Spin the Bottle Games

The irregular season in the Southeastern Conference is winding down and an abbreviated bowl season lies ahead. The league office decided to switch opponents around again this week. I can imagine how frustrating it is for coaches to prep for their next opponent when the league office changes the schedule each week. Still, our youngsters need to get as many game reps as possible.

I saw that Mississippi State is penciled in for the Birmingham Bowl on New Year’s Day. That is fine with me as that is about 90 miles from the barn. Should Mississippi State or other teams even be qualified for a bowl? No way! This is 2020, though, and nothing is for certain.

Recruiting is in high gear even though there were no camps this year, no official visits and no in-home visits. Will next year get back to the way it was? I seriously doubt college football will ever be the same again.

Enough of the downside. It is December and we all are still playing football. That’s crazy, but I am going to enjoy all of it that I can. This is the last full week of games in the SEC.

No. 1 Alabama @ LSU

The Iron Tide, I mean the Crimson Tide, had no problem with the kittens from Auburn even though their head coach, Nick Saban, was at home relaxing and eating leftover turkey. Now comes news that Alabama will travel to meet the bayou meows this week in a makeup game. It probably will make no difference if Saban takes another day off or not. His pachyderms can walk into a nearly empty Tiger Stadium and do as they please. Quarterback Mac Jones could end up having his Heisman moment thrashing the Tigers in Death Valley.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has been wondering where the good times went. Big Baby “O” hasn’t taken this many spankings since he left Ole Miss. That is a story still to be played out, but first he has to avoid being taken behind the woodshed by Saban’s Crimson Tide. By the time it is over in Death Valley, it will remind many of “The Night Before Christmas” because not a sound will be heard from the meows.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Alabama 56-10

No. 5 Texas A&M @ Auburn

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher’s Aggie band played a tune on LSU as they avenged a loss to them last year like many others have. His boy Kellen Mond couldn’t seem to hit the side of a barn when he threw the ball. That could spell disaster this week when the cadets visit the loveliest village on the plains. Mond and crew will have to put some pick-me-up in the tank against the Tigers if they hope to keep pace for the College Football Playoff.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn had no answers for his sputtering bus at Alabama last week. In fact, Malzahn had his boys pushing the bus down the interstate after the game while he drove and ate a two-piece snack box. Malzahn will try to get some new parts put in the bus for a trip to Stark Vegas next week while he watches quarterback Bo Nix try to stay ahead of the 12th Man. Is this a trap game for the Aggies?

T-Dawg’s Winner: Auburn 31-26

No. 6 Florida @ Tennessee

The Florida Gators may not have all the answers, but they had more than enough to maul Kentucky. Quarterback Kyle Trask will take his fellow scaly friends up to Knoxville, Tennessee, where it has become known there is blood oozing. When the Gators latch onto the Volunteers, the grisly aftermath is all but certain.

Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt has run the gamut in the last two seasons. He has gone from being on the hot seat to putting things together and ready to take that next step. Unfortunately for Pruitt, the next step, or steps, have all been backwards. Little has fallen into place this season for the Volunteers and may not be settled until they visit the little sisters of the poor in Music City, but the Gators visit is surely not going to help Pruitt.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Florida 44-20

Vanderbilt @ No. 8 Georgia

The mighty Commodores have a new admiral, at least a stand-in anyway. Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch will sit in the head chair as he tries to find a way to capture the head dog. Fitch will lead the Commodores against a savage band of wild dogs trying to do what hasn’t been accomplished all season. Most fitting would be the phrase: New boss, same result.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs will entertain the Vanderbilt Commodores this Saturday to close the regular season for the Bulldogs. Well, maybe entertain isn’t the correct word for what is expected to happen. I mean, it isn’t entertaining to have to abandon ship in unfriendly waters. Smart will make sure his canine pets take a big bite out of their debilitated guests.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Georgia 48-13

South Carolina @ Kentucky

Interim head coach Mike Bobo takes his flock of chickens over to the Bluegrass State to face the Kentucky Wildcats this week after having his henhouse raided last Saturday night by the Georgia Bulldogs. Bobo is looking for something to provide brownie points towards his own ascension to head rooster role for next year. Bobo does have two chances, unfortunately they are little and none.

The Kentucky Wildcats will close out their regular season by hosting a proposed feast of fried chicken. Head coach Mark Stoops will attempt to have his felines ready to bounce back after being scalded two weeks in a row by the hot water from the Crimson Tide and then swamp water from the Florida Gators. If the eldest Wildcats intend to go out in a joyous feast, then they better have chicken on their minds.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Kentucky 34-21

Arkansas @ Missouri:

This intriguing matchup will feature Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks trying to outduel a close neighbor with their new head honcho. Pittman’s Razorbacks (3-5) have been so close to reaching loftier heights but have fallen prey to some weird yellow laundry on the field and the circumstances around them.

The hot dog boy, also known as Feleipe Franks, will lead his oinkers into Columbia, Missouri, attempting to make his last wiener roast a good one. While the season as a whole hasn’t been what he had hoped, he still has added lots of flavor to an otherwise dismal outlook at the beginning of the season. Pittman hopes to have an opportunity in the postgame locker room to add a final loud “yes sir” to his first season with the porkers.

T-Dawg’s Winner: Arkansas 31-26

Now you have my predictions and an attempt at predicting the final score. What are your predictions?

Other games:

Georgia Tech will lose to North Carolina State

Nebraska will lose to Purdue

Utah will lose to Oregon State

UCLA will lose to Arizona State

TCU will lose to No. 19 Oklahoma State

No. 18 Wisconsin will lose to No. 10 Indiana

Memphis will lose to Tulane

Kansas State will lose to Texas

West Virginia will lose to No. 12 Iowa State

Arizona will lose to Colorado

Season Picks:

SEC: 33-16 Other Games: 19-6