It’s pretty clear that the No. 2 LSU Tigers are national title contenders. The question this week is whether or not No. 16 West Virginia throws its name into the hat, too. A road win over Maryland was impressive for the Mountaineers but beating LSU this week, even at home, would mean much more.
Kentucky doesn’t like the Florida Gators (though it is fair to say that none of the programs in the enmity-filled SEC East do) and is coming off a tough loss to in-state rival Louisville, 24-17. It is certain that the home-side Wildcats will throw everything and the kitchen sink at the Gators this Saturday night in Lexington.
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia SC
Saturday, Sept. 24, 7:00 pm EST
NCAA Odds from Bodog.com:
MoneyLine: OFF
Spread: Vanderbilt +15.5, South Carolina -15.5
Over/Under: OFF
It is downright bizarre to see a Week 4 battle of two SEC unbeaten teams, where one of the participants is the Vanderbilt Commodores. But that’s exactly what’s happened thus far for Vandy, which procured two nice wins so far versus Connecticut and Ole Miss. The Cinderella story may be ending this Saturday in the Palmetto State, however.
Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks haven’t been winning games in an overly convincing fashion, in fact Carolina have been grinding it out against the likes of East Carolina (56-37 win), Georgia (45-42 win) and Navy (24-21 win). With as good as the Commodores looked last week versus Ole Miss, you can’t even predict the Commodores – usually a bottom-dwelling SEC outfit – as a back pocket win, either. Though the Gamecocks “D” has been rather dreadful (save super-athlete D-lineman Melvin Ingram) the offensive game-plan has produced enough to secure wins.
Veteran quarterback Stephen Garcia, and do-everything skill stars RB Marcus Lattimore and WR Alshon Jeffery should carry the offense for Carolina, as usual. The trio should have a productive weekend against Vandy. True, Vandy only surrendered a touchdown to Ole Miss last week, but the Rebels have looked awful and were without their top RB and a starting WR. With a Gamecocks team that has a cupboard much better stocked, look for the offensive talent to get an appropriate yield from the visiting Commodores.
To be fair, you have to give Vanderbilt credit where credit is due. The running platoon of junior Zac Stacy and freshman Jerron Seymour has been really effective, with both backs averaging over 5.5 yards per carry (9.0 yards per clip for Stacy). Senior QB Larry Smith – whom didn’t inspire confidence in anyone before the season – has played well and stayed within himself.
Perhaps most impressive and most crucial to Vandy’s 2011 success thus far is the turnover-hungry defense. The Commodores’ secondary picked off Ole Miss QB Zack Stoudt five times last week and we know how vital turnovers are for the sudden swings in momentum. Garcia is a savvy vet, though, and while it is true he was prone to INTs earlier in his career, he won’t be as easy a mark as Ole Miss’s scuffling pivot. Vanderbilt’s defense has definitely exceeded expectations, but Jeffery and others downfield (sophomore WR Ace Sanders also comes to mind) will create match-up problems for the visitors.
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Very few people would have predicted Vanderbilt to be unbeaten this long; if it can somehow keep the magic intact, South Carolina hasn’t looked too convincing at times – especially on defense. Getting multiple touchdowns dropped on you from East Carolina and Navy will not cut it for an SEC East program that considers itself the top-dog contender this season. This trend makes it look possible that Vandy could get downfield and perhaps drop a few scores on the home team. If Stacy and Seymour keep running well and Vandy’s unheralded offensive line keeps doing its job, Carolina has shown that it isn’t the stingiest outfit this side of the Missouri River.
Yet the same is true for Vanderbilt and the most pertinent detail is that Garcia, Lattimore and Jeffery are far more imposing than anyone the Commodores can roll out. Those guys should do enough for the Gamecocks to snag this home contest, and a convincing win over Vanderbilt – perpetrated on both sides of the ball – would do a lot for Carolina’s confidence moving forward into the teeth of the regular season schedule, despite its cushy #12 national ranking.
Score Prediction: South Carolina 31, Vanderbilt 14
Over/Under Prediction: 45
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Time/Date: 1 PM EST Sunday, September 25, 2011
NCAA Odds From: Pinnacle
Moneyline: JAX +165 / Carolina -190
Spread (ATS): Carolina -3.5
Over/Under: 42.5
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers Preview
Cam Newton has gotten off to a fast start to the season becoming the first QB ever to throw for 400 yards games in his first couple starts, but the Panthers are still 0-2 because of defensive issues. The Jaguars are 1-1, but because of inconsistent QB play rookie Blaine Gabbert will get the first start of his young career. NFL lines have the Panthers as 3.5-point home favorites in this game with a total of 42.5.
In their last games the Panthers lost to the Green Bay Packers 30-23 and the Jaguars lost badly to the Jets 32-3.
Both of these teams joined the NFL in 1995 and in 5 all time meetings the Jaguars have won 4 times.
On the season both teams are 1-1 ATS and the Jags have an Over/Under record of 0-2 and the Panthers have an Over/Under record of 2-0.
Newton has over 850 yards passing in his first 2 games with WR’s Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell combining for 453 receiving yards with 3 TD’s. The Jags’ pass defense ranks 14th in the league and they have to pressure Newton up front and keep Smith and Lafell from making the big play down the field since each is averaging over 14 yards per reception.
Newton has not gotten much help from RB DeAngelo Williams, who has only rushed for a grand total of 43 yards averaging 2.5 yards per carry. Newton is also the leading rusher for the Panthers and it has been shown that he cannot do it all. It is also important that Newton cuts down on his INT’s, as that killed him last week when the Packers picked him off 3 times.
With rookie QB Gabbert under center the Jags will look to pound the ball on the ground and RB Maurice Jones-Drew (185 yards 1 TD 4.4 yards per carry), who will be counted on to have a good game.[soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Panthers defense has not played well this season ranking 26th defending the pass and 19th defending the run. Containing Jones-Drew is their biggest issue in this game and their front line D has to pressure Gabbert and make him look like the rookie that he is.
While all the focus has been on the rookie QB’s starting in this game the outcome may come down to which team plays better defense.
Betting Trends
The Jags are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games, 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as a road underdog of 3.5-10 points, and has an Over record of 8-2 in their last 10 road games.
The Panthers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games, 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win, and has an Under record of 7-0 in their last 7 games as a favorite.
Jason’s Pick: Newton has looked great in his first 2 games, but I still think Gabbert will be a better NFL QB. While both QB’s will play well the key will be Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville defense, as the Jags will win this game and cover the spread. Take the Under as well, as this will not be a high scoring game.
The suddenly and uncharacteristically struggling Montreal Argonauts head west this Friday to take on an Edmonton Eskimos club that has regained some of the form that made them the best team in the CFL after five games.
Well, this one may not look like much on paper. It looks like another sure Man U blowout right? The EPL betting lines sure make it look that way. That may very well be the case, but bettors cannot afford to overlook this Stoke side.
This week’s MLB power rankings showcase a few teams unexpectedly on the ropes and a few teams unexpectedly clawing their way back into the playoff hunt.
With all the re-booted hysteria about conference shuffling and re-alignment this past week, it will be nice to get back to playing some actual football this Saturday. One of our midday games this week features two SEC programs having some headaches lately.
With the NFL Fantasy football nearing the home stretch we encourage you to be checking out our FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEKLY ARTICLES for all your rankings and analysis for the upcoming week.
One of the most exciting clashes of the week takes place in Dixieland this Saturday afternoon, where two unstoppable forces do battle in Tuscaloosa.
Week 4’s FSU/Clemson tilt will tell us a ton about both team’s true forecasts for 2011. The Seminoles were hyped as a national title contender until Oklahoma took them down. A loss to Clemson would shift them from a powerhouse to an also-ran in two weeks.
Last season Mizzou (2-1) made a furious comeback to beat Oklahoma (3-0) at home and now in Norman the Sooners look to get some revenge, as the top-ranked team in the nation. Oklahoma is a big 21-point home favorite in this game with a total of 56.5.
Ohio State will be looking to rebound this weekend as they play host to the Colorado Buffaloes in a game that odds makers have heavily slanted in favor of the Buckeyes, even after they have proven that they can be beaten.
The NCAA sanctioned USC Trojans head out to Tempe for their first road test of the young season against the Arizona State Sun Devils who are looking to rebound from a disappointing road loss at Illinois just a week ago.
Ron Zook and the Illinois Fighting Illini are off to a nice start to the 2011 season, but they can’t afford a letdown this week. Western Michigan is not an ordinary MAC team, and they are certainly capable of beating Illinois.
Nebraska may be ranked number nine in the country, but they definitely haven’t played up to their potential so far this season. Wyoming is coming off a big win at Bowling Green last weekend, and the Cowboys are 3-0 right now as well.
