2013 SEC Preview

For the last seven years, the Southeastern Conference has produced the BCS National Champion, and in doing so has produced a massive following consisting of conference faithful, band wagon fans, and-possibly more so than either of the prior-a long list of fans who have come to hate the conference.

Love it or hate it, one can't argue with the SEC's dominance year in and year out. Each season, armchair quarterbacks and experts alike discuss whether the conference will produce another National Champion; and if so, which team it will be. For now, we'll look at the conference and try to determine each team's position by season's end. Of course, this is just one guy's projection and is open to interpretation or criticism, so feel free to argue any of these. Enjoy, and keep in mind this projection was compiled with respect to the casual fan.

East Division

1. Georgia Bulldogs-After an 11-2 run in 2012 and wrapping up as East Division champions, Georgia looks to continue dominating in the upcoming season. With much of its offense intact, particularly quarterback Aaron Murray and the running back tandem of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, the Dogs should have no trouble matching their output of 38 points per game from the previous season. Key conference games: South Carolina, LSU, Florida

2. South Carolina Gamecocks-The Old Ball Coach looks to keep the Gamecocks in contention in the East after an impressive 2012 campaign, with their only losses coming to Florida and LSU. South Carolina's defense will continue to strengthen throughout the season as sophomore defensive end Jadaveon Clowney looks to extend his path of destruction over opposing offenses, while quarterback Connor Shaw should settle in comfortably under center for another season. Key conference games: Georgia, Florida

3. Florida Gators-After an 11-1 season in which the Gators lone loss came at the hands of Georgia in a game many said the Gators lost themselves more than the Bulldogs won, coach Will Muschamp looks to keep his team in the mix on Eastern side of the conference. Quarterback Jeff Driskel looked shaky at times last season but should be more comfortable this season as the focal point of the offense, provided someone steps up at any of the skill positions to help. The defense will be young but has a chance to improve the pass rush and keep the line stacked against the run. Key conference games: LSU, Georgia, South Carolina

4. Vanderbilt Commodores-With 13 starters returning from an 8-4 team last season, the Commodores hope to continue on their gradual trend of improvement from one season to the next. Receiver Jordan Matthews will likely be quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels' go-to guy as Samuels settles in under center. Vanderbilt should at least match their 2012 performance and just might shock someone along the way. Key conference games: South Carolina, Florida, Georgia

5. Tennessee Volunteers-One of a few surprising coaching hires in the conference came at Tennessee with the announcement of Butch Jones taking the helm. Jones will look to tighten up his defensive line and hopefully give up significantly less than the 35.6 points per game the Volunteers conceded last season. Luckily for him, he has 12 returning starters; unfortunately none return to skill positions. Key conference games: Missouri, Vanderbilt, Kentucky

6. Kentucky Wildcats-The Wildcats have already made a few splashes before the season even begins, beginning with hiring new head coach Mark Stoops. Bringing in Stoops immediately paid off as Kentucky shocked everyone with a surprisingly good recruiting class so far. After a miserable 2-10 season, the Wildcats hope to move forward and continue surprising the country in 2013. Expect Kentucky to improve beyond 2012, but the recruiting class isn't likely to put Kentucky into any serious discussions for at least another year. Key conference games: Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina

7. Missouri Tigers-2012 probably didn't go anything like Coach Gary Pinkel expected in the Tigers' first season in the SEC. Missouri, once an offensive power in the Big 12, will continue to rebuild the program to compete against stronger defenses. Quarterback James Franklin returns for another season to lead the Tigers, along with 12 other starters, but the Tigers have a long way to go yet. Key conference games: Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt

West Division

1. Alabama Crimson Tide-Finishing the regular season 12-0 and wrapping up another conference title in 2012, the Tide look to be on course to finish at the top of the SEC once again. With running back TJ Yeldon in the backfield with signal caller AJ McCarron and receiver Amari Cooper on the end among a whopping 14 starters, Alabama will reload again while almost everyone else seems to be rebuilding. With an easier schedule this season, the stars should be aligned for Bama to run the table all the way to Atlanta and avenge their lone loss to Texas A&M along the way. Key conference games: Texas A&M, LSU


2. Texas A&M Aggies-This is definitely a placement open for discussion. I struggled with the Aggies' placement in the West this season following an amazing 10-2 innaugural season in the conference last year. Coach Kevin Sumlin managed to keep his team intact for the most part with 11 returning starters including quarterback Johnny Manziel. The question is whether the Aggies can duplicate or improve upon their 2012 season with Manziel under the microscope for his every move. The pieces are present for another good run, the problem may lie in the chemistry of the team. Key conference games: Alabama, LSU, Arkansas

3. Arkansas Razorbacks-Yes, I believe Arkansas rebounds nicely this season. With the hiring of coach Bret Bielema, the Razorbacks are in prime position to shake up the West. His smashmouth style of play in the trenches and high powered offense and defense actually should fit in well within the conference. With a modest 11 starters returning, Bielema will have to replace several key positions, but should have no trouble improving on the Hogs' 4-8 season from a year ago. There will likely be growing pains the first few weeks, but Arkansas should rebound nicely and finish above .500 on the season. Key conference games: Texas A&M, Alabama

4. LSU Tigers-With 10 starters returning this season, coach Les Miles may have to refrain from his Mad Hatter ways and keep it simple. The Tigers finished 10-2 on the regular season in 2012, with some close calls in games that should have been a breeze for a team of LSU's caliber. Normally a stingy defense, the Tigers gave up alot of points, which could have foreshadowed the season to come in 2013. With so many key positions vacant, Miles faces an uphill battle in a rare rebuilding year. Pressure will be high on returning quarterback Zach Mettenberger and running back Jeremy Hill to carry the team. LSU should finish the season with a respectable record, but will likely be below expectations for a team that spent the last several years near the top of the conference. Key conference games: Alabama, Texas A&M, Arkansas

5. Auburn Tigers-The Gus Bus has returned to the Plains. The 2012 season had barely ended when Auburn announced they were moving on from coach Gene Chizik, and soon after, the announcement was made that former Auburn offensive coordinator and then-Arkansas State head coach Gus Malzahn had been hired. Malzahn will have 15 starters returning, but the question so far has been concerning quarterback. As yet, Malzahn has not named his starter at the position, which leaves many to wonder if the team will be able to adjust and run the hyper-speed offense Malzahn cherishes. After an abysmal 3-9 season in 2012, the Tigers really have nowhere to go but up, and should finish with a much more respectable record this year. Key conference games: Texas A&M, LSU, Arkansas, Alabama

6. Ole Miss Rebels-15 starters return this season as coach Hugh Freeze looks to continue moving up the ranks with his high tempo offense. The Rebels finished 6-6 last season and hope to improve, especially with dual threat quarterback Bo Wallace, running back Jeff Scott and wide receiver Donte Moncrief returning. Ole Miss has a chance to play spoiler to several teams with high aspirations in the conference, particularly LSU, after losing a heartbreaker to them at the end of the season 41-35. Key conference games: LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M

7. Mississippi State Bulldogs-Head coach Dan Mullen may be running out of time to get the Bulldogs into title contention within the conference. After leaving Florida's offensive coordinator position under coach Urban Meyer, Mississippi State had high hopes for what Mullen could accomplish but his seat is most likely warming up. The Bulldogs started out 7-0 last season before running into a wall and finishing 8-4. Mullen has been consistent, but unfortunately that consistency rarely has the Bulldogs near the top of the pecking order in the West. Hail State has quarterback Tyler Russell and running back LaDarius Perkins returning among the 11 veterans on the team, but they probably need to have a great season before whispers begin about Mullen's job security. Key conference games: Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas

The SEC is one of the most unpredictable conferences in the nation, and is next to impossible to predict from one week to the next, let alone an entire season. So take this preview with a grain of salt. But, above everything else, enjoy the upcoming season and remember we'll be here for the long haul to cover it for you.

- Kevin Hicks
@kevinhicks77
kevin.projectcfb@gmail.com

Bo Visits Small Town Alabama

On April 27, 2011, my hometown was destroyed by two tornadoes during a generational superstorm outbreak that left a path of destruction across the southeastern United States. For many of us, it was a day that will be etched in our minds for the remainder of our lives. For others, that day was their last.

My town is called Cordova. We are a tiny town of less than 2,500 people, one of those places where everyone knows everyone, or is related to everyone. We're located on the Black Warrior River about an hour from the state's college football epicenter, Tuscaloosa. we don't have a lot going on, but everyone has a great sense of pride for the town. Our pride and joy is what we affectionately call The Devil's Den, Hudson-Kirby Field, home of the multi-time state champion Blue Devils. These boys play with enough heart that occasionally the heavy hitters in college football take notice, most recently Tim Simon, who played at Ole Miss until an injury forced him to hang up his cleats, and Ryan Smith, currently playing safety at Auburn. Both played on Cordova's last championship team.
But then everything changed. Around 5 o'clock on the morning of April 27, 2011, a small tornado passed through the town, only causing minor damage. Before that morning, it was believed a tornado had never touched down inside the city limits. The town was fortunate. If only we had known what was coming that evening.

I watched the weather all day, and began to realize there was still a very real danger. I've always been fascinated by storms; but for the first time I wasn't fascinated, I was afraid. Afraid of what I could hear and see.

First, the storm rolled through Tuscaloosa, destroying homes and families. For an hour, my brother and I stood outside, listening to what sounded like cheap audio in a bad movie. Many say a tornado sounds like a train, but on this day, I could actually hear the wind between the rolls of thunder. It actually sounded like someone waving a piece of sheet metal, quite an eerie sound.

Then, just before 5 o'clock that evening, the atmosphere changed in a way I'd never experienced. I live a few miles outside of town, so we weren't in any real danger, but at the time we really didn't know what to expect. The wind began to pick up and the noise seemed louder. We had moved to the entrance of our storm shelter in the basement when we lost power. From the door, we watched the clouds in our backyard just over the tree line. I could see the wall cloud drop, then the funnel appeared. The air was being pulled toward the funnel and all the stray clouds were literally being sucked into the shelf. If you've never seen this in person, you couldn't possibly understand how terrifying it is to hear your town being torn apart. Then, in less than a minute, the world that so many generations had known was wiped off the face of the earth.

We rushed to town to survey the damage, not knowing what we would see. It was like a war zone, like someone had dropped a bomb and wiped my little town off the map. Our little diner, the Rebel Queen, was gone. The owners were inside at the time but by some act of divine intervention, they survived. Our only grocery store was gone. One of the two banks was gone. Main Street was reduced to rubble.
First responders set up triage in an old building that managed to remain standing, treating injuries until those people could be taken to a hospital. There were many that were lucky to be alive. But, as with any tragedy, not everyone was so lucky. We lost people that day. Friends, fathers, sons, children; like I mentioned earlier, we all knew one another, and the sense of loss everyone felt was immeasurable. All anyone knew to was stick together and look to the future.

Then Bo came to town. On the one year anniversary of the storms, Bo Jackson, recently recognized by ESPN as the greatest athlete of all time, decided it was time to help his home state by organizing a charity bike ride. Joined by Lance Armstrong, Picabo Street, Scottie Pippen, Ken Griffey Jr. and many others, Jackson cycled through all the areas affected by the storms. He finished the route in downtown Tuscaloosa. But he wasn't finished.

Jackson took a special interest in my town and decided this year to devote his time and efforts on Cordova. Many of his famous friends and more than a hundred other cyclists donated money to ride with him once again.

On each visit, he made a point to visit with those who lost loved ones and homes to let them know the small towns would not be forgotten during the healing process.

In the last two years, Jackson has raised over six hundred thousand dollars for the state's disaster relief fund, and says he won't stop until he reaches his goal of one million dollars.

At this point, many homes have been rebuilt, much of which was done by people from all over the country who came here and gave their time and labor unconditionally. The remaining buildings have been torn down. The place where our town had stood for nearly two hundred years is a clean slate now. But with the help of people like Bo Jackson and many more generous and compassionate people, we will rebuild, and we'll be even better than before.

For anyone interested in donating to Jackson's cause, go to www.bobikesbama.com

- Kevin Hicks
@kevinhicks77
kevin.projectcfb@gmail.com

Project CFB Top Ten: #7 Clemson Tigers

Since the year 2000, Clemson has been in the Top 25 of the AP’s Preseason rankings six times. Out of those six times, they have finished the season in the AP Top 25 twice (#16 in 2000 and #11 in 2012). This season the contributors to ProjectCFB have predicted Clemson will not only be in the Top 25, but land in the Top Ten at #7. Will this be the year Clemson finally proves their preseason pick to be correct?

Clemson’s highest preseason rank in the past thirteen years has been at #9 in 2008. That proved to be a very tumultuous year for the Tigers. Six games into the season, their head coach Tommy Bowden resigned and Dabo Swinney, Clemson’s recruiting cordinator and wide receivers coach took over the helm. In Swinney’s tenure as head coach, Clemson has endured only one losing season. In 2012, the victory over the Top Ten ranked LSU Tigers led Clemson to a #9 finish in the final Coaches’ Poll and 11th in the final AP Poll of the season.

What will help Clemson with another great season? Preseason Heisman favorite Tahj Boyd at quarterback. In 2012 against NC State, Boyd broke the ACC record for most touchdowns in a game when he threw for five and ran for three more, totaling 529 all purpose yards. In the Chick-fil-a Bowl, Boyd won the MVP award with his 36 of 50 pass attempts with no interceptions and a game changing pass on 4th down that helped set up the game winning field goal. The challenge for Boyd besides the opposing defense will be working with a new center, sophomore Ryan Norton. Boyd will also be without running back Andre Ellington and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins who were both taken in the recent NFL Draft.

Another plus in Clemson’s favor for 2013 will be their schedule if they can survive it. Clemson has what most have claimed as the toughest non-conference schedule in the ACC. They start off the season at home with a last year’s SEC runner ups from Georgia and their last game is with their biggest rivals, South Carolina and their Heisman Candidate Jadeveon Clowney. Both of these opponents most likely will be in the Top 25 nationally this season. If Clemson can beat Georgia and South Carolina and do so impressively, then there’s little doubt they will be in the final Top Ten of the 2013 NCAA football season.

- Amy Norris
@amyjane72
amy.projectcfb@gmail.com

First Ever Project CFB Top Ten

We here at Project CFB have worked together to create the official Project CFB preseason top ten list. This is a list which is made up of several lists (more specifically a top ten list from each of us), averaged out to make one final preseason top ten.

In the coming days, we will reveal all ten teams in our top ten, starting obviously with #10 and working our way down to our preseason #1.

Today however, we will discuss a few of the teams who almost made the top ten. It was a close list. Here are our honorable mentions.

Michigan Wolverines

Led by junior quarterback Devin Gardner, the Wolverines will have its first season sans Denard Robinson as the starting quarterback since 2009.

Gardner is an accurate quarterback, who can also make plays with his feet. As long as veteran wide receivers Jeremy Gallon and Drew Dileo can step up and help Gardner out, Michigan's offense, which will finally be playing Al Borges' kind of football, could be amazing.

Of course Michigan's star linebacker Jake Ryan injured his ACL in the spring. The Wolverines will look for other defensive players, like Blake Countess, Courtney Avery and Desmond Morgan to step up and make the plays while Ryan is out.

Michigan has a couple tough road games this season, taking on the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing, as well as Penn State at Beaver Stadium. However they do have the luxury of playing Notre Dame, Nebraska and hated rival Ohio State at the Big House.

Florida Gators

Last year Florida's defense allowed only seven plays of 30 yards or more. Their defense will look to continue dominating in arguably the toughest conference in college football, while their offense gets things done on the other side of the ball.

Junior quarterback Jeff Driskel looks to lead the Gators to another pretty successful year of college football. Las season they went 11-2 (7-1 in SEC play), and they'd like nothing less then to make it to the SEC Championship Game, and come out victorious.

Sophomore running back Matt Jones will look to lend Driskel a helping hand, as well as junior Loucheiz Purifoy who plays wide receiver as well as cornerback.

Florida faces the Miami Hurricanes, LSU and South Carolina in away games while they take on teams like the Georgia Bulldogs and the FSU Seminoles in the Swamp.

LSU Tigers

Another SEC team, the Les Miles led LSU Tigers are led by senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger threw for 2,609 yards last season, as well as 12 touchdowns. However he did toss up seven interceptions.

LSU's new offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron is known to be a strong tutor for quarterbacks. Mettenberger looks to only get better under Cameron's tutelage.

Wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr will look to step up and help make Mettenberger's job a little easier.

LSU's defense unfortunately will see a lot of new faces, however the defensive squad stepping up could h r more potential than the group that just left.

LSU faces of against TCU this year, as well as SEC opponents Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M.

All three of these teams could very well find their way into the top ten this season, however they just missed the cu in our first ever preseason top ten.

Make sure to check back tomorrow for the unveiling of our #10 ranked preseason team!

- Matt Lytle
@mattlytle
matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

A Brief History of the Auburn Toomer Oak Trees

Traditions are one of the biggest parts of what many of us love about college football. Among the more historic and more well known, especially in SEC country, involves the Toomer Oak Trees at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in Auburn, Alabama and has always been a major part of the Auburn football lore. Hanging over the corner of Magnolia and College Street are two massive oak trees that after many major causes for celebration, the War Eagle faithful decorate the two large trees with toilet paper which has came to be known as rolling Toomer's or rolling the corner. This tradition was started when Toomer's Drug Store, located on the same corner as the two massive oak trees, that had the only telegraph in the entire city would alert the townspeople of a road win by tossing the ticker tape from the telegraph over the nearby power lines  This has been a tradition among the Auburn fans since the early 1980s.

Originally the rolling Toomer tradition was solely reserved for football celebrations, but recently the

celebration has expanded to anything positive regarding Auburn, be it athletic or otherwise. Toomer's corner has become a popular pre-game rally position for both home and away contests.

In January of 2011, a local radio show was alerted by a caller that he personally poisoned the two trees with Spike 80DF, which is a very potent herbicide, some were worried about not only the trees themselves but the potential effects the herbicide had on the Auburn water supply as well. This tree poisoning garnered national attention when it was featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Roll Tide/War Eagle" diving deep into the heated Alabama/Auburn football rivalry. The caller to the Paul Finebaum Radio Network identified himself as "Al from Dadeville."

After investigation, the Auburn police took Harvey Updyke Jr, a resident of Dadeville, Alabama (and controversially a life long Alabama Crimson Tide fan) into custody and was charged with class C criminal mischief  which classifies as a felony in the state of Alabama. He could face up to 5 years in prison for the poisoning of the trees, on top of the two he has already served.

Despite efforts to save the trees, it came out that the trees could not be saved and had to be cut down. After being cut down on April 23rd, the Oaks have been made into several different mementos available for purchase commemorating the history of the trees, with all proceeds going towards a a specialized scholarship fund.

- Josh Gamez

@itsjoshgamez

josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

How Will Tommy Tuberville Do in Cincinnati?

The Cincinnati Bearcats have had quite a few flashes of greatness, followed by their coaches leaving for what they would consider a better opportunity at a bigger and/or better school. Brian Kelly coached the Bearcats from 2006 to 2009 with an overall record of 34-6, leading Cincinnati to bowl game victories as well as to a Sugar Bowl loss to the Florida Gators (although Kelly left the team at the conclusion of the season and didn't coach them for the Sugar Bowl loss). But Kelly left the Bearcats for what he considered his dream job, the head coaching position at Notre Dame. They also had Butch Jones coach them from 2010-2012 leading them to an overall record of 23-14 in his tenure. Jones led the Bearcats to a Liberty Bowl game victory over Vanderbilt. Butch Jones left to become head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.

I'm sure Cincinnati is tired of being a stepping stone for coaches. I'm sure they're ready to have a coach stick with them and lead them to bigger and better things. Is that where Tommy Tuberville comes in? Tuberville has been head coaching some of the most storied college football programs dating back to 1995. Tuberville's first head coaching job was coaching the Ole Miss Rebels. He coached them from 1995 to 1998 and had an overall record there of 25-20.

He left Ole Miss for another SEC team, the Auburn Tigers. He coached for nearly a decade at Auburn, and led the Tigers to an SEC Championship. He also won the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award. Tigers fans loved watching Tuberville do something that no one had ever done before, beat their in-state rivals the Alabama Crimson Tide in six consecutive games. His overall record with the Auburn Tigers was 85-40.

After the 2008 season Tuberville left Auburn and the SEC, and jumped to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tommy led the Red Raiders to an overall 20-17 record with only one losing season, going 5-7 in 2011.

Tuberville led the Texas Tech Red Raiders
to an overall record of 20-17 during his tenure.

Tuberville promised he'd return to Texas Tech for the 2013 season, however he took a job with the Cincinnati Bearcats in December of 2012. The Bearcats' athletic director Whit Babcock is a good friend of Tommy's, whom he worked with at Auburn. Could that be the reason he decided to jump to Cincinnati?

It is in Tuberville's track record to imply he'd be sticking around, then leave not long afterward. For example at Ole Miss he made the announcement, "They’ll have to carry me out of here in a pine box," implying that he'd be staying at Ole Miss for quite sometime, but made a statement two days later that he was departing for Auburn.

Although Cincinnati players and fans would love to have a coach stay and finally build the Bearcats football team to the powerhouse that they know they can be, I highly doubt they care much about Tuberville's track record of implying he'd stick around only to leave not long afterward. Maybe in the future that may be on their concern list, but I'm sure that right now they're just wanting Tommy to bring the success he saw at Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas Tech to Nippert Stadium. Tommy is nearing 60 years old, so you would assume that he probably won't have much coaching left in him after a few years. Bearcats faithful are hoping to see Tuberville's last years head coaching be in Cincinnati, and maybe land them a National Championship or at least a couple of high profile bowl game victories. Does Tommy have what it takes to make Cincinnati a top college football team? I'd say so, but we'll just have to wait and see.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

Project Rivalry: Iron Bowl; Alabama vs Auburn

The Iron Bowl.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Auburn Tigers.

Roll Tide vs War Eagle.

The Iron Bowl is one of the most storied rivalries not only in the SEC, but in all of college football. The first game of the rivalry was played on February 22, 1893. Auburn won 32-22. The game was played in front of a crowd of roughly 5,000 people at Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

After the 1907 game, which ended in a 6-6 tie, the schools could not agree on the amount of expenses to be paid to players, as well as where they would obtain the officials for the game. Therefore they put the feud on hold.  The Alabama congress threatened to withhold funding from both schools unless the rivalry resumed. Fortunately for Alabama and Auburn fans, the rivalry resumed in 1948. It was agreed that the games would be played in Bimingham because it had the largest stadium in the state, Legion Field which held 44,000 seats.

In 1980 the series had come to be called The Iron Bowl due to Birmingham's prominence as a center of iron and steel production. Auburn's coach at the time, Shug Jordan coined the term "Iron Bowl". Alabama's coach Bear Bryant wanted to call the game the "Brag Bowl" due to the fact that after you win in the game, you have a whole year to brag about the victory.

In 1989 the Iron Bowl began being a "home-and-home" series. On December 2, 1989 Alabama came to Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time in the history of the rivalry. A sold out crowd witnessed Auburn win it's first true "home" game of the series, 30-21. Alabama came into that game unbeaten and ranked #2 in the country.

Alabama held their "home" games at Legion Field, but in 1998 they expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium to a capacity of 83,818, exceeding Legion Field by a few hundred. In the year 2000 Alabama moved their home games to Bryant-Denny Stadium where their home games are still played to this day.

The winner of the game is presented with the Foy-ODK Sportsmanship Award, which is named after James E. Foy, who is an Alabama graduate, and also a former Auburn dean of students and Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society.

One of the most shocking things to come out of this rivalry was on January 11, 2011 a man going by the name of "Al" called into the Paul Finebaum sports radio talk show and admitted to poisoning two trees (known as "Toomer's Trees), which were the center of a long tradition that Auburn fans would take part in called "rolling the corner" (the trees were located on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College street across from Toomer's Drugs). After soil samples were taken, it was determined that the trees were poisoned. Sadly the trees are scheduled to be taken down in April of this year.

The rivalry has seen many oustanding players such as Bo Jackson, Cam Newton, Johnny Musso and Pat Sullivan. It also has seen many great coaches, such as arguably the greatest coach ever Paul "Bear" Bryant.

This rivalry is a long bitter rivalry which is one of the most heated rivalries in college football. Both teams have been among the nation's elite teams for decades. They have also accounted for 30 SEC titles and are two of the most winningest college football teams in college football history.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

#12 South Carolina Gamecocks at #11 Clemson Tigers Preview

This Saturday night at 7:00 PM, the #12 South Carolina Gamecocks take on the #11 Clemson Tigers. This will be the 110th meeting between the two rivals. Currently, Clemson leads the all-time rivalry record 65-40-4, however South Carolina has won three straight against the Tigers.

Connor Shaw looks to lead South Carolina past
rival Clemson this Saturday at 7:00 PM

South Carolina will be led by junior quarterback Connor Shaw. Shaw, who has been a pretty precise passer, has also shown his scrambling skills this season. He has proven that he is one tough quarterback, taking numerous hits in games, and still continuing on. He has thrown for over 1,700 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has three rushing touchdowns to his name.

South Carolina's passing offense is ranked 75th in the nation, averaging about 222 passing yards per game. However Clemson's defense has allowed an average of 24.7 points per game (ranking them 47th in the nation for points allowed).

The Gamecocks running game hasn't been the greatest this season, most likely because junior Heisman hopeful running back Marcus Lattimore was injured earlier in the season. Senior Kenny Miles has taken the running back spot and has a little over 300 yards to his credit. He has also punched in two rushing touchdowns.

Tajh Boyd has 3,367 yards, 33 TDs and 11 INTs this season.

Clemson is led by junior quarterback Tajh Boyd, who is 240/353, for 3,367 yards, 33 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. He also has eight rushing touchdowns so far this season. Boyd looks to have a very good performance against South Carolina, and he definitely will need to with South Carolina's points allowed rank being 13th in the nation.

Boyd has two very reliable wide receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. They have combined for over 1,700 yards receiving, and 18 touchdowns. Boyd also has tight end Brandon Ford as a nice target also. Ford has reeled in 8 receiving touchdowns this season.

Clemson is averaging 332 yards passing per game, which gains them the rank of 9th in the nation in passing yards. They are also ranked 4th in points scored, with an average of 44.6! That isn't only because of their passing game. Their running game isn't too bad either.

Clemson's running back, senior Andre Ellington has also had a pretty good season, rushing the ball 186 times for 959 yards and eight touchdowns.

Last year's game, South Carolina put a whooping on Clemson, winning 34-13. I see this game being a lot closer. Although Clemson is ranked a lot higher in passing yards and points scored per game, South Carolina's defense has been very good this season. With the addition of having Connor Shaw at the reigns as quarterback, you definitely can't count the Gamecocks out.

It's probably true in most games, but I'm going to say that the team with the most takeaways is going to win this game. Clemson is going to have to put pressure on Connor Shaw, making him one dimensional, and shut down the Gamecocks' backup running back. If they can successfully do that, they'll win this game. But if they let Connor Shaw have his time, and be able to throw or run when he needs to, he can shred this defense.

Should be a good one going down Saturday night at 7:00 PM ET. The game will be broadcast from Memorial Stadium on ESPN. You don't want to miss this one.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

#7 LSU Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks Preview

Although LSU looks to be the odds on favorite to win this game, it's dangerous. I've always been a firm believer in, those teams that you're playing that you should beat soundly, have nothing to lose, therefore, they're more dangerous to you than an undefeated team.

Am I saying that Arkansas is going to upset the LSU Tigers this Saturday at Razorback Stadium? Not necessarily, but feel that if LSU comes into this game over confident, thinking it's a gimme game, thinking because Arkansas is ranked 4-7 that it's going to be easy, they could possibly be in trouble.

Arkansas hasn't had a great year. One of it's worst in quite a while. When John L. Smith took over as head coach of the Razorbacks, people weren't sure what to think. Now we can only assume that this is his one and only year as head coach there.

LSU QB Zack Mettenberger has thrown for 2,272 yards this season.

The key to this game is going to be LSU's junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger. This season he has thrown for 2,272 yards. He has thrown 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. If he can shred that Arkansas defense, who has only six interceptions all season long, LSU can easily win this game.

Arkansas' passing game isn't too bad either, passing for over 296 yards on average per game. But LSU's defense is only allowing an average of about 17 points per game.

It's definitely a tough matchup for Arkansas, but like I said, if LSU comes in over confident, and Arkansas takes advantage of that, watch out LSU, because you'll be falling out of the Top Ten.

I have LSU in this one. Winning rather easily.

LSU: 41
Arkansas: 21

- Jackson McNamara

@jacksonmcnamara

#21 Mississippi State Bulldogs at #7 LSU Tigers Preview

An intriguing matchup in the SEC. Mississippi State and LSU have the same overall record, as well as division record. Although division records really don't matter right now, as it seems Alabama has the SEC West all sewn up, but that's a different story.

MSU will be looking for a big game from Tyler Russell.

LSU has played well this year. Only losing two, one to Alabama, and another to Florida (in the Swamp). Mississippi State has played well also, losing their last two games, to Alabama (at Bama) and another to Texas A&M. MSU is going to be looking to end this losing streak, and get back to their winning ways. To do that, they're going to be looking for a big game from their junior quarterback Tyler Russell. Russell is 156/263 for 1,954 yards, 16 TDs, and only 3 interceptions.

One of Russell's biggest targets, is senior wide receiver Chad Bumphis. Bumphis leads the Bulldogs with 34 receptions, 536 yards, and 7 touchdowns. He needs to bring it Saturday night against this Tigers defense, who is only giving up an average of 15 points a game.

Mississippi State also has Ladarius Perkins in the backfield. Perkins has carried the ball 153 times for 804 yards and 8 touchdowns. Perkins is a good running back, but LSU has two very good running backs (who are also very young), in Jeremy Hill who is a freshman and Kenny Hilliard who is a sophomore. Both backs have over 70 carries for over 400 yards rushing, and six touchdowns. It's a duo that Mississippi State is going to have to key on, and stop. If they can't shut LSU's two stud running backs down, the Bulldogs very well could taste defeat for the third time in a row this season inside Tiger Stadium.

LSU's two stud HB's will be looking to run over the Bulldogs.

LSU's offense doesn't stop there. They also have a junior quarterback named Zach Mettenberger, who has thrown for over 1,700 yards and 8 touchdowns, although he has 4 interceptions, one more than Tyler Russell (with half as many touchdowns thrown as Russell). LSU also has a sophomore wide receiver by the name of Odell Beckham who is nearing 500 yards receiving, and has reeled in two touchdowns.

The big keys to this game, is Mississippi State's passing game, LSU's rushing game, and LSU's defense, who is ranked 13 higher in the nation than Mississippi State.

Both defenses are strong. Both offenses are strong. Just in very different ways. I think this one is going to be a very entertaining game folks. Look for Tyler Russell to be a big key in MSU's gameplan. Same goes for LSU's running back duo. I'd hate to have to make a pick in this game. It's going to be a good one in Tiger Stadium. Make sure to tune in to ESPN at 7:00 ET on Saturday night. If not, you could very well miss one of the best games of the year.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #5 LSU Tigers Preview

Not twelve months ago, the whole world saw one SEC team totally dismantle another on the biggest stage in all of college football.

On Saturday, November 3rd, Alabama will try to repeat the results of that historic night while LSU has a chance at redemption. The score was 21-0 as Alabama embarrassed LSU before 78,000+ fans. Having to recruit new talent in many of the same markets, LSU literally cannot afford to lose this game. In the South, SEC football is not just a game, it is a way of life, and should LSU get beat again, Les Miles is going to have a tough sell to the high school kid that is considering both schools. With a record of 7-1, a loss will drop them out of contention for the SEC West and will seal a spot in the SEC Championship game for Alabama. 

The match-ups between these two SEC West rivals have become legendary over the past couple of years. Always featuring two stout defenses, the games never lack drama or good hard-nosed football. The setting will be a tough one for Alabama as they travel to Baton Rouge, which is historically a very tough place to play. Add in just over 92,000 rabid Tiger fans, and it can be a pretty intimidating place to play for any squad...except...Alabama... Led by head coach Nick Saban and his revolving cast of NFL prospects, you can certainly expect that the Crimson Tide will be ready to play. While Alabama lacks the tough wins that they typically have in their holster, they have beaten everyone that has been placed in front of them. With a record of 8-0, don't expect much to be different in this game. While LSU is a tough adversary, the middle of their defense is soft and they lack the ability to compete offensively against the Alabama defense (which hasn't given up more than 14 points since November, 19th, 2011). Don't look for the outcome to be much different in this game as the Tide will roll again, to a tune of 18-7. (LINE Alabama covers -9)

- The Sports Messiah