SEC Score Predictions: Rivalry Week Edition
The last weekend of the college football regular season is here, and it just so happens to be the best time of the year: rivalry week.
Nine exciting games will be played from Thursday to Saturday. While most matchups are between two SEC opponents, some teams will be playing bigger rivals in other conferences. It will be a weekend full of blood, sweat, anger and joy.
Here are my picks for who will win each of the nine games this weekend.
No. 9 Ole Miss at Mississippi State
The Egg Bowl is the first,-- and probably the nastiest-- game of the weekend. It will be played on Thanksgiving night, but it doesn't look like the two teams will be very grateful to see each other. The biggest storyline in the game will be the matchup of two impressive quarterbacks. Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers has the better stats of the two-- he is 435-of-572 passing for 4,113 yards with 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions. However, Corral's ability to throw the ball deep is unmatched, and he has accounted for 10 rushing touchdowns. In the end, the Air Raid will prevail.
Final score: Mississippi State 28, Ole Miss 23
Missouri at No. 25 Arkansas
Missouri is coming off of a big win against Florida, a team that used to pose a big challenge to the Tigers. They have been riding the high all week, but they will have their work cut out for them against Arkansas. Although the Razorbacks have been inconsistent all season, they fought hard against Alabama last weekend and only lost 35-42. Arkansas has an extremely talented rushing attack that is hard for any team to handle. It's going to be difficult for the Tigers to control the Hogs, even with all of the momentum they have.
Final score: Arkansas 31, Missouri 27
No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech
In the past, this rivalry game featuring opponents from two different conferences has gone back and forth. This year, it likely won't be that way. Georgia is 11-0 on the season and continues to demolish opponents. The most outstanding part of their team is their defense, which has only given up an average of 7.55 points per game. On the other hand, the Yellow Jackets are sitting at a measly 3-8 on the season. They've usually kept it close with opponents but can never do what's necessary to win. Last weekend was an exception: Notre Dame destroyed Georgia Tech by a score of 55-0. Georgia will easily win and finish the regular season undefeated.
Final score: Georgia 48, Georgia Tech 13
Florida State at Florida
Both of these Sunshine State teams have had rough seasons, but the winner of this weekend's game can still make it to a bowl game. Florida fired head coach Dan Mullen on Sunday after a loss to Missouri set their final SEC record at 2-6. The Seminoles haven't been much better, but at least they have shown improvement. Florida State is now 5-6 after starting the season 0-4. While FSU seems to be gaining some strength back, the Gators are falling apart late in the season. That should set the tone for this weekend's game, and Florida State will be the team to triumph in the end.
Final score: Florida State 24, Florida 20
No. 3 Alabama at Auburn
If Auburn quarterback Bo Nix was playing in this game, then things might be more in the Tigers' favor. Instead, he's sidelined with a broken ankle, and the starting quarterback will be TJ Finley. Finley was 17-of-32 passing for 188 yards with one touchdown in the team's 17-21 loss to South Carolina last weekend. If that performance can't beat the Gamecocks, then how will it beat Alabama? Sure, the Crimson Tide is having an off-year, but they are still better than Auburn on both offense and defense. Quarterback Bryce Young is coming off a monster performance against Arkansas in which he was 31-of-40 passing for 559 yards with five touchdowns. The Tide should claim the Iron Bowl yet again.
Final score: Alabama 38, Auburn 17
Vanderbilt at Tennessee
If Vanderbilt pulls off a last-minute win against their rivals, it will be nothing short of a miracle. The Commodores are a whopping 2-9 on the year and have very limited talent when compared to other teams. Tennessee hasn't had the season they hoped for either, but they have shown promise for the future. Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is 170-of-243 passing for 2,411 yards with 24 touchdowns and three interceptions. He'll certainly be a problem for the lackluster Vanderbilt defense. No surprise here: Tennessee should win pretty easily.
Final score: Tennessee 45, Vanderbilt 21
No. 15 Texas A&M at LSU
At the beginning of the season, it looked like this might be a great game between two powerhouse universities. Now, it's just another matchup between two teams that were overhyped at the beginning of the season. LSU is hoping to become bowl-eligible with a win, but the odds are not in their favor. The Tigers are a team of half-injured, mediocre players and are led by a coach that will be leaving at the end of the season. At this point, all they have left to play for is their dignity. Texas A&M is good, but not great. They had an amazing win against Alabama early in Oct. but have not amounted to much since then. They've won quite a few games, but most of those victories have not been overly impressive. Still, the Aggies will likely bring home the win and finish the regular season 9-3.
Final score: Texas A&M 20, LSU 16
Kentucky at Louisville
After rising all the way to No. 12 in the AP Top 25, Kentucky has fallen fast. The Wildcats are 8-3 on the season but have lost three of their last five. Quarterback Will Levis has not played at the level that most fans thought he would, and he is 202-of-307 passing for 2,444 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His Wildcats should still fare well against the Cardinals. Louisville is 6-5 on the season, with some good wins and some bad losses. They have talent, but not enough to face off against a tough SEC opponent.
Final score: Kentucky 34, Louisville 24
No. 23 Clemson at South Carolina
Clemson jumped into the CFP Rankings after a 48-27 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday, but the Tigers are nowhere near where they used to be. South Carolina might be 6-5 on the season, but the Gamecocks have potential. They've had some bad losses, but with wins against big-name teams such as Florida and Auburn, they've proven that they can be a threat. The biggest advantage that Clemson has is that they have a strong rushing attack, and that might be just enough to overpower the defense and take down the Gamecocks.
Final score: Clemson 41, South Carolina 28
