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Southern Exposure: SEC Preview, Week 12

November 19, 2010  |  By Benjamin Miraski

Last week in the SEC was a shocker. No, I am not talking about South Carolina finally winning the East. And no, I am not talking about Cam Newton.

I am talking about those teams that aren’t contending.

Tennessee put up 52 points against an SEC team. It would have taken their previous four games against SEC teams to come up with that many points combined. Perfect timing for Tennessee to look decent — just when it doesn’t matter any longer.

Mississippi looked bad. Like real bad. Like having one of those crises-of-identity bad. They have fallen so far that they are among the 20 worst scoring defenses in the league.

Mississippi State missed their chance at a little glory this season. The vaunted defense disappeared. Last time I tout that unit.

As the results trickled in, I couldn’t believe the scores, or what they were doing to my pick record.

There are still two more weeks of games to make it up though, plus the SEC championship game. It is looking more and more like that will be the deciding factor in whether this column ends up above or below .500 for the season.

To the games.

Troy at South Carolina (-22.5) - The celebration should continue this week for South Carolina. Play a tough game against Florida; clinch the East; play a Sun Belt team. Isn’t that what everyone does? Troy is one of the better Sun Belt teams, which isn’t saying much. That is like saying one of the better WAC teams in 2012. No one will take you seriously. Steve Spurrier will probably rest the starters at some point, but not before making sure his fans are happy that the money will be flowing back into their pockets. Take South Carolina and lay 22.5.

Mississippi at LSU (-16) - When LSU needs to put points on the board, it can. And with Mississippi’s scoring defense now in that danger zone at the bottom of the nation, it shouldn’t be hard for the Tigers to put points on the board even when they don’t need to. According to my computer there is only a 6 percent chance that Mississippi can get on the winning side of this game. That is as close to a lock as it gets. With the defensive struggles for the Rebs, lay the 16.

Arkansas at Mississippi State (+3.5) - Mississippi State had been doing so well. The defense was clicking. Alabama was wounded. It was the perfect time to make a signature statement. If they Bulldogs could have taken out Alabama, the program would be at another level. Even just coming close would have been something. Instead, they took a 20-point beating that made them look no better than a Sun Belt team. So now they have to regroup against an Arkansas team that is back on track and really rolling. Where are you going to lean on this one? Take Arkansas and lay 3.5.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt (+8) - Hey, who was that team in Orange last week? They looked like a real football team. They didn’t look like the team who had been basically embarrassed on the field several times this season. Silly two-point line last week. What were the Vegas heads thinking (or I for that matter? Silly upset special.)? Now the Vols travel to Vanderbilt, who has fallen so far that they are worse than Washington State in the MRI rankings this week. That takes talent for a major squad to pull off. Tennessee needs every game for the rest of the season to make a bowl. Consider this one beat down, part II. Take the Vols and lay eight.

Patsy party: Alabama (Crushed Georgia State. But didn’t Badger them.), Florida (Appalachian State hopes that there is some Michigan in the Gators.)

Lazy Saturday: Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky

Southern Exposure was 3-4 last week to go to 36-36-1 on the season.

Posted November 19, 2010 11:00 AM

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