Hog Wild in Fort Worth

I don't get too many opportunities to see my Arkansas Razorbacks receive a lot of positive national attention but the recipe was just right this past Saturday: take a so-so slate of games around the country, give prime time billing to the Arkansas/TCU game, throw in a little late game magic, and there you have it. So I feel compelled to at least give a little bit of love to the Hogs up front. It was a great game to watch and it has really changed the perspective of the Razorbacks for a lot of people. That being said, the game has still made the list of things we shouldn't overreact to this week. Without further ado, let's get into it. Here are some things from Week 2 we shouldn't be overreacting to just yet:

• Danny Etling's Performance – I'm looking at you, LSU fans. I know it's been rough having to suffer so many games with Brandon Harris under center and it's nice to see a QB with at least some sort of threat to pass, but pump the brakes. I've seen so many LSU fans talk about finding a great QB and that every other team in the SEC should be on notice now. Is that really how you feel? I get that he may have looked great by comparison to what you're used to but let's look a little bit closer. He was 6-14 for 100 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. Let me repeat that. HE WAS 6-14 FOR 100 YARDS, 1 TD, AND 1 INT!!! Not an impressive stat line against an FBS opponent let alone Jacksonville State. Now, I'm not saying the kid won't develop into a serviceable QB, maybe even a good QB. I'm just saying let's take a breath and see how he performs moving forward, or if he will even start moving forward.

• Arkansas Win At TCU – Yes, I am a diehard Razorback fan and this was a big win for the program. There is no doubt about that. However, I've seen some experts putting us, not in their Top 25 or Top 15, but in their Top 10. Yes, I said it. Top 10. As much as it does my heart good to see such praise, I can't deny that it is very premature. As big of a win as it was, it was still just one win. We still have a Murderer's Row schedule to navigate. Can we earn Top 10 praise? Sure. But let's take it one step at a time. Both the Coaches and AP polls have us at #24 and I'd have to say that's about right.

• Florida Throttles Kentucky – A 45-7 conference win is impressive, I'll admit. But, with all due respect to Kentucky fans, their football program hasn't been anything to write home about in several years. Even a John L. Smith-led Razorback squad built a 42-0 halftime lead en route to a 49-7 weather-shortened throttling of the Cats in 2012. Make no mistake, it was a great start to the conference season for the Gators but they have yet to get into the meat of their schedule so let's slow down. We will know a lot more about Florida in about a month and a half.

Obviously, it was basically a ho-hum week for the conference, so I will go ahead and cut this list off right here and get on with the Week 3 predictions:

• Ohio @ #15 Tennessee (-27.5) – Tennessee is coming off a nice win at Bristol before a record crowd of 150,000+. Ohio is coming off of a road win over the Big 12's Kansas Jayhawks. I could see there being a slight hangover here for Tennessee. If that's the case, I don't see it lasting longer than a quarter or so. Backups should be in for the Volunteers by the 4^th quarter if not sooner. Tennessee gives up some points in garbage time so they don't cover.

TENNESSEE 45, OHIO 21

• Vanderbilt @ Georgia Tech (-6.5) – Vanderbilt is a slight dog to Georgia Tech this week. I like the Commodores in this one though. They seem to have found a little bit of offense last week and their defense is still very solid. Georgia Tech struggled early against Mercer but was able to bounce back. No such luck here.

VANDERBILT 20, GEORGIA TECH 17

• #1 Alabama (-10.5) @ #19 Ole Miss – With this one being in Oxford, I'm a little surprised that the line is 10.5 points. That being said, this one really hinges on which teams show up. With Bama, do we see the team that absolutely mauled USC in the season opener or the team that just looked pretty good but very beatable against Western Kentucky last week? With Ole Miss, do we see the 1^st half Rebels or the 2^nd half Rebels? With Nick Saban's demeanor, I fully expect Bama to be back on track. If that's the case, I don't think the Rebels can make it 3 in a row over the tide, even in Oxford. Should be a great game though.

ALABAMA 38, OLE MISS 35

• East Carolina @ South Carolina (-3.5) – South Carolina is favored in this one but I just don't see it. East Carolina is coming off a nice win over ACC's NC State while South Carolina got handled by a Mississippi State team that was reeling. Muschamp really needs this game to keep bowl hopes alive with most of the conference schedule still in front of the Gamecocks but I'm calling the mild upset.

ECU 24, SOUTH CAROLINA 21

• New Mexico State @ Kentucky (-19) – Mark Stoops' seat is hot enough as it is after such a disastrous start but if the Wildcats start the season 0-3 with losses to Southern Miss AND a bad New Mexico State team, you'll be able to melt glass on that guy's seat. Fortunately for Stoops, I just don't see that happening. I think Kentucky finally gets in the win column this season, albeit in ugly fashion. But this won't serve to cool his seat one bit.

KENTUCKY 42, NEW MEXICO STATE 27

• Mississippi State @ #20 LSU (-13) – Do the Tigers have their QB? Is there offense safe now? Will Fournette play this week? At the time of writing this, I'm not sure but I will just assume he is. If that's the case, I think LSU will win and cover. Mississippi State looked much improved last week but, then again, it was against South Carolina and I am not totally sold on them yet. It's in Baton Rouge so I think the Tigers roll.

LSU 27, MISSISSIPPI STATE 10

• #17 Texas A&M @ Auburn (-4) – The new and improved Auburn defense will finally get a real test and we will learn a lot about them. Auburn's offense looked a lot better against Arkansas State last week but how can you gauge that really? This week will tell us a lot. Texas A&M has been a bit of a surprise so far this season and I think that continues here. Texas A&M goes on the road and pulls off what many would consider a mild upset.  

TEXAS A&M 31, AUBURN 24

• North Texas @ #23 Florida (-36.5) – I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. With all due respect to North Texas, this is a bad football team. Point blank. Florida is untested thus far and that will not change this week. Florida covers.

FLORIDA 52, NORTH TEXAS 10

• Texas State @ #24 Arkansas (-31) – This one should also be a no-brainer. I will assume that the Louisiana Tech game in week 1 was Arkansas's "Toledo moment" for the year and they survived it. They looked much better last week in upsetting then-#15 TCU in Fort Worth last week. The Hogs should roll in this one. I'm not sure they will cover though because some backups should finally get some experience.

ARKANSAS 45, TEXAS STATE 17

• #16 Georgia (-6.5) @ Missouri – This one has the potential to be interesting if the same UGA team that struggled against Nicholls shows up in Columbia. Missouri still has a good defense and the offense looks like it could be coming along, albeit against lesser competition. Look for Nick Chubb to get back on track in this one though and the Bulldogs won't have to lean so much on Eason. Georgia goes on the road and covers.

GEORGIA 30, MISSOURI 14

Well, there you have it. We finally get to see a few interesting matchups in the SEC. I'm looking forward to a great Saturday of college football. Do you guys agree with these picks? Sound off.  

Week 1 Reactions/Week 2 SEC Predictions

Well, the 2016 college football season is finally underway. For some, it started with a bang. For others…….well…not so much. One thing’s for sure: no matter who you pull for, there were some eye openers, some head scratchers, and some results that simply left you saying “Wait….what?” Given how reactive many get, it’s not surprising that there was some bouncing around in the polls this week; however, I think it’s time we take a breath. Here are a few things you shouldn’t overreact to after week one:

1. Ole Miss’s 2^nd half meltdown: Admittedly, this one was hard to watch. Ole Miss fans watched their Rebels build a commanding 28-6 lead over #4 Florida State with 3 minutes left in the first half only to look on helplessly as the Seminoles rattled off 33 unanswered points en route to a 45-34 win. It was ugly, it was gut-wrenching, it was sickening…..but it’s not the end of the world, Rebel fans. Let’s big picture this. Yes, it was a heartbreaking loss but the Rebels looked absolutely dominant over the #4 team in the country for the first half of the game. It took an absolute meltdown to lose this game. Chad Kelly was responsible for four turnovers during the Florida State comeback, a feat that likely won’t be repeated this season and, despite these four turnovers, the Rebels only lost by 11. On top of this, the Rebels still have everything in front of them. If the Rebels run the table, they can still make the CFP…..although Alabama may have something to say about that.
   
   
2. Wisconsin upsets LSU: First of all, if you’re an LSU fan that had real aspirations of an SEC and national championship, you should absolutely overreact. As a matter of fact, you should be in full-on panic mode. This is more of a reference to the Badgers jumping into the top 10 following their 16-14 upset of the Tigers after being unranked in the preseason polls. This was based on the fact that they beat a “top 5” team. In my opinion, LSU was never a top 5 team to begin with. With all due respect to the Tigers, a team with Cam Cameron calling the plays and Brandon Harris under center was never going to land in the Final Four and the end of the season. Most LSU faithful were adamant that Brandon Harris had made huge strides in the offseason. This quickly turned out to be false. Because of that, I don’t see LSU being more than an 8 or 9-win team this season. Sorry Badgers. You’re not a top 10 team.
   
   
3. Georgia’s win over North Carolina: I will admit, the jury is still out on Georgia. They may be great. They may not be, but I don’t think the Bulldogs’ win over UNC has any bearing on the answer to that. The Tar Heels have been a trendy pick as a dark horse in the ACC; however, they tend to underwhelm early in the season. Most notably, they dropped a week 1 game to South Carolina in 2015 before rattling off 11 straight wins en route to an ACC Championship Game appearance. That South Carolina team? They limped to a 3-9 record that finally drove Steve Spurrier into retirement mid-season. Citadel anyone? Now, I in no way see Georgia having a similar downward spiral this season but I think we should hold off on anointing them the new favorite to win the SEC East.
   
   
4. Auburn’s lackluster offense: This one is tricky. Yes, a Malzahn coached team should be able to put up more than 13 points in a game and it is troubling that the Tigers could not do that against Clemson. But again, let’s look at the big picture here. Auburn still looked like a legitimate threat to the rest of the SEC West in a 19-13 loss to national runner-up and second-ranked Clemson. Admittedly, Malzahn’s rent-a-QB system looked like a disaster and needs to be nixed. But that defense looks good enough to keep Auburn in nearly every game on their schedule.
   
   

Now, with week one in the rearview mirror, we can all exhale and look ahead to what is shaping up to be a so-so week two:

• Nicholls @ #9 Georgia: Georgia looked solid in week 1 against UNC. Nicholls will provide little, if any, challenge to Nick Chubb and the Bulldogs. They roll in this one.

           Georgia 52, Nicholls 6

• Prairie View A&M @ #20 Texas A&M: PVAMU has won 9 of their last 11 games, including a 4-point win over Texas Southern in their season opener. But they are outclassed in this one.

            Texas A&M 48, Prairie View A&M 7

• Kentucky @ Florida (-17): Florida opens as a 17-point favorite and is seeking its 30^th straight win over the Wildcats. This is a trendy upset pick, but the Wildcats haven’t won in Gainesville since 1979 and that won’t change this year. Florida wins but doesn’t cover.

            Florida 24, Kentucky 14

• Western Kentucky @ #1 Alabama (-28.5): The Tide open as 28.5-point favorites over the Hilltoppers. Western Kentucky has a high-powered offense but the Alabama defense is…well…the Alabama defense. After the week 1 display against USC, I don’t see Bama having any problems covering the spread.

            Alabama 49, Western Kentucky 17

• Wofford @ #19 Ole Miss: Ole Miss should come into this one fuming after the meltdown against FSU. Chad Kelly and Company get back on track with little problems.

            Ole Miss 59, Wofford 13

• Middle Tennessee @ Vanderbilt (-5.5): This is an absolute must-win for the Derek Mason’s team after squandering a 10-0 lead over South Carolina last week. Vandy’s offense is still trying to find its way but the defense should be able to make enough plays to put this one away. Vandy wins but doesn’t cover.

            Vanderbilt 17, Middle Tennessee 14

• South Carolina @ Mississippi State (-6.5): I’m a little surprised that Mississippi State opens as a favorite after the disastrous showing against South Alabama last week, but the game is in Starkville which may prove crucial. Despite the disappointing start to the season, I still think the Bulldogs have enough athletes to take care of business. The Bulldogs cover, but barely.                                  

            Mississippi State 24, South Carolina 17

• Arkansas @ #15 TCU (-7.5): In a week of mostly predictable matchups, this one has the potential to be a great game. In a classic contrasting of the styles type game, Arkansas will attempt to slow the game down and monetize the clock while TCU will try to air it out up and down the field. If Arkansas can’t come up with some stops, it could get ugly. On the other hand, if the Hogs’ defense can come up with some takeaways and keep the ball away from the TCU offense, things could get interesting. As much as I would like to go with my heart on this one, I just think the Horned Frogs have too much firepower. I think Arkansas comes to play and they are able to erase the bad memories of the near miss in the Louisiana Tech game; however, they come up short in Forth Worth.

            TCU 45, Arkansas 35

• Arkansas State @ Auburn (-19): Another one that has the potential to be interesting if the Arkansas State defense can take advantage of Auburn’s lack of a consistent QB. The Red Wolves will have to find cracks in what seems to be a really stout defense. I think they could find some, but not enough. This game is a lot closer than predicted and a little too close for comfort for Gus Malzahn and Company. Auburn wins but not by much.

            Auburn 27, Arkansas State 21

• Jacksonville State @ #21 LSU: The torches and pitchforks could be coming for Les Miles by season’s end but the result of this one won’t be a factor. Jacksonville State has proven to be a great FCS program and could keep it interesting for a half, but Fournette and LSU will inevitably take control. LSU wins comfortably.

           LSU 45, Jacksonville State 24

• Eastern Michigan @ Missouri (-25): Missouri took their lumps last week in Morgantown. This week, they will see a significant drop off in competition which should allow them to notch a much needed W. That being said, I’m not sure they have the offensive firepower to cover the spread.

           Missouri 31, Eastern Michigan 13

• Virginia Tech vs. #17 Tennessee (-11.5): The sometimes overhyped, nonetheless intriguing, Battle at Bristol. During the preseason, this seemed like a slam dunk for Tennessee. Now, I’m not so sure. After the usual preseason fanfare for Tennessee, Josh Dobbs didn’t appear to have made much improvement in 20-13 OT victory over Appalachian State. The Vols may bounce back and look like a completely new team against Virginia Tech but I just feel like the lack of a legitimate passing threat could finally cost the Volunteers in this one. I’ve got to pick one upset this week and this one feels like the prime candidate.

           Virginia Tech 27, Tennessee 24

Well there you have it, guys. This is the first entry in what I hope becomes a mainstay blog for college football. Let’s hear your thoughts and opinions.