it's conference title (something pollsters didn't mind when Alabama didn't do in 2011. The 2002 team finished #3 in the country with one loss (again to the rival Gators). That's three times that UGA was a legitimate title contender in 14 years. It just has managed to not have that break every team that wins a NC gets. Additionally, I think UGA fans (because of their SEC brethren's recent success) forget just how difficult it is to win a National Championship.

With that being said, I wonder if UGA is at a point where change is good just for change sake. That is, has Coach Richt gotten stale. And the answer is, I don't know. That usually isn't a solution in college football like it is in the pros. The kids turn over more regularly so it's hard to get stale unless it's with a fan base. And I think the UGA fanbase is squarely divided. There are those who feel as if Coach Richt is an exemplary when it comes producing young men of high character. Hard to argue. UGA is the epitome of doing things the "right way." There is something to be said for that in today's "win at all cost mentality." Other teams have profited off of UGA's stringent policy's. However, the UGA team has suffered because of that too and ultimately as a coach, you are judged on your wins and losses. Actually, let's be honest. You are judged on your losses. People quickly forget the wins. Just ask Phil Fulmer.

Coach Richt has been the right person at the right time for UGA after the Goff debacle of the early 1990's and the Jim Donnan era of beating everyone but your rivals. Richt has put UGA in position to compete on a national stage by bring talent and stability to the program. He routinely beats rival. He wins on the road. UGA is no stranger to the SEC Championship. I guess the question is: Can he be the one that gets them over the top? Or will he eternally be Charlie Brown trying to kick the football only to have Lucy (aka Steve Spurrier, Florida, or Nick Saban) pull it away at the last second?

It's hard not overreacting to a poor performance in a football game. And let me stress, I'm not calling for Coach Richt's head. In fact, I am unsure there are many coaches who are obvious upgrades to Coach Richt. But I'd be lying if I said I was 100% sure he hasn't become Jim Donnan and reached his ceiling.



I certainly hope not.


Brian's Take

Over time, my views on Mark Richt have changed about as much as the weather in Georgia during the fall, which is a lot. 

However, in the past year or so, as I have begun a career myself, I have slightly altered my views on Mark Richt. Let me explain my progression:

2001-2006: During this time period, there was little reason to criticize Mark Richt. Most coaches receive a bye during their first year. In 2002, Richt won the SEC Championship in his second year and returned in 2003 even though Georgia lost to LSU. In 2004, UGA failed to make the SEC Championship, but posted a solid 10-2 record, only losing to Tennessee and undefeated Auburn. In 2005, Richt led the Dawgs to another SEC title.

2006-2009: 2006 was a transition year for UGA. No David Greene or DJ Shockley. Georgia struggled in 2006, starting Joe Tereshinski during the beginning of the year, and ending the year behind Matthew Stafford. Even though UGA went 9-4 in 2006, the team clearly progressed and fans had a lot of optimism surrounding Matthew Stafford. In 2007, UGA finished the season as the 2nd best team in the country (according to the AP Poll) and won the Sugar Bowl. 2008 represented the first year I actually started to question Richt as a head coach. UGA began the year ranked #1, largely due to having Stafford at QB, Knowhson Moreno at RB, and freshman phenom, AJ Green, at WR. Looking at the record book, a 10-3 season in 2008 doesn't seem all that bad. However, if you actually watched UGA, given all the NFL talent, the team heavily under performed. After being physically dominated by Alabama, UGA was destroyed by Urban Meyer's Gators. And, UGA ended the regular season blowing a sizable lead to Georgia Tech at home. 2009 was another transition year, with no Stafford and no Moreno. UGA managed to go 8-5, which was respectable enough given the loss in talent. Richt fired Willie Martinez at the end of this season due to defensive issues. I further began wondering if UGA should fire Richt at this point. When head coaches start firing coordinators, it's not usually a good sign. 

2010-2013: 2010 started with yet another new starting QB. Add in a 4 game suspension to AJ Green, and the 2010 squad barely made a bowl game. However, freshman QB Aaron Murray looked promising enough to wait and see how the 2011 squad would perform. Further, I wanted to hold judgment at least a year to see how Georgia's defense progressed under Todd Grantham and his 3-4 scheme. Despite opening 2011 with 2 losses (Boise St and South Carolina), Georgia reeled off 10 wins in a row and went to the SEC Championship. Even though the Bulldogs lost to LSU, most were happy with the progression of the team and the defense. Thus, I was still satisfied with Mark Richt being head coach at this point. 2012 started with a bang, as fans quickly saw how good the team could be with the Gurshall RB monster. With the exception of the South Carolina blowout, the 2012 team was a play away from competing in the national championship. Mark Richt was definitely safe at the end of the 2013 season. It is hard for me to assess how much Mark Richt should be blamed for the 2013 season. Georgia finished 8-5, but faced injuries (some were season-ending) to Todd Gurley, Aaron Murray, Keith Marshall, Michael Bennett, Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley, and the list goes on. When healthy, this Georgia team was rolling. So, Richt got another mulligan for 2013. 

2014: Bulldogs fans knew life without Aaron Murray would be difficult, but Gurley would be healthy and the defense should be improved under Jeremy Pruitt, right? The opener vs. Clemson encouraged many fans. For once, Georgia physically dominated another team in the 4th quarter. Maybe this team would be different...After a week off, it was the same story for UGA against South Carolina - missed opportunities, strange play calls, and no defense. Ok, hit the re-set button. Todd Gurley gets suspended in early October, and Georgia reels off two impressive road victories behind Nick Chubb and a resurgent defense - or so we thought. Fast forward to the Florida game. After another bye week, the defense played awful and the team got physically manhandled by Florida. Now, many are left wondering again about Mark Richt. 

My conclusion...There are several things that really bother me about teams under Mark Richt. I will list these frustrations below, followed by a "but..."

1. Georgia doesn't seem to hit the gas pedal and keep it down. Have you ever noticed that Richt teams often play very conservative with a lead (or without one), fall behind, and wait until very late (when it's too late) to hit the gas pedal again?

2. Georgia consistently loses 1-2 games per year where they just don't show up. Even though Georgia lost to South Carolina this year, they showed up. They just didn't play well. That game was painful, but I can accept it. The team flat out did not show up against Florida. There was no energy or leadership. UGA got punched in the face and laid down. In 2013, they didn't show up vs. Vanderbilt and lost. In 2012, UGA got smacked by South Carolina in Columbia. And the list goes on...

3. Some people consider Gus Malzahn or Les Miles lucky and Mark Richt unlucky. I'm not gonna sit here and act like Auburn didn't have some miracles last season, but Les Miles and Gus Malzahn consistently do things that put their teams in position to have miracles: THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE ALMOST ALL THE TIME. Les Miles draws up trick plays frequently, whether they are fake FGs or punts. Do they fail sometimes? Of course. But, I like his mentality of let's keep other teams on their heels and make them STOP US. Let's consider the Georgia-Auburn game from 2013. Yes, it took a convenient bounce for Ricardo Louis to catch the go-ahead TD for Auburn. But, at least Auburn threw the ball down field and gave themselves a chance to win!  How many times have you seen Georgia concede a down with a 3rd and long RB draw? How many times have you seen Georgia run 4 plays inside the 20 yard line, without ever throwing the ball to end zone? It's almost like Georgia doesn't even give themselves a chance sometimes, settling for a field goal that ends up being missed. In other words, whereas Miles and Malzahn take the mentality of make them stop us, Georgia takes the mentality of stopping themselves. Further, in 2013, before Alabama kicked the final field goal in regulation against Auburn, Malzahn called a timeout to substitute in Chris Davis and blockers, should Alabama miss a FG short. Sure, it took some great blocking and a great returner for Auburn to win, but the strategy employed by Malzahn put them in a position to win.

4. Mark Richt recruits extremely well. This works both ways. Yes, UGA gets blue chip talent every year and is in the top 5 for college teams with active players on NFL rosters. However, guess who the only top 5 college team is without a recent national championship? Georgia. 

5. Georgia doesn't scare anybody anymore. Todd Gurley scares people, but Georgia as a team doesn't. People are scared of Alabama. People are scared of Death Valley and LSU. People are scared of Malzahn's offenses at Auburn. Unfortunately, Georgia just doesn't strike fear in opponents the way that such a talented team should. 

But, despite these frustrations, I do not remotely think Georgia should fire Mark Richt. During my first year in the workplace (outside of graduate school), even more than before, I have learned the importance of integrity, people, and relationships. There are many things I cannot control. However, I can largely control how I treat other people and love them. Investing in others and treating them with love and respect often comes with a sacrifice - myself. There are times in which I must put the interests of others above myself. 

There are countless stories online about how Mark Richt has invested in players, former or current, and how much he truly cares about developing young men. Even though I do not personally know Richt, I have the sense that he truly adheres to the Christian values that he preaches. His family has adopted several children from Eastern Europe, and the Richts have always been involved in the Athens community. Do Richt's extracurriculars and work-life balance detract from Georgia's winning percentage and his personal trophies? Possibly so. But, in the end, is life only about winning? Or, is it about using our positions on Earth to build relationships, invest in others, provide opportunities, and ultimately create a better place? 

While Mark Richt may have not brought a National Championship to Georgia (and may never), I think Mark Richt has undoubtedly made Georgia a better place for student-athletes. Does that give him a free pass to be a mediocre coach? Absolutely not. Does that mean fans shouldn't be frustrated? Not at all. But, in looking at the entire body of work, Richt has won close to 75% of his games and has impacted countless young athletes for their lifetime. You just cannot fire a guy like this. 

What is your take?

JD's Deuce Points (Trick or Treat?)

1. The "Family" Visit

Hello bloggers. I hope you all feel like you put on clothes that just got out of the dryer! My goal is to continue blogging again on a weekly basis with my Deuce Points, but coaching has taken my energy to the woodshed and locked it into a rusted vault. 

Anyways, to pick you up where I last left off, I'm sure you are wondering how Lady is doing...for those of who are reading me for the first time, Lady is my dog. She is a Labrador Retriever who is on the market.

My brother and his wife came in last night from West Virginia to visit us over the weekend for Halloween. Even though today is Halloween, our neighborhood trick-or-treats on Thursdays to keep the kids safe, if you know what I mean (cough cough). 

My wife and I decided to dress Lady up like Peter Pan to go around the neighborhood trick-or-treating for Milk Bones. What we didn't realize though was that my brother brought his dog, Wendy, down from West Virginia. You see, Wendy is a Labrador Retriever too. That's where all the trouble began. 

Lady has been all over Wendy since she has been here. My wife and I are beginning to think that Lady is having a gender identity crisis because we are dressing her up as a male (Peter Pan). And then, throw in the fact that my brother's dog is named Wendy, it makes things even more confusing. 

Eventually, my wife and I had to tell Lady that Wendy is her cousin and that it's only kosher for them to just be friends. 

2. Get Lucky

Like the legend of the Phoenix, you soar above the whistling oaks and scour the earth like a wounded beetle. 

I sense a scent I haven't seen in a while, but smell an unfamiliar sight. I call, where are you? You don't respond. I'm done. I can't take it anymore. Leave me to my own devices. 

Let's open a K-Mart. 

Week 10 Scorecast and Synopsis

Here are the picks for Week 10. Keep in mind that the panelists' records and picks are made
based on the spread.

Synopses:

Jeremy

1. Florida State @ Louisville - Looks like the betting public likes Louisville here as the line has dropped through the week. I think this is just people wishing FSU will lose. The Cardinals defense has been solid but their best opponent has been Clemson. The Noles havent been able to run the ball consistently so I'm not sure it will matter if Karlos Williams plays or not. I think the Cardinals can keep it close but I have to go with the Noles to get the win and cover. FSU 31-21

2. TCU @ West Virginia - All I can say is the scoreboard may break in this game. TCU put up 82 last week. West Virginia is capable. They may have the best WR in the country so pay attention to Kevin White. However, I just feel as if TCU is the more complete team here. I think this will be an up and down game but TCU has enough fire power behind Trevone Boykin to get the win.  TCU 42 - 35

3. Florida vs. Georgia - So tough as a Georgia fan to think we are going to run away in this game. The sting of the 90's and 2000's are quite fresh. Here's my problem with the Gators though; How are they going to score? Treon Harris is supposed to come in and give Florida a lift but the best stat on his resume is  leading the Gators on a game winning drive against a horrible Tennessee team. The Gators defense is solid but I have faith in the UGA line to continue doing a fine job up front and opening holes for whoever the running back is. The game will be ugly as Will Muschamp is fighting for his life (probably won't matter though) but the Dawgs get it done. UGA 28-14

4. Auburn @ Ole Miss - I think this game is going to be an absolute slug fest. Ole Miss is fighting for it's life after their loss to LSU last week. Auburn already knows it has no room for error either. Auburn doesn't seem to be the same team on the road this year. They struggled in a win against Kansas State and looked pedestrian at times against Miss State. I don't have a ton of faith in Bo Wallace but I think the Landsharks give him every opportunity by limiting the Auburn offense. Ole Miss wins a squeaker. Ole Miss 28-24


Brian

1. Florida State @ Louisville - Jeez. Can they both lose? Between Jameis Winston and Bobby Petrino, there's more than enough dislike to go around. I'm sure Louisville will keep this game interesting for a while, but Florida State has superior talent and mojo. Florida State 35-17

2. TCU @ West Virginia - TCU sure did score a lot of points last week versus Texas Tech. Seemed a bit like they were running up the score, but impressive nonetheless. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin has been lights out lately. I take TCU to keep rolling. TCU 42-28

3. Florida vs. Georgia - I know, I know. Florida is bad. Muschamp is likely gone. Georgia has played well lately. You know what? In rivalry games, sometimes all these factors just don't matter. Even though UGA is riding a 3 game win streak against the Gators, I've seen Georgia lose and make games versus Florida interesting way too many times. I think Georgia wins, but doesn't cover. Georgia 21-10

4. Auburn @ Ole Miss - I watched a decent amount of the Ole Miss @ LSU game last weekend. I was pretty disappointed with Ole Miss's offense and thought the Land Sharks played more like Land Groupers for a lot of the game. If it weren't for 4 LSU turnovers, LSU may have won by more. However, I was equally unimpressed with Auburn's defense against South Carolina. I expect Auburn's offense to give them enough to beat the Black Rebel Bears in Oxford. Auburn 35 Ole Miss 20

Keppel

1. Florida State @ Louisville - Florida State is favored I pick Florida State

2. TCU @ West Virginia - TCU is favored I pick TCU

3. Florida vs. Georgia - Georgia is favored I pick Georgia

4. Auburn @ Ole Miss - Ole Miss is favored I pick Ole Miss even though I don't want to