Week 6

Vanderbilt vs Alabama – Not once in all my years did I ever think that ESPN Gameday would be making this game as the highlight game of the week, yet here we are. Last year Vandy embarrassed the Crimson Tide and in doing so, sent their season, at least by Bama standards, right down the tubes. Now the Commodores come into this season ranked fourth in offense. They have a surprisingly dominant ground game, and they back it up with very good passing efficiency. This is not the push over team of the past. They are very good on third downs converting over 60%. What they like to do is to have long sustained drives that eat up the clock and wear down opposing defensives. Every now and then they will have a big play but that’s not their MO. The Dores already have one top 25 victory as they took down South Carolina in Columbia and it wasn’t even close, 31-7. The only other big school that they’ve taken down has been Virginia Tech and that was also on the road. These Commodores are lead by QB Diego Pavia and he's been slinging the ball around like no other Vandy QB as before. He’s also instilled a sense of confidence that has this team believing they are on a road to destiny. Where Vandy is weak is on the defensive side, they allow teams to convert third downs and their secondary has not kept up with the rest of the team. This Saturday will be the biggest test of the year for them, and if they don’t step up it is going to prove to be their Achilles heel. Alabama has the ability to strike very quickly through their passing game. QB Ty Simpson, at least since the Florida State game, has been unstoppable. Seriously why are the TV people not mentioning his name in the Heisman race? Where Bama needs to improve is in the running game, which has been unimpressive, and as a Bama fan that is not acceptable. However, if the O-line can keep QB Simpson’s jersey clean it is doubtful Vandy will be able to stop this offensive. The defense of the Crimson Tide has had problems with a mobile QB in the past and for some reason they’ve never solved that problem. They’re going to be tested both in QB Pavia and the Vandy’s running game, because against Georgia the Tide allowed WAY TOO rushing yards. This game is going to come down to situational football, third down efficiency is going to be key, turnovers will also be a deciding factor. They have contrasting styles, Vandy thrives on efficiency and balance. Alabama has one of, if not the best high-level passing attack in the nation. Vanderbilt is going to have to trade touchdowns with Alabama they can’t afford to stall in the redzone. Alabama is coming into this game wanting revenge for last year, Vandy wants to prove they are legitimate. Alabama also can’t afford to be too cocky after beating UGA. There is a lot of pressure on the Tide, they are going to answer the call. Alabama is the pick to win, as anger gives the Tide the edge.

Miami vs Florida State – This in-state rival has been going on since 1951 and the Hurricanes hold a 36-33 edge, yet it gets tighter in the most recent years as both teams have won 13 games over the last 26 matchups head-to-head. Miami comes into Tallahassee with a very strong offense, as they are averaging over 36 points per game. QB Carson Beck is having a fantastic year, as he’s thrown for seven TD’s and almost 1,000 yards. The real strength of the team has been the offensive line, they have opened up holes for the running game and they keep Beck from getting knocked around. The defense has been very strong as well, shutting down most offensives. They handled South Florida pretty well back when the Bulls were the Cinderella team of the season. They did let the Irish mount a comeback in the second half but since then they’ve been stout. However, the Hurricanes have not actually been tested. Yes, they have a victory over Notre Dame but honestly the Irish have proven not to be the team they thought they were. Last week, Maimi beat up on Florida and all their games so far have been at home, so no big test.

Florida State has been the surprise team of the year ever since they beat Alabama in the opening weekend. Then last week happened and the Seminoles in their first road test fell to Virginia in overtime 46-38. That high-flying offense, although not shut down, had its worst appearance so far. Their offensive line had a terrible time keeping UVA out of the backfield and when it mattered the most. Obviously they didn’t take the WhooHoo’s seriously, or maybe they did and they just weren’t up to the task. FSU has scored well this season, as they average 53 points per game. QB Castellanos has been very good running this offense but when needed the most he couldn’t bring the Seminoles through. It’s not completely fair to put all the failure on his shoulders the defense of Florida State must share the blame. They have allowed 19 points per game and last week against UVA they couldn’t stop anyone. Miami comes into this game as the superior team and if the Seminoles don’t make it tough for them in the opening minutes, the Canes will walk all over FSU. However, if the Noles can recover from their loss, and regroup, they can make this game very interesting. Miami is the pick to win, its just a matter of how much.

Mississippi State vs Texas A&M – MSU is at 4-1 and it very well could have been 5-0 but they slipped up against tennessee. Despite that loss the Bulldogs are a much improved team. They’ve already taken down one top 25 team and honestly they should have won last week as well. Offensively they are ranked 22^nd in the nation averaging over 38 points per game. QB Blake Shapen has taken the reigns of this team and so far, he’s been great. Their rushing attack has also been very steady, which is why this offense has proven too tough to stop. Where the Bulldogs are weak is on the defensive side of the ball. As the offense scores up points the defense let’s other teams score  points. And if the timing couldn’t be worse, MSU has been hit early this season with the injury bug and will be missing some big time contributors. A&M, the Daughter’s school, is at 4-0 and they’re sitting in 5^th place in the SEC. They beat Notre Dame on the Irish home field and that made everyone happy. They did beat Auburn, which is always good, but let’s be honest, they escaped that game. The offensive line doesn’t have too much to worry about as the MSU defensive line is not as stout as Auburn’s which will allow the Aggie running game to open up a lot more. What A&M has to worry about are the penalties. The worst drive killer for the Aggies has been, the Aggies, they are getting called for holding a lot and at the worst times. They have shot themselves in the foot more times than any other team this season. If they want to be dominate this weekend, those penalties have got to go away. Miss State has a knack of stealing games from A&M, and if the Aggies are not careful these Bulldogs can steal this one too. Texas A&M is the pick to win, and its not just because the Daughter goes there, but they have shown to be the superior team. This game will be close and it will more than likely come down to just a few plays in the fourth quarter.

Short Smokes

Georgia if they are not careful can easily lose to Kentucky.

Iowa State is on a tear and Cincinnati will be their next victim

Wisconsin, if they want to keep their coach, can not get rolled by Michigan

Illinois recovered just fine against USC last week and now they get to beat up on Purdue

Pittsburgh will host Boston College and the Panthers will claw their way to a win

Nobody knows what’s going on with Clemson, the way they are playing right now North Carolina will win this game

Baylor get’s to take down K-State

Navy shoots down Air Force

Army will roll all over UAB

Wake Forest vs VA Tech is a complete toss up

Arizona will Bear Down on Oklahoma State

Penn State is overrated but they won’t have any problems with UCLA

Texas is also overrated but Florida is not the team to prove that

It would be nice if Boise State would beat Notre Dame but they won’t

Virginia has to prove that last week was not a fluke and beat Louisville, and they will

Washington will ruin Maryland’s undefeated season

Oregon State is looking for their first win, and it might come against App State

Syracuse can and will beat SMU

Oklahoma has yet another tune up against Kent State

Michigan State just might be on the upswing but to keep that going they’ve got to beat Nebraska

Two undefeated teams in Texas Tech and Houston smash heads, and the Red Riders will be the victor

It would be great if Minnesota would beat Ohio State but that’s not going to happen, hopefully it’ll be close

Colorado is having a terrible time finding their footing, and against TCU that struggle will continue

Kansas and UCF will be a good game worth watching, the Jayhawks win

Memphis will stay undefeated as they take on Tulsa

The hippies of California will have a tough fight on their hands against Duke

The Late Game features Nevada being taken down by Fresno State.