College Football Predictions 2010: The SEC's Easiest November Schedules

For an SEC team that has faced an absolute gauntlet of a schedule in the season's first two months, there's no quite like November.

For a few SEC teams, November is a time to set the cruise control and just enjoy the downhill ride to bowl season. For others, however, the heat lasts through the final second of the final fourth quarter of Thanksgiving month.

In these next few slides you will see which SEC teams have the easiest stretch run for the 2010 season. All 12 teams want to make it a November to Remember, but that will be easier said than done for a lot of teams in the conference.

This list begins at No. 12 with the SEC team having the toughest November schedule.

12. South Carolina

Nov. 6: vs. Arkansas
Nov. 13: At Florida
Nov. 20: vs. Troy
Nov. 27: At Clemson

South Carolina heads into 2010 with its highest expectations since Steve Spurrier took over the program in 2005.

With the SEC West's three best teams on its schedule, the Gamecocks will have to earn everything they get in 2010.

South Carolina has what is easily the toughest November schedule of any SEC team. Arkansas is very talented and could be on their way to a special season in early November when they travel Columbia.

Playing at the house that Spurrier built, the Swamp, the following week will be one of the more anticipated games of the season, if South Carolina lives up to expectations.

The annual grudge match at Clemson, a game that has been decided by four points or less in three of the last five seasons, is the proverbial "cherry on top" for the Gamecocks.

At least they get Troy sandwiched in between those three gigantic games.

11. Vanderbilt

Nov. 6: vs. Florida
Nov. 13: At Kentucky
Nov. 20: vs. Tennessee
Nov. 27: vs. Wake Forest

Vanderbilt might win one game in 2010. Its Oct. 9 match-up against Eastern Michigan could go either way, but the 'Dores should win it.

Ending the season with Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wake Forest, even though only one of those games is on the road, is just cruel for a team that just lost its most successful coach of the last 25 years.

10. Alabama

Nov. 6: At LSU
Nov. 13: vs. Mississippi State
Nov. 20: vs. Georgia State
Nov. 26: vs. Auburn

Two potential road blocks await Alabama like bookends in the season's final month.

Winning in Baton Rouge is never a gimme for any visiting team—no matter how un-LSU-like the Tigers may be.

The final game of the season for Alabama, the Iron Bowl versus Auburn, is almost always a grudge match that isn't decided until the fourth quarter.

'Bama should handle SEC bottom-feeder, Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa. Georgia State's brand new program pays T-Town a visit as well. I'll give you two guesses as to what will happen in that game.

The final leg of Alabama's national title defending season is not a gauntlet by any stretch of the imagination, but a tough SEC road game and the mother of all SEC rivalries make Alabama's November anything but easy.

9. Mississippi State

Nov. 6: OFF
Nov. 13: At Alabama
Nov. 20: vs. Arkansas
Nov. 27: At Ole Miss

2010 is going to be a rough season in Starkville. I have no doubt that Dan Mullen is the right man for the job, and that he will eventually turn out a winning program at Mississippi State, but that schedule is tough for this season.

Four wins, heading into November, is the absolute best the Bulldogs can hope for. And with Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss awaiting, five wins may be all their fans can enjoy in 2010.

8. Ole Miss

Nov. 6: vs. Louisiana
Nov. 13: At Tennessee
Nov. 20: At LSU
Nov. 27: vs. Mississippi State

The Rebels lost a ton of very talented offensive players to the NFL after last season. Houton Nutt's boys have an uphill climb all season long, but could very well have five wins coming into November.

As a matter of fact, it could begin the season 5-0 before a rough October with road games at 'Bama, Arkansas, and a home game versus Auburn.

Tennessee is not going to be a world beater, by any means, in 2010. But raise your hand if you want to play at Neyland Stadium with a bowl berth on the line.

Ole Miss should have its sixth win wrapped up the week before traveling to Knoxville. And that's a good thing, because ending the season at Tennessee, at LSU, and at home against bitter rival, Mississippi State could very well mean six wins is all the 'Rebs can hope for in 2010.

7. LSU

Nov. 6: vs. Alabama
Nov. 13: vs. Louisiana Monroe
Nov. 20: vs. Ole Miss
Nov. 27: At Arkansas

LSU's November begins with what will probably be an undefeated, defending national champion, Alabama. The game is at Baton Rouge, which is always a tough place to play for the visiting team.

Ole Miss is destined for a rough year after losing a tremendous amount of talent to the NFL last season.

And as I stated in the Arkansas slide, that game is a coin-flip at best.

Overall, with the Alabama game in November, it cannot be considered an easy month for LSU. But it's not one of the top five either.

6. Arkansas

Nov. 6: At South Carolina
Nov. 13: vs. UTEP
Nov. 20: At Mississippi State
Nov. 27: vs. LSU

Arkansas ends the season by playing three SEC schools with a Conference USA squad thrown in.

UTEP should offer little resistance to one of the SEC's top offensive teams.

Road games at South Carolina and Mississippi State could be different, however. The Gamecocks are ready to finally capitalize on all that talent and the Bulldogs could have a late season upset on their collective minds.

The Razorbacks final game of the season against LSU, has become a rather formidable rivalry over the last few seasons with each of the contests last five match-ups being won by five points or less.

For a team that's looking to be the surprise team of the conference, November 2010 could be its undoing.

5. Auburn

Nov. 6: vs. Chattanooga
Nov. 13: vs. Georgia
Nov. 20: OFF
Nov. 26: At Alabama

Auburn could very well find itself with a pretty good record entering November. The first weekend of the season's final month will be a gimme. FCS foe, Chattanooga, will likely never know what hit them.

Two very big conference games await the Tigers later in the month , however.

Georgia vs. Auburn is always a great rivalry to watch. The 'Dawgs have won the match-up every season since '06, but the last two have been decided by a touchdown or less.

We all know about Alabama vs. Auburn. The Iron Bowl is the biggest game of the year for each of the schools. ' Bama has won the last two, but Auburn owned the rivalry for much of the last decade (2000, '02-'07).

The presence of Chattanooga and the bye week hurts the overall November schedule, but two grudge matches, back-to-back, make November a tough month for the Tigers, to say the least.

4. Georgia

Nov. 6: vs. Idaho State
Nov. 13: At Auburn
Nov. 20: OFF
Nov. 27: vs. Georgia Tech

A cupcake and two bitter rivals await the 'Dawgs in November. If the season goes like I think it will for Georgia, the Bulldogs should be firing on all souped-up cylinders by November.

Early in the year, Georgia inexperience at quarterback and question marks on defense could hurt their chances in big games at South Carolina and at home against Arkansas.

A stellar November, however, would erase any ridiculous thought of Mark Richt's impending doom as Georgia's head coach. He's not on the hot seat now and it would take an under .500 season in 2010 to get him there—and that's just not going to happen.

3. Florida

Nov. 6: At Vanderbilt
Nov. 13: vs. South Carolina
Nov. 20: vs. Appalachian State
Nov. 27: At Florida State

Luckily for the Gators, Vanderbilt and Appy State come calling in the season's final month. That's a nice end of the season reward for one of the SEC's best programs.

The South Carolina game, however, could end up being the game that decides the SEC East. And again, lucky enough for the Gators, that game will be played at the Swamp.

Florida State will likley be the toughest matchup of November for the Gators. This 'Noles team is much better than any the Gators have faced in the last five seasons.

2. Tennessee

Nov. 6: At Memphis
Nov. 13: vs. Ole Miss
Nov. 20: At Vanderbilt
Nov. 27: vs. Kentucky

The Vols owned November for much of the 90's. That was, in part, due to homecoming being played in the final month and SEC bottom-dwellers, Vanderbilt and Kentucky always bringing up the tail end of the Vols schedule.

This season looks to be much of the same for Tennessee.

The Vols could very well sweep the season's final month—which, they'll probably need to do to make a bowl game.

Tennessee could very well enter November with only two or three wins.

It looks to be a very rocky year on Rocky Top, but more November dominance could be just what the doctor ordered for first year head coach, Derek Dooley.

1. Kentucky

Nov. 6: vs. Charleston Southern
Nov. 13: vs. Vanderbilt
Nov. 20: OFF
Nov. 27: At Tennessee

Kentucky has, by far, the easiest November schedule in the SEC.

The ever-present SEC doormat from the FCS, Charleston Southern travels to Lexington for what will likely be a blowout. The next week Kentucky gets a Vanderbilt team that might not win a game in 2010.

The 'Cats end the season at Neyland Stadium. They have not beaten Tennessee in their last 25 tries. This year, however, will likely be their best shot at toppling the Vols.

A 3-0 November would likely send Kentucky to its fifth straight bowl appearance.