5 Thoughts before Missouri
1). The QB situation – The health of Jake Bentley for South Carolina this weekend is huge in my opinion. I don’t know that South Carolina can win this game if Bentley doesn’t play the majority of the game and is healthy enough to play well. I know a lot of people are down on Bentley right now and they have a right to be based on how things played out last weekend and also in other big games against ranked opponents. I don’t agree when people say Bentley has been bad this season. He was bad against Kentucky, but he was good against Vanderbilt and Coastal Carolina (I know its Vanderbilt and Coastal Carolina). I also don’t think he played poorly against Georgia. After re-watching the game, he looked ready to play well in that game and then drops happened and they got really far behind.
Bentley is the quarterback that gives South Carolina the best chance to win, and it is probably by a large margin. I’m not against giving Dak Joyner a series or two if he is ready for that role, but Bentley should be the guy if he is healthy enough. I understand the big game argument against Bentley and I agree that he needs to play better in those games. I also think the finger needs to be pointed at some other players and coaches when the big game argument comes up. I think that is a program problem right now and needs to be fixed. The best way to fix it is by recruiting better players.
My concern this week with Bentley is his health. I know Will Muschamp is saying that he is probable but he has said that in the past and the player in question did not play. It happened this year with DJ Wonnum. If Bentley is unable to go, then South Carolina’s chances of winning this game go way down. Missouri’s pass defense this year has not been good. Bentley has played well the previous two years against Missouri. This is an opportunity for Bentley to get things back on track but he has to be on the field for that to happen.
2). Injuries – I touched on this above but a big concern for me this weekend for South Carolina is the injury bug. We know that Bentley and Bryan Edwards are probable. South Carolina needs both to have a big day offensively. The injuries on the defensive side of the ball are a big concern as well. DJ Wonnum is already out until after the bye week and JT Ibe is also out around that long as well. The depth at safety is about to be really tested this week. Jam Williams is also banged up at the position.
Nick Harvey might be the player to watch this weekend in the secondary. I thought he played well in the second half against Kentucky when he got extensive action. It would also be beneficial if Williams can go as well. This group is about to face one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. They will be tested this weekend more than they have been so far this season.
3). Missouri’s tempo – South Carolina has done a good job of defending Drew Lock and Missouri’s offense and limiting points over the last two years. Missouri has moved the ball against South Carolina’s defense but hasn’t put up enough points. A lot of that is because South Carolina has played well in the redzone and they have forced turnovers. South Carolina will need a similar performance this year against Missouri.
Missouri’s receivers are a little bit of a question mark. This will be a big game for South Carolina’s secondary. Missouri’s receivers did have trouble with Georgia’s cornerbacks at getting separation. Rashad Fenton, Jaycee Horn, and Keisean Nixon will be tested a lot more Saturday than they have been this season. It will be interesting to see how they respond and if they can force some turnovers.
4). SC’s linebacker situation – My biggest concern right now with South Carolina’s defense is at linebacker. It hasn’t been good all season long. I believe it is about to the point where some changes should be made. The injury to Wonnum is hurting South Carolina at linebacker as well because it is forcing them to play Bryson Allen-Williams on the defensive line more than they probably would have.
I think one option could be letting Allen-Williams play more linebacker this week and moving him to BUCK on obvious passing situations. It would allow South Carolina to get bigger bodies on the defensive line and also improve South Carolina at linebacker.
5). The Missouri defense and special teams – I know everyone is down on South Carolina’s offense after what happened last weekend but this is an opportunity for them to get back on track against a Missouri defense that is not very good. The pass defense has really struggled early in the season. This should be a game that South Carolina’s passing game has a big day. Like I said way above, I think a lot of that depends on Bentley’s health. I do think this is a very good matchup for South Carolina’s receivers. They just need to catch the ball.
Missouri’s special teams have struggled overall as well. Deebo Samuel had a huge game last year against Missouri and I think he is a player to watch out for again this year. South Carolina was beat bad last weekend by field position and that should not happen again this weekend against Missouri.
SEC Power Rankings
1). Alabama
2). Georgia
3). LSU
The clear top three teams in the conference right now. Alabama should be cruise control for the next three weeks and then they travel to LSU. Georgia gets Vanderbilt at home this weekend and then they get an interesting four game stretch of LSU on the road, Florida in Jacksonville, Kentucky on the road, and Auburn at home. I would predict they drop one of those games somewhere. I said that I wanted to see LSU get an impressive win over Ole Miss last week and they delivered. They also have some interesting games coming up.
4). Auburn
5). Kentucky
I don’t know what is going on with Auburn’s offense right now. It wasn’t awful last week against Southern Miss but it isn’t where it needs to be for a team that wants to be in the top group of the conference. Kentucky is the surprise of the conference right now. If they can find a way to win at Texas A&M this weekend, then they should get to double-digit wins this year.
6). Florida
7). Texas A&M
8). Mississippi State
Big road win for Florida last weekend over Mississippi State. They found a way to do just enough on offense. On the other side of that, Mississippi State’s offense has been bad the last two weeks and now they get Auburn’s defense Saturday. A&M escaped a bad loss to Arkansas.
9). Missouri
10). South Carolina
Missouri’s best win is over Purdue right now. I don’t think we know an awful lot about this team. I also don’t know what to think about South Carolina right now. They have injuries to important players and haven’t lived up to expectations so far.
11). Vanderbilt
12). Ole Miss
13). Tennessee
14). Arkansas
Vanderbilt still looks hungover from the Notre Dame loss. They barely escaped against Tennessee State. Ole Miss and Tennessee both struggled on the road against two of the top three teams in the conference. Arkansas showed some life last weekend but still only has one win for the season.
My Top 10
1). Alabama
2). Georgia
3). Ohio State
4). LSU
5). Notre Dame
6). Clemson
7). Oklahoma
8). West Virginia
9). Penn State
10). Auburn
The top two stays the same for me. I did switch Ohio State and LSU because of Ohio State’s win over Penn State on the road. Notre Dame is my big mover this week. I have them over both Oklahoma and Clemson because they have wins over Michigan and Stanford. I think Oklahoma and Clemson are very similar right now. They are good but there are some question marks with both. West Virginia is the newcomer. I would say they are a tier below Oklahoma and Clemson right now. Penn State and Auburn both stay in the top 10 as of now.
As far as the playoff, the PAC 12 is just about dead. Washington is the only hope but they need a ton of help. I think the SEC and the Big 10 are both in good spots right now. The only question about the SEC will be how many teams will make it. It will either be one or two. Clemson is obviously the ACC’s only chance. They have to win out. It looks like the Big 12 has to have someone go undefeated to make it as well. There is still a lot of ball left and things could get real interesting.
Big Game Predictions
The good news for me is that I didn’t lose any ground last week in the overall standings. I went 12-3 overall and 3-2 in SEC games. I’m now 46-16 overall and 23-8 in SEC games. Chris also went 12-3 overall but 4-1 in SEC games. He is now 48-14 overall and 26-5 in SEC games. A stat that most of the posters on here will care about is picking South Carolina games. Chris is 4-0 this season and I’m 2-2. I guess that means pay attention to who he picks and not who I pick.
Texas vs Oklahoma
Chris: We all thought Oklahoma might dip some without Baker Mayfield, but Kyler Murray and the Sooner offense looks as explosive as ever. They will win the Red River Showdown in a shootout.
Oklahoma 47 Texas 37
Josh: I think this will be a close game throughout. Texas has bounced back nicely since the loss to Maryland. They haven’t played a team on Oklahoma’s level though. I think there will be a good bit of points scored in this one. I think the difference is that Texas’s offense is a little more inconsistent, especially with the running game.
Oklahoma 38 Texas 31
LSU @ Florida
Chris: LSU is a surprise to many because they already have two top 10 wins, but they will run into a Florida team that is playing its best football right now. They will capitalize on what should be a hostile environment to win a close one.
Florida 27 LSU 24
Josh: The environment will be crazy but LSU has already been to Auburn this year and won. I think both defenses will show up and play well enough to win. I think LSU’s offense will be the difference in the game. I trust them a lot more than I do Florida’s offense. I see a low scoring game and LSU surviving.
LSU 20 Florida 16
Notre Dame @ Virginia Tech
Chris: It’s hard to imagine Notre Dame going unbeaten and not being part of the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame Quarterback Ian Book has put a charge in the Irish offense and will make enough plays for Notre Dame to get out of Lane Stadium with a key road win.
Notre Dame 28 Virginia Tech 24
Josh: Virginia Tech bounced back last week on the road against Duke after an embarrassing loss to Old Dominion. With that said, Notre Dame’s defense is really good and it looks like they have a quarterback they can trust. If Notre Dame can escape this road game, then they have a favorable schedule the rest of the way to run the table. I also think they find a way to win this road game.
Notre Dame 27 Virginia Tech 17
Other Notable Games:
Chris:
Alabama over Arkansas by 31
Texas A&M over Kentucky by 6
Georgia over Vanderbilt by 27
Auburn over Mississippi State by 4
Michigan over Maryland by 7
NC State over Boston College by 10
Clemson over Wake Forest by 24
Miami over Florida State by 14
Oklahoma State over Iowa State by 14
Syracuse over Pittsburgh by 6
Josh:
Alabama over Arkansas by 35
Texas A&M over Kentucky by 3
Georgia over Vanderbilt by 18
Auburn over Mississippi State by 8
Michigan over Maryland by 13
NC State over Boston College by 3
Clemson over Wake Forest by 17
Miami over Florida State by 7
Oklahoma State over Iowa State by 10
Syracuse over Pittsburgh by 4
Missouri @ South Carolina
Chris: The Gamecocks were exposed physically last week by a Kentucky team that’s going to do that to a lot of opponents this season. Missouri can score and move the football, but South Carolina will exploit the Tiger’s questionable defense and pull away in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina 34 Missouri 30
Josh: The health of Jake Bentley is going to be the big key for me Saturday against Missouri. If he is healthy enough, then I think South Carolina’s offense should have a big day against Missouri’s defense. Their pass defense has been bad and they don’t get much pressure on the passer. It should be a recipe for a big day offensively for South Carolina. If Bentley doesn’t play, then I don’t see how South Carolina can score enough points to win this game.
I think Missouri will be able to put up over 21 points in this game. South Carolina isn’t forcing turnovers like they were last season. The safety and linebacker positions are concerns right now. I think Missouri can take advantage of that.
Assuming Bentley plays, I do think South Carolina will find a way to win this game at home. If Bentley isn’t able to play a majority of the game, then I don’t see South Carolina winning.
South Carolina 31 Missouri 27
1). The QB situation – The health of Jake Bentley for South Carolina this weekend is huge in my opinion. I don’t know that South Carolina can win this game if Bentley doesn’t play the majority of the game and is healthy enough to play well. I know a lot of people are down on Bentley right now and they have a right to be based on how things played out last weekend and also in other big games against ranked opponents. I don’t agree when people say Bentley has been bad this season. He was bad against Kentucky, but he was good against Vanderbilt and Coastal Carolina (I know its Vanderbilt and Coastal Carolina). I also don’t think he played poorly against Georgia. After re-watching the game, he looked ready to play well in that game and then drops happened and they got really far behind.
Bentley is the quarterback that gives South Carolina the best chance to win, and it is probably by a large margin. I’m not against giving Dak Joyner a series or two if he is ready for that role, but Bentley should be the guy if he is healthy enough. I understand the big game argument against Bentley and I agree that he needs to play better in those games. I also think the finger needs to be pointed at some other players and coaches when the big game argument comes up. I think that is a program problem right now and needs to be fixed. The best way to fix it is by recruiting better players.
My concern this week with Bentley is his health. I know Will Muschamp is saying that he is probable but he has said that in the past and the player in question did not play. It happened this year with DJ Wonnum. If Bentley is unable to go, then South Carolina’s chances of winning this game go way down. Missouri’s pass defense this year has not been good. Bentley has played well the previous two years against Missouri. This is an opportunity for Bentley to get things back on track but he has to be on the field for that to happen.
2). Injuries – I touched on this above but a big concern for me this weekend for South Carolina is the injury bug. We know that Bentley and Bryan Edwards are probable. South Carolina needs both to have a big day offensively. The injuries on the defensive side of the ball are a big concern as well. DJ Wonnum is already out until after the bye week and JT Ibe is also out around that long as well. The depth at safety is about to be really tested this week. Jam Williams is also banged up at the position.
Nick Harvey might be the player to watch this weekend in the secondary. I thought he played well in the second half against Kentucky when he got extensive action. It would also be beneficial if Williams can go as well. This group is about to face one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. They will be tested this weekend more than they have been so far this season.
3). Missouri’s tempo – South Carolina has done a good job of defending Drew Lock and Missouri’s offense and limiting points over the last two years. Missouri has moved the ball against South Carolina’s defense but hasn’t put up enough points. A lot of that is because South Carolina has played well in the redzone and they have forced turnovers. South Carolina will need a similar performance this year against Missouri.
Missouri’s receivers are a little bit of a question mark. This will be a big game for South Carolina’s secondary. Missouri’s receivers did have trouble with Georgia’s cornerbacks at getting separation. Rashad Fenton, Jaycee Horn, and Keisean Nixon will be tested a lot more Saturday than they have been this season. It will be interesting to see how they respond and if they can force some turnovers.
4). SC’s linebacker situation – My biggest concern right now with South Carolina’s defense is at linebacker. It hasn’t been good all season long. I believe it is about to the point where some changes should be made. The injury to Wonnum is hurting South Carolina at linebacker as well because it is forcing them to play Bryson Allen-Williams on the defensive line more than they probably would have.
I think one option could be letting Allen-Williams play more linebacker this week and moving him to BUCK on obvious passing situations. It would allow South Carolina to get bigger bodies on the defensive line and also improve South Carolina at linebacker.
5). The Missouri defense and special teams – I know everyone is down on South Carolina’s offense after what happened last weekend but this is an opportunity for them to get back on track against a Missouri defense that is not very good. The pass defense has really struggled early in the season. This should be a game that South Carolina’s passing game has a big day. Like I said way above, I think a lot of that depends on Bentley’s health. I do think this is a very good matchup for South Carolina’s receivers. They just need to catch the ball.
Missouri’s special teams have struggled overall as well. Deebo Samuel had a huge game last year against Missouri and I think he is a player to watch out for again this year. South Carolina was beat bad last weekend by field position and that should not happen again this weekend against Missouri.
SEC Power Rankings
1). Alabama
2). Georgia
3). LSU
The clear top three teams in the conference right now. Alabama should be cruise control for the next three weeks and then they travel to LSU. Georgia gets Vanderbilt at home this weekend and then they get an interesting four game stretch of LSU on the road, Florida in Jacksonville, Kentucky on the road, and Auburn at home. I would predict they drop one of those games somewhere. I said that I wanted to see LSU get an impressive win over Ole Miss last week and they delivered. They also have some interesting games coming up.
4). Auburn
5). Kentucky
I don’t know what is going on with Auburn’s offense right now. It wasn’t awful last week against Southern Miss but it isn’t where it needs to be for a team that wants to be in the top group of the conference. Kentucky is the surprise of the conference right now. If they can find a way to win at Texas A&M this weekend, then they should get to double-digit wins this year.
6). Florida
7). Texas A&M
8). Mississippi State
Big road win for Florida last weekend over Mississippi State. They found a way to do just enough on offense. On the other side of that, Mississippi State’s offense has been bad the last two weeks and now they get Auburn’s defense Saturday. A&M escaped a bad loss to Arkansas.
9). Missouri
10). South Carolina
Missouri’s best win is over Purdue right now. I don’t think we know an awful lot about this team. I also don’t know what to think about South Carolina right now. They have injuries to important players and haven’t lived up to expectations so far.
11). Vanderbilt
12). Ole Miss
13). Tennessee
14). Arkansas
Vanderbilt still looks hungover from the Notre Dame loss. They barely escaped against Tennessee State. Ole Miss and Tennessee both struggled on the road against two of the top three teams in the conference. Arkansas showed some life last weekend but still only has one win for the season.
My Top 10
1). Alabama
2). Georgia
3). Ohio State
4). LSU
5). Notre Dame
6). Clemson
7). Oklahoma
8). West Virginia
9). Penn State
10). Auburn
The top two stays the same for me. I did switch Ohio State and LSU because of Ohio State’s win over Penn State on the road. Notre Dame is my big mover this week. I have them over both Oklahoma and Clemson because they have wins over Michigan and Stanford. I think Oklahoma and Clemson are very similar right now. They are good but there are some question marks with both. West Virginia is the newcomer. I would say they are a tier below Oklahoma and Clemson right now. Penn State and Auburn both stay in the top 10 as of now.
As far as the playoff, the PAC 12 is just about dead. Washington is the only hope but they need a ton of help. I think the SEC and the Big 10 are both in good spots right now. The only question about the SEC will be how many teams will make it. It will either be one or two. Clemson is obviously the ACC’s only chance. They have to win out. It looks like the Big 12 has to have someone go undefeated to make it as well. There is still a lot of ball left and things could get real interesting.
Big Game Predictions
The good news for me is that I didn’t lose any ground last week in the overall standings. I went 12-3 overall and 3-2 in SEC games. I’m now 46-16 overall and 23-8 in SEC games. Chris also went 12-3 overall but 4-1 in SEC games. He is now 48-14 overall and 26-5 in SEC games. A stat that most of the posters on here will care about is picking South Carolina games. Chris is 4-0 this season and I’m 2-2. I guess that means pay attention to who he picks and not who I pick.
Texas vs Oklahoma
Chris: We all thought Oklahoma might dip some without Baker Mayfield, but Kyler Murray and the Sooner offense looks as explosive as ever. They will win the Red River Showdown in a shootout.
Oklahoma 47 Texas 37
Josh: I think this will be a close game throughout. Texas has bounced back nicely since the loss to Maryland. They haven’t played a team on Oklahoma’s level though. I think there will be a good bit of points scored in this one. I think the difference is that Texas’s offense is a little more inconsistent, especially with the running game.
Oklahoma 38 Texas 31
LSU @ Florida
Chris: LSU is a surprise to many because they already have two top 10 wins, but they will run into a Florida team that is playing its best football right now. They will capitalize on what should be a hostile environment to win a close one.
Florida 27 LSU 24
Josh: The environment will be crazy but LSU has already been to Auburn this year and won. I think both defenses will show up and play well enough to win. I think LSU’s offense will be the difference in the game. I trust them a lot more than I do Florida’s offense. I see a low scoring game and LSU surviving.
LSU 20 Florida 16
Notre Dame @ Virginia Tech
Chris: It’s hard to imagine Notre Dame going unbeaten and not being part of the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame Quarterback Ian Book has put a charge in the Irish offense and will make enough plays for Notre Dame to get out of Lane Stadium with a key road win.
Notre Dame 28 Virginia Tech 24
Josh: Virginia Tech bounced back last week on the road against Duke after an embarrassing loss to Old Dominion. With that said, Notre Dame’s defense is really good and it looks like they have a quarterback they can trust. If Notre Dame can escape this road game, then they have a favorable schedule the rest of the way to run the table. I also think they find a way to win this road game.
Notre Dame 27 Virginia Tech 17
Other Notable Games:
Chris:
Alabama over Arkansas by 31
Texas A&M over Kentucky by 6
Georgia over Vanderbilt by 27
Auburn over Mississippi State by 4
Michigan over Maryland by 7
NC State over Boston College by 10
Clemson over Wake Forest by 24
Miami over Florida State by 14
Oklahoma State over Iowa State by 14
Syracuse over Pittsburgh by 6
Josh:
Alabama over Arkansas by 35
Texas A&M over Kentucky by 3
Georgia over Vanderbilt by 18
Auburn over Mississippi State by 8
Michigan over Maryland by 13
NC State over Boston College by 3
Clemson over Wake Forest by 17
Miami over Florida State by 7
Oklahoma State over Iowa State by 10
Syracuse over Pittsburgh by 4
Missouri @ South Carolina
Chris: The Gamecocks were exposed physically last week by a Kentucky team that’s going to do that to a lot of opponents this season. Missouri can score and move the football, but South Carolina will exploit the Tiger’s questionable defense and pull away in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina 34 Missouri 30
Josh: The health of Jake Bentley is going to be the big key for me Saturday against Missouri. If he is healthy enough, then I think South Carolina’s offense should have a big day against Missouri’s defense. Their pass defense has been bad and they don’t get much pressure on the passer. It should be a recipe for a big day offensively for South Carolina. If Bentley doesn’t play, then I don’t see how South Carolina can score enough points to win this game.
I think Missouri will be able to put up over 21 points in this game. South Carolina isn’t forcing turnovers like they were last season. The safety and linebacker positions are concerns right now. I think Missouri can take advantage of that.
Assuming Bentley plays, I do think South Carolina will find a way to win this game at home. If Bentley isn’t able to play a majority of the game, then I don’t see South Carolina winning.
South Carolina 31 Missouri 27
