Week 13 Predictions: Rivalries Make This Hard

Happy Thanksgiving, but more importantly it’s rivalry week, otherwise known as the hardest week to predict games, even though most of the matchups are pretty lopsided this year. Time to finish the SEC regular season out strong. It looks like a C average is the best I’m going to do this season, but as is everything I’m saying about 2012, there’s always next year.

Last Week: 8-4
This Week: 9-1
Overall: 105-31 (77.2%)

11/23

LSU at Arkansas – An Arkansas team that actually had something to play for may have a chance in this game. Given LSU’s struggles last week, I could definitely see another decent team giving them a tough test. But Arkansas packed it in a long time ago and there will be a stadium at 75% capacity due to it being Black Friday. LSU won’t have any trouble.

LSU 35, Arkansas 10

LSU 20, Arkansas 13 – SUCCESS!

11/24

Georgia Tech at Georgia – What a boring rivalry. I mean, am I right? This game has fallen so far off the radar on a national scale that it’s not even funny. What happened to Georgia Tech? I literally can’t remember thinking about them one time this season. Oh yeah, they did lose to Middle Tennessee State by a lot. Georgia will win big.

Georgia 34, Georgia Tech 7

Georgia 42, Georgia Tech 10 – SUCCESS!

Kentucky at Tennessee – Man, I just don’t know. Kentucky has been bad all season. Their coach is gone after this game. Tennessee has been in a downward spiral the least half of the season and their coach is already gone. Both teams are about as low as you can get right now. The stadium might be half full on Saturday. Might be.

Based on the talent levels, I guess I’ll go with the Volunteers, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Wildcats rally around Joker and squeak out a big win.

Tennessee 21, Kentucky 13

Tennessee 37, Kentucky 17 – SUCCESS!

Vanderbilt at Wake Forest – Can somebody please explain to me this annual rivalry? Were they just like “hey, where’s another school full of rich nerds?” Yep, that’s problem exactly what happened. This will be Vanderbilt’s 8th win of the season. 8th.

Vanderbilt 42, Wake Forest 17

Vanderbilt 55, Wake Forest 21 – SUCCESS!

Florida at Florida State – Florida has one loss — to Georgia — and they are in the thick of the title hunt. Florida State has one loss — to North Carolina State — and you never even hear their name anymore. ACC, y’all. This is why Jimbo Fisher might be throwing his name out there for a few SEC jobs that have or may be opening up.

Florida has looked plain ordinary the last two weeks, but Florida State hasn’t looked that great all year. Home field will keep this one close, but Florida is SEC, y’all. Florida will win.

Florida 27, Florida State 24

Florida 37, Florida State 26 – SUCCESS!

South Carolina at Clemson – Steve Spurrier and Dabo Swinney like to take jabs at each other. They can’t help it. They both like to hear themselves talk and they both speak their mind. The difference is that Spurrier is speaking with old wisdom, while Dabo is usually just spouting off to keep up. That alone wants me to pick South Carolina, but Lattimore is gone and Clemson is still scoring a lot of points.

Clemson 38, South Carolina 23

South Carolina 27, Clemson 17 – FAILURE

Missouri at Texas A&M – Ah, the new SEC rivalry. These two have played each other a dozen or so times from their days in the Big 12, with Missouri dominating over the last decade. Yeah, that’s not gonna continue. Missouri just lost to Syracuse… in football, while Texas A&M knocked off the #1 team on the road just a few weeks ago. One of these teams is pulling their weight in the SEC, and one is not.

Texas A&M 45, Missouri 14

Texas A&M 59, Missouri 29 – SUCCESS!

Mississippi State at Ole Miss – The Egg Bowl. Yep, that’s what they call it. Fitting, I say. Ole Miss almost knocked off LSU last week. Mississippi State is 1-3 over the last month. Nothing would make me happier than an Ole Miss win, but that would make them bowl eligible. That means Ole Miss and Vandy would be bowl eligible. Just shoot me, please.

Ole Miss 28, Mississippi State 21

Ole Miss 41, Mississippi State 24 – SUCCESS!

Other Games of Note

Michigan at Ohio State – It’s kind of obligatory to predict this game, isn’t it? I mean it means nothing, but it’s just one of those games. Ohio State is somehow still undefeated in a probation year (been there), and Michigan is playing with a hurt Denard Robinson. I don’t want to predict that Urban Meyer has an undefeated season, but the fact that it results in nothing makes me feel a little bit better.

Ohio State 31, Michigan 20

Ohio State 26, Michigan 21 – SUCCESS!

Notre Dame at USC – If Notre Dame wins, they are in the National Championship game. Part of me wants that because I don’t mind Notre Dame when they are actually good. This year, they are actually good. The other part of me is thinking about the possibility of Alabama being their opponent, in which I think they have no shot.

USC is nothing that the world wanted them to be, and they are starting the backup quarterback this weekend. That leaves a little mystery as to what could happen. Not to mention that Notre Dame will be a long way from home. But they did already roll into Norman, Oklahoma and blow out the Sooners earlier this season. Lou Holtz is going to be so happy!!!!

Notre Dame 24, USC 14

Notre Dame 22, USC 13 – SUCCESS!

**Upset Alert**

Oregon at Oregon State – I’m done with Oregon. I put all of my support behind them for one week, and they severely let me down. They’re offense has been exposed. Oregon State, who is not your mom’s Oregon State, now knows what it takes to slow down the Duck attack. Expect Corvalis to be rocking as the Beavers pull off the upset.

Oregon State 30, Oregon 20

Oregon 48, Oregon State 24 – FAILURE

Twitter Prediction

Auburn at Alabama – They call me a homer, and I am. I’m an Auburn fan, therefore I am supposed to be a homer for Auburn. Try it sometime. However, there are many more homers on the Twitter than I imagined. For the most part, an Auburn win was predicted by the Twit-fam. There was an Alabama infinity, Auburn negative infinity that had to be thrown out because it skewed the average. One person got creative with some Thanksgiving flare and predicted Auburn “canned cranberry sauce,” Alabama “mushy cranberry sauce.” I’m not really sure how to convert that to numbers, but I thank you for the input.

When all was said and done, in one of the biggest prediction turnouts of the season, on average, Auburn was picked by a very slim margin. It’s not me, it’s the Twitter folk. Call them stupid.

Auburn 24, Alabama 21

Alabama 49, Auburn 0 – FAILURE

Georgia 34, Georgia Tech 7