SEC Prediction Week 13

This is the final week of the Regular season and Michael McCoy has won the pick'em. Michael currently has an overall mark of (76-12) followed by Jay Skipworth at (72-16) with Eddie McCoy pulling up the rear at (66-22). Let's get on with the picks:

Michael McCoy's Picks:
Clemson @ South Carolina- South Carolina
Ole Miss @ Miss St- Ole Miss
Florida State @ Florida- Florida
Tennessee @ Kentucky- Tennessee
Arkansas @ LSU- Arkansas
Georgia @ Georgia Tech- Georgia Tech

Iron Bowl:
As Kenny Loggins once sang, this is it. Outdated clichés abound about the Iron Bowl, but that's okay. History actually shows that the better team does usually win this game, but there are exceptions. Will 2009 be one of those? We'll find out. There's no doubt Alabama brings the superior team into Jordan-Hare on Friday, but Auburn comes in with a far better team than a year ago that's also in a far better frame of mind. The facts are these...like any good SEC rivalry (and this one's the best), this game will be decided by who controls the line of scrimmage (duh) and who makes the fewest mistakes (i.e., turnovers and penalties). Alabama has faced some dynamic offenses this year, but Auburn's is probably the most balanced that they've seen. Failure to establish the running game was a huge factor, though, in Auburn's offense losing the spark it carried early on in the Georgia game. That can't happen against Alabama. The bigger key for the game may be whether or not Auburn's defense can slow down Mark Ingram. If Auburn can, this will be a tight game where anything can happen. In the end, I expect that Auburn will come out inspired and carry this game into the fourth quarter, but Alabama will tack on a late field goal to ice it. Auburn can win this game, but I'll say Alabama 29 Auburn 20.


Jay Skipworth's Picks:
Clemson @ South Carolina- Clemson
Ole Miss @ Miss St- Ole Miss
Florida State @ Florida- Florida
Tennessee @ Kentucky- Kentucky
Arkansas @ LSU- Arkansas
Georgia @ Georgia Tech- Georgia Tech

Iron Bowl:
Auburn’s ranking as one of the top offenses in the SEC is fraudulent. The Tigers have put up points and yards on mediocre or worse teams and have struggled against better defenses. The Alabama defense can and will neutralize every position with a strong run-stopping front line, a ferocious pass rush, and a ball-hawking defensive backfield. Alabama’s offense is roughly the same as last year – run the ball a lot, throw to the tight end and occasionally hit the long ball. The biggest difference is Alabama has more playmakers on the two-deep roster than anything Auburn has on defense. Auburn’s defense is actually worse this year. In fact, statistically, it’s the worst Auburn defense in their history. There have been consecutive shutouts in this series (1905-1906, 1959-1962) and Alabama was on top in those cases as well. This one will give another meaning to “Black Friday” as the Crimson Tide will steamroll their in-state rival for the second year in a row. Alabama 34, Auburn 0.


Eddie McCoy's Picks:
Clemson @ South Carolina- Clemson
Ole Miss @ Miss St- Ole Miss
Florida State @ Florida- Florida
Tennessee @ Kentucky- Kentucky
Arkansas @ LSU- Arkansas
Georgia @ Georgia Tech- Georgia Tech

Iron Bowl:
This is the first Iron Bowl that I can remember in my lifetime that I just don't feel like we have a shot at winning. I'll be showing up with ironically "Livin' on a Prayer" in my head. For the most part, everytime it seems like a blowout is certain it seems like the opposite happens. I'm hopeful that it can happen tomorrow and that Auburn will be able to move the ball and put up some points on this tough Bama defense. The task is very difficult but it could be the biggest upset in Iron Bowl History if it could happen. I'll be showing up hoping for that while realistically expecting the Auburn defense to get beat down with the Bama running game and clock control as the Auburn Offense will probably be inconsistent thru out the game. I believe Auburn will keep it close early on but Alabama will pull away in the second half. I expect the score to be something like Alabama 34, Auburn 19.

SEC Predictions Week 12

Auburn's not playing this week, but that doesn't mean the AFI pick 'em is taking a break as we enter week 12 of SEC action. Michael McCoy continued to impress last week and now stands at (71-11) on the season. Jay Skipworth had an equally good week and still holds on to second with a record of (66-16). Eddie McCoy was only slightly less impressive last week and as a result, still brings up the rear at (62-20). This week isn't the most captivating weekend of SEC football as we all count down to rivalry week next week and the SEC Championship to follow, but look for Eddie's and Michael's hometown team (Chattanooga) to soften up the Tide before they roll into Auburn for Black Friday. On to the picks:

Michael McCoy's Picks:
UTC at Alabama - Alabama
Mississippi State at Arkansas - Arkansas
FIU at Florida - Florida
LSU at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Vanderbilt at Tennessee - Tennessee
Kentucky at Georgia - Georgia

Jay Skipworth's Picks:
UTC at Alabama - Alabama
Mississippi State at Arkansas - Arkansas
FIU at Florida - Florida
LSU at Ole Miss - TBA
Vanderbilt at Tennessee - Tennessee
Kentucky at Georgia - Kentucky

You can also view a more detailed preview of each SEC Game at Jay's BC Column linked below:
http://blogcritics.org/sports/article/sec-week-twelve-previews-picks/

Eddie McCoy's Picks:
UTC at Alabama - Alabama
Mississippi State at Arkansas - Arkansas
FIU at Florida - Florida
LSU at Ole Miss - LSU
Vanderbilt at Tennessee - Tennessee
Kentucky at Georgia - Georgia

SEC Predictions Week 11

Last week was the first week that we were all perfect on the season. No ground gained or lost among us, so with that said, Michael McCoy is leading the pack with an overall mark of (65-10) followed by Jay Skipworth at (60-15) and Eddie McCoy bringing up the rear at (57-18). This is another big week of SEC football, so lets get on with the picks:

Michael McCoy's Picks:

Tennessee at Ole Miss -Ole Miss

Kentucky at Vanderbilt - Kentucky

Florida at South Carolina - Florida

Alabama at Mississippi State - Alabama

Louisiana Tech at LSU - LSU

Troy at Arkansas - Arkansas

Auburn at Georgia
After ten weeks of sparring, we've arrived at the business end of Auburn's season: Amen Corner. This is the time when true Auburn legends are born, and things kick off Saturday night in Athens with The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Auburn enters the game with some momentum after consecutive wins over Ole Miss and Furman. The Navy Nightmare against Ole Miss righted the ship after it was taking on some water in previous weeks and Furman allowed the Tigers to do exactly what they wanted to. Mainly, playing a crisp half of football before emptying the bench and giving the top of the depth chart a chance to catch its breath before the final sprint. Georgia enters the game with some wounded pride. At 5-4, this is not a season Bulldogs fans are use to, and much dissension in Athens has ensued as a result. But it would be a mistake to think that Auburn can count on this negativity to keep is strong season going. The Dawgs still have plenty of talent and there's no reason not to think that playing Auburn's schedule, they might have an indentical record to the Tigers right now. That said, Auburn does seem the more consistent of the two teams. Georgia has struggled on defense most of the year while the offensive results have varied. The only constant on that side of the ball is that A.J. Green is probably the best receiver in the nation, and given Auburn's precarious secondary situation with Demond Washington still green at the Strong Safety position after Zac Etheridge's injury, look for Georgia to find ways to exploit this. Joe Cox has excelled at times throwing the deep ball. The deciding factor on this side of the ball, though, will be in the trenches. Auburn's defensive line has come on in recent games, anchored on the ends by Antonio Coleman and Antoine Carter, and if those two have as much success against a suspect Georgia offensive line as they did against the suspect Ole Miss defensive line, the defense in general should reap the rewards. On offense, Auburn will once again need to keep its deep passing game going. Downfield completions really paved the way for some offensive explosion against Ole Miss, and though Georgia has largely been poor on defense, they've done a decent job of stopping the runs at time, making it imperative that Chris Todd complete some big throws over the course of the game to help clear things out for Ben Tate. In the end, I think Auburn will do this and move the ball well enough to score some points. I don't expect this to be quite the shootout that others do, but there will be some offense by both teams. In the end, I think Auburn's defense continues its solid late season play and helps Auburn sneak out of Athens with a hard fought win. I'll say Auburn 28 Georgia 24..


Eddie McCoy's Picks:

Tennessee at Ole Miss - Tennessee

Kentucky at Vanderbilt - Kentucky

Florida at South Carolina - Florida

Alabama at Mississippi State - Alabama

Louisiana Tech at LSU - LSU

Troy at Arkansas - Arkansas

Auburn at Georgia:

Let me preface this by saying that I HATE GEORGIA. There, I got it out of my system. I live in Georgia and absolutely cannot stand the dawgs. With that said, I think this game is very interesting. Auburn seems to be once again picking up momentum since the 3 game skid and Georgia is just looking for something good to happen. Georgia has more talent than Auburn, but the coaching is not quite up to par with the Auburn staff this year. With that said, it is monumental for Auburn to get off to a fast start against this Georgia team. If they can bring it at the beginning of the game, it could be a very long night for the Bulldogs. I look for Auburn to try and establish the run and take it shots down the field where Georgia has struggled in defending the pass. The Auburn defense has to come out and take away the run from Georgia. Georgia lives off of play action passes and it makes it that much more difficult for them to be successful if they cannot run the football. I think this game could be close, but I actually like the Tigers to jump out to an early lead and hold on till the end. I'll say Auburn 34, Georgia 24.

Jay Skipworth's Picks:

Tennessee at Ole Miss - Ole Miss

Kentucky at Vanderbilt - Kentucky

Florida at South Carolina - Florida

Alabama at Mississippi State - Alabama

Louisiana Tech at LSU - LSU

Troy at Arkansas - Arkansas

Auburn at Georgia:

In the end, this one should be a shoot-out because neither defense is great at stopping the opposition. I think Auburn can gain an edge with a strong running game and a deliberate passing attack. Auburn will need to capitalize on every opportunity in the game in order to get the win. Georgia wants this one and needs it, but Auburn wants it and needs it too and has the talent on the field and the sidelines to go get it. Auburn 30, Georgia 28.

War Eagle!!

BBQ Pit

This has nothing to do with Auburn Football, but I just thought I would share a picture of the BBQ Pit that my Dad is building. It's going to be off the chain. My Grand parents used to run a BBQ Joint in Selma, AL in the 40's and their BBQ and sauce is tops and is being passed down to the family lines. Here are some pics of the pit he is building along with a link to my face book page with some pictures of a BBQ he directed for the St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Ooltewah, TN on a yearly basis.

http://www.facebook.com/eddie.mccoy2?ref=name#/album.php?aid=174475&id=1175857861

SEC Predictions Week 10

Last week saw Michael increase his lead by going a perfect (7-0) while Jay and Eddie both went (5-2). Michael holds an overall record of (57-10) followed by Jay at (52-15) with Eddie trailing the pack at (49-18). This week provides some interesting in-conference matchups compiled with some horrible Homecoming games. Lets take a look at the picks:

Michael McCoy's Picks:

South Carolina at Arkansas - Arkansas

Tennessee Tech at Georgia - Georgia

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky - Kentucky

LSU at Alabama - Alabama

Memphis at Tennessee - Tennessee

Vanderbilt at Florida - Florida

Northern Arizona at Ole Miss - Ole Miss

Furman @ Auburn:

Ole Miss was just the tonic for this Auburn team coming off a tough three game stretch. The Tigers silenced all the critics and got their season back on track, but more importantly, they gave themselves some momentum heading into Amen Corner. Furman comes into town this week, and as much as everybody likes to knock the playing of these FCS teams, this game comes at a good time for Auburn. After nine straight games and five straight games against SEC opponents, this game should allow Auburn a little mental break and hopefully a physical one for a lot of players if we can build up an early lead. Let's face it, this should be nothing more than a glorified scrimmage, a chance to keep the rhythm going heading into Athens next week. Given the mental and physical fatigue that is bound to have collected over the last three months of games and two-a-days, I expect this not to be the most crisp performance, and Furman might actually move the ball a little bit and score some points, but this won't be a problem. The score may not look as pretty as we want it to at the end of the game after emptying our bench, but it will help us keep our legs fresher for Georgia next week. Besides sustaining no injuries, I expect the biggest concern here to be sharpening up the passing game a bit more and getting Demond Washington plenty of work at Strong Safety after taking over for Zac Etheridge's following his scary injury. I'll say Auburn 52, Furman 20.

Jay Skipworth's Picks:

South Carolina at Arkansas - Arkansas

Tennessee Tech at Georgia - Georgia

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky - Kentucky

LSU at Alabama - Alabama

Memphis at Tennessee - Tennessee

Vanderbilt at Florida - Florida

Northern Arizona at Ole Miss - Ole Miss

Furman @ Auburn:

The Tigers are excited again after a big against Ole Miss and they get a tune up game against Furman before heading around amen corner with games against rivals Georgia and Alabama. Furman isn’t a bad team per se, but they don’t have the athletes to match up against Auburn’s weapons on offense. Expect the Tigers to run the ball a lot and play a bunch of people on offense. The defense will largely remain the same as Auburn is still incredibly thin there, but should have the time to rest a few starters. Auburn 34, Furman 13.

You can also view a more detailed preview of each SEC Game at Jay's BC Column linked below:

http://blogcritics.org/sports/article/sec-week-ten-previews-and-picks/

Eddie McCoy's Picks:

South Carolina at Arkansas - Arkansas

Tennessee Tech at Georgia - Georgia

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky - Kentucky

LSU at Alabama - Alabama

Memphis at Tennessee - Tennessee

Vanderbilt at Florida - Florida

Northern Arizona at Ole Miss - Ole Miss

Furman @ Auburn:

Auburn is coming off a huge win against Ole Miss in which it looked like it was able to get the offense somewhat back on track. The goal this week will be to fine tune things for Georgia and get up to a big lead quickly so that the starters can be pulled out and rest up for the big game next week at Athens. I expect Auburn to take care of business early and take a commanding lead into halftime allowing the plan to rest players occur. The defense has showed some signs of life recently and I believe that it will continue this week, at least with the starters. I don't look for this game to be very close. I like Auburn 49, Furman 17.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and score predictions in our comment section.

War Eagle!