Wow, just wow. If you are like me you are so totally proud of our DAWGs this past Saturday night against Alabama. No-one outside of the DAWG Nation gave us any chance to beat Saban’s Crimson Tide. Yes in the end they did win on the scoreboard but we won in so many other ways. We won in spirit, passion, pride and being a FAMILY. Lots of visitors and viewers watching were deeply impressed by how we bind together and “Keep on Believing!” Message boards for blogs in a variety of media spoke of how impressive Miss. State was to them with the atmosphere the crowd at Davis-Wade projected throughout the night. Our team impressed, our coaches impressed, the atmosphere impressed. The DAWG Nation impressed. It is GREAT to be an MSU DAWG!
We have an opportunity to end the regular season on an extremely high note and it begins in Fayetteville Saturday morning. We as alumni, students and fans need to keep that passion just as high, encourage support and show the love to our team, band, spirit groups and OUR COACHES, OUR STATE! Together we have much more to achieve together.
Last week I missed 2 out of 9 games, one of which I wanted more than the Chick-fil-A cows want us to buy more chicken. On the season the total is now 72 – 23. Now for the Week 12 Prognostications:
Mercer @ Alabama — The Mercer Bears sneak into Tuscaloosa during the night Friday night hoping to pick up their check for being a sacrificial lamb Saturday morning before Big Al and his band of brothers wake up in an angry, murderous mood. They watched Coach Saban’s press conference and heard him say that they would work on fundamentals this week but they probably didn’t get his meaning that they would work on some fundamental Bear STOMPING Saturday. The Crimson Tide has to get some things corrected in a major way because danger is lurking. The Bears are 5 -5 with this being their last dance so they will seek to unload the playbook in total desperation but it won’t matter. Coach Saban doesn’t want to show much because he knows there are War Eagles high overhead watching every move. Still these Bears will know it is time to hibernate before the fourth quarter.
T-DAWG’s Winner: Alabama 49 - 10
ULM @ Auburn — The War Hawks from Louisiana could not have picked a worse time to come calling on the plains of Auburn. They fly in at 4-5 and have practically no hope of getting to .500 on the year with Fla. St still to go also. Malzahn’s Tigers showed more potential last week than they have in three years. Whatever he put in those waffles Saturday morning did the trick as his Tigers looked like they were on PEDS! Don’t look for Gus to throw wonderful, magically delicious trick plays this week with Alabama about to come knocking but the War Hawks will look like completely plucked chickens as they go running for their bus.
T-DAWG’s Winner: Auburn 55 - 13
Wofford @ South Carolina — The Terriers of Wofford jump on the back of the truck and ride over to Columbia to pay a visit to Muschamp and his Cluckers figuring they aren’t taking their 9 - 1 record serious, but they better. Wofford is an excellent Div. II team and they will drop some major tangy butt-nuts on the Gamecocks home turf as they show no fear of being pecked to death. Jake Bentley will seek to keep his feathered friends heading toward a major bowl. The Gamecocks know they better fill the egg basket now because next week with Clemson may be hard to swallow. Don’t be surprised if this prediction flips though.
T-DAWG’s Winner: South Carolina 30 - 27
UAB @ Florida — The BLAZERS cut a trail through the woods and swamps to finally arrive at Florida Field. Coach Bill Clark, who is another outstanding young coach, brings his kids to face Florida with a 7 -3 record and challenging for their divisional championship. All of this after not fielding a team the last two years because their university president disbanded the football program. The Gators are looking like a weak endangered species right now with much of that being a result of having more starters out for the year than they have still playing. All in all they only have 52 scholarship players left most of which are freshmen and sophomores. When Clark’s Blazers start hacking in the swampy mess that Gainesville has become it may show there are not any lizards that can still produce a life-threatening bite. Yeah I may be stepping way out here but I don’t see another meal for the Gators this year, only sacrifices.
T-DAWG’s Winner: UAB 27 - 21
LSU @ Tennessee — Coach Orgeron brings his bayou boys to Rocky-Top looking to sing a cajun ballad with his rough growling voice. The Big-Orange haven’t been very big but instead have begun to look like squeezed oranges down at the Omelet Shop. Butch is a thing of past now so what happens from here on out lies at the feet of others with retread Brady Hoke (failed Michigan coach) being the patsy. The Bengal Tigers prefer purple and gold to any orange and will do their best to redecorate before departing. I’m not sure Hoke can find enough Volunteers to give much of a fight and the ones that do don’t have anymore bullets so it will be hand to hand combat. Ever talked to someone who tried to wrestle a tiger? Probably not, most ended up in the Tiger’s belly. The “Fat Man” sings his ballad as the tears fall.
T-DAWG’s Winner: LSU 30 - 13
Texas A&M @ TSUN — Coach Sumlin guided his troops to enough wins to become bowl eligible but that nasty and famous November slide may return this week in Oxford. The winds of change are blowing like a gulf hurricane in College Station and you know he fears returning home every time he leaves on a trip not sure if the locks will be changed at his adobe. Jordan Ta’amu has been showing a flashy cannon that Sumlin can only admire but there still isn’t enough of a defense to stop a mosquito bite at TSUN. Expect a lot of punches to be thrown by both sides but when the smoke clears Sumlin will find his last Bear hunt went for naught again.
T-DAWG’s Winner: TSUN (Help me Lord) 40 - 31
Missouri @ Vanderbilt — Coach Odom has found a psychologist that has done a number on a crew that didn’t know their left from their right two months ago. But football is not about what was but rather it is about what IS. The Tigers from Missouri are on a mission to “Show” everyone and that is likely to continue into the bowl season. The Commodores have been trying to make their own bowl plans but someone’s plans take a serious hit in Nashville. If the anchor doesn’t hold this battle then the ship won’t sail into December and there are gaping holes in the hull now.
T-DAWG’s Winner: Missouri 41 - 24
Kentucky @ Georgia — Bob Stoops plans to unload his circus troop of Wildcats in Athens with the intention of painting the town blue before they head back to the train. Kirby’s smart pills were nothing more than placebos last week and his Bulldogs were caught napping. When they got back to Athens Saturday night they felt like a bunch of flea-bitten mutts searching for a place to hide. You have to figure Kirby has woke his pups up and hasn’t fed them in almost a week so these Bulldogs are ready for fight for any morsel of food they smell especially chicken. Now Kentucky may be Wildcats but Stops keeps plenty of those buckets of original recipe close by and Smart’s Dogs will sniff it out.
T-DAWG’s Winner: Georgia 44 - 20
Miss. State @ Arkansas — The DAWG nation makes the trek over to Fayetteville for brunch Saturday. The DAGS were wound up to a fever pitch Saturday night and planned lights out for the most part but the Crimson Tide still managed to sneak out of town with a win. Fitzgerald and crew have a real opportunity to get on another run to finish out the year with a New Year’s Day party in Orlando. The “want-to” has to be there like it was Saturday. If it is then there is a large pig roasting awaiting the DAWG Nation before returning home to collect new Bear hides for Thanksgiving. There should be Pigs squealing their heads off when Jeffrey Simmons and the rest of the “D” close in for the kill.
T-DAWG’s Winner: Miss. State 42 - 20
Well that’s it for another week. I hope all of you spend time with family this Thanksgiving week. Talk to the old folks, listen to the family stories and maybe write them down so the old stories live on for more generations. Every time the family gathers some faces are no longer there so enjoy the rest of this season, tell the special stories associated with it and enjoy time with family because all of it passes much too quickly.
May God Bless you and your family. HAPPY THANKSGIVING
T-DAWG