Terrence Magee (18) has really come on to spark LSU's run game. (Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports)
The SEC Crystal Ball bounced back with a 5-1 record last week and looks to keep on that roll this weekend. This Saturday sees five conference games and one non-conference game on the slate.
The non-conference game features Arkansas hosting UAB. Both teams are better than they were last year. The Razorbacks are still looking for their first SEC win under Bret Bielema and UAB is looking for two more victories to become bowl eligible. The Razorbacks will have to wait before finally getting that first SEC win, but the Razorbacks will enjoy beating UAB.
Vanderbilt will be at Missouri, where the Tigers are coming off a big win at Florida. Marcus Murphy had a huge game last week with two special teams touchdowns and he might have a big day again as the Tigers will beat Vanderbilt.
Mississippi State will take the field in Lexington as the No. 1 team in the country, an unfamiliar position for the Bulldogs.
“The Kentucky game this week is going to be very challenging,” said Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen. “There are a lot of similarities with both teams. In our game against them last year, it came right down to the final play. They have a lot of star players back from last year, and we have a lot of guys back too. So I know they are going to have a lot of confidence. Anytime you are on the road in the SEC, it is going to be a huge challenge.”
It will be more of a challenge for Kentucky. Look for the Bulldogs to continue to win.
Ole Miss will be at LSU for a night game. This annual contest has been a good rivalry ever since Billy Cannon picked up a Jake Gibbs punt and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown in helping the Tiger to a 7-3 win in 1959.
“It’s always an exciting time around this place when you enter into a game that is considered to be one of your historical rivals like LSU. They’ve been extremely talented through the years. Coach (Les) Miles has done a phenomenal job there,” said Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.
“They have tremendous young talent on their team. It’s going to be a great, great challenge for us. It will be one that we’ll make our kids very aware of the history of this rival. They’ll understand it quite clearly. Hopefully we’ll have our best-effort plan. There were a lot of great things on film from last week. I’m proud of the way our kids continued to battle without getting frustrated when things aren’t going quite your way as you would want them to. They pushed through and found a way to pull away another SEC battle.”
This is a big game for both teams and chance for the Tigers to make their season. The Crystal Ball is picking LSU in an upset.
South Carolina has been a major disappointment this season and now has to travel to Auburn, where the Tigers are hard to beat.
“We’re going in with the idea that we’ll battle with them,” said Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier. “We have to play very well offensively, defensively and on special teams, maybe hopefully they’ll drop the ball a little bit, something good like that happens for us. But like I said last week, only pressure on us is to play the best we can. Try to play the best we can. Try to coach the best we can and see what happens.”
South Carolina will have to be at the top of its game to stay with the Tigers. Look for Auburn to win this one.
Alabama will be at Tennessee where the subplot is Lane Kiffin returning to his former home. The former Tennessee head coach is now running Alabama’s offense, an offense that ran up 59 points last week against Texas A&M.
“This game that we have every year with Tennessee is one of the great rivalry games in college football,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban. ”It certainly has a lot of tradition and is something that has been very special and means a lot to a lot of our fans. It certainly means a lot to me and our staff and our team.”
Tennessee coach Butch Jones knows what lies ahead.
“We are playing a great, great opponent, top-five opponent,” he said. “They played as inspired of a football game as I have seen in a very, very long time against Texas A&M. They are a great football team. As we all know, they are well-coached. They are a measuring stick for a lot of programs.”
Look for Alabama to take this one.
