SEC Football Predictions Week 13 Part 2

#1 Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC) at #6 Auburn(9-2, 6-1 SEC) 
3:30 PM ET | CBS

• Senior punter JK Scott’s 38 punts have been returned for a total of five yards in 2017. Scott averages 37.19 yards per punt in road games versus a 47.41 average at home. It’s little things like punting that can become a huge factor in games of this magnitude.
• Auburn, when not kicking the ball deep enough for a touchback, gives its opponents ample opportunity to flip field position with a good return. Arkansas returned one kickoff in their loss to Auburn for a 100-yard touchdown. LSU receiver DJ Chark’s 75-yard punt return for a touchdown threw whatever ounce of momentum hadn’t already flooded over to LSU’s sideline.
• This match-up has been predicted so many times that the actual game itself will never live up to the hype that these 50 people (plus me) have built up this 82nd Iron Bowl.
• According to a report or two out of Tuscaloosa, injured outside linebacker Christian Miller will start tomorrow’s game. Miller suffered a bicep injury in the opener against Florida State. Linebackers Terrell Lewis and Mack Wilson are also expected to return, but the extent of their availability remains unknown. Whatever the availability, the decimated Alabama defense appears to be back to “almost good again” status.
  PREDICTION: Alabama 24, Auburn 19

Vanderbilt (4-7, 0-7 SEC) at Tennessee (4-6, 0-6 SEC) 
4:00 PM ET | SEC Network

• Ben Folds wrote a song over 20 years ago called Battle Of Who Could Care Less. It may have been a song foretelling the 2017 Vanderbilt-Tennessee game. A combined conference record of 0-14 that would be worse, but each team has only been allowed to play seven conference games a piece. This battle of who could care less will be interesting, if nothing else. Which team will do what it takes to finish a perfect 0-8? Vanderbilt has much more experience in games with similar stakes and that experience will make all the difference.
• Vanderbilt ranks 12th in the SEC in scoring with 23.9 points per game, but Tennessee ranks 14th with 19.5 points per game.
  PREDICTION: Tennessee 17, Vanderbilt 13

#3 Clemson (10-1) at #24 South Carolina (8-3, 5-3 SEC) 
7:30 PM ET | ESPN

• South Carolina plays mistake free football and will be required to do so to pull off the upset on Saturday night in Columbia. Not only do the Gamecocks play mistake free, they force turnovers. Carolina has forced at least a fumble or interception in every 10 of their 11 games. Tennessee was the only team not to give the ball to Carolina in the Gamecocks 15-9 win.
• Clemson has not been unbeatable in 2017, as proven by the mid-season loss to Syracuse. Junior quarterback Kelly Bryant has been pedestrian since being injured going into the Syracuse game. Defense is the calling card for the Tigers and this will be the difference in the end.
  PREDICTION: Clemson 30, South Carolina 24 OT

Texas A&M (7-4, 4-3 SEC) at #18 LSU (8-3, 5-2 SEC)
7:00 PM ET | ESPN

• I didn’t forget to predict a game this week. That’s important.
• An LSU win and an Auburn loss would give the Bengal Tigers a second place finish in the SEC West. That’s a far cry from just a few weeks ago when we all had buried this team under Tiger Stadium following an upset loss to Troy.
• Kevin Sumlin appears to be on his way out of College Station following a frustrating year that was never allowed to be successful no matter what good that occurred after the Week 1 choke at UCLA. Sumlin hasn’t always has the most consistent seasons in College Station, but he deserved much better than the circus act from some of the clowns on the Board of Regents.
• The Tigers will win their ninth game and earn their way to one of its better bowl games since 2011.
  PREDICTION: LSU 31, Texas A&M 20

Eric Taylor is a contributor to FBSchedules.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricFromSpfld or contact him via email at EricFromSpringfield–at– gmail–dot– com. Eric sprinkles his talents across the property & casualty insurance sector and the comedy writing world. Luckily, he makes his living doing insurance,  Be sure to check out EricFromSpringfield.com and Like the Facebook page Facebook.com/EricTaylorWritesStuff  for updates on other stuff Eric may be writing or doing.