Tuesday, November 30, 2010

SEC Football Blogger

SEC Championship Game, South Carolina vs. Alabama Prediction Pick 2010

Posted: 30 Nov 2010 03:37 PM PST

SEC Championship Game, South Carolina vs. Alabama Prediction Pick 2010

This is it. Two teams one step away from uncharted heights. South Carolina is on the doorstep of being the team to beat in the SEC East and a potential National Championship contender for 2011. Auburn? They need not worry about tomorrow, because a win on Saturday Night and they dance all the way to Glendale.

And the question here is simple. Does South Carolina have more than a punchers chance? Yes and no. If you’re confused, I’ll explain.

Teams with special receivers have been a problem for Auburn to stop all year. Julio Jones had a line of 10 catches for 199 yards and a score, A.J. Green went for 9 for 162 and 2 scores, Randall Cobb had 7 catches for 68 yards and a score to go with 47 yards and 2 scores on the ground. Obviously, none of these teams ended up w9inning, but they were the ones who gave Auburn three of their biggest scares.

And when you go back and remember that Alshon Jeffrey went of for 8 catches for 192 yards and 2 scores in South Carolina’s near miss? That right there is a definite point in the favor of the South Carolina upset. Auburn’s secondary is so beat up right now that even Connor Shaw may not be a deathblow in regards to that point either.

Next point? I know I was one to give up on South Carolina’s defense after they got gashed by young gun Tyler Bray and Arkansas’s inherent Petrinoness. But their front seven has been killing people in recent weeks. At the very least, it killed any legitimate claim to having Steve Addazio as a major college offensive coordinator.

And when you take into account the propensity for South Carolina to generate a turnover, and/or a stop or three inside the 20? Suffice it to say that the Gamecocks may not get blown out of the water in regards to the offensive game.

Or will they? Lost amidst the throwing game beat down of the Auburn secondary is the fact that teams with good to great running backs never really got untracked. Marcus Lattimore is a great back, but lost in the afterglow of beating their rival in the face was the fact that Lattimore went for only 48 yards on 23 carries.

If you’re thinking about how that’s similar to a game in September where he went for 14 carries for 33 yards? You’re right. And if you remember that was against Auburn? You’re smart. Gold star for the day and whatnot.

All in all, I think the question comes down to whether or not you think South Carolina can get to 35-40 points. Auburn’s not a team that will let bad news roll downhill. And while they’re not a turnover generating machine? You’re either looking at a true freshman or a quarterback with a propensity for the turnover.

It’s going to be closer than the final wound indicate. But I don’t believe in a cinderella story here. Auburn 36, South Carolina 21.