Football is Almost Here

It's incredible how much we look forward to football season all summer, and then like a flash it's Thanksgiving and the whole thing is over and done with. Most State fans have been prepping themselves since our run in Omaha ended - so that's two months of thinking about Oklahoma State and all the other SEC games on the docket this year.

One thing that gets me every year is how fast the season goes, and I'm trying to pump the breaks as it slips right through my fingers. For the last two months the focus has been on football, but with no games nothing has changed. The mantra has been hurry up football, but in a week it will be slow down football.

We've been staring down this great lineup for Week 1:

• Ole Miss at Vandy (Thursday)
• South Carolina vs. North Carolina (Thursday)
• MSU vs. Oklahoma State (2:30)
• Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (4:30)
• Georgia at Clemson (7:00)
• LSU vs. TCU (8:00)

And to add to it, some other interesting games are Arkansas vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (Hudspeth), Auburn vs. Washington State (Leech), and Kentucky vs. WKU (Petrino).

But just like that we're going to snap our fingers and it will be Week 2.

• All eyes on South Carolina at Georgia
• MSU plays Alcorn State in the home opener
• Gus Bus plays his former Arkansas State team
• Petrino gets his second straight shot at a SEC team at UT
• Florida plays at Miami - who is expected to contend for their division in the ACC this year

I always think - 15 days in, we're a quarter of the way through the season. Breaks my heart every time.

• Alabama at Texas A&M - if Manziel is playing, it is going to be a spectacle
• MSU at Auburn - always great
  
• Ole Miss at Texas - both teams with 18/19 returning starters
• Vandy at South Carolina - tough first 3 weeks for the Gamecocks

Week 4 - an example of why maybe going to nine conference games would be a good thing. We've waited all summer for this, and the best game of the week is Tennessee at Florida. If this was the 1990s that would be great, but I can't even remember the last time the Vols won in this series. Auburn at LSU might be intriguing, but odds are it's going to be a blowout in Baton Rouge.

Week 5 - now we're cooking with peanut oil.

• LSU at Georgia - hot dog
• Ole Miss at Alabama - I'll take Bama by 200, Alex
• Texas A&M at Arkansas - Bielema's first SEC game, after 3 quasi-tough non-conference games

Week 6

• LSU at Mississippi State - this has a chance to be the CBS game, but we'll probably have to beat Oklahoma State and Auburn (although I might rather it be a night game)
• Ole Miss at Auburn - the Tigers are coming off a bye, Rebs coming off Bama
• Georgia at Tennessee

Week 7

• LSU vs. Florida
• Texas A&M at Ole Miss - do-over of last year's 6 turnover / 4th down debacle game
• South Carolina at Arkansas - the Gamecocks often have trouble with the Hogs

Week 8

• LSU at Ole Miss - 4th straight week LSU plays in the top game
• Georgia at Vanderbilt
• Auburn at Texas A&M

Week 9- Yaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnn

• Tennessee at Alabama - once again the 3rd 4th Saturday in October

Week 10

• Florida/Georgia, Georgia/Florida - whichever way you look at it
• Mississippi State at South Carolina - night game at Williams Brice?
• Auburn at Arkansas - maybe this will be a battle for 6th place, UPig has a off week prior

Week 11

• LSU at Alabama - best series going on in the country right now
  
• Mississippi State at Texas A&M
• Auburn at Tennessee - battle of two first year head coaches

Week 12

• Florida at South Carolina - could this be for the East?
  
• Georgia at Auburn - UGA has been somewhat dominate lately
• Alabama at Mississippi State - hoping for a miracle

Week 13

• LSU at Texas A&M - both teams with byes the week prior
• Missouri at Ole Miss - bowl eligibility?
• Mississippi State at Arkansas
  

Week 14 - always save the best for last

• Ole Miss at Mississippi State (Thurs) - bringing back the Thanksgiving game when both teams were good
  
• Arkansas at LSU (Fri)
• Clemson at South Carolina - maybe the biggest game ever in this rivalry?
• Alabama at Auburn
• Georgia at Georgia Tech
• Florida vs. Florida State
• Tennessee at Kentucky - just wanted to include the Cats in this post

Looks like another great year. Like every other year, once it gets going it will be hard to hold on...but you've just got to enjoy it while it lasts.