Ole Miss 3-4 (1-3) vs. Arkansas 3-3 (1-3)
Ole Miss
The Rebels poured it all out onto the field last week. They fought their way back into the Bama game, and with the help of a great fake field goal call in the third, they captured all momentum and had a chance to win in the end.
This is not a bad team by any stretch. They beat a very good Florida team and have gone toe-to-toe with every team they have played this season. They very well could be undefeated. That being said, this team is perhaps the most dangerous in the league, flying under the radar but possessing the ability to beat anyone.
Having experienced an up and down season, this is their week to win again, but will they do it?
Well, this is Nutt’s chance to show the Arkansas faithful what they are missing with him gone. He will pour his heart into this game.
Arkansas
The Hogs have three very close wins this season, a respectable loss, and three losses I wouldn’t wish upon many teams.
It is obvious that anything they can get this year will be a plus as Petrino tries to rebuild and keep respect until he has time to put his plan in place.
Petrino beat the team that almost hired him to be the head coach some seven years ago. That sent a strong message, and I think he prepared well for that game. That’s definitely a plus there.
Can he beat the team that now has the coach whom he replaced? I think he understands how all these scenarios work, but I just don’t think he has enough to beat them yet, not even at home. I just don’t see him having many more “pluses” this weekend, nor do I see many for the remainder of the season.
Game Prediction: Ole Miss 34, Arkansas 17
Auburn 3-3 (1-3) vs. West Virginia 4-2 (2-0)
Auburn
The Tigers have struggled this season, to say the least. Having lost Trey Blackmon for the season during the off week just adds insult to injury, so to speak, considering that the defense is basically their only stronghold left.
Now the Tigers must go on the road to play in a very hostile environment Thursday night. As any fan can tell you, they have not fared well in night games this season. Nor have they fared well with ESPN on the scene.
On a positive note, Auburn has had nearly two weeks to prepare and get things ready.
Can they stop the landslide? Can they find someone to take the reins at the QB spot? Can they run out of Morgantown having stopped the bleeding and halted a three-game skid?
Well, that all depends on...
West Virginia
West Virginia, after dropping two non-conference games early on this season, is back on track to win the Big East and make a run for a BCS spot.
Pat White is back. However, a question of concern is, will he pick right back up where he left off? That will be a key factor in this game, I believe.
I think even more important for the Mountaineers is controlling mistakes and taking advantage of Auburn’s mistakes. That may sound like a no-brainer there, but I think the team that controls the turnover battle and takes advantage of the other team’s mistake will come out on top.
Home field is always a plus, and that makes the difference in this game.
Game Prediction: West Virginia 27, Auburn 17
Kentucky 5-2 (1-2) vs. Florida 5-1 (3-1)
UK
The Wildcats finally put an end to their losing woes last weekend by coming from behind to beat Arkansas by one point. They will have a much more difficult task this weekend as they take on the mighty Gators of Florida.
I think their pass game is their strength. If they can execute early with the short stuff underneath, it might just open up the longer passes. If they falter and fail to get off to a good start, it could be a long day for the ‘Cats.
On the defensive side of the ball, they have to be able to at least slow down Tebow. Stopping him may be an impossible task, but making others make plays is what will give them a chance.
Florida
The Gators have had a long layoff to think about the win over LSU and prep for this one. Perhaps the layoff may have been too long.
What do you do in two weeks following such a huge win? How do you keep the players focused? How do you bring them back down to earth?
These are some tough questions to tackle, and everyone knows about the hangover effect. But what do you do with a hangover and a bye? Wow, you might just go insane thinking about all of that.
Well, I can guess that Urban has them ready and spent plenty of time working on the mistakes that have popped up so far this season.
It might be closer than expected, but not close enough for an upset.
Game Prediction: UF 35, UK 21
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