Forecast: Ole Miss, State to open with W's
Posted on: August 27,2014
Who you got?
Last season, I picked 75 per cent of games correctly, which means three out of every four of the following predictions might be right. Don’t blame me if bet your groceries on the one of the four that isn’t. It’s a new season. Everybody is undefeated, even me. Here we go…
Mississippi State 38, Southern Miss 13: USM will be better. The Golden Eagles have the same coach and the same quarterback as the season before for the first time since 2011 when they won 12 games and Conference USA. However, they do not have State’s overall talent and depth. It’s not even close. State opens its new, improved, larger version of Scott Field with a big victory.
Ole Miss 34, Boise State 20: Hugh Freeze’s consistent recruiting really starts to show this season in Oxford. The Rebels have more speed and depth than they have had in years. They also have a healthy, three-year starter at quarterback. The difference here will be speed. This is the year in the SEC West when both Ole Miss and Mississippi State should be saying: Why not us?
Jackson State 24, Florida A & M 20: The Harold Jackson Era gets off to a winning start.
South Carolina 24, Texas A & M 17: And thus begins A&M football without Johnny Football. The Gamecocks look like SEC East favorites from this vantage point.
Vanderbilt 34, Temple 14: The Commodores may not have the same coach, but they have momentum. After all, Vandy baseball just won the first men’s national championship in the school’s history.
Alabama 31, West Virginia 10: Bama breaks in a new quarterback, which is infinitely easier when you are better than the other team at the other 21 positions.
Auburn 27, Arkansas 10: Again, the difference is speed.
Georgia 31, Clemson 27: Georgia fans, an impatient lot, are past ready to win another championship of some kind. This would be a start.
Tennessee 27, Utah State 24: This is far from a gimme for Tennessee. An upset would not be all that surprising.
LSU 26, Wisconsin 17: Lots of questions about this LSU team, but the overall talent level is still sky-high.
Florida 42, Idaho 7: Gators will be better. Much better.
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The MSHOF Jackie Sherrill Roast is set for Sept. 9. Details here.
The only pick you have that makes me nervous is JSU. Of course, my “winning percentage” is probably less than 50 percent, so can’t say this means anything at all. Are you going to be Starkville, Saturday? If so, I’ll see ya then.