Pick 'Ems: Three Upset Edition

Picking all the games that jazz me each week.

The Game: Tennessee v Mississippi
The Line: Rebels by 3.5
I’ll Take: Vols in the upset
The Rationale: And not just because they’re my team. I’ve called this since four minutes after our loss to Bama. UT is really hitting their stride, and Ole Miss…isn’t. The loss of some star freshmen might make the game closer, but I have confidence that our staff will put the team in a position to win.

The Game: Florida State v Wake Forest
The Line: Demon Deacons by 6
I’ll Take: Florida State in the upset
The Rationale: They owe me. I vow to pick them until they win. (Not really. I vow to pick them until I realize how horribly it’s messing with accuracy. Which could be a while.)

The Game: Clemson v NC State
The Line: Tigers by 4.5
I’ll Take: Tigers by more
The Rationale: I love the Wolfpack, so it hurts me so much to pick against them. But Clemson’s hot, and they’re not. Sigh.

The Game: Kentucky v Vanderbilt
The Line: Wildcats by 3
I’ll Take: Wildcats by more
The Rationale: This used to be the epic battle of the SEC nobodies. But Kentucky is the most underrated team in the league, and Vandy is even worse than usual.

The Game: Florida v South Carolina
The Line: Gators by 15
I’ll Take: the line
The Rationale: Florida’s not all that and a bag a chips, but the Gamecocks can’t even muster to being a bag of chips. This should be a horrific blowout. But has Florida blown out any conference opponents? Uncharacteristically, I don’t think the Spurrier/Florida controversy will play into it because 1) it happened so long ago, 2) USC is no threat in any races, and 3) there are some things even a great rivalry can’t overcome. Being South Carolina is one of them.

The Game: Alabama v Mississippi State
The Line: Tide by 14
I’ll Take: the line
The Rationale: I’m tempted to say Bama by more, but the Bulldogs are squirrelly. We’ll have to see.

The Game: Auburn v Georgia
The Line: Dawgs by 4.5
I’ll Take: Tigers in the upset
The Rationale: Seriously? I mean, sure Auburn looked horrible last week. But Georgia has looked horrible all season.