WEEK 9 VCS

I'm afraid it's another very busy week at work and I won't be able to provide you with as long a VCS column as usual. Still, I didn't want you to go completely without my wisdom and wit, so I threw this short issue together to get you through the weekend. First of all, here are the picks that don't matter: TULANE +35 @ lsu, E. Michigan @ ARKANSAS - 38. Here's the rest:

OLE MISS -3.5 @ Auburn (3)
I have neither seen nor heard anything to indicate that the Auburn freefall will be halted this weekend. No major changes have been made and no one is coming back from the injury list that gives me any reason to support the Tigers getting anything less than 2 scores against any SEC opponent. To me, this looks like another terrible match-up for them - very stout defense and an offense that's got plenty of talent and just starting to find their way. The home setting and the many problems the Rebels still have make me think this one will not be a blowout like last week (as predicted here), but it won't be a field goal game either.

GEORGIA +15.5 vs. Florida (1)
Every offense in the conference stinks. Until further notice, I'm adopting a new rule: If the spread is more than 2 TD's, take the points. I think we have a lot of 24-14 games in our future.

Mississippi St. @ KENTUCKY -3.5 (1)
In all honesty, I think this line is right on the money. The two teams are probably just about even, so Kentucky gives points because the game is in Lexington. The big question here is how the Bulldogs will respond coming off the emotional loss last week. I imagine it would be pretty difficult to go from taking on the #1 team in the country at home, with a real hope that you can win, only to lose a hard-fought contest to traveling to Kentucky and taking on a team that you care absolutely about. I'm guessing that that emotional downturn will be enough to push State into a sloppy effort.

GEORGIA TECH -12 @ Vanderbilt
This is a terrible match-up for Vandy. The one thing that Vandy has done so well (and the only thing that has kept them in any games lately) is defend against the pass, which just happens to be the one thing Tech has little to no interest in doing. So, with their greatest advantaged largely neutralized and their offense still in a complete shambles, I think this could could get out of hand early.

SOUTH CAROLINA +5.5 @ Tennessee (2)
I'm very impressed with the resurrection job Kiffin is putting together in Knoxville, but I'm still not willing back Crompton laying points against any SEC team. Remember, Spurrier has plenty of motivation for sticking it to Kiffin at home this year and he's got the defense and QB to do so. This just feels like a field goal game to me.