Southern Football Predictions

Dean Legge makes his weekly picks for the 23 schools in the South.

1. LSU – Very difficult game against Arizona State was switched out west because of hurricane. Will Tigers be focused?

2. Virginia Tech – Big win over NC State is the first hurdle of the season. Now the path to the title game is a bit clearer.

3. Tennessee – Very lucky to beat UAB.

4. Florida State – Very lucky to beat Miami. Florida State will not win the ACC.

5. Georgia – Was Boise any good? We won’t know a ton about Georgia until October.

6. Florida – Gators get ready for Vols.

7. Clemson – Is this program turning the corner or back to its old tricks of big upsets followed by being upset?

8. Georgia Tech – Jackets looked very good for the first time in a long time – will they stick with it or fall on their face in typical Tech fashion?

9. Miami – Canes are better than FSU, but didn’t prove it.

10. Alabama – Mike Shula will feel heat if Bama loses this weekend against Southern Miss. South Carolina is next.

11. Arkansas – Vanderbilt game is now interesting; Hogs are young and Vandy has already won on the road.

12. Virginia – 31-19 win over Western Michigan – so what? Cavs are still overvalued.

13. Auburn – This program got back to reality last weekend.

14. South Carolina – Carolina looked sloppy last week – now at Georgia?

15. Maryland – Barely beating a service academy – not good.

16. Ole Miss – Win over Memphis was an upset.

17. Vanderbilt – Jay Cutler is a stud.

18. North Carolina State – Loss to Virginia Tech makes getting to ACC title game very difficult.

19. Mississippi State – 1-0, but real test begins this week at Auburn

20. Kentucky – Close losses don’t turn around programs.

21. Wake Forest – Vandy comes back to beat Wake – season down the toilet.

22. North Carolina – Opens up season against Georgia Tech.

23. Duke – The worst team in the South; a loss to East Carolina confirms that.

This week’s games:
NOTE: these are Sunday lines; some may have moved

Virginia Tech at Duke
Winner straight up – Virginia Tech
Winner with points – No line
Comment – Duke is horrible.
-------------

Clemson (+1) at Maryland
Winner straight up – Clemson
Winner with points – Clemson
Comment – Tigers are ready to turn the corner – I hope. I am tired of watching them under perform.
-------------

Mississippi State (+16) at Auburn
Winner straight up – Auburn
Winner with points – Mississippi State
Comment – I don’t think Auburn can score with their quarterback.
-------------

Army (+28) at Boston College
Winner straight up – Boston College
Winner with points – Army
Comment – Just too many points.
-------------


North Carolina (+13) at Georgia Tech
Winner straight up – Georgia Tech
Winner with points – North Carolina
Comment – Tech sputters, but wins.
-------------

South Carolina (+ 17) at Georgia
Winner straight up – Georgia
Winner with points – Georgia
Comment – That’s a lot of points to cover, but Carolina won’t score a lot.
-------------

The Citadel at Florida State
Winner straight up – Florida State
Winner with points – No Line
Comment – What a joke.
-------------

La Tech (+29) at Florida
Winner straight up – Florida
Winner with points – La Tech
Comment – Gators are still learning offense – too many points.
-------------

Vanderbilt (+11) at Arkansas
Winner straight up – Arkansas
Winner with points – Vanderbilt
Comment – Vandy is better than you think, and the Hogs are still young.
-------------

Wake Forest (+7.5) at Nebraska
Winner straight up – Nebraska
Winner with points – Nebraska
Comment – Wake will be reeling.
-------------

Southern Miss (+11.5) at Alabama
Winner straight up – Alabama
Winner with points – Alabama
Comment – Bama wins in the fourth quarter.
-------------

LSU (-9.5) at Arizona State
Winner straight up – LSU
Winner with points – Arizona State
Comment – There are more important things for the Tigers to handle than an outcome of a football game.
-------------

LOCK OF THE WEEK

-------------
-------------

Clemson (+1) at Maryland
Winner with points – Clemson
Comment – I don’t understand why Clemson is getting points – so take them and run.

-------------
-------------

Year – Lock of the week: 1 of 11 or 100%
Year – Straight up: 14 out of 19 or 74%
Year – Points: 6 of 15 or 40% (Ouch!)