It’s Showtime in the South as conference play gets underway.

Contributed by PFB Member, Michael Terry

Well folks, cupcake week is over. With the exception of Alabama, the SEC teams started out the season with a walkover game. This week we get down to the nitty-gritty of SEC play for many teams; as well as some tough non-conference games thrown into the mix.

Alabama(4) vs. Florida International: Alabama is coming off of a win against a good Virginia Tech team looks to begin an easy stretch of two non-conference games with a spanking of Florida International. Hopefully one look at the Crimson Tide’s O-Line will keep F.I. from trying to start a brawl. This is the SEC boys. We use the game to exploit our dominance.

What to watch for: Look for Alabama to focus on their defense which allowed a few big plays that kept VT in the game last week.

Prediction: Alabama 52 – Florida International 6

Arkansas: The Hogs are off this week as they prepare for Georgia. When asked in week one for his thoughts on breaking the school passing record Coach Petrino’s only reply was, “I hope we break it again.”

Auburn vs. Mississippi State: The Chizik era at Auburn got off to a good start last week. On the opposite sideline, you have a Mississippi St. team that looked very solid last week. This one will be a good one with the edge going to Auburn.

What to watch for: Auburn O.C. Gus Malzahn to work more on his version of the spread.

Prediction: Auburn 31 – MSU 14

LSU(11) vs. Vanderbilt: LSU, though ranked 11th, is considered weak by a lot of SEC pundits. Add to that mix a Vanderbilt team who has been anything but predictable over the last three seasons and LSU could get caught napping.

What to watch for: Whether QB Jordan Jefferson can take the reigns of the LSU offense to fill the leadership vacuum, which has existed since last year.

Prediction: LSU 31 – Vanderbilt – 14

Ole Miss(6): The Runnin’ Rebels are off this week. The final score of their game against Memphis was a little deceiving. The Rebels couldn’t seem to stop the run last week and the offense was spinning its wheels for three quarters, until their depth wore out Memphis, resulting in 28 4th quarter points. Houston Nutt doesn’t do well with expectations. With a career losing record in both bowl games and against ranked opponents, it is yet to be seen if Ole Miss can live up to the hype this year.

Florida(1) vs. Troy: Troy has been an SEC punching bag for as long as I can remember. Punching bag, meet Tebow.

What to watch for: If Troy even gets off the bus.

Prediction: Florida 63 – Troy 0

Kentucky: Off week. The wildcats had a solid showing last week. They’ll be hitting the practice field this week as they gear up for Florida in a couple weeks.

Tennessee vs. UCLA: This is not the first time these teams have met. Last year in particular this matchup had its share of flying sparks.

What to watch for: Look for Coach Kiffin to show the Vol. nation that last week wasn’t a fluke.

Prediction: Tennessee 37 – UCLA 14

Matchup of the week:

Georgia(21) vs. South Carolina: Even with two powerhouse offensive coaches, the UGA/SC game has been a defensive struggle of late with only two touchdowns between them in the last three games. This is a good thing for these teams this year. Both offenses looked lost last week with new starters all over the field. Each team will rely heavily on its defense to keep them alive so they can have a chance to win it in the end. This is quickly becoming one of the SEC’s “neo-rivalries.” Both teams will try to strike back after last week which found South Carolina looking discombobulated and Georgia getting seriously “handled.”

What to watch for: Which team will make the big mistake on defense that allows the other team to take the advantage?

Prediction: Georgia 14 – SC 10

I have nothing. Nothing to do. Nothing to care about. Nothing.

Auburn was bad this year, very bad, and I have no bowl game to look forward to. Sure there is a coaching search and recruiting, but those just seem to depress me more after a bad season. The Tigers are playing basketball, but they aren’t very good either, and when it comes to hoops, I am as fair weather as they get.

I want to play golf. I brought my clubs in last night and cleaned them. They look great, but I have no time to use them. The sun has set by the time I get off work, and weekends this time of year are reserved for shopping and decorating and parties and other things besides golf.

Sure there’s pro sports, but if I’m being honest with you, and I have no reason not to be, then I’d tell you missing every NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL game from now till Kingdom Come would not upset me. I do enjoy watching golf, but they aren’t playing now, and even if they were, Tiger is still rehabbing his knee.

I tried to pick a soccer team to follow. After reading Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch I became fascinated by the madness of it all. I keep up with Celtic FC, but living an ocean away makes it hard to really get in to it. I have watched a few games at work on a pirated feed from some Arab network. Did you know the Arabic word for goal is قصد

But January will be here soon, and my weekends will be spent playing cold golf. Then the grass will start to grow, and flowers will bloom, and Tiger will return to the Masters. And before long I’ll be back in Jordan-Hare Stadium, cheering on my Tigers with their new coach. But for now, I’m kind of bored.

Since I won’t have a chance to post this tomorrow or Friday, here we go…….

So Auburn isn’t very good at football this year.  In fact, we are pretty awful.  Notice I say we.  I know some people get upset when fans refer to their teams as we, but I think as long as you still say we when your team is bad, your OK.

Anyway, this morning I saw this clip. It shows Bo Jackson throwing out Harold Reynolds from left field.  Bo throws the ball flat footed from the wall, and flies the ball to the catcher, nailing Reynolds by a foot.

It’s doubtful there will ever be another Bo Jackson, but I have no doubt Auburn will be good again.  So until then, I’ll waller in the past…
War Damn Eagle!

LSU, the defending BCS Champions, will travel to Auburn this Saturday for what should be an epic battle between two top 10 teams. The past four games in the series have all come down to the final minutes, and usually end the most bizarre ways. This is only fitting, since bizarre things have defined this series.

In 1996 Auburn’s old basketball arena burned to the ground. On television the flames could be seen high over the stadium, leading many viewers to believe Jordan-Hare Stadium was on fire.

In 1988, LSU scored on a last second drive to beat Auburn 7-6. The resulting erruption from the LSU fans set off a seismograph located in LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex.

But for me, the strangest Auburn-LSU game has to be 1994. Heading into the 4th quarter LSU led 23-9. Auburn’s only points were a fumbled recovered in the end-zone and a safety. Then this happened…

23-16, LSU kicks a field goal, 26-16, then this…

26-23, and I think you know what’s coming….

Final score Auburn 30 LSU 26. Three interception returns for touchdowns in the last fifteen minutes. And as much fun as it would be to witness something like that on Saturday, I’m not sure my heart could stand it, so I”ll go with Auburn 17 LSU 10.

War Damn Eagle!