The SEC Landmine Games
The traps to watch out for
By
Pete Fiutak
Landmine Games For Every Team
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It's
next to impossible for a team to get
up for every game over the course of
the long season. It's easy to be
jazzed for the big rival or the top
five team, but college kids can't
remain focused enough to play razor
sharp for one game and then
maintain the same high level again the next week for the also-ran.
Below are
the very dangerous letdown games for
each team. These might be sandwich games, games a team and
the fans won't take seriously, the game after a big
rivalry, the game before a big game, or just a game that the
team just won't be stoked for and could turn into a painful
loss against a weaker opponent. If you find yourself
arguing that these games will be easy, you're jumping into the
same trap these teams might fall into. At the very least,
these could be tougher tests than your favorite team might
think. Sure, the team might win the game, but it might
be pushed very, very hard.
EAST
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Florida - Oct. 24 at Mississippi State
This is a landmine because ... Forget the letdown
aspect when it comes to the Gators; Tim Tebow and
Brandon Spikes aren't going to let their team take
it easy. However, if Florida is ever going to take a
breath, it'll likely be against the Bulldogs after
playing at LSU and against Arkansas and with the
showdown against Georgia coming the following week.
Of course, the other big problem could be the
opposing coaching staff. New MSU head man Dan Mullen
knows the former Florida offensive coordinator. He
knows Tebow and he knows the Gator offense.
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Georgia - Oct. 17 at Vanderbilt
This is a landmine because ... Georgia always has a
battle on its hands when it plays Vanderbilt, but
the team can be forgiven if it sees the trip to
Nashville as a bit of a break. How's this for a
start to the season? At Oklahoma State, South
Carolina, at Arkansas, Arizona State, LSU, and at
Tennessee. And then comes Vanderbilt. If that wasn't
enough of a reason for the the Dawgs to take a bit
of a mental break, then what comes next could
provide even more problems for their focus: Florida.
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Kentucky - Nov. 14 at
Vanderbilt
It would hardly be an upset if the Commodores beat
Kentucky, they'll likely be favored, and they'll be
helped by how the schedule plays out. UK's toughest
part of the schedule is at the beginning, and then
things lighten up with UL Monroe, Mississippi State,
and Eastern Kentucky. Can the Cats get their
intensity up for the Commodores after a relatively
easy three week stretch? Vandy will be coming off a
trip to Florida.
-
South Carolina - Sept. 19 vs.
Florida Atlantic
This is a landmine because ... It's the home opener,
but it'll still be an extremely annoying game for
the Gamecocks to prepare for. FAU has a great
quarterback in Rusty Smith, a ball-hawking
secondary, and enough athletes to pull off the
upset. And then there's the sandwich factor with USC
coming off road games at NC State and Georgia and
with Ole Miss coming up next.
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Tennessee - Nov. 7 vs. Memphis
This is a landmine because ... The Vols haven't had too
many problems with Memphis, but after coming up
empty late last year against Wyoming, will they have
a November letdown issue again? After playing at
Alabama and against South Carolina, and with a trip
to Ole Miss coming up next, it could be tough for
Lane Kiffin to fire his team up against a Memphis
team with a good enough offense to pull off the
upset.
-
Vanderbilt - Sept. 26 at Rice
This is a landmine because ... It's a different year
and the two teams are vastly different, but Rice put
up some decent numbers in last year's 38-21 loss.
The Commodore running game dominated, but will it
have the same success after playing at LSU and
against Ole Miss? Considering how hit or miss the
Commodore offense was last year, if Rice gets the
machine rolling like last year, when the attack
finished tenth in America in yards and eighth in
scoring, Vandy could be in trouble.
WEST
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Alabama
- Nov. 14 at Mississippi State
This is a landmine because ... If the Tide is ever
going to let up, it's likely going to be late in the
year after the game of the SEC West season against
LSU. After dealing with the Tigers, and with the
scrimmage against Chattanooga ahead, it could be
easy to assume the trip to Starkville will be a
layup. Of course, the Auburn game will be on the
radar, coming up two weeks later, and the fans will
already be buzzing about it (if they aren't
already).
-
Arkansas - Nov. 14 vs. Troy
This is a landmine because ... Troy should be the best
team in the Sun Belt and has the defense that could
give Arkansas a run. Most of the key parts are back
from a Trojan team that came within a hair of
beating LSU in Death Valley last year, and no one's
going to be fazed by playing an SEC team on the
road. The Hogs will have been home for a few weeks,
and have Mississippi State the week after. They
might be comfortable, too comfortable, playing the
easiest part of the schedule.
-
Auburn - Sept. 5 vs. Louisiana
Tech
This is a landmine because ... Louisiana Tech played an
SEC team, Mississippi State, to start last year, and
came away with a 22-14 win. This
year's Bulldog team, the Tech version, is better and
more dangerous, while Auburn will be trying to find
its legs with a new coaching staff that's attempting
to put in new styles and systems in the season
opener. Tech should be more polished, far more, and
will be looking for a trophy win, which could be a
problem considering the Tigers have Mississippi
State and West Virginia to look ahead to.
-
LSU - Nov. 14 vs. Louisiana Tech
This is a landmine because ... Last year, in the midst
of the SEC season, LSU almost lost to Troy at home,
needing a fourth quarter rally to pull off the win,
and then lost to Ole Miss and Arkansas to close out
a rough November. Could there be similar problems
late this year? The Tigers will be coming off the
biggest game of the SEC West season at Alabama, and
has what could be just as big a game at Ole Miss the
week after. Tech will have had eight days off after
facing Boise State at home.
-
Ole Miss - Sept. 26 at South
Carolina
This is a landmine because ... All of the buzz, all of
the hype, and all the big expectations for Ole Miss
could go kaput right off the bat in a
tougher-than-it-appears start to the SEC season. The
Rebels start out the year at South Carolina and at
Vanderbilt, with the date in Columbia likely to be a
beartrap. There's no chance for Ole Miss to sneak up
on anyone now, and South Carolina will be treating
this game like its season depends on it, because if
might. The Gamecocks will have already played
Georgia in Athens, and with a trip to Alabama coming
up a few weeks after, they can't afford a home loss.
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Mississippi
State - Oct. 17 at Middle Tennessee
This is a landmine because ... MSU could be desperate
for a win after going to Auburn and Vanderbilt and
facing LSU, Georgia Tech, and a high-powered Houston
at home. And then there's the lookahead factor with
Florida up next. Middle Tennessee has just enough
athleticism on offense, and a potentially solid
defense, at least by Sun Belt standards, to pull off
the upset. It's not like the Blue Raiders will be
worried about playing a BCS team after beating
Maryland last year and coming within a hair of
beating Kentucky.
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