{"id":615,"date":"2008-09-03T23:09:00","date_gmt":"2008-09-04T03:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.volnation.com\/blog\/?p=615"},"modified":"2023-08-30T00:12:04","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T04:12:04","slug":"sec-week-2-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.volnation.com\/volsblog\/2008-09-03\/sec-week-2-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"SEC Week 2 Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEC Week 2 Picks<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As I sit down to review last week’s picks and look ahead to Week 2, I must admit that I have just started the Tennessee v. UCLA game on DVR. I have to make sure that what I saw Monday night was true. That a team clearly better than the other at perhaps every position on both sides of the ball actually found a way to lose. No way that happened did it? Let me say this, I’m not going to go into how or why Tennessee inexplicably found a way not to win at UCLA. You all saw the game. Although, I do think that when the ’08 season concludes we may be more surprised by this result than we are right now. Moving on…<\/p>\n

A summary report of my Week 1 picks:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Going in to the Tennessee\/UCLA game, I’m thinking, “Alright, 10-2 straight up and 8-4 against the spread…that’s not a bad week.” And, going in to the weekend, I felt the best about the Tennessee pick. Oh well. 9-3 straight up and 7-5 ATS is where I sit after Week 1.<\/p>\n

Spread teams that got me-South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, Clemson and Tennessee. Spread winners-Vandy, Florida, LSU, Mississippi St., Auburn, Ole Miss and Kentucky.<\/p>\n

Alabama rolled Clemson. Kentucky pounded the Ville. Georgia, Florida, Auburn and LSU all won easily. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss had blow out wins, as did South Carolina. Arkansas escaped. Sans the performances by Mississippi St. and Tennessee, the conference flexed its collective muscle. I heard one broadcaster over the weekend say that he thought that the SEC was the best conference. That it was an annual “given.” But, he said, the amazing element to this argument is that the Southeastern Conference continues to distance itself from the rest of the college football world.<\/p>\n

Week 2:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Southern Mississippi at Auburn: Tigers by 17 \u00bd <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Normally this might be a bit of a trap game for an Alabama school against Southern Miss. And maybe it is. I’m still shocked that Jeff Bowers is no longer the coach of the Golden Eagles. I mean, seriously, how skewed are expectations when Coach B isn’t good enough at USM? That is one reason I think Auburn wins big. That, and the fact that AU has the best D in an amazingly good conference. Chris Todd gets the start at quarterback over Kodi Burns for the Tigers. And Auburn wins big!<\/p>\n

My Pick:\u00a0Auburn 27<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Southern Miss. 3<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tulane at Alabama: Tide by 29 \u00bd <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

No SEC team was more impressive in week one than the Tide – given the opponent and given the stage. Alabama had freshmen all over the field making plays which is obviously a troubling site for fans of other conference schools.\u00a0 Two thoughts come to mind. A reliance on so many young players brings with it a tremendous upside but also likely at an inconsistent level of play. That will not matter this week as Tulane deals with more than playing a very good football team. The Tide will roll, but by 30?<\/p>\n

My Pick:\u00a0Alabama 38<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tulane 13<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Central Michigan at Georgia: Dawgs by 24<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Another stiff challenge for the men in red and black! Easy to say that now with South Carolina on the road next week; followed by a trip to Arizona St.; then Alabama and Tennessee at home; A trip to Baton Rouge; Florida in Jacksonville; at Auburn and then the annual finale with Georgia Tech. But all of that is then and this is now. Focus on one week at a time right? Will Georgia look ahead? No.<\/p>\n

My Pick:\u00a0Georgia 31<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

C.Michigan 10<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Louisiana Monroe at Arkansas: Hogs by 13<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So Arkansas needs two late touchdowns to get past Western Illinois? Am I the only person here who was unaware that Western Illinois even played football before that game hit the schedule? Probably. I’m usually the dummy in the room. My thought was that Bobby P. would want to make a point in the opener. My thought now is that Arkansas is in 2008 what I thought they were in 2008; the sixth best team in the SEC West. But, can the Hogs beat a directional Louisiana school by at least two touchdowns? Fool me once…<\/p>\n

The Pick:\u00a0Arkansas 24<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Louisiana Monroe 13<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ole Miss at Wake Forest: Wake by 8<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

After seeing the Rebs dismantle Memphis with a big play offense led by future SEC newcomer of the year QB Jevan Snead, I felt better about my selection of the Rebs as the surprise team of 2008. They’re not ready to compete for a spot in Atlanta but they are ready to be a pain in the posterior for teams more likely to secure that spot. The question: can a mid-level SEC team present problems for the best team in the ACC? It seems like we’ve already seen this storyline and received an answer, right Clemson?<\/p>\n

Here are the differences:<\/p>\n