Thank goodness Florida is off this week so yours truly won't fall into the trap of thinking The Swamp is still a difficult place to play.
The Gators have made up 50 percent of my losses the past two weeks, but they may not be picked again this year. Not against Vanderbilt (in Nashville, Tenn.) or even Eastern Kentucky.
No matter what happens the rest of the season, Will Muschamp should have stayed a head coach in waiting, which he was at Texas, for two or three more years.
I went 4-2 last week to bring the season record to 54-13.
Now for this week's picks:
UAB AT ARKANSAS
This has some markings of a trap game if the Razorbacks don't snap out of the hangover of losing two SEC games they should have won (Texas A&M and Alabama). The Blazers are well-coached, have a balanced offense and will play with reckless abandon because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Arkansas cannot win if it continues to turn over the ball and have brain-freeze penalties. Still, the Hogs are bigger and better, and it is homecoming. This one ends with both teams being 4-4 overall. Arkansas, 35-27
ALABAMA AT TENNESSEE
The Vols have a pretty good defense, but the question is which Crimson Tide will it need to stop -- the one that was awful against Arkansas, or the one that embarrassed Texas A&M. Against the Aggies, the Tide had 602 yards of offense and won 59-0. The last time the Aggies had been shutout was 77-0 by Oklahoma. Alabama quarterback Blake Sims passed for 268 yards, ran for 54 and sat out the last quarter. The Vols will have to make it a high-scoring game to have any chance. Layla Kiffin's real or fake tweets don't matter. Alabama, 35-17
SOUTH CAROLINA AT AUBURN
It might have helped if the Battle of the Visors -- Steve Spurrier and Gus Malzahn prefer wearing those to caps -- were played in Colombia S.C., but probably not much. Auburn was off last week after losing at Mississippi State, so it should be over the melancholy and ready to stay on course for its showdown with Alabama in what could be an elimination game for the College Football Playoffs. Auburn, 42-21
MISS. STATE AT KENTUCKY
This is the first road trip for the Bulldogs since becoming No. 1, and in the past 20 years eight teams have gone on the road after being voted No. 1 and five have lost. The Bulldogs proved their road mettle when they beat LSU at night in Baton Rouge. There is no comparing the hostility of a night game in Death Valley to a Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Ky., but the Wildcats' defense Kentucky a shot at an upset. Expect the Wildcats to key on Dak Prescott, the cog in the Bulldogs' offensive wheel. Mississippi State, 27-17
OLE MISS AT LSU
The Rebels can make a huge statement. Arch-rival MSU, which probably stole the Rebs' chances at being No. 1 for now, won here at night, as mentioned earlier, so Ole Miss must do the same. The Tigers looked much better last week in their victory over Kentucky after having to kick a last-second 50-yard field goal to beat a bad Florida team. This is a defensive showdown, and the Rebels get the edge there as well as on offense. Bo Wallace must throw only to Ole Miss players, though. Ole Miss, 24-20
VANDERBILT AT MISSOURI
Quarterback Maty Mauk cannot play bad enough for the Tigers to lose this game. When the sophomore jinx jumps on his back, Missouri loses. The Tigers defense needs more depth, but this is Vanderbilt, which is showing the world why James Franklin never considered staying. Missouri, 42-14
Sports on 10/24/2014