SEC Winds of Change

The college football season is now in the last third of the season. The majority of teams in the Southeastern Conference have been playing multiple games with their second or third-string quarterback trying to stand in the gap. It is rarely about how good your first team is to open the season because the depth of talent and experience will ultimately be the litmus test for how successful you can be. This year has shown how very true that is.

UTSA @ Texas A&M: The Roadrunners of University of Texas at San Antonio are still enjoying the fresh rice they made last week and hope to continue feeding on it a few more days. They better get what they can because they are about to hit the highway to College Station, Texas. Once there, they will have spend the noon hour trying to outrun the 12th man of A&M.

Jimbo’s boys proved they were the better of the two-dog fight (for at least this year) last week when they sent Moorhead back home mumbling. Reveille has an end outcome in sight now and will not be deterred by no dang desert bird. While Reveille may not be what she could have been, she still won’t put up with that annoying “beep-beep.” Now old Roadrunner will try to set every trap that pops into his head, but he forgot, they are not fooling with some dumb coyote this week. Once Reveille catches the Roadrunners by the leg, there won’t be no more tricks, just a death struggle.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Texas A&M 52 – 7

No. 8 Georgia @ No. 6 Florida (in Jacksonville, Florida): Kirby Smart’s Dawgs haven’t really chewed a bone thoroughly lately and he knows they need to get more meat from each bone that comes their way. Jake Fromm will lead his fellow canines into Jacksonville for the annual “Cocktail Party.” Jake invited his friends out to his grandparents’ farm during their off week to work on their skills at gigging a Gator.

Mullenex is trying to get his traveling Gator farm back together after having a few hides taken over in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is the most difficult confrontation left for Mullenex. The winner of this game historically plays in Atlanta for the SEC title and this year looks to hold true to form. The Gators hope to reclaim the Okefenokee Oar after a two-year absence, but they will only get a few splinters in their hide for all their efforts.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Georgia 28 – 24

TSUN @ No. 11 Auburn: The Land Minnows had a week to repopulate after giving another game away at the end to A&M. Matt Luke strolls the sidelines thinking of what his fish friends can do to help Gus start job searching. Ideas of becoming a Gator or a purple-striped Tiger dance in his head, but how could a minnow perform a trick like that?

Gus and his felines are not happy after having their dreams dashed again by Big baby ‘O’. The bus has been put up on blocks for the remainder of this year because there are no more road adventures planned. There are deadly foes about to come calling, so Bo knows they don’t have time to play with any species of fish. The Minnows will be gathered up and canned like sardines before they know what hit them.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Auburn 38 – 21

UAB @ Tennessee: Bill Clark’s Blazers are burning trails in every direction this season, and this week they are tromping at a hurried pace to Fort Knoxville. There had been reports that the fort was weakly defended and could be captured easily. Sometimes though, reported weaknesses can be misleading and remember you have a ‘B’ after UA.

The Volunteers are becoming stronger by the week. If Pruitt’s brigade can continue the effective gunfire and capture any potential invaders, there is a chance a winter vacation can still be booked. A month ago, the walls were collapsing, and while it still isn’t the fortress it once was, there are signs that effective repairs may be underway.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Tennessee 31 – 21

Vanderbilt @ South Carolina: Derek Mason and Will Muschamp both know each game is a must win at this point. A win means that life support will continue for another week. A loss means pulling the plug and the end could be near. For Mason, the Commodores have fought a good fight and dealt Missouri a blow that began their downward spiral, but that was then and this is now, where the future is dismal.

For Muschamp, all the dreams of knocking out Drago after “The Miracle in Athens” have turned to nightmares where he finds himself on the ropes taking punches. Muschamp will try to punch his way off the ropes with shots from Hilinski to get a Commodore knockout. if not, he will be on the mat listening to the countout.

T-Dawg’s Winner: South Carolina 34 – 20

Miss. State @ Arkansas: The Dawgs have struggled with the cards they have been dealt this year. When they unload in Fayetteville, Arkansas, many of the numbers on the field will be new, so keep your programs handy. Moorhead is quickly having to manage the “Mash 4077” field hospital while finding more players in the stands. Putting name badges on the defensive players was discussed so the players know who is around them. Garrett “The Beard” Shrader will need to improvise enough to put up more points than a greased pig.

Chad Morris seemingly predicted a win this week, which is bold after the way the Razorbacks have found every way imaginable to lose games. Now don’t be mistaken, this will not be one of those “classic” games that you want to record, but it does matter. Pork prices have been cut in half over the last year.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Miss. State 31 – 27

It has been said many times that winning cures all. While I don’t think that is completely true, in some aspects of sports, it is. Losses and losing streaks magnify every crack, making them look like the Grand Canyon.

In case you haven’t noticed, the seasons are in the process of changing. The winds seem to always signal that change is coming. Change will always occur in the SEC. There have only been two years (2006 and 2018) that no changes occurred.

Decisions always need to be made in every program regardless of sport or level. Mistakes are made, but many times patience is the key to avoid showing an unwillingness to accept anything but perfection. That never happens and no one can live up to that standard. An unintended message can be portrayed that a program is unrealistic. That is not a good environment in which to develop athletes and coaches.

Maroon Forever!

Hail State!