Riverboat Gambling

Here we go into the last weekend of SEC football before the Conference Championship game in two weeks. Starting tomorrow, we have Turkey and football all day for four straight days. It's one of my favorite weekends of the year.

Here are the lines for this week:

• Ole Miss at Mississippi State (-6.5) (11:30, LFS*)
  
• Arkansas at LSU (-12.5) (1:30, CBS*)
  
• Tennessee at Kentucky (-2.5) (12:30, CBS)
  
• Wake Forest at Vanderbilt (+2) (1:00, Dudley Field)
  
• Georgia at Georgia Tech (+3.5) (2:30, ABC)
  
• Florida State at Florida (-13.5) (4:00, CBS)
  
• Clemson at South Carolina (+3) (6:00, ESPN2)
  
• Alabama at Auburn (-6) (7:00, ESPN)
  

*= Friday

The Egg Bowl- The game has been hard to watch the last decade or so. State is at home and seems to have the hot hand. I think the Rebels have something for them, but Sly pulls it out 27-21.

A joke for southerndaddy: How many Ole Miss students does it take to fix a flat tire? Two. One to hold the vodka, the other to call daddy.

Battle for the Golden Boot- According to LSU fans this trophy is a complete concoction of the Razorback hierarchy. It that means very little to the Bayou Bengals, except holding on to their #1 ranking this week. LSU is focused and ready, so I don't think the emotion of Nutt's last game will carry the Hawgs to victory. LSU bids Houston adieu, covering 41-14.

Battle for the Beer Barrel- Kentucky is favored at home over the streaky Vols?....NOT so fast my friend! Fulmer seems to get it done when he must. This year will be no different. Fat Phil and the Volunteers in a shootout, 44-38.

The Commodore Crusade- Can Bobby J get the 'Dores bowl eligible? The biggest part of me wants to say yes, but he's got nearly 50 years of history to buck, and I'm not sure they can do it. I'm gonna stay with my early season prediction though: "Vandy will go bowling."

Bobby J at home gets it done over the Demon Deacons, 21-17.

Pure Old Fashioned Hate- The Dawgs have their act together, and poor Tech doesn't have the team to stay with them. Mark Richt finds a way to go BCS bowling after the 48-14 shalacking of the Rambling Wrecks.

Seminoles vs. Gators- Urban Meyer continues the streak to four straight wins. That's the end of the story. Too much speed for the Seminoles to stand a chance over four quarters. The spread may be a little large for this rivalry's intensity. Tebow locks up the Heisman in the 28-17 win.

Battle of the Palmetto State- Carolina doesn't have the talent to win this one, even at home. Clemson has owned the rivalry as of late, and Spurrier's squad is in utter disarray. It won't be close either. Tommy Bowden for ACC Coach of the Year! Clemson rolls 51-20.

The Iron Bowl- Nick Saban has lost control of his team. The rhetoric and media attention since the loss to UL-Monroe has magnified every problem the Tide has, and Saban's ego is shining through every time he opens his mouth.

Auburn has their own questions with Tuberville's possible departure, but I think the house is in order and fully ready for Bama after the off-week. Bama keeps it close early, but Auburn pulls away for the sixth straight win in the rivalry, 31-10.

There are no more games of interest except the conference championships. Here are a few more predictions:

SEC Championship- LSU over Tennessee.

Big 12 Championship- OU over Missouri.

ACC Championship- Nobody cares.

Heisman Trophy Winner- Tim Tebow

National Championship- LSU over West Virginia in New Orleans.

General Predictions- Les Miles to Michigan. Bo Pilini to LSU. Tuberville stays at Auburn.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.