2011 SEC Football Week 1 Preview

#20 Mississippi State at Memphis

Thursday - 8:00pm - No TV

Memphis is coming off a disastrous season where they won only one game. Mississippi State is coming of a nine-win year, including a shellacking of Michigan in the Gator Bowl. I'm coming off a 160-pound pig and pick party last Saturday. I'd say everyone is going to be fat and happy for the next week or so. Well, except for Memphis.

Mississippi State 35 - Memphis 7

Kentucky vs. W. Kentucky (At Nashville)

Thursday - 9:15pm - ESPNU

Let me get this straight, Kentucky is playing Western Kentucky in Nashville. In my best Col. Jessup voice here, "I'm an educated man, but I'm afraid I cannot speak intelligently on the travel habits of the Kentucky Wildcats or the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers."

Nashville? Are all the other stadiums in the state booked for the Porter Waggoner remembrance tour? Well, if they play in Nashville, Lexington, or in Porter Waggoner's back yard, I think the Cats win this one for the great state of.um.Kentucky, I think.

Kentucky 43 - Western Kentucky 21

Utah State at #23 Auburn

Saturday - 12:00pm - ESPN 2

The defending national champs get back to work as they host the Aggies from Utah State. The Tigers, or Cubs, as they will look like on Saturday, will be playing a ton of freshmen in this one, but it won't matter. Auburn rolls.

Auburn 56 - Utah State 7

Kent State at #2 Alabama

Saturday 12:20 - SEC Network

"Hello, I'm Greg Marmalard, president of Omega House. And there you are.ah.Kent!" Yes, I am afraid the Golden Flashes will look a lot like Kent Dorfman before his first fraternity party. Too bad Bluto won't be around to offer them a beer. It won't cost nothin'.

Alabama 38 - Kent State 10

BYU and Ole Miss

Saturday - 4:45pm - ESPN

Last year, Ole Miss was ready to breakthrough and challenge for the SEC West crown. Too bad they forgot to tell that to Jacksonville State. After that loss, the Rebs were never the same. I think they have learned their lesson.

Ole Miss 21 - BYU 17

Montana at Tennessee

Saturday - 6:00pm - Gameplan

The last time Tennessee played a team from the Rockies, they were knocked on their coonskin caps as Wyoming came in and made saying good bye to Coach Fulmer much easier. With the Big Orange STARTING 14 freshmen and sophomores, and a thin defensive line and limited depth, this one might be a little closer than many think.

Tennessee 28 - Montana 20

Missouri State at #15 Arkansas

Saturday - 7:00pm - Gameplan

This might be the best team in years at Arkansas, and that means trouble for the Bears. Missouri State has a pretty good offense, but their defense has more holes than Sonny Coreleone at the Causeway. With a powerhouse building in Fayetteville, that's a bad combination.

Arkansas 42 - Missouri State 14

FAU at #22 Florida

Saturday - 7:00pm - ESPNU

The Will Muschamp era begins in Gainesville and who better to open up with than their neighbors from down the road in Boca. The Gators now have "The Big Boy" Charlie Weis running their offense, as well as the post-game buffet table. John Brantley better have seconds on the playbook, or it might be another long year in the Swamp. Not this week however. By the way, good to see Charlie has slimmed down from last year. (right)

Florida 34 - Florida Atlantic 3

ECU vs #12 USC (At Charlotte)

Saturday - 7:00pm - Gameplan

Was South Carolina's 2010 Cinderella season a fluke? We will see early this year as East Carolina provides a nice challenge. The Pirates were a machine on offense last year as QB Dominique Davis threw for almost 4,000yarads and 37 touchdowns. The Defense is another story however and the Cocks should feast on that matchup. I see a close game, and it could go down to the wire. Look for Spurrier to find a way to win it at the end.

South Carolina 24 - East Carolina 20

Elon at Vanderbilt

Saturday - 7:30pm - Gameplan

Wake me when this one is over.

Vanderbilt 27 - Elon 7

#5 Boise State vs #19 UGA (At Atlanta)

Saturday - 8:00pm - ESPN

Now we get down to business as one of the headline games of the SEC kicks off in Atlanta as Boise State plays Georgia. It wasn't much of a matchup the last time these two teams played, but this time, Boise has all the confidence in the world, as well as senior QB Kellen Moore. Moore was at the helm when they upset Virginia Tech last fall and that should raise a few eyebrows.

Georgia is a team looking for the confidence Boise has. The last two years have been a travesty by UGA standards, and not scoring a touchdown in the loss to UCF in last year's Liberty Bowl had to give the Bulldog Nation a case of the red ass.

Two teams at the crossroads. One looking to keep national respect, the other looking to get national respect. If the game were played anywhere else except the state of Georgia, I would give it Boise. But it's in Atlanta, and coupled with those god-awful Bulldog uniforms, it might be enough to distract the Broncos just enough for the Dawgs to sneak out of the Dome with the victory.

Georgia 28 - Boise State 24

#3 Oregon vs. #5 LSU (At Arlington)

Saturday - 8:00pm - ESPN

C'mon, Tigers. You have the whole SEC counting on you, and you let your knucklehead players get involved in a brawl, which jeopardizes their availability for the game. Don't let those silly uniforms or the sweet, cute, cuddle mascot fool ya, you will be playing big boy football in Jerry's Palace on Saturday night.

LSU is talented, but so is Oregon. The Tigers have a great defense, and so do the Ducks. LSU will have an advantage on defense as Oregon returns only two starters from last year. However the purple and gold have a new offense, a new offensive coordinator (Steve Kragthorpe resigned due to health reasons) and a backup QB if Jordan Jefferson cannot play. As Donald Duck would say, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!"

If the Tigers were at full strength, and given the fact they looked so good the last time they were in Arlington, I would bet Gavin Grey's Restaurant (Known affectionately as the Grey Ghost Inn) that the Tigers would roll in this one.

However, Oregon returns Darron Thomas and LaMichael James, who can score from anywhere, at anytime. The Ducks also have an SEC chip on their shoulders from last year's loss to Auburn, and I have a feeling that combination will make this one uglier than any of the 762 uniform combinations you will see from the boys in Eugene.

Oregon 35 - LSU 20

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