College Football: Midseason Report Cards for Every SEC Team

The 2011 college football season started with high hopes for all 12 SEC teams. Eight teams were ranked in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. Alabama topped the listed ranked second in the nation followed by LSU (4), South Carolina (12), Arkansas (14), Georgia (19), Mississippi State (20), Florida (22), and Auburn (23).

Natural attrition during the first half of the 2011 season would weed a few teams out of the rankings. Mississippi State and Georgia are the only two teams to no longer in the AP rankings.

All an SEC team feels they need to do is win the conference championship game for a shot at the national title as a SEC team has won each of the last five BCS Championships after winning the SEC title game. With half of the season left to play, the SEC East and West races are still undetermined.

LSU and Alabama are undefeated in the West with Arkansas and Auburn on their heels with one conference loss each.

In the East, South Carolina and Georgia are tied for first place with one conference loss a piece. Florida, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt are tied for second place each with two conference losses.

First Half Storyline in the SEC: Injuries

Injuries to key players have been the main story for many SEC teams during the first half of the 2011 season. Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt have seen their starting quarterbacks knocked out of game action at some point during the season.

Florida lost their first and second string quarterbacks against Alabama and Tennessee’s Tyler Bray has a broken thumb that could keep him out of action for six weeks.

Mississippi State has been plagued with injuries along their offensive line.

Justin Hunter, the Vols top wide receiver and Kentucky’s true freshman running back Josh Clemons each tore their ACL and are out for the season.

Arkansas played without four starting defensive players against Alabama and Texas A&M. The Hogs were without three of their top four running backs until the A&M game as well.

The top running backs for Ole Miss have been hampered by various injuries all season.

Defensive standouts Collins Ukwu (Kentucky), C.J. Mosley (Alabama), and Melvin Ingram (South Carolina) have missed the majority of the first half of the season but appear to be healthy for the second half run.

Grade for Nonconference Games: B

In games against notable nonconference opponents the SEC turned in a 7-4 record. Their 4-1 record against ranked opponents is impressive.

Arkansas, LSU, and Alabama made loud statements with big wins, LSU twice, over Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12, and Big East teams.

Vanderbilt’s win over Connecticut, the 2010 Big East champs, was a signature win for the Commodores and new head coach James Franklin.

Georgia took a tough loss at home to Boise State 35-21. Auburn’s loss to Clemson, not ranked at the time, in Death Valley ignited a Tiger’s team now ranked in the top 10.

Key Nonconference Games in the First Half

*Teams/Date/Site (off-campus location)

Boise State at Georgia, September 3, in Atlanta, Georgia

BYU at Ole Miss, September 3

Oregon vs. LSU, September 3, in Arlington, Texas

Alabama at Penn State, September 10

Cincinnati vs. Tennessee, September 10

Connecticut vs. Vanderbilt, September 10

Auburn at Clemson, September 17

Louisville at Kentucky, September 17

LSU at West Virginia, September 24

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M, October 1, in Arlington, Texas

Ole Miss at Fresno State, October 1

Key nonconference games yet to be played

Florida State vs. Florida, November 26

Clemson vs. South Carolina, November 26

Vanderbilt vs. Wake Forest, November 26

Grade for In-conference Games: C-

Many of the first half games have been disappointing. Injuries or not, LSU and Alabama have not been tested by the rest of the conference.

Here’s a list of games that looked like great matchups before the season began.

*Teams/Date/Site (off-campus location)

South Carolina at Georgia, September 10

Mississippi State at Auburn, September 10

LSU at Mississippi State, September 15

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt, September 17

Arkansas at Alabama, September 24

Florida at Kentucky, September 24

Alabama at Florida, October 1

Florida at LSU, October 8

Of the games listed, Mississippi State versus Auburn was the lone dramatic game coming down to a last second goal line stand for the Tigers.

Notable In-conference Games Remaining

Georgia vs. Florida, October 24, in Jacksonville, Florida

LSU at Alabama, November 5

South Carolina at Arkansas, November 5

Florida at South Carolina, November 12

Arkansas at LSU, November 25

Team Grades SEC West

Alabama

Defense: A+

The Tide’s defense has dominated their opponents. The third ranked defense in college has held two teams scoreless. The most points they have given up this season is 14 to Arkansas at home.

Offense: A

The offense continues to roll with running backs Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. The Alabama offensive line creates holes for their running backs and gives first year starter AJ McCarron time to find his receivers when needed.

Overall: A

The Tide won three signature games against Penn State, Arkansas, and Florida. Looking a little bit closer, Penn State is not that great, Arkansas and Florida had injury problems during the game. What have we really learned about Alabama so far?

November 5, Bama will be tested for the first time when LSU comes to Tuscaloosa.

Arkansas

Defense: C

What defensive team do we rate? The healthy unit or how the team that has played to date? When have they been healthy?

As bad as it may seem for Razorback fans the Hogs are ranked 37th in scoring defense (21.33), 67th in total defense (389.50 yards per game), and 30th in pass defense (200.83 yards per game). With Jake Bequette, Isaac Madison, Darius Winston, Tank Wright, and Robert Thomas missing time, this group has held together well.

Willy Robinson’s defensive unit held Alabama’s offensive attack to 17 points in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Not having both starting defensive ends has contributed to their SEC low of 6 sacks.

Look for improvement on the Arkansas defense in the second half as they get healthier.

Offense: B+

How can a team that averages 39.17 points per game, 17th best in the nation, have a B+ ranking on offense? Their running game is the reason or lack thereof.

Arkansas averages 129.33 rushing yards per game, 77th in the nation and 8th in the SEC.

In upcoming games against South Carolina and LSU Tyler Wilson will need the support of the running game if the Hogs hope to win.

Overall: B

The Hogs have a lot of room for improvement but have played well enough to win two important games versus Texas A&M and Auburn. Should the offensive line gel and improve their blocking this group can go far. The addition of Broderick Green and Dennis Johnson in the backfield will help the Hogs’ rushing attack.

Bobby Petrino has to be all smiles that he made it through the toughest part of the Razorback schedule with only one loss.

Look for the Hogs to roll until their game against LSU. If the Hogs beat LSU that could create a three-way tie for first place in the SEC West if LSU beats Alabama.

Auburn

Defense: D

Auburn has the 105th ranked defense in college football.

The defense held South Carolina to a season low 13 points in an upset win on the road. Was that Garcia’s poor performance, Auburn’s play, or a little bit of both?

The defense is young and still coming together as a group. Look for them to get stronger as the season progresses.

Offense: C

Auburn is 80th in the nation in total offense. Much of that is due to the running ability of Michael Dyer. Dyer is third in the SEC in rushing yards (679) and rushing touchdowns (8).

Barrett Trotter has 9 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and has taken 12 sacks.

Through it all they average 27.83 points per game.

Overall: C

How good or bad Auburn really is this season is still up for debate. Four of their victories have been last minute wins. Is this a sign of a team that never gives up and finds a way to win or a sign that they play down to their level of competition?

Auburn lost nearly 40 percent of their players from the 2010 roster to graduation and the NFL. This team is young and still learning how to play together. Next year could be a great season for Gene Chizik and company.

Auburn should end up 9-3 or 8-4 putting them on track for their third straight bowl appearance.

LSU

Defense: A+

Hard to poke any holes in LSU’s defense to date. The Tigers held Oregon to 27 points (2nd ranked scoring offense) and West Virginia to 21 (12th ranked scoring offense). Not counting the LSU game, Oregon is averaging 56 points per game this season.

In three conference games LSU is allowing 8 points per game. Overall offenses are scoring 12.50 points per game against their defense.

Offense: B

LSU is finishing games at a rate of 38.50 points per game. Their passing attack is not stellar, 8th in the SEC, but good enough to get the job done when needed. Their rushing attack is 6th best in the SEC. All very average numbers but with their defense backing them, they do not have to take unnecessary chances or be flashy on offense.

Overall: A+

LSU has played the most difficult schedule in the nation to date and remains undefeated. There is little doubt that this is the best team in college football.

Upcoming games against Alabama and Arkansas seem to be the only two games standing in their way of a SEC title berth and a possible BCS Championship game berth.

Mississippi State

Defense: C-

MSU opponents are averaging 20.17 points per game. The Bulldogs have the 41st best defense in total yards. The problem is their defense is letting opponents run for 159 yards per game.

Dan Mullen has no answers for the loss of their 2010 starting linebacker unit, namely Chris White and K.J. Wright. Until their linebackers learn to stop the run, this will be a long season for Bulldog fans.

Offense: C-

Despite Chris Relf’s struggles under center, MSU’s offense is scoring at a rate of 26 points per game. They have talent in the backfield with running back Vick Ballard.

Mullen may have to make the difficult decision to bench senior quarterback Chris Relf for sophomore quarterback Tyler Russell. Russell played well coming off the bench against UAB in week 6 leading MSU to a come from behind 21-3 win.

Overall: C-

Mississippi State is 0-3 in conference play. Losing to Auburn, Georgia, and LSU is no crime. If Mullen was hoping to take MSU to the next step in the SEC he needed to win two of those games.

Mullen has three winnable games left on the schedule, at Kentucky, versus Tennessee-Martin, and versus Ole Miss. Winning those three could put them in a bowl game even without a signature win.

Winning one of the three remaining games against South Carolina, Alabama, or Arkansas renews the Bulldog program and places them in a bowl.

Ole Miss

Defense: D-

Halfway through the season Ole Miss rush defense is ranked 95th in the nation (193 yards/game) and their pass defense is ranked 53rd (215.40 yards/game).

Their opponents during the first 6 games of the season include: BYU, Southern Illinois, Vanderbilt, Georgia, and Fresno State. None of their opponents have been ranked at the time of play.

Offense: D

In the Rebels two wins against Southern Illinois and Fresno State their offense averaged 40 points. In their three losses their offense averaged 11 points.

Mississippi’s passing game and rushing attack is 10th worst in the SEC in total yards. Vanderbilt is ranked below the Rebels in passing and rushing and beat Ole Miss 30-7.

Overall: D-

If one believes in recruiting stars and rankings given via major recruiting publications, there is talent on campus. Houston Nutt has done a poor job of getting consistent quarterback play and the most out of his player’s talents thus far.

Rebel fans do not get your hopes up for a turnaround in the second half of the season. Ole Miss has three winnable games remaining against Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, and Mississippi State.

The good thing is Ole Miss has four games left on the schedule at home. The bad thing is three of those teams are Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU.

SEC East

Florida

Defense: B-

The first four games of the season the Gators defense looked as good as any in the nation. The most points Florida allowed was 23 points by Tennessee in a conference rivalry game. Then in the last two games Alabama scored 38 and LSU scored 41.

How good is the Gator defense? Great but not elite?

Offense: C

Florida averaged 40.25 points per game in their first four games. Against two of the better teams in the nation they averaged 10.5.

The Gator offense took heavy lumps against Alabama. John Brantley, Jeff Demps, and Jeff Driskel were all injured making them miss time against LSU in the following game.

This is Charlie Weis’ first season in Gainesville as offensive coordinator. Look for him to keep developing the young talent he has on offense and for Florida to get better as the season continues.

Florida’s kicking game has been phenomenal this season. The lone missed field goal was an attempt over 50-yards.

Overall: C

Florida looked great in their first four games climbing as high as number 12 in the AP poll. After their injuries and two devastating losses to Alabama and LSU the Gators welcome the second half of their schedule which features only one team currently ranked, South Carolina.

The six remaining games on the schedule are all winnable. Having to rely on one of two true freshmen under center until Brantley comes back could make those six games a wild ride.

Georgia

Defense: C

The defense has rebounded from the first two games of the season against Boise State and South Carolina. The Bulldog scoring defense is ranked 20th in the nation (tied with Florida) limiting teams to 19.17 points per game. In their last four games opponents have averaged 8.75 points against them.

Florida, if healthy, Auburn, and Georgia Tech’s offenses could create problems for the Bulldogs in the second half.

Offense: B+

Putting points on the board has not been a problem for Mark Richt’s team this year. They average 32.17 points per game. Finding a balance with the running game and passing attack took a few games.

True freshman running back Isaiah Crowell has been a difference maker for the Bulldog offense. Crowell did not start until game three against Coastal Carolina. He is the 4th leading rusher in the SEC in total rushing yards and has three 100-yard rushing games.

Aaron Murray has been hot and cold during his sophomore campaign. He has thrown 13 touchdown passes but has also thrown 6 interceptions. If he takes 13 more sacks in the second half of the season, that could prove to be problematic for Georgia.

The Bulldogs need to improve their 39 percent 3rd down conversion rate in the second half of the season.

Overall: B

Georgia is in a great position to have a nice second half run. All of the Bulldogs games are winnable. Florida, Auburn, and at Georgia Tech highlight the schedule.

After their 0-2 start to be tied with South Carolina for the SEC East lead is not a bad place to be.

South Carolina has two tough SEC games left. Georgia needs a South Carolina loss for a shot as the SEC East representative in the conference title game.

Kentucky

Defense: D

The Wildcat’s defense allows 29.50 points per game. Kentucky’s offense is the 118th worst in FBS scoring 13 points per game.

What is the defense to do with no help from the offense?

The worn down Wildcat defense allows 408.5 yards of total offense per game. If the offense was able to help control the clock a little more this defense could be decent.

Offense: F

Sorry Wildcat fans but it is true, the offense is really bad. Morgan Newton has not been able to replace Mike Hartline’s production as the starting quarterback. In Kentucky’s last game versus South Carolina, Newton completed 4 of 21 passes for 17 yards. After the game one could hear Wildcat fans across the country shouting, “I could do better than that.”

Head coach Joker Philips has not been able to ignite the offense that lost Hartline, Cobb, Locke, and Matthews. To make matters worse running back Josh Clemons is out for the year with an ACL tear. Raymond Sanders will have to take a bigger role in the offense if Kentucky is to have a shot at going to a bowl game.

Overall: D-

Kentucky has two nonconference wins but has been blown out by three straight ranked SEC teams; Florida 48-10, LSU 35-7, South Carolina 54-3.

The remaining schedule is not overly difficult. For Kentucky it may be very difficult.

Any sort of offense could help the Wildcats win games in the second half of the season against Jacksonville State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, at Vanderbilt, at Georgia, or at home against Tennessee.

Wildcats will miss a bowl game for the first time in over five years.

South Carolina

Defense: B+

After giving up 37 points to East Carolina and 42 to Georgia in their first two games, the Gamecock defense has settled down. South Carolina allows 274.50 yards of total offense per game which makes them the 9th best team in the nation. Their scoring defense is giving up a total of 20.33 points per game, 28th best in the nation.

Defensive tackle Melvin Ingram has missed time this season and All-SEC defensive end Devin Taylor had a slow start to his season. Slowly their defense has become the dominate force Gamecock fans were expected to be before the season began.

Offense: C

Let’s be honest, Marcus Lattimore is the South Carolina offense. Senior quarterback Stephen Garcia was having a horrible season leading the SEC in interceptions thrown and helping USC be the 111th worst team in FBS in that statistic.

Garcia has been dismissed from the team by head coach Steve Spurrier and now the reigns have been turned over to sophomore Connor Shaw. Shaw had a good game against Kentucky throwing for 311 yards completing 26 of 39 attempts with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Shaw’s ability to be consistent and not turn the ball over will be the key to the Gamecock season going forward; that and Marcus Lattimore staying healthy.

Overall: B

How good are the Gamecocks? South Carolina has not played a ranked team this season. Auburn jumped to 15th in the nation after beating USC in Williams-Brice Stadium.

USC will have three chances to prove their ranking before the season is over. They travel to Arkansas, play Florida in Jacksonville, and get Clemson at home.

The Gamecocks are capable of winning out the rest of their season if they can get strong quarterback play from Shaw.

Look for USC to have at least one more conference lost and have a shootout against Clemson in the Battle of the Palmetto State.

Tennessee

Defense: B

Tennessee is limiting their opponents to 343.80 yards per game and 20.40 points per game. The defense will be challenged with remaining games against LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, and Arkansas.

If the defense can keep their current average of points per game and yards per game allowed they should be able to win a couple of tough games in the second half of the season.

Offense: C+

Even though Tennessee has been one-dimensional with Tyler Bray at quarterback, the offense is still putting up 32.60 points per game. Bad news is Bray could be out for six weeks. The good news is senior quarterback Matt Simms is stepping under center for the Vols.

Simms played through the toughest part of the Vols schedule in 2010 before missing the rest of the year with an injury. Simms has the ability to keep the Vols in games with his arm.

Simms, like Bray, will have to play without a rushing attack. A big season was expected of running back Tauren Poole but he has not played well. He has been hampered by a hamstring injury and may see limited time against LSU this weekend.

Overall: B

Tennessee does not have a big win under their belt this season. They played Florida tough at the Swamp. The rest of the season looks brutal.

Tennessee should be bowl eligible by season’s end. If they can catch LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, or Arkansas napping, come December they could end up in a nice bowl.

Vanderbilt

Defense: A-

Considering the lack of offense and the amount of time the Commodores have spent on the field they have been great during the first half of the season.

The secondary has been among the leaders nationally in interceptions all season.

Vanderbilt has the 23rd ranked scoring defense in FBS at 19.40 points per game. Holding SEC teams to an average of 307.30 total yards per game is impressive as well. How long will the defense be able to hold up without the offense’s help?

Offense: D+

In three SEC games the offense has averaged 11 points. Senior quarterback Larry Smith has missed time in the last two games to nagging injuries. Junior quarterback Jordan Rodgers played the final three quarters against Alabama in Vandy’s last game.

The two-headed rushing attack of Zac Stacy and Jerron Seymour places Vanderbilt as the 11th best team in the SEC. First year head coach James Franklin will have to find a way to keep the Commodores on the field and look for ways to put points on the board if they want to have a successful second half of the season.

Vanderbilt’s kicking situation is not great. They missed two field goals against Alabama. For the season they are 3 of 5 with a long of 33 yards. Essentially Vandy’s offense has to be in the red zone if they hope to kick a field goal. That makes it even more difficult to put points on the board for the Commodores.

Overall: B-

Vanderbilt has been competitive this year for the first time since they won 7 games in 2008. Their defense is SEC caliber. Their offense is not.

For all of the returning talent Vanderbilt had starting the season, they are still a young team. If Franklin can keep his guys focused through the rest of 2011, through good times and bad, he will have a special team come 2012. 

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College Football Preview: Predicting Every SEC Game in Week 7

Week after week the SEC features great college football match-ups. This weekend is no different as three SEC East teams continue their fight to stay alive for a conference title game berth and two of the top teams in all of college football look to keep pace with each other in the SEC West.

Two teams are on byes this week, Arkansas and Kentucky.

Arkansas travels to Ole Miss next week.

Kentucky hosts Jacksonville State.

No. 15 South Carolina at Mississippi State

Believe it or not, South Carolina versus Mississippi State is the SEC game of the week.

Mississippi State and South Carolina started the season off in similar fashion, with high hopes. MSU’s came crashing down fast while USC still has a shot to right the ship.

The Bulldogs are 3-3 after starting the season ranked 20th. MSU moved up as high as 16th in the nation but quickly lost their way after Auburn shut quarterback Chris Relf down at the goal line on the final play of their game.

The two head coaches, Steve Spurrier and Dan Mullen, find themselves in the middle of a quarterback controversy this week.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier dismissed senior quarterback Stephen Garcia from the team on Tuesday after he reportedly failed an alcohol test. Garcia had lost his starting job to sophomore Connor Shaw for USC’s game against Kentucky last weekend. Garcia had been suspended five times previously by Spurrier.

Another upstart sophomore is pushing an established senior quarterback for playing time in the SEC. This time MSU head coach Dan Mullen has to make some hard choices about who will start and who will sit and how many snaps each quarterback will get in the game.

Chris Relf has struggled much of 2011 after having a solid junior campaign. He is ranked 9th in the SEC in total passing yards (860), 7th in completion percentage (58.1), but has 5 interceptions thrown to four touchdown passes thrown.

MSU quarterback Tyler Russell started the second half against UAB which lead to a 21-3 come from behind win for the Bulldogs. Russell completed 11 of 13 passes for 166 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Relf finished the game 6 of 10 for 46-passing yards.

The in-game battle will be between Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard and USC’s running back Marcus Lattimore. Ballard is fifth in the SEC in total rushing yards with 531. Lattimore leads the SEC with 779 but has 61 more carries on the season than Ballard.

Lattimore appears to be slowing down some. His last three games he’s had one 100-yard effort (102 yards vs. Kentucky). Mississippi State’s linebackers have trouble stopping the run.

Ballard had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season against UAB.

Neither team has a signature win this year.

Both quarterback situations are sketchy at best but USC has the better defense especially with the return of DE Melvin Ingram.

USC wins at Davis-Wade Stadium 35-21.

No. 2 Alabama versus Mississippi

Ole Miss welcomes one of the top defenses in the nation to go against their offense, one of the worst in the nation.

Rebel fans are optimistic that junior quarterback Randall Mackey will be the key to ignite their offense. Mackey was penciled to be the starter for Ole Miss after spring practices but Houston Nutt went with Zack Stoudt and Barry Brunetti to start the season.

Mackey completed eight passes for 214 yards and one touchdown in their last game against Fresno State. Mackey also had ten incomplete passes against the Bulldogs, a team allowing 392.5 yards per game.

Scat back Jeff Scot rushed for a career-high 138 yards against Fresno State.

Alabama’s offense:

19th best rushing attack in the nation averaging 217 yards per game with 18 touchdowns.

Bama’s total offense is second best in the SEC at 434.8 per game.

The Tide features the 4th best passing game in the SEC averaging 226.80 yards per game.

Scoring at a rate of 37.67 points per game is 22nd best in the nation.

Alabama’s defense:

Top scoring defense in the nation allowing 7 points per game.

Third best total defense in the nation, 191.33 yards per game.

Best rushing defense in the nation by holding teams to 39.83 yards per game.

4th best pass defense in the nation limiting opponents to 151.50 yards per game.

Common opponent: Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt 30, Ole Miss 7.

Alabama 34, Vanderbilt 0.

Linebacker C.J. Mosley returns from an elbow injury suffered against Arkansas. 

Life does not get better for Houston Nutt. Ole Miss losses another one 38-7.

Florida versus No. 24 Auburn

A reoccurring theme in the SEC is quarterback play or lack thereof. Auburn head coach Gene Chizik is sticking by his struggling junior quarterback Barrett Trotter and Florida cannot keep a quarterback healthy enough to play.

Quarterbacks John Brantley and true freshman Jeff Driskel (Oviedo, Florida) both injured their ankles against Alabama. Florida head coach Will Muschamp made a game time decision to not start Driskel against LSU in favor for another true freshman quarterback, Jacoby Brissett (West Palm Beach, Florida).

The game will come down to who can stop the run. Florida has the 4th best rushing attack in the SEC (194 per game) and Auburn has the 3rd best (204 per game).

Florida’s rush defense is 32nd in the nation. Auburn’s is 103rd allowing 201.83.

Auburn and Florida did not play each other last season.

Auburn has more stability at quarterback but Florida may have more raw talent under center.

Florida holds Dyer to 115 rushing yards and Chris Rainey finds the holes to keep the Gators on the field.

Jeff Demps was limited to two carries last week in Baton Rouge due to an ankle injury. His playing time will be a game time decision.

Florida 21, Auburn 18.

Georgia versus Vanderbilt

First year head coach James Franklin has already passed expectations at Vanderbilt. He has eclipsed last year’s win total and scored a SEC conference victory against Ole Miss. More importantly the Commodores have been competitive.

The final score in their past two games may not reflect the abilities of his team, at No. 12 South Carolina 3-21 and at No. 2 Alabama 0-34, but their defense is playing tough and they are young. Franklin is laying ground work for a strong Commodore team next season if they can find any offense.

Georgia has turned their season around after two straight home losses to fifth ranked Boise State and twelfth ranked South Carolina. The Bulldogs are on a four game winning streak and tied with the Gamecocks for first place in the SEC East.

Georgia head coach Mark Richt started true freshman running back Isaiah Crowell after the South Carolina loss and the Bulldogs offense has responded.

The Bulldogs have the 4th ranked total offense in the SEC (2,435 yards) while averaging 405.80 yards per game. Crowell is fourth in the SEC in total rushing yards with 573 after seeing limited action in the first two games of the season.

Georgia’s starting quarterback Aaron Murray now has a complement to his passing abilities. Murray is third in the SEC in total passing yards with 1,327, second in passing touchdowns (13), and fourth in quarterback rating (150.2). Murray’s tendency to take a sack (SEC worst 13) and throw interceptions (6) has got to improve against the opportunistic Commodore defense.

The Commodores lead the SEC with 14 interceptions. Three of those picks have been returned for touchdowns.

Georgia has the sixth best defense in the nation.

Vanderbilt has the 117th worst offense in college football, 244.40 yards per game.

Vandy quarterback Larry Smith has missed time in the last two games due to injuries. Smith could have returned against Alabama last week but Franklin played Jordan Rodgers the rest of the game.

Georgia gets a bye next week before playing Florida in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs will not get caught up in a trap game.

Georgia has enough offense to beat Vandy’s determined group. Georgia wins 21-7.

No. 1 LSU versus Tennessee

Another SEC team, another starting quarterback injured. Tennessee’s Tyler Bray broke the thumb on his throwing hand last week against Georgia. Now LSU will face their second straight game against a quarterback making their first start of the season.

Senior quarterback Matt Simms takes over for Bray. Simms was the starter last year before injuries and solid play by Bray in the final five games of 2010 resulted in him losing his starting job.

Simms threw for 1,460 yards and eight touchdowns last season against the hardest part of Tennessee’s schedule: Oregon, Florida, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina.

Simms almost pulled off an upset win against the Tigers last year in Baton Rouge. Simms was 12 for 23 for 121-yards passing with five sacks, no touchdowns, and zero interceptions in last year’s meeting. Their performance last season has the Vols excited about their chances this week.

The difference in last year’s Vols team and this year team is a running game. Tauren Poole has not clicked with the offensive line yet this season. Poole had 109 yards rushing against the Tigers in 2010 to pace UT’s offense.

Poole left last week’s game with an injured hamstring in the first quarter. His status for this week is a game time decision.

LSU has the fifth best defense in the nation.

Tennessee was held to negative 20 yards rushing against Georgia.

LSU escaped with a last second 16-14 win in 2010 against the Vols. Don’t look for LSU to take Tennessee lightly this year nor ruin a chance to play for the BCS National Championship by looking ahead to Auburn.

LSU methodically breaks down Tennessee for a 48-3 win. 

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College Football: Picking Every SEC Game in Week 6

Six ranked SEC teams take the field this weekend in conference race shaping games. Two SEC East showdowns, one SEC West game of the week, and one cross-divisional game could dramatically shift the rest of the season after week 6 unfolds.

No. 15 Auburn versus No. 10 Arkansas

This week’s top game in the SEC is Arkansas versus Auburn. Both teams are fighting for national respect, regardless of their current rankings, and coming off upset wins. The winner lives to fight for an outside shot at the SEC West title.

Auburn is 4-1 with three last minute wins; Utah State, Mississippi State, and South Carolina. After the exodus of nearly forty percent of their 2010 roster, not much was expected of this year’s team outside of Auburn. Somehow Gene Chizik keeps finding the magical winning formula for the Tigers.

Auburn is led by sophomore running back Michael Dyer. Dyer is seeking his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season against the Razorbacks; he had four 100-yard games in 2010.

Dyer has risen to the challenge against top competition this year; Mississippi State, 150-yards rushing with two touchdowns, Clemson, 151-yards rushing, with two touchdowns, and South Carolina, 141-yards rushing and one score. Dyer has to be chomping at the bit to play against Arkansas’ rush defense knowing they gave up 381-yards rushing  to Texas A&M last week; Christine Michael 230 yards, Cyrus Grey 95 yards.

The Razorbacks are led by junior quarterback Tyler Wilson. Wilson leads the SEC in passing yards with 1,517 and is second in the SEC in with 10 passing touchdowns. Wilson is coming off a career game in which he threw for a school record 510 yards with two touchdowns against the Aggies.

The key match-up on paper is Arkansas’ passing attack versus the Auburn pass defense and Auburn’s rushing attack versus Arkansas’ run defense. Which team will be able to slow down the opposition’s strengths?

The Razorback rush defense is ranked 82nd in the nation allowing 168.20 yards per game. Auburn’s pass defense is ranked 74th in FBS as teams are passing for 232.80 yards per game.

If Michael Dyer hits 168-yards rushing the Razorbacks will be okay. Auburn’s passing attack is limited; 184 passing yards per game. The Tiger’s top wide receiver, Blake Emory, will not play this weekend. Look for the Hogs to stack eight in the box and beg Barrett Trotter to beat them with his arm.

Auburn did a great job of holding Stephen Garcia to a 39 percent completion percentage. Wilson completed 63 percent of his passes against Alabama’s third ranked defense.

Arkansas found their running game in the fourth quarter when Petrino finally ran Broderick Green and Dennis Johnson. Auburn’s rush defense is ranked 108th in the nation giving up 207 yards per game.

Arkansas puts together a complete offensive game plan and win this one 38-24.

Georgia versus Tennessee

After a 0-2 start that included a conference loss to SEC East foe South Carolina, the Georgia faithful were looking around for answers. Three wins later, a South Carolina conference loss, and a Florida conference loss, the Bulldogs find themselves in a three way tie for first in the SEC East.

Bulldog quarterback Aaron Murray grabs the headlines but the emergence of true freshman running back Isaiah Crowell has allowed Georgia to have a balanced offensive attack.

Crowell has three 100-yard games already this season (South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State). His 575 total rushing yards ranks him 4th in the SEC.

Tennessee tailback Tauren Poole has yet to click with the offensive line. He has rushed for 318 yards with only one touchdown. His best performance was last week against Buffalo when he rushed for 101-yards on 17 attempts with no touchdowns.

Georgia’s pass defense has been outstanding this year only allowing 151.60 yards per game. Tyler Bray leads the SEC in touchdown passes and passing percentage but has played primarily against lesser competition.

Tennessee’s pass defense ranks 35th allowing 198.50.

Georgia’s run defense is limiting teams to 107 yards per game; Tennessee allows 139.75.

With Tennessee wide receiver Justin Hunter out for the year with a torn ACL, Da’Rick Rogers will see constant double team in passing situations.

Georgia’s balanced offense will eventually overwhelm Tennessee’s passing offense by winning the time of possession.

Georgia breaks their two-game losing streak at Neyland Stadium winning 28-24.

Georgia outside linebacker Cornelius Washington is suspended for two game after being arrest for a DUI Sunday night. Washington will be replaced by Jarvis Jones. Jones had two sacks against MSU last week.

Mississippi State versus University of Alabama Birmingham

A battered and bruised Mississippi State team takes their last non-conference road game of the season against the 0-4 Blazers.

UAB has found some momentum in their last two losses. They were beat soundly by the Florida Gators in the Swamp 39-0 and by Tulane 49-10. Then in two consecutive road games the Blazers found their competitive spirit in losses to East Carolina by five points and Troy by one.

Can UAB pull off an upset against the Bulldogs?

The Blazers held a second half lead over MSU last year before two late Derek DePasquale field goals lifted the Bulldogs to victory. But that was last year when MSU was in the midst of a six-game winning streak.

MSU is strong against the pass ranking 27th in the nation. The one thing UAB does fairly well on offense is pass the ball. They average 191-yards per game. Their rushing attack is 106th in the nation against lesser competition.

UAB is ranked 116th in rush defense (228.75) and 113th in pass defense (300). If the 2-3 Bulldogs cannot pull off a win this weekend they will miss a bowl game this year. MSU has winnable games left against Kentucky, Tennessee-Martin, and Ole Miss which would put them at six wins for the season. Remaining games against South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas may be too much for Dan Mullen and company this year.

Chris Relf and Vick Ballard need this game to get back on track before South Carolina comes to town. Ballard was held to 23-yards rushing against Georgia last week. Relf had 157-yards passing.

Even if MSU can pull ahead early, look for Mullen to play his guys into the third quarter and possibly early into the fourth quarter to build confidence and rhythm for his offense.

MSU wins 38-14.

Kentucky versus South Carolina

Kentucky fans circled this stretch of games on the schedule before the season started. The 2-3 Wildcats play their third straight ranked opponent when they travel to No. 18 South Carolina on Saturday. Joker Philips is hoping to end his team’s three game losing streak at Williams-Brice Stadium (Louisville, Florida, and LSU).

Philips is still looking for ways to ignite the Kentucky offense. Morgan Newton has replaced Mike Hartline under center but with very different results. Last season UK was ranked 34th nationally in scoring offense (31.20) and 27th in total offense (427.90). This season the Wildcats are averaging 15 points per game (113th nationally) and 255.50 yards of offense per game (118th nationally).

South Carolina enters the game after being upset at home by Auburn 16-13. The much publicized love-hate relationship between head coach Steve Spurrier and fifth-year senior quarterback Stephen Garcia appears to have finally ended, for now, due to Garcia’s poor play against the Tigers.

Spurrier has benched Garcia again for sophomore Connor Shaw. Shaw was the starter beginning the season against East Carolina but after two fumbles and struggling within the offense he was benched in the first quarter in favor of the experienced Garcia.

Fans that like to see power running and gifted linebackers that stuff the run will enjoy the match-up between Gamecock running back Marcus Lattimore and Kentucky’s linebackers Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy.

Danny Trevathan leads the SEC in tackles with 59 and Guy is second with 53. Lattimore leads the SEC in rushing yards with 677.

Lattimore will get as many touches as Spurrier feels is necessary for the Gamecocks to win. With Shaw under center, the Wildcats will try to pressure Shaw every chance they get. Unfortunately for UK defensive end Collins Ukwu will be out for the third straight game.

Both teams need this win. Which team is more motivated?

USC and UK are one dimensional teams relying solely on their running game. Kentucky has allowed 21 sacks (2nd most in the nation). The Gamecock defense averages 2.60 sacks per game. Long third down attempts would normally favor the Gamecocks defense.

Shaw was 3 for 9 for 21-yards passing with no touchdowns and zero interceptions before he was taken out of the game. First game jitters could have contributed to the two fumbles Shaw committed. What will Shaw be able to do against UK? If Shaw struggles will Spurrier pull the emergency switch again and place Garcia back in the game?

The Gamecock offense is in better shape with Lattimore than Kentucky is with true freshman running back Josh Clemons (269 yards rushing). But USC senior left tackle Kyle Nunn may miss his second straight game with a bulging disc. Last week true freshman Mike Matulis (Boynton Beach, Florida) struggled against Auburn.

Kentucky has more stability in their backfield with Morgan Newton under center than Connor Shaw for USC.

Shaw will key on All-American wide receiver Alshon Jeffery as will the Wildcat secondary.

Kentucky finds a way to keep the game close and upsets South Carolina for the second straight year 17-14.

Vanderbilt versus Alabama

James Franklin has had a really nice start to his Vanderbilt coaching career. He won his first three games and eclipsed the team’s total wins in 2010 (2). He also earned his first SEC conference victory over Ole Miss (30-7). Then the Commodores had a tough road trip to South Carolina that ended in a 21-3 loss.

Now Vanderbilt is trying to put their offense back together against the third ranked defense in the nation. USC held the Commodores to 77 net yards after Larry Smith was sacked six times for a loss of 42 yards. Vandy’s rushing offense only netted four positive yards in the defeat.

Smith was harassed all game by the Gamecocks. His completion numbers tell a different story. He finished the game 12 of 16 passing with one interception and zero touchdowns. He only passed for a total of 44 yards.

If Vanderbilt’s offense keeps everything within a ten yard zone against the Tide, this will be a really long day for the Commodores.

Vandy has the 11th ranked defense in FBS only giving up 279.25 yards per game. Their secondary has been ball hawks all season leading the nation with 14 picks; four against South Carolina in week 4. They limited Marcus Lattimore to 77-yards rushing and now have to take on Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy.

Alabama’s rushing offense is 13th best in the nation averaging 229.80. AJ McCarron has been efficient as the starting quarterback for the Tide only throwing four touchdown passes but has thrown two interceptions.

Vanderbilt’s defense took a hit against South Carolina when junior linebacker Tristan Strong hurt his knee and is lost for the season.

Larry Smith did not make it through the South Carolina game due to all the hits that he was taking. If Vanderbilt’s offensive line does not play better, Smith is in for another long or short game.

Vanderbilt’s offense is too inept to hang with Alabama’s defense. Vanderbilt’s defense is SEC quality but gets no support from the offense. Bama wears down Vandy and wins 38-10.

Florida versus LSU

A week ago this game looked like a possible SEC Conference Title Game preview. It still may be but the loss of Florida’s starting quarterback John Brantley puts a different spin on this SEC cross-divisional game.

The Gators will start true freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel (Oviedo, Florida) against the number one team in the nation. Driskel played the second half for the Gators after Brantley suffered what appears to be an ankle injury. In a half of play against Alabama, Driskel finished 2 of 6 for 14-yards passing.

Alabama was able to stack the box against the Gators and shut down their tandem running attack of Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. Both players finished the game with four rushing yards each. For the game the team finished with 15 net yards rushing.

LSU’s defense is as good as Alabama’s if not better. The Tiger’s are third in the nation in rush defense (60.40 yards per game) and only allow 12.80 points per game (9th in FBS).

Look for LSU to have a field day with Driskel and stack the box against the Gators running attack.

LSU will play their game and grind out another win. Florida’s defense will keep it close. Final score LSU 28, Florida 7.

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HogManInLA’s College Football Top 25: Week 6

1. LSU                         5-0
2. Alabama                   5-0
3. Oklahoma                 4-0
4. Wisconsin                 5-0
5. Boise State               4-0
6. Oklahoma State        4-0
7. Clemson                   5-0
8. Stanford                   4-0
9. Oregon                     3-1
10. Arkansas                  4-1
11. Michigan                  5-0
12. Texas                       4-0
13. Georgia Tech            5-0
14. Florida                     4-1
15. Nebraska                 4-1
16. West Virginia           4-1
17. South Carolina         4-1
18. Illinois                      5-0
19. Auburn                    4-1
20. Virginia Tech           4-1
21. Arizona State          4-1
22. Texas A&M            2-2
23. USC                       4-1
24. Florida State           2-2
25. Texas Tech             4-0

Dropped out of HogManInLA’s Top 25:

South Florida, TCU, Baylor

New to HogManInLA’s Top 25:

Texas Tech, USC, Arizona State

Other’s receiving interest:

Michigan State, Washington, Houston

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