Nobody this week has been talking a whole lot about Arkansas’ game this morning with No. 2 Georgia.
All of the Razorback fans are on watch because the general feeling right now is there are changes going to be made to the athletic department. Many are hoping it starts with athletic director Hunter Yurachek.
Let’s not forget about the game at 11 a.m. on ABC.
Kirby Smart brings a bunch of Bulldogs to Fayetteville and they really haven’t seen much action this year. When you’re averaging scoring over 60 points a game in your first two you don’t need a lot of time on the field for the starters.
Smart is not wanting anybody injured that he will need when he gets down to trying to get a good playoff spot at the end.
The Hogs are simply trying to at least be competitive in a game against somebody good. The betting lines are ridiculous, there has been talk of fans trying to boycott the game and how many people are in Razorback Stadium is a big question.
Maybe the best news in all of this is it’s an early kickoff so we’ll have that game out of the way by the time the big ones later in the day get started.
Don’t look for any surprises in this game. Even if the Bulldogs don’t play their sharpest, maybe the best Arkansas can hope to accomplish here is find a way to sustain drives on offense and figure out a way to get off the field on defense.
That probably won’t happen very often.
Georgia 54, Arkansas 6
Since I haven’t heard from Pete Morgan this week, I’m assuming his picks will come flying in just before kickoff. His optimism may be rattled a little after that late Saturday night beatdown in Utah.
It has set off a firestorm of really upset Razorback fans who want somebody to blame.
Around the rest of the SEC, the biggest game, obviously, is in Oxford, Miss., with LSU coach Lane Kiffin making his return to face his old team in Ole Miss. There are some rather interesting games along the way, though.
The one big positive is that as we get into the season, the “Good Grief Games” are dropping rapidly.
This Week’s SEC Picks
NC State at Vanderbilt, 11:45 a.m. (SECN): Apparently, Diego Pavia was as important to the Commodores as he thought he was because they haven’t been the same this season without him. They have struggled in their first two and now they play an ACC team that may be ready for them. Wolfpack by 6
Florida State at (10) Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (ABC): The Seminoles have already fired their athletic director this season and you have to wonder if coach Mike Norvel is next. The Crimson Tide are looking for some consistency and Kalen DeBoer is still a big question mark for a lot of fans. No problem here, though. Crimson Tide by 9
Kentucky at (9) Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN): The Aggies are the real deal this year. The Wildcats are back to their normal place way down the list. Aggies by 23
Mississippi State at South Carolina, 3:15 p.m. (SECN): Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor may be the surprise player in college football this year as there are folks shooting him up in the Heisman rankings really fast after solid start. This game may tell a lot. Bulldogs by 2
Florida at Auburn, 6 p.m. (ESPN): The Tigers may develop into something really well, but it’s hard to see them being there yet. They haven’t shown it in the first two games of the year. The Gators are looking like they are ready to take some big strides under new coach John Sumrall. Gators by 14
Troy at (20) Missouri, 6 p.m. (SECN+): Don’t look past the Trojans who have been a problem at various times over the years for SEC teams, but the Tigers seem to be winning, just not in the most colorful way every week. Tigers by 12
New Mexico at (24) Oklahoma, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2): While the Lobos may be undefeated to start the season, they really haven’t played anybody that should have given them trouble. The Sooners will. They aren’t in a particularly good mood right now after offense disappeared in big game against Michigan. This should be better. Sooners 20
Kennesaw State at (15) Tennessee, 6:45 p.m. (SECN): This one falls into the “Good Grief” category because the Vols may not be great this year but they are much better than about half the league. Look for the offense to score a lot and in often. Vols by 30
UTSA at (1) Texas, 7 p.m. (SECN+): Another one that probably won’t be that creative unless it’s not good for the Longhorns. This one is another chance for Arch Manning to put another notch in his belt of what folks are wanting to be a historic run. Longhorns by 24
(7) LSU at (8) Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m. (ABC): GameDay is there and the party is in full swing. With the morning party followed by a game that starts in the evening, there will be some double hangovers tomorrow for folks. Trust me it is going to be a huge party and now the game just needs to live up to the hype of this one. Kiffin wants a win. The Rebels need one and a lot of national people seem to be overlooking how good Pete Golding is as a coach. That, and a big-time kicker, will likely make the difference in the fourth quarter. Rebels by 3
