No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma
“I herald his beginning, I herald your end.”
The quote from Shalla-Bal in Fantastic Four defines both of these teams’ schedules perfectly.
Ole Miss beat LSU and lost to Georgia heading into this game against Oklahoma, the Rebels’ last ranked opponent.
The Sooners face No. 17 Tennessee, No. 4 Alabama, No. 15 Missouri and No. 20 LSU to finish the season.
The seas have parted for Ole Miss, they just need to handle business.
The sea has been calm for Oklahoma, but the storm is on the horizon. The Sooners need to win at least three of their last five games to be considered for the playoff.
Prediction: Ole Miss 27, Oklahoma 24
No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 20 LSU
How is Texas A&M undefeated and ranked top 3 in the country, and no one is talking about them?
Heisman contender Marcel Reed is throwing to NC State transfer KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, who is fifth in receiving yards with 674. Balance that out with running backs Le’Veon Moss and Reuben Owens II and the Aggies have a complete offense.
LSU and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier are struggling to find a rhythm. The Tigers’ offensive line isn’t giving Nussmeier time to settle into the pocket and deliver the ball downfield. Senior defensive end Cashius Howell will make it a lot harder for the LSU offensive line this week.
Prediction: Texas A&M 31, LSU 20
No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is the story of the year and the top candidate to be this year’s Indiana.
Diego Pavia is a Heisman contender and the Commodores have a favorable schedule down the stretch for a playoff spot.
Missouri has been in close games the last couple of weeks, and its trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium was the Tigers’ first trip away from Columbia.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Vanderbilt is Missouri’s toughest test on the road.
Beau Pribula and Ahmad Hardy have slowed down a bit from their fast start.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 28, Missouri 20
No. 18 South Florida at Memphis
Upset of the week was UAB’s win over Memphis.
Memphis was looking ahead toward the matchup against South Florida and did not take care of business. Even worse for the Tigers, starting quarterback Brandon Lewis got hurt and backup AJ Hill finished the game. Memphis was also given too much credit for beating a 2-5 Arkansas team at home by one point. I don’t know how good either of these teams really is.
South Florida struggled with a Florida team that was plagued by injuries and the turnover bug, and got embarrassed by Miami. These teams haven’t proven that they can compete with playoff-caliber programs. They struggle with teams at the bottom of the SEC at their worst.
Prediction: South Florida 41, Memphis 31
Quick shooters:
No. 4 Alabama at South Carolina
Alabama is the first team in SEC history to beat four ranked opponents in a row without a bye week. The Crimson Tide might be feeling it heading into this one. South Carolina is fighting for their pride at this point. Alabama better watch out, or the Gamecocks might catch them sleeping.
Prediction: Alabama 23, South Carolina 20
No. 11 BYU at Iowa State
BYU just never dies. The Cougars have pulled off magic tricks the last two weeks, escaping Tucson with a win and illuding Utah in a 24-21 win.
Iowa State has lost its last two after a 5-0 start.
Another game where an unranked team with its back against the wall hosts a team coming off multiple big wins. What can possibly go wrong?
Prediction: Iowa State 31, BYU 28
No. 23 Illinois at Washington
The Big Ten has a clear top three with Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. Illinois and Washington are two of the teams fighting for fourth place in the conference.
Right now, it looks like the Big Ten will only get three teams into the playoff, much to the chagrin of Tony Petitti.
Prediction: Washington 34, Illinois 31
Baylor at No. 21 Cincinnati
Cincinnati is the most underrated team in the country. No one is talking about the Bearcats. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Brendan Sorsby, one of the best tight ends in Joe Royer and one of the best running back duos with Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker. With a win, Cincinnati would be ranked in the top 20 and 5-0 in conference play.
They have to stop the Baylor offense first, which leads the country in passing, averaging 344.3 yards per game.
Prediction: Cincinnati 45, Baylor 38
