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Will Arkansas be able to find offensive rhythm against Kentucky?
Maybe the biggest question around Arkansas’ game with Kentucky on Saturday night is which team is playing worse lately.
Seriously, that’s the view most folks are taking around a game that probably won’t be viewed by an awful lot of people outside of the two states involved. The ESPN mother ship has the big game of the week with Florida going to LSU.
In Lexington, the Razorbacks and Wildcats come into this game sporting identical 2-3 records and both teams have let games slip away.
Kentucky lost in spectacular fashion to Florida and you have to wonder how much that loss has hurt them going forward. It’s happened before. One loss can sink a season for a variety of reasons.
Chad Morris is trying to rebuild a program that was in shambles when he came in. Mark Stoops isn’t going to hit last year’s 10-win record, mainly because they go to Georgia next week, then host Missouri.
The Hogs get Auburn and Alabama the next two weeks.
Both teams desperately need a win.
Arkansas could have won against Texas A&M two weeks ago and should have won against San Jose State before that and Morris will remember those for awhile.
After losing to the Gators, the Wildcats have stumbled against Mississippi State and flatlined against South Carolina two weeks.
Their offense is bad and the defense isn’t too much better. The Razorbacks, as fans are painfully aware, have been all over the map this year.
Despite all that, it could be an entertaining game.
The biggest question for me is how does Nick Starkel do with a complete set of wide receivers, something he really hasn’t had very often this year.
It will also help they certainly aren’t going to be looking past Kentucky. Morris has pointed out after the San Jose State game this team doesn’t have the talent level to look past anyone.
Every game, it seems, something has happened that seemingly throws everything off the tracks a little.
Especially with the wide receivers.
Against Texas A&M, Trey Knox was out and Treylon Burks had a big game, but it wasn’t enough and it came down to a prayer to tight end C.J. O’Grady.
Against San Jose State, Burks was out, Knox was being doubled up and that game came down to a long pass to Mike Woods that got picked off.
With the exception of O’Grady, we’re talking about freshmen and a sophomore. All of this is happening behind an offensive line that is, at best, consistently inconsistent.
It’s all part of Morris’ building project.
Getting a win over Kentucky would be a huge positive … and I think they get it.
Arkansas 28, Kentucky 17
In our pick ’em contest, Peter Morgan and I didn’t publish anything last week on the SEC picks, but by mutual agreement we made them and he falls another game back, taking Auburn while I then took Florida to throw him a crumb … and he blew it. I am up two games.
Easy pickings
Georgia (-22) over South Carolina, Vanderbilt (-15) over Nevada-Las Vegas.
Mississippi State (-7) at Tennessee
This one has a pair of teams needing a win as badly as Arkansas and Kentucky, especially the Vols, who are sitting at 1-4 on the season.
The Bulldogs are 3-2, but their last outing was getting stomped by Auburn two weeks ago. That came a couple of weeks after losing to Kansas State … at home.
If you follow all of that, State may lay an egg, but Tennessee is a stumbling, bumbling mess. If it wasn’t for Arkansas, the Vols would be at the bottom of the SEC barrel the last couple of years.
Mississippi State 30, Tennessee 21
Alabama (-17) at Texas A&M
Why is it I don’t think this game is going to be THAT big of a blowout?
The Crimson Tide are rolling like they normally do over a bunch of has-been’s and never-will-be’s … and we have no idea what the Aggies can do about it.
But because Alabama really hasn’t been challenged this year. Ole Miss put 31 on the Tide, but most of it came late and it was after Alabama had put 59 on the board.
Sooner or later, though, one of Nick Saban’s former assistants will figure out a way to win a game against him, but I don’t think that will be the second-most over-rated coach in college football, Jimbo Fisher.
Alabama 42, Texas A&M 31
Ole Miss at Missouri (-12.5)
Apparently, nobody thinks the Rebels have a shot in this game, but I’m still not a believer in either Kelly Bryant or the Tigers for the long stretch.
We’re not taking the overall view here, though, and it’s one week at a time. Ole Miss is playing musical chairs at quarterback, but everyone’s seeing why John Rhys Plumlee was so highly-touted as a recruit.
He was the second highest-rated quarterback recruit in Mississippi last year … behind Razorback signee K.J. Jefferson, who hasn’t seen the field yet.
The Tigers will win this one, but it may be a little closer than a couple of touchdowns.
Missouri 45, Ole Miss 38
Florida at LSU (-13.5)
When is the last time this matchup had an over-under of 56 … that might actually be too low?
Nobody is betting on the Gators, which is why the line keeps going out of sight in favor of the Tigers, which should tell us something.
It’s a night game in Baton Rouge and LSU has a quarterback that has been one of the leading Heisman Trophy candidates and that hasn’t happened since Bert Jones back in the early 1970’s (his little brother, Tom, played at Arkansas nearly a decade later).
Yeah, LSU will take this one pretty big.
LSU 48, Florida 31
