Mason expects Dogs-Cats to be tight
Media members on Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference were anything but single-minded.
There were two topics that dominated the discussion — Georgia at Kentucky this Saturday afternoon and Alabama at LSU on Saturday night. All four teams are among the top 10 in the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings, with Alabama No. 1, LSU No. 3, Georgia No. 6 and Kentucky No. 9
Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason has an open date Saturday and quickly admitted his eagerness in being a spectator for both games. Mason’s Commodores already have played Georgia and Kentucky, coming up short last month by 41-13 and 14-7 scores.
“You see two teams who know exactly who they are,” Mason said. “There’s a reason why Kentucky is 7-1, and what you saw from (quarterback Terry) Wilson the other day versus Missouri speaks to his growth and maturity nine weeks in. He had to put the game on his shoulders to win it, and he did. We know how they’re built around the run, and we know that Georgia will play stingy defense and could make it extremely tough because they can control the clock with their run and their controlled passing game with (Jake) Fromm, who is outstanding.
“It’s going to be a better matchup than people expect. Whoever wins this game is going to win by a possession. It’s going to be a three- or seven-point ballgame.”
Vanderbilt does not play Alabama or LSU this season, but Mason’s memories from last year’s 59-0 loss to the Crimson Tide in Nashville are still vivid.
“The toughest thing about playing Alabama is their depth,” he said. “When they’re this far into the season and have generally been able to stay fairly healthy, their depth continues to mount. In all three phases they’re going to be problematic for you because they’ve got depth and athleticism.
“I definitely expect to see a great game in a great atmosphere.”
The Crimson Tide can clinch a fourth SEC West title in five years with a win in Baton Rouge. The Bulldogs and Wildcats are vying in a winner-take-all game for the East.
Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt
wasn’t asked about either of the matchups but was asked about defending Alabama and whether the focus should be taking away its running game or sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
“I don’t know that I’d be the best one to answer that question, because I don’t know that we slowed them down one bit,” Pruitt said in reference to last month’s 58-21 loss in Neyland Stadium. “You definitely don’t want to do what we did.”
The distant bronze-medal league game this week is between the 5-3 tandem of Auburn and Texas A&M. This matchup pits the two head coaches from the final BCS title game after the 2013 season, when Jimbo Fisher’s Florida State Seminoles rallied from a 21-3 deficit to top Gus Malzahn’s Tigers, 34-31.
“That was one of the great memories in my career, being able to be a part of
a team that overcame that much adversity in as critical of a situation as you
could possibly be in,” said Fisher, now at A&M. “It may be the biggest comeback in national championship history.”
Said Malzahn: “It was a tough loss, no doubt. We were winning a majority of the game.”
Pasquali’s Pix:
Texas A&M at Auburn: The home team is 0-6 in this series since the Aggies joined the SEC. Aggies 20, Tigers 13.
South Carolina at Ole Miss: These two haven’t exactly made their home in the SEC championship game. Gamecocks 29, Rebels 24.
UTC at Furman: The Mocs have won in each of their last four trips to Greenville after losing the previous seven. Mocs 23, Paladins 21.
Georgia Tech at North Carolina: The Yellow Jackets, who didn’t complete a pass last week in a 21-point win at Virginia Tech, reflect Mike Leach’s comments on how striving for 50-50 balance is “50-percent stupid.” Yellow Jackets 34, Tar Heels 27.
Georgia at Kentucky: This is just the second series matchup containing two top-20 teams and the first since 1946. Bulldogs 24, Wildcats 13.
Missouri at Florida: The Tigers are 4-0 in nonconference games and 0-4 in SEC contests, while Derek Dooley has lost 18 of his last 19 as an SEC head coach or offensive coordinator. Gators 28, Tigers 20.
Charlotte at Tennessee: The Volunteers played West Virginia in Charlotte but are not playing Charlotte in West Virginia. Vols 35, 49ers 10.
Alabama at LSU: The Crimson Tide have lost just four times in their last 24 journeys to Baton Rouge, and they made all those trips without Tua. Crimson Tide 34, Tigers 17.
Last week:
Winners ...................................... 13 Hermans ..................................... 12 Pasquali is 173-52 overall
(76.9 percent) this season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall @timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.