
MISSOURI AT SOUTH CAROLINA: Both South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw and Missouri quarterback James Franklin are expected to play. Both are dealing with shoulder injuries. Advantage goes to the South Carolina defensive line because of various injuries to the Missouri offensive line.
VANDY AT GEORGIA: Austyn Carta-Samuels is expected to start for Vanderbilt over Jordan Rodgers. But it doesn’t really matter considering Georgia’s defense is slowly developing into an elite unit. Vandy coach James Franklin and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham have played nice this week after their dust-up following last year’s game. Offensive linemen John Theus, Watts Dantzler and Dallas Lee are struggling with sprained ankles. Theus is playing, while Lee is questionable for the Vandy game. Vandy has given Georgia trouble in the past, but they will not win Saturday.
LSU AT AUBURN: The final score will be as lopsided as LSU coach Les Miles wants to make it. Auburn is no match for LSU on the line of scrimmage. After this loss, Auburn has a week off before playing Arkansas. They could easily start 1-4. Tiger coach Gene Chizik is losing his support, but don’t look for him to be fired this year. He still has some equity from the Cam Newton national title team. Coach Les Miles said that running back Alfred Blue is the only player that’s definitely out for Auburn. There’s a chance that Blue needs surgery, but if not, he’ll be back by the end of the season.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT ALABAMA: The Tide defense is going for its third straight shutout after dismantling Arkansas last week. Georgia gained a school-record 713 yards on Florida Atlantic last week. This should be another game where Bama head coach Nick Saban is able to get a look at the reserves early.
RUTGERS AT ARKANSAS: It has been a crazy week for the Hogs. Quarterback Tyler Wilson has been cleared to play, but how will his teammates react to his postgame tongue lashing after the Alabama game? Rutgers is unbeaten, but the key to the game is not Wilson’s arm, but the Hog running attack and a defense that is simply awful. In an effort to improve the Razorbacks’ struggling defense, freshman cornerback Will Hines will start over senior Darius Winston. A win might jumpstart the Hogs season.
AKRON AT TENNESSEE: Akron coach Terry Bowden certainly knows the SEC, but it won’t help him Saturday. Like Arkansas, Tennessee needs to rebound in the worst way. The Vols have the passing attack. They have to get their running game going again. The loss of sophomore free safety Brian Randolph, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the Florida game, is a real blow.
KENTUCKY AT FLORIDA: The biggest question for Wildcat fans is who is going to replace coach Joker Phillips? To be fair, Phillips is still the head coach, but the general belief is that his days are numbered. Unless the Gators are sleepwalking after their big win in Knoxville, they will easily dispatch of the Wildcats before taking a week off.
SOUTH ALABAMA AT MISSISSIPPI STATE: There is talk in Starkville that the Bulldogs could be unbeaten going into the Alabama game in October. State and Alabama are leading the nation in turnover margin. Quarterback Tyler Russell and the Bulldog defense are playing well.
CLEMSON AT FLORIDA STATE: Yes, ESPN GameDay is on hand and it is the ABC primetime game, but this matchup might be a route before it is over. FSU’s defense is the dominate unit on the field. Clemson has a lot of weapons, but its defense has allowed Ball State to run for over 200 yards. FSU, led by running back Chris Thompson, wins this game by double-digits before the final whistle.
MIAMI AT GEORGIA TECH: The Canes have won three straight in the series, but they are not the better team. It is hard to prepare for the Tech running game in only a week’s time. Miami, led by freshman running back Duke Johnson, needs this win badly to keep the season from getting away from them.
Brent Beaird writes for www.collegesportsnotebook.com and Gator Bait magazine. He can be heard on 1010XL sports radio in Jacksonville, Florida. Brent can be contacted at [email protected] and on Twitter @brentbeaird