SEC Weekly Report: It's Cupcake Week Around the SEC
As has become a sort of late November tradition, a handful of SEC teams will be taking on less-than-threatening opponents this week and critics will come with pitchforks to attack the schedule. While most power conferences frontload their non-conference schedules with what amounts to exhibition games, the SEC sprinkles them in at the end of the season after taking on better challenges earlier in the season.
There will be four SEC conference games this weekend (Ole Miss vs. LSU, Arkansas vs. Mississippi State, Missouri vs. Tennessee and Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M), while six other SEC schools will take it easy this week before getting set to close out the regular season with a rivalry matchup. Florida, with the SEC East wrapped up, takes on two-win Florida Atlantic in Gainesville before taking on Florida State next week. South Carolina hosts The Citadel before taking on top-ranked Clemson next week. Auburn can become bowl-eligible with a win over Idaho before hosting rival Alabama in next week's Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide, appearing to be playoff-bound, host one of the top FCS teams in the nation, Charleston Southern, this week. Georgia plays rival Georgia Tech next week, but must first get by a threat from Georgia Southern, and Kentucky needs a win against Charlotte to keep bowl hopes alive before taking on Louisville next week.
The SEC schedule may be boring the week before the end of the regular season, but the SEC challenges itself earlier in the season when others take it easy, and the rivalry games played throughout the conference, some with ACC in-state foes, helps make up for the letdown in late November. The scheduling does have its advantage for any SEC contender in the national championship picture, as it reduces the likelihood of a late-season loss. This, more than anything else, has been the boiling point of the criticism toward SEC scheduling.
This has led some to suggest the SEC should adopt a nine-game conference schedule, or at least allow for some more adjusting of the current eight-game format. Not scheduling conference games early in the season would help fill the void of attractive games this week, but so would adopting a scheduling policy similar to the one the Big Ten will begin implementing next season. The Big Ten is moving to a nine-game conference schedule, but will also eliminate all games against FCS opponents, making for one fewer paycheck game for Big Ten members with the hope of adding one more game worth watching for most fans.
There is no perfect solution to conference and non-conference scheduling that will please everybody. So for now, enjoy your cupcakes this weekend, SEC. You really should avoid the extra calories before Thanksgiving though.
SEC Game of the Week: No. 22 Ole Miss (7-3, 4-2 SEC) vs. No. 15 LSU (7-2, 4-2 SEC)
Alabama sits atop the SEC West, but Ole Miss can keep the pressure on the Crimson Tide to beat rival Auburn next week if it can manage to hand LSU a third straight loss. The Tigers have lost two straight to Alabama and Arkansas and now face a tough road test against Laquon Treadwell and the Rebels. Ole Miss averages 526.6 yards of offense per game, which should give LSU something to think about. Is Les Miles coaching for his job?
SEC Upset Alert of the Week: Georgia (7-3, 5-3 SEC) vs. Georgia Southern (7-2, 5-1 Sun Belt)
This is hardly a last minute tune-up for Georgia Tech to close out the regular season. Georgia Southern is growing up quickly, although this season the Eagles, defending Sun Belt Conference champs, were shutout by West Virginia in the season opener. With Georgia's offense struggling in the second half of the season, Georgia Southern may be able to hang with the Bulldogs. Georgia Southern averages 42.0 points per game and brings the nation's top rushing attack into Athens.
Quick SEC Picks
Florida 32, Florida Atlantic 10
South Carolina 31, Citadel 17
Ole Miss 36, LSU 34
Auburn 27, Idaho 14
Alabama 45, Charleston Southern 13
Arkansas 30, Mississippi State 28
Georgia 23, Georgia Southern 20
Tennessee 24, Missouri 13
Texas A&M 26, Vanderbilt 20
Kentucky 32, Charlotte 16
Kevin McGuire is a Philadelphia area sports writer covering the Philadelphia Eagles and college football. McGuire is a member of the FWAA and National Football Foundation. Follow McGuire on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. His work can be found on Examiner.com.