Final SEC Losers: Pigskin Predictions from Your Prognosticating Pair of Pickers

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

Well sports fans, can you believe that the season has already come and is quickly going? It just seems like yesterday that we were all full of hope and anticipation for our various teams. Now it's come down to one final game for the lucky and crying time for the big losers of the SEC who didn't make the bowl season.

Before we tell you who the bowl losers are, let's look at the season losers in the SEC.

Nobody sucked more in the SEC this year than Ole Mess, uh, I mean Ole Miss. Houston's nuts are roasting over an open fire this holiday season after being fired for leading the Rebels to a winless SEC season. Derek Dooley's Volunteers bring up the bottom of the SEC East by only winning one SEC game, to be another SEC team home for the holidays and watching the big dogs play on.

Lastly, the jokes on Joker Phillips, who with just two SEC wins also fell one game short of making the bowl season with the Kentucky Kitties for the first time in a very long time.

Dooley and Phillips enter the last year of their coaching careers at these schools unless they make some giant strides next season, and it don't look great for either coach at this point of doing so.

Also, this was our worst year of picking ever. We finished for 82-15 and while that's still the best out there, it's not good enough for us. If we could go perfect in the bowl games and finish 90-15, that would be the start of a happy new year for us, give us a solid 84-percent accuracy rating and a solid B.

So we'll quit whining about all the things that went wrong with us and the SEC so far this season and get on to those who made the bowl season.

We'd love to hear your comments on the games you think we missed (as well as why).

Mississippi State vs Wake Forrest in the Music City Bowl in Nashville

Friday, Dec. 30th, 6:40pm (ET) ESPN / ESPN3

Jim Grobe brings his Demon Deacons to pray for a win over Dan's Doggies in this Song City saga.

Wake Forrest dropped five of their last six games and were falling faster than Houston Nutt's chances of saving his job, but they still entered the bowl season limping in with a 6-6 season.

The Bulldogs likewise squeaked into their second consecutive bowl game since 2000, with a 6-6 campaign also. But unlike the Deacons, who only won three games last year and are happy to make a bowl game, this is a slide down from Mullin's 9-3 record from last year.

This should be good for a while, but SEC muscle wears down the Deacons and Dan's Doggies get the SEC off to their winning ways.

Larry's Loser: Wake Forrest

Cincinnati vs Vanderbilt in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis

Saturday, Dec. 31st, 3:30pm (ET) ABC / ESPN3

Butch Jones brings his Bearcats down South to Memphis to take on the surprising Commodores from Vanderbilt from the nearby Song City of Nashville.

Over the last few years the Bearcats have been bowl participants pretty regularly, while the silly sailors have only been to bowl games once every generation of fans. But this is the second bowl for some of these Commodores and James Franklin has these boys believing again.

These ballyhooed Bearcats may have won nine games compared to Vandy's mere six, but Vandy is playing two steps above their talent grade and will have the stands packed with Commodore fans hungry for their second bowl win in 25 years.

And that's just what they'll get.

Larry's Loser: Cincinnati

Virginia vs Auburn at the Chik Fil A Bowl in Atlanta

Saturday Dec. 31st, 7:30pm (ET) ESPN, ESPN 3D

Boy, what a drop for Chizik's Cat's from last year, going from Champs to Chumps. Were it not for a lucky comeback against Utah State, the Tigers would be just another 6-6 SEC team. Now with Gus Malzahn's smoke and mirror show gone, the future looks even bleaker for this bunch.

Virginia, on the other hand, is tickling to be upward bound from their four win season of yesteryear. With eight wins, they want to end the season on a high note and figure these terrible Tabbies are the right team to get one against.

But these Cats have nine lives and have only used eight of them so far this year. Figure that SEC muscle beats ACC teams most of the time and that just may be what happens in this close game.

Larry's Loser: Virginia 

Ohio State vs Florida at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida

Monday, Jan. 2nd, 1:00pm (ET) ESPN2 / ESPN3

Boy, two years ago if you had told me that these two teams would be facing off this year, I might believe it. But if you told me they would meet up as 6-6 teams in an also ran bowl, I would have had a harder time swallowing that than Bacardi the Wonder Dog would a whole T-bone steak in one bite.

And who the heck does Urban Meyer pull for in this bowl? The boys he recruited to play for the Gators or the team he'll be coaching next year?

This game certainly has some issues!

The next and biggest is, can the Buckeyes finally beat an SEC team and be able to keep it on the record?

In the end, it's the sorriest team against the SEC and an SEC team that's pretty sorry itself, but history repeats itself yet again and the Buckeyes prove to be just another nut.

Larry's Loser: Ohio State

Michigan State vs Georgia at the Outback Bowl in Tampa

Monday Jan. 2nd, 1:00pm (ET) ABC

Last season at bowl time, Michigan State was as embarrassed as the Prom King getting pantsed at the homecoming dance while on stage...on a very cold night. It was just another chapter in futility for the Pig Ten, uh, I mean Big Ten against the SEC. Michigan State's lost five straight bowl games and are really beginning to be an annual holiday stinker for the Big Ten.

Old Sparty would love some payback, but Mark Richt has worked his fanny off the hot seat and plans to keep it that way by unleashing his dogs and holding up his end of the SEC this year against the traditional SEC whipping boys from up North.

I think this game won't be as embarrassing and that Curt Cousins might even have a chance of still being able to play at the end of this one, but the outcome is the same again and the Big Ten is still scratching their heads over why they can't beat an SEC team regularly.

Larry's Loser: Michigan State

Nebraska vs South Carolina at the Capitol One Bowl Game in Orlando

Monday Jan. 2nd, 1:00pm (ET) ESPN / ESPN3

The newest Big Ten team takes on South Carolina in Mickey Mouse's backyard, and this could be one of the more interesting games of the day. Bacardi says if he ever meets the geniuses that scheduled all three of these games today at the same exact time, he'll bite 'em first and pee on the leg afterward.

This one should be a real goodie with a close game being seen by me and pigskin pickin' pooch. The Old Ball Coach always has some bowl game surprises and Bo Pelini hasn't been in the Big Ten long enough to know he's supposed to roll over and play dead to the SEC like the other schools there.

This game could come down to a final drive win and though we both think it's gonna be close, Chickens eat corn and Huskers get shucked in this one.

Larry's Loser: Nebraska

Kansas State vs Arkansas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas

Jan. 6th, 8:00pm (ET) FOX

Bill Snyder, this year's feel good story coach, leads both his revived career and Wildcats against Petrino's Piggies at Jerry's World in Dallas.

Since we know an SEC team will win the national championship and we've picked all the SEC teams to win so far, can the Hogs catch the Cats catnapping and consolidate considerable clamor for the SEC by making it a sweep?

You gotta love the fairy tale story of Coach Snyder coming off the rocking chair to lead his team back to a great season after they wallowed pitifully without him.

But the clock strikes 12 on this fairy tale and the Hogs take these Tabbies to task and tusk 'em terribly in what could be a blowout win.

Larry's Loser: Kansas State

Alabama vs LSU in the BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans

Monday, Jan. 9th, 8:30pm (ET) ESPN / ESPN 3D

Round two of "Game of the Century" is on in the French Quarter. These two teams know each other like brothers and there are little surprises that await the other.

This is going to be a knock down, drag out battle of Titans for not just the bragging rights (finally), but the Crystal Ball and title of unquestionable champion for the winner.

Las Vegas thinks Nick Saban and Bama are still the best team, but Les Miles and his Tigers have other notions and a win that says they're not.

Don't expect the same field goal contest you saw last time. This one will have some offense to go with the defensive time capsule worthy contest that is sure to follow.

Bacardi the Wonder Dog is usually always sold on Bama, but thinks this Tiger team is one of destiny and wins it all. I think that nobody beats Saban twice in one year and the coin toss decided the issue.

Larry's Loser: LSU