Beat the Anglin Book, Week 8

Hopefully things go a little better this week. We start with the SEC games:

Tulane (+32) at #8 Auburn
I’m not going to take the time to look it up, but I’m going to go ahead and guess that Tulane is the sacrificial lamb for this year’s homecoming in the Loveliest Village. I would take a jab at the Tigers for such lame OOC scheduling, but I guess I’ve no room to talk when Georgia’s festivities were spoiled by a member of the SEC’s supposed “underclass.” This should get ugly quick.
Auburn - 45, Tulane - 10

Fresno State (+31.5) at #14 Louisiana State
Boy did this ever look like a possible Gameday destination early in the year. Now, not so much. Pat Hill’s Bulldogs have lost 9 of their last 10 ballgames, and though they’ve recently hung with the likes of USC and Oregon, they’ve also fallen to Utah State and Hawaii in consecutive weeks. And LSU likes to cover, usually.
LSU - 38, Fresno State - 14

South Carolina (-3) at Vanderbilt
The Commodores finally break through against a ranked conference opponent, and then they have to turn right back around and face a South Carolina team coming off a bye week. The Gamecocks desperately need this one as far as bowl eligibility goes, as they still have yet to face Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, or Clemson. A small hangover for the ‘Dores, combined with an extra week of rest, gets USC over .500 in the SEC.
South Carolina - 24, Vanderbilt - 17



Ole Miss (+16.5) at #15 Arkansas
The Razorbacks have probably shaken off any remnants of a hangover from the Auburn win after blasting Southeast Missouri State by 56 over the weekend. The Rebels, meanwhile, hung tough against a member of the SEC’s “big six” for the second time in three weeks, but again came up just a little short. If the conference has a “big eight” this year, Arkansas is in it, and they take care of the Rebels, no problem.
Arkansas - 24, Ole Miss 10

Alabama (+11) at #7 Tennessee
The Vols enjoyed a well-deserved week off after hanging half a hundred on Georgia, while the Crimson Tide struggled to get past Ole Miss. Needless to say, this Tennessee team is a bit different from the one who managed only a field goal in Tuscaloosa a year ago. Bama can move the chains a little better with Hoover’s own John Parker Wilson under center, but they simply won’t be able to keep up. As Lee Corso said a couple weeks ago, “Tennessee. Huge.”
Tennessee - 27, Alabama - 7

North Carolina (+6) at Virginia
I don’t think this is what the ACC and ESPN had in mind when they scheduled this week’s Thursday night game. The Tar Heels’ lone win came against Furman, in a game where they gave up 42 points to the pride of the Southern Conference. Virginia has lost to Western Michigan and East Carolina, but at least they shut out Duke, so I guess the Cavaliers win one of the least interesting Thursday games in recent memory.
Virginia - 13, North Carolina - 10



#5 Texas (-6.5) at #17 Nebraska
Bill Callahan looks for the first signature win of his so far less than spectacular tenure in Lincoln, while the Longhorns hope to continue clinging to any hope they have of climbing back into the national championship race. Texas’ biggest weakness on defense is in the secondary, so the Huskers’ best chance is to hope Zac Taylor gets lucky on a few deep balls. But Southern Cal had no trouble shutting down this Nebraska offense earlier in the year, so neither should Texas here.
Texas - 21, Nebraska - 13

#22 Boston College (+6.5) at Florida State
The most exciting thing about this game will probably be the stunned faces throughout the crowd when the Noles take the field in what, by all indications, will surely be putrid black uniforms. I hope the unis alone are enough to honor the local Seminole tribe, because the performance by this offense will do nothing of the sort.
Boston College - 17, Florida State - 13

#13 Georgia Tech (+7.5) at #12 Clemson
In this bizarre season of Atlantic Coast Conference football, maybe it’s fitting that these two programs will meet in the league’s game of the year in Death Valley. The traditionally strong programs (FSU, Miami, Virginia Tech) appear to be down this year, while the schools in the league’s bottom half who are known to make a run every so often (UNC, Maryland, etc.) are especially bad, who better than Georgia Tech and Clemson, two teams who have lately turned being mediocre into a science, to take advantage of a conference that has become the definition of mediocrity? These teams are better than average, though, and if history is any indication, this will be a barnburner.
Clemson - 27, Georgia Tech - 24



St. Pius X at Southwest DeKalb
You think Paul Standard is happy with his choice to stay in Atlanta yet? While BC is celebrating moral victories over top five teams in AAA, Standard’s Golden Lions can move into the AJC’s AAAA top five with a win at Southwest DeKalb. But that’s easier said than done, as the Panthers are unbeaten and ranked No. 5 in the state. I’ll take St. Pius on the road, because Southwest DeKalb has flirted with disaster for consecutive weeks against Tucker and Washington.
St.Pius - 20, Southwest DeKalb - 17

Lowndes at Valdosta
It’s been a strange year in Winnersville, as the Vikings and Wildcats have racked up a cumulative 5-8 record. At 1-1 in the region, Lowndes still has a lot to play for, while the 1-6 (0-3) Wildcats are left to play the unfamiliar role of spoiler versus their arch-rivals. In most places, knocking off a team like Lowndes when you’re struggling is enough to quiet some of your critics. Unfortunately for Rick Tomberlin, Valdosta is not most places.
Lowndes - 10, Valdosta - 7

Spartanburg at Dorman
With Gaffney and Byrnes, one of the best teams in the country, dominating the region this year, these two storied rivals likely don’t find themselves playing for a region title this year. That shouldn’t deter the people of Spartanburg, who will shut down the town come 7:30 on Friday night, with “Closed“ signs on the doors at Wade’s, the Beacon, and Church’s Chicken . The Rams have a bye this week, so former Spartanburg star Stephen Davis may make an appearance. I’ll take Dorman, who seem to have the better scoring defense.
Dorman - 31, Spartanburg - 24



Mississippi State (+16.5) at Georgia
Though there are obviously no gimme games for Georgia right now, there probably isn’t a much better team to right your ship against than Mississippi State, a team that has been shut out twice and lost to Tulane at home. They also managed to lose their only viable option at quarterback two weeks ago when Omarr Connor went down. The defense is pretty good, though, and they’ll hold Georgia down for a little while. But let’s be honest. If Georgia doesn’t win this one going away, you should be even more worried than you were immediately after Vandy kicked that field goal.
Georgia - 27, Mississippi State - 10