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Georgia Tech (8-3) at Georgia
(9-2),
12:00 EST, CBS
Why to watch: When Paul
Johnson was hired by Georgia
Tech almost a year ago, he knew
that beating Georgia was on the
top of his to-do list. The
Yellow Jackets have lost seven
in-a-row to the Bulldogs, moving
further and further behind their
in-state rival, a gap Johnson in
charge of narrowing. Tech is
coming off an impressive win
over Miami last Thursday, and is
in the ACC Coastal clubhouse
with a 5-3 mark. To win the
division, however, it’ll need
Virginia to upset Virginia Tech
on Saturday afternoon. The
Bulldogs must get to 10 wins in
order to keep their fading
at-large BCS bowl hopes alive.
With Florida and Alabama on
target to gobble up those two
SEC openings, however, a far
more likely scenario has them
playing in the Capital One Bowl
against a Big Ten opponent.
Why Georgia Tech might win:
The Yellow Jackets are going to
enjoy a considerable advantage
at the point of attack when
Georgia has the ball. While the
Dawgs have been scrambling with
injuries on the offensive line,
Tech has been rock solid in the
trenches with ends Michael
Johnson and Derrick Morgan, and
tackles Vance Walker and Darryl
Richard. The team ranks in the
top 20 nationally in sacks,
total defense, and scoring
defense, presenting a major
challenge to the balanced
Georgia offense. Johnson’s
option has begun to purr,
racking up almost 1,100 yards in
the last three games with
Florida State, North Carolina,
and Miami.
Why Georgia might win:
With a much-needed week of rest
behind them, the Dawgs have the
speed and discipline on defense
to slow down the option and
force Tech QB Josh Nesbitt into
more passing situations. Georgia
is No. 15 nationally against the
run, and its problems pressuring
the quarterback and defending
the pass won’t get exposed this
weekend. As tough as the Yellow
Jackets can be on defense,
they’ve yet to face an offense
with as much skill position
talent as Georgia. The
combination of QB Matt Stafford,
RB Knowshon Moreno, and WR A.J.
Green is like nothing they see
on a week-to-week basis in the
ACC.
Who to watch: With
Georgia Tech content to pound it
on the ground 50 or so times,
this is the type of game
designed for Georgia LB Rennie
Curran. In just his second
season of action, he’s having an
All-American-type year, leading
the Dawgs with 98 tackles, nine
tackles for loss, and three
sacks. He’s got the speed and
instinct to be in on a ton of
plays, while keeping Jacket
B-back Jonathan Dwyer from
getting through the hole and
busting past the second line of
defense.
What will happen: Georgia
Tech is fired up for this game.
If Georgia can’t match that
intensity for four quarters, the
winning streak will be over.
While Johnson has narrowed the
gap, as directed, his Yellow
Jackets won’t be quite ready to
win a game in Athens. They’ll
fall in a thriller on a fourth
quarter drive directed by
Stafford and capped by Moreno.
CFN Prediction: Georgia
28 … Georgia Tech 24 ...
Line: Georgia -8.5
Must See Rating: (5
Football while eating
Thanksgiving food – 1
Home movies after dinner) … 4
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Florida (10-1) at Florida State
(8-3),
3:30 EST, ABC
Why to watch: As if this
storied rivalry needs any more
juice, the Gators are one of
just five teams with a
legitimate shot at a national
crown and the ‘Noles are in the
hunt for the ACC title and their
first 10-win season since 2003.
Florida may be No. 4 in the
latest BCS rankings, but after
seven straight wins by at least
28 points, it’s recognized in
many circles as the hottest and
most talented team in the
country. With wins over Florida
State and Alabama, the Gators
would likely be the top seed in
the BCS Championship Game. The
Seminoles are coming off a
statement blowout at Maryland
one week after laying an egg in
a critical home loss to Boston
College. They’ve got a half-game
lead in the Atlantic Division,
but need the Eagles to lose
Saturday afternoon in order to
play in the ACC championship
game. Florida State has lost the
last four to Florida, so a win
here would send a national
statement that the program is on
the verge of turning the corner.
Why Florida might win:
While Tim Tebow and the offense
have deservedly grabbed most of
the headlines, the Gator D has
been the unsung hero during the
seven-game winning streak. A
young group a year ago, it’s
gelled around LB Brandon Spikes
and an athletic secondary to
rank in the top 10 in total
defense, scoring defense, and
turnover margin. Florida has
allowed more than 21 points just
once all season and is giving up
102 yards a game on the ground.
If they can slow down Antone
Smith and the Florida State
running game, it’ll be up to
erratic QB Christian Ponder to
keep pace with the high-scoring
Gator offense. If he’s forced to
do too much, Ahmad Black, Joe
Haden, and the rest of the
defensive backs will make him
pay.
Why Florida State might win:
Although no one looks capable of
stopping the Florida
offense these days, the
Seminoles do have the talent and
speed to slow it down. They’re
No. 7 nationally in total
defense and have notched six
sacks in three of the last five
games. The catalyst up front has
been DE Everette Brown, who’s
second in the country in sacks
and is coming off a dominant
effort in College Park. With
burners like Percy Harvin, Chris
Rainey, and Jeff Demps, the
Gators are as fast as any team
in the country, but Florida
State is one of those rare teams
capable of stringing out plays
and limiting the damage. Gator
defensive tackles Matt Patchan
and Lawrence Marsh might both
miss this game with knee
injuries, which would provide a
big boost to the ‘Nole running
game.
Who to watch: While
Tebow’s numbers may be down from
last year’s Heisman season, in
many ways, he’s become a more
effective quarterback as a
junior. Rather than being the
focal point of the attack, he’s
got enough talent around him to
be a distributor that gets
everyone involved. He’s only
rushed for 427 yards, but he’s
No. 5 nationally in passing
efficiency and has been picked
just twice all year. Two more
crisp efforts in front of
national audiences could
position him for a second
Heisman win.
What will happen: Fueled
by the home crowd, Florida State
will get off to a fast start.
It’ll struggle, however, to
maintain that level of intensity
for four quarters. Eventually,
Harvin or Rainey will zip
through a seam in the defense to
quiet the crowd and end the
threat of an upset. The Gators
will build some space in the
second half and start looking
ahead to Alabama at some point
in the final quarter.
CFN Prediction: Florida
39 … Florida State 21 ...
Line: Florida -15.5
Must See Rating: (5
Football while eating
Thanksgiving food – 1
Home movies after dinner) … 4
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Kentucky (6-5) at Tennessee
(4-7),
6:30 EST ESPN2
Why to watch: The end of
the Phil Fulmer era isn’t going
so softly. His Volunteers showed
up last week, at least on
defense, to beat Vanderbilt to
keep the record from being too
ugly. Finishing 5-7 and on a
two-game winning streak would
look a lot better at this point
than 4-8, but first Tennessee
has to get by a Kentucky team
looking for bowl positioning. It
would love to go to the Chick-fil-A
Bowl but it’s most likely headed
towards either the Music City or
Liberty. The Wildcats have lost
three of their last four games,
and five of their last seven,
but this supposed rebuilding
season has been a tremendous
success. Beating Tennessee would
take on an even bigger
significance than just ending
the Fulmer run on a down note.
UK hasn’t beaten the Vols since
1984, a span of 23 games, and
has lost 28 of the last 30.
Why Kentucky might win:
4-of-9, 21 yards, two
interceptions. That’s what the
Tennessee quarterbacks came up
with for the passing game last
week in the win over Vanderbilt.
B.J. Coleman is a runner, and he
helped jump-start the Tennessee
attack, but the passing game
continues to be a liability and
the offense, as a whole, has
been a disaster, averaging an
SEC-worst 265 yards per game.
Kentucky’s defense is just good
enough to keep the Vols under
the 20 point mark.
Why Tennessee might win:
It’s not like Kentucky can
throw. Randall Cobb is a
tremendous athlete and a
dangerous all-around playmaker,
but he’s a wide receiver playing
quarterback. He’s doing what he
can to lead a formally lousy
offense, but he’s just not a
consistent passer. The Tennessee
defense can’t be blamed for this
year’s slide; it’s been
fantastic, allowing a mere 270
yards and 17.4 points per game.
There should be just enough of a
push from the defensive front to
keep Cobb from getting his legs
moving and the UK running game
rolling.
Who to watch: Tennessee
safety Eric Berry is special.
The true sophomore is a Thorpe
Award finalist with seven
interceptions, taking two back
for scores, 67 tackles, and
three sacks. His 45-yard pick
six sealed the win over
Vanderbilt, and with the
interception he’s been on a host
streak with five in his last
seven games. Kentucky wouldn’t
be going bowling without Cobb
saving the season, but the true
freshman throws picks at bad
times, with four in the last
three games. He’ll have to watch
out for Berry on every play.
What will happen: This is
Tennessee’s bowl game. Don’t
dismiss that it’s also the final
game for a slew of Vol seniors
who aren’t going to want to
leave Knoxville on a down note
for themselves, or for Fulmer.
CFN Prediction: Tennessee
23 … Kentucky 17 ... Line:
Tennessee -4.5
Must See Rating: (5
Football while eating
Thanksgiving food – 1
Home movies after dinner) …
2.5
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Vanderbilt (6-5) at Wake Forest
(6-5),
7:00 EST, ESPNU
Why to watch: A couple of
schools with such high hopes at
the mid-point of the season are
stumbling to the end of the
regular season. A popular choice
to win the ACC Atlantic, if not
the entire conference, Wake
Forest has lost four of its last
six games, failing to close out
the tight ones. While the Demon
Deacons have the necessary six
wins to be bowl eligible, they
need this game to assure
themselves a third consecutive
bowl invitation. Vanderbilt has
been even worse in the second
half, dropping five of its last
six games. It’s a good thing the
SEC will only have eight
programs qualify for the
postseason, or else the
Commodores’ bowl drought might
have extended into 2009. Both
schools will be looking to crank
up struggling offenses and pick
up some much-needed momentum
heading into December.
Why Vanderbilt might win:
Throughout this rough patch in
the second half of the season,
the Commodores’ defense has
rarely buckled, allowing more
than 24 points just once to
Florida. They’ve got a
top-flight secondary and the
SEC’s premier sack unit, which
is a particular concern of Wake
Forest. The Demon Deacons have
struggled all year to protect
Riley Skinner, yielding more
than sacks than all but one ACC
team. Vandy can bring pressure
from every level of the defense,
and defensive backs D.J. Moore,
Myron Lewis, Ryan Hamilton, and
Reshard Langford have the hands
of receivers when the ball is in
the air.
Why Wake Forest might win:
The Vanderbilt offense has gone
from bad to worse as the season
has progressed. The ‘Dores are
117th nationally in
total offense, and have been
held to 14 or fewer points in
six of the last seven games.
They’ve had a revolving door at
quarterback involving Mackenzi
Adams and Chris Nickson, neither
of whom has played with much
consistency. Vandy will match up
poorly with a Deacon D that not
only limits big plays, but also
leads the nation in turnovers
gained. With LB Aaron Curry and
CB Alphonso Smith prowling the
field, the Wake defense will
have a chance to outscore the
Vanderbilt offense.
Who to watch: If you’re
going to beat the Vanderbilt
defense, it’ll likely be on the
ground. They’ve had some
problems in run defense, most
recently against Tennessee and
Florida, which creates an
opportunity for Wake Forest
backs Brandon Pendergrass and
Josh Adams. Adams hasn’t been
completely healthy in a while,
which has allowed Pendergrass to
take over the team lead in
rushing. He’ll need to soften
the interior of the Commodore
defense, so Skinner can make a
few connections in play-action.
What will happen: The
first team to 20 will pick up
win No. 7. That team will be
Wake Forest, which will get past
Vanderbilt on a defensive
touchdown and three field goals
from Sam Swank, the All-American
who made his long-awaited return
from injury a week ago.
CFN Prediction: Wake
Forest 23 … Vanderbilt 16 ...
Line: Wake Forest -4
Must See Rating: (5
Football while eating
Thanksgiving food – 1
Home movies after dinner) … 3
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Consultants FREE selections
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SEC Week
14 Predictions, Nov. 29, Part 1 |