Optimism and hope still reign for many teams entering the second week of the SEC season. Week two is typically when teams see their biggest leaps in improvement.
Nick Saban was predictably upset by some aspects of his team’s play in a dominant win over Missouri, a victory which some say showed the Tide is clearly the best team in college football.
The retooled Auburn offense takes the field for the second time this week when the Tigers visit the Georgia Bulldogs. Will Chad Morris’ group shift into a higher gear in its second outing? One thing it will not have to contend with is a hostile crowd. Georgia athletic officials have said they will limit capacity to between 20% and 25% in a stadium which normally holds around 93,000.
Here are some picks.
THE BASICS
No. 13 Texas A&M at No. 2 Alabama (-18): The Tide’s speed and athleticism on defense is reminiscent of the early 2000s Miami teams and rivals that of any of Saban’s best units. Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies’ $75 million man, has a track record of holding back the first week in anticipation of the huge second-game matchup. At least that is what Aggie fans hope, otherwise they may start asking for a refund.
The pick: Alabama 31, Texas A&M 17
No. 7 Auburn at No. 4 Georgia (-7.5): Georgia still cannot solve its quarterback riddle. One thing we did solve was the mystery around how Kirby Smart was going to dip and wear a mask at the same time. His solution was to not wear a mask, at all (which drove this guy crazy). The question this time is can Georgia run the ball well enough against a revamped Auburn front to limit the number of plays Morris gets to call?
The pick: Georgia 24, Auburn 21
BUYER BEWARE
South Carolina at No. 3 Florida (-18): The Gators are such a well-coached team. On the other hand, with his team down seven last week, with three minutes remaining in the game, Will Muschamp decided to kick a field goal to make it 31-27 Tennessee. The Gamecocks never got the ball back. Overlooked in that game was the fact that South Carolina’s offense looked decent for the first time in years.
The pick: Florida 44, South Carolina 30
Virginia at No. 1 Clemson (-28.5): Another night game at only a fraction of stadium capacity. Bronco Mendenhall has an undermanned, physical team. It will be interesting to see if he can exploit a few matchups against a Clemson roster with several holes in it.
The pick: Clemson 29, Virginia 16
BONUS
Arkansas State at Coastal Carolina: This game is for the battle of Kansas. After Arkansas State’s win against Kansas State, and Coastal’s win at Kansas, the winner takes home the Governor’s Cup normally given to the victor in the Sunflower Showdown.
The pick: Coastal Carolina 39, Arkansas State 30
Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia
