SEC Packets: Week Seven Schedule and Picks

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Alabama at Ole Miss 10/13 - 11:30am CST Lincoln Financial

OTS:
I'll be quite honest here, I'm worried about this game, and it could be very tough. We always play poor in Oxford, and I'm afraid this year may be no different. Ole Miss isn't great, but then again neither are we. Their defense is terrible, and theoretically our offense should be able to carry us to a comfortable victory, but as you know with our offense that almost certainly isn't going to happen. Ole Miss' offense, on the other hand, has potential, as Seth Adams put up huge numbers against Florida, and Ben Jarvus Green Ellis is a very capable tailback. I imagine that another poor showing from our offense, combined with a potential decent output by the Rebels offense, will likely make this game far closer than it should be. We've squeaked by these guys the past two years, and I wouldn't be surprised if we lost this one this year. I'll go with 'Bama if but for nothing more than it is the Homer pick, but I'm concerned about this game. I'll take a win here any way we can get it. A win and I'll be happy, regardless of the circumstances in which we get it.

Nico:
I feel strongly that we'll win, but that it won't be an easy layup by any stretch of the imagination. We just aren't a team that's capable of blowing mediocre teams out of the water yet, and until we're there, I'll be nervous. This one will probably be down to the wire as usual.

Todd:
Even though every game is loseable from here out (well, maybe not La.-Monroe), I'm actually kind of calm about this one. After reading up on their win over La. Tech, it sounded more like La. Tech lost the game than the Rebs won it. They shut down the run and forced Seth Adams to throw deep, where he threw three interceptions. Further, before the shutout of a bad La. Tech, the Rebels were allowing 33 points per game. I think we have a banner day on defense here, since pressuring the QB and backfield and playing press coverage downfield is what this defense is made for, and if the O doesn't get things going this week against a pretty bad Ole Miss D? Well, things are going to get ugly.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Mississippi State vs Tennessee 10/13 - 1:30pm CST PPV

OTS:
After seeing Mississippi State squeak by UAB, I think we can safely forget about Fulmer getting Croomed. The Bulldogs are 4-2, but I don't think anyone thinks they are that good, and the schedule from here on out is horrendous. I don't think anyone should be surprised if the now 4-2 Bulldogs go into the Ole Miss game at 4-7. The truth is that this team is nothing special, and that's all there is to it. I wouldn't be surprised if Tennessee were caught looking ahead to Alabama, but I doubt it's enough to translate into a loss. The Vols roll with relative ease.

Nico:
Mississippi State has had their miracle win this year and I can't imagine them cooking up two such victories in a seven game span.

Todd:
Last week I made the UT/UGA game my Sandra Bernhard Game of the Week, thinking the UT defense would get slaughtered by the UGA offense. Once again, the absolute opposite happened, so I'm going to make this my Sandra Bernhard Game of the Week in the vain hope that Fulmer gets Croomed. I'm still picking the Vols though, State sucks.

Even your hideous hoodoo probably isn't enough to get State a win.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
LSU at Kentucky 10/13 - 2:30pm CST CBS

OTS:
The Tigers haven't exactly set the world on fire the past two weeks, but you have to give them a lot of credit, they did get wins when almost no one else could. Now the travel to Lexington to take on the Wildcats, and I imagine they pull off another victory. Andre Woodson did look great as a player, but he looked very bad against South Carolina, and this LSU defense is going to be much tougher than anything South Carolina threw at him. Last year the Wildcats fell 49-0 in Tiger Stadium, and while I think it'll be closer than that in 2007, I imagine LSU wins with relative ease. I do love the story of Kentucky, but the harsh truth is that they just aren't as good as 5-0 and a top ten ranking. They should make a bowl game nonetheless, but it's time for them to come back to reality. I think the Bayou Bengals will take care of that.

Nico:
LSU continues their world domination after a scare with Florida last week.

Todd:
You broke my heart last week, 'Cats. No more.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
South Carolina at North Carolina 10/13 - 2:30pm CST ABC (Regional Coverage)

OTS:
Butch Davis and his Tar Heels shocked everyone last week when they routed Miami early on, and they'll look to carry that momentum against the Gamecocks. That said, however, I just don't see them being able to do it. Miami is very much in rebuilding mode, and you can't change the fact that UNC didn't get their first win over a D1-A program until October. I imagine that South Carolina stops the UNC offense by shutting down their running game, and that Chris Smelley has another solid game, and I yet again wonder why did Mike Shula let his Tebow-love cloud his recruitment of a perfectly fine quarterback prospect in his own zip code.

Nico:
The South (Carolina) will rise again. The 'Heels just aren't there yet.

Todd:
Butch Davis will have the Tarheels respectable again next year, but they just aren't good right now. Smelly looks like he's the future for the 'Cocks, and I think he makes the difference.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Georgia at Vanderbilt 10/13 - 5pm CST ESPN2

OTS:
The Commodores aren't a bad team, but Auburn showed the world last week that they aren't anything particularly great either. Last year Vanderbilt was able to pull off this upset in Athens thanks in large part to some dumb play on Georgia's part, but I doubt that happens again this year. After a blowout loss to Tennessee, it's questionable as to how good UGA is, but I imagine they win here with no real problem.

Nico:
I cannot fathom the Dawgs losing to the Commies two years in a row. UGA with ease.

Todd:
I was pretty high on Vandy in the preseason, but after they crapped their pants against Auburn, I just don't know what to think of them anymore. Then again, I was pretty high on Georgia in the preseason, but after they crapped their pants against UT, I just don't know what to think of them anymore, either. Gotta go with UGA on this one, though.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Auburn at Arkansas 10/13 - 6:45pm CST ESPN

OTS:
This is likely the showdown of the week, and it has huge SEC West implications. Admittedly I thought Auburn was done, but Tuberville is at his best when things seem lost, and to be quire frank I should have known that by now. At this point, Arkansas must win this game to have any legitimate chance of winning the West, and if Auburn can pull out the win, suddenly the Tigers can grab this division by the balls when they head to Baton Rouge the following week. Now on to the prediction... I'm going with Auburn. Darren McFadden is going to play after injuring some ribs against East Popcorn State, but he's very beat up at this point, and likely not at 100%. Considering the Hogs effectively have a one-man show -- and given that Marcus Monk is also still going to be out -- you have to go with Auburn. I know Fayetteville has been about like kryptonite to Tommy Tuberville and his Tigers, but it's hard to see Arkansas beating them given the roll AU is on and the injuries to the Hogs. Moreover, the truth of the matter is that this Arkansas team likely isn't very good. I wanted to think they were good after we beat them, but at this point I'm thinking I summed them up pretty well in "Hogwash." I say Auburn wins with ease and they suddenly carry a boatload of momentum into Baton Rouge for a game that is likely to determine the SEC West.

Nico:
Despite sputtering out of the gate, Auburn seems to have found their bearings and will be a tough team to beat. The Tigers are confident right now and that'll be the difference.

Todd:
I'm going to kick myself with this one, but the Hogs seem to have Auburn's number, and despite the injuries to McFadden, I think they can get this done. Probably not though. Out on a limb here. Regretting this pick. Just gonna go ahead and move on before I can change it. So want to change it though...

Special Bonus Picks

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Purdue at Michigan 10/13 - 11am CST BTN

OTS:
This one is a toughie for me. Michigan has really struggled against spread passing attacks, which is the specialty of Joe Tiller and his Boilermakers. However, the mobility of the quarterback has been a major reason as to why the Wolverines have struggled, and Purdue doesn't quite bring that to the table. That said, though, Michigan is a team that started ugly and one that has been teetering with disaster ever since. I've been saying that it's only a matter of time before somebody really kicks them around, so I'll put my pick where my mouth is. Purdue wins in the Big House.

Nico:
Though Michigan has improved to 4-2 after a disastrous 0-2 start, I don't think they have enough in the tank to beat a 5-1 Purdue that's looking pretty good.

Todd:
Michigan is just so bad against spread offenses (always have been under Carr, see multiple losses to Northwestern and Oregon) I can't even fathom picking them here.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Oklahoma State at Nebraska 10/13 - 11:30am

OTS:
This is the toughest type of game to pick, when two bad teams square off. I'll go with Oklahoma State, just because Nebraska is terrible. Of course the Pokes aren't much better, but whatever. I say Callahan gets canned after this season, so I'll start here. I really have no confidence in this pick, though.

Nico:
OSU helped me catch up some last week, so I will go with them again (hey, doesn't work for Todd, probably won't work for me...)

Todd:
The Nebraska D is just so awful that I think this one is going to be a very high scoring affair. I'm going with the Cowboys here, but after they screwed me against TAMU I kind of hope I'm wrong. Suck it, Pokes.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Boston College at Notre Dame 10/13 - 2:30pm NBC

OTS:
Is Boston College one of the top teams in the country? No, they are most certainly not, but Notre Dame is terrible. Yes I know they won last week -- congratulations on the 2007 national championship, by the way -- but it was more about UCLA looking terrible than anything else. The Notre Dame offense is still pathetic, and I figure that Matt Ryan carries BC to a win that could be somewhat close.

Nico:
BC over ND. 'Nuff said.

Todd:
Notre Dame? Sucks.

Not that they'll need it this weekend, but if the coaching staff could just get the Dropkick Murphys to come play "For Boston" in the locker room before every game, they would never lose again.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Texas Tech vs Texas A&M 10/13 - 2:30pm ABC

OTS:
Another one of those tough picks because both teams are quite poor. That said, I'll go with the Red Raiders. Mike Leach has a great system in place, and they've been tough on Fran and company. We all know that Fran is going to take the fall soon, and losses to TTU have always riled up the Aggies against him. I say the Aggies fall when they head to Lubbock. Plus, a little lagniappe, the Aggies haven't beaten Texas Tech in Lubbock since Jay Barker was at Alabama.

Nico:
Fran is distracted...GOOOOOOOOOOOOO RAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIDEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRSSSSSSS. ARGGHHHHHHHHHH.

Todd:
RAAAAIIIDDDEEEERRRSSSSS! Also, Crabtree is teh roxxors.

Opponents	OTS 52-15	Nico 49-18	Todd 48-19
Oklahoma vs Missouri 10/13 - 5:30pm FSN

OTS:
I'm really torn with this one because I think both of these are two very high quality teams. I think Missouri is good, but at the same time I don't think they are as good as some people make them out to be after annihilating the Cornhuskers, that had more to do with Nebraska's incompetence than anything else. Oklahoma slipped late against an improving Colorado squad, and they know that they absolutely must win this one if they want to keep any hopes of getting themselves in the BCS national championship game, and I imagine they come out in Norman ready to play. I have a bad feeling picking against Chase Daniel, but I'm going to go with the Sooners.

Nico:
Boomer Sooner.

Todd:
I'm going to take the contrarian view here and go with Mizzou. OU looked downright bad at Colorado, and underperformed against Texas, while Missouri really exploded against Nebraska (which really isn't saying much, but still). Plus, gotta do something to get back in the game here, and this is the likeliest upset we're picking.