Week 11 Record (2-5) | Overall Record (54-39)
Welcome to the Week 12 edition of SEC Football Predictions, where the only thing worse than my record last week are this week’s slate of games. This is the week where most teams are warming up for next week’s rivalry weekend. At least we have LSU-Florida and Missouri-Tennessee to provide a little drama. Possibly a substantial amount of drama depending on whether LSU can beat Florida in the makeup game that was postponed earlier in the season.
To save everyone a little time, we will predict only scores for the terribly mismatched games and provide a small prediction on the few games where the outcome remains in doubt prior to kickoff.
All Times Eastern | Utilizing College Football Playoff Rankings
SEC Football Predictions | Week 12 | November 19 2016
UL Lafayette (4-5) at Georgia (6-4, 4-4 SEC)
Noon ET | SEC Network
PREDICTION: Georgia 40, UL Lafayette 7
UTSA (5-5) at #25 Texas A&M (7-3, 4-3 SEC)
Noon ET | ESPNU
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 42, UTSA 21
#23 Florida (7-2, 5-2 SEC) at #16 LSU (6-3, 4-2 SEC)
1:00pm ET | SEC Network
Big game word of wisdom: We are finally going to get this game in. The most telling thing about this game is the dichotomy represented in the vast gulf that stands between the elite SEC West and the least SEC East. Florida can clinch the East with a win on the road in Baton Rouge. A loss and a three-loss Tennessee will be in the driver seat with full control on whether or not they will play in Atlanta.
LSU, on the other hand, has two conference losses and has been out of the SEC West race since losing to Alabama on November 5th. LSU would easily win the East and they will finish somewhere around third in the West at year’s end.
LSU is fighting for a Sugar Bowl berth and a win in this game will not only keep the team’s hopes and dreams of playing in New Orleans in the New Year alive, it will be keep Ed Orgeron’s dreams of removing the interim portion of the title LSU Head Coach.
LSU will eventually make enough plays on defense to set up a couple short rushing scores to win this heavyweight battle.
PREDICTION: LSU 24, Florida 13
Missouri (3-7, 1-5 SEC) at Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC)
3:30pm ET | CBS
Biggish game word of wisdom: The biggest challenge for the Tennessee coaching staff will be deciding how to approach the huge green gator in the room. Florida will be playing LSU at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, so the game should be at halftime or at least a few plays into the third quarter by the time the Vols kickoff against Missouri.
Actual game time won’t be the issue as much as pregame warmups and drills. If the team does not have singular focus at that point of the day, the entire game could become problematic.
The fact that this game is against Missouri and no one else in the SEC is great news for those traveling to Knoxville hoping to see the first of a two-game road trip to Atlanta. If Tennessee can do what is expected and beat Missouri, then the trip to Nashville on rivalry weekend to face Vanderbilt could be a fun one for Vols fans who thought the season was over after the still unforgivable loss to South Carolina.
Tennessee wins this one, but if the news that Florida has beaten LSU hits Knoxville during the game, hold onto your hats. The energy and air being sucked out of the stadium will be strong enough to ruffle even Butch Jones’ tightly cropped buzz.
PREDICTION: Tennessee 38, Missouri 20
Western Carolina (2-8) at South Carolina (5-5, 3-5 SEC)
4:00pm ET | SEC Network
PREDICTION: South Carolina 31, Western Carolina 7
Austin Peay (0-10) at Kentucky (5-5, 3-5 SEC)
4:30pm ET | SEC Network
PREDICTION: Kentucky 52, Austin Peay 6
Chattanooga (8-2) at Alabama (10-0, 7-0 SEC)
7:00pm ET | ESPN2
PREDICTION: Alabama 59, Chattanooga 0
Arkansas (6-4, 2-4 SEC) at Mississippi State (4-6, 2-4 SEC)
7:00pm ET | ESPNU
Quick word of wisdom: If Arkansas wins, they are bowl eligible. If they lose, they could finish last in the SEC West.
PREDICTION: Arkansas 26, Mississippi State 20
Alabama A&M (4-6) at #15 Auburn (7-3, 5-2 SEC)
7:30pm ET | SEC Network
PREDICTION: Auburn 55, Alabama A&M 7
Ole Miss (5-5, 2-4) at Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5 SEC)
8:00pm ET | SEC Network
Quick word of wisdom: Shea Patterson will impress the large Nashville chapter of Ole Miss alumni and have them salivating at the prospects of a great 2017 season.
PREDICTION: Ole Miss 31, Vanderbilt 17
Eric Taylor is a contributor to FBSchedules.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricFromSpfld or contact him via email at Eric–at– TaylorCreativeGroup–dot– net. Eric is also President and Founder of Taylor Creative Group. For more college football coverage from Eric, visit PuntOnThirdDown-dot-com for the POTD Blog and POTD Podcast. Be sure to Like the Facebook page Facebook.com/EricTaylorWritesStuff for the latest on the 2016 SEC Football Predictions and all POTD Blogs and Podcasts.