The Vanquished - Week 8

This year’s SEC East looks like it’s a battle of who wants it lEast, as frontrunners fall and traditional powerhouses stumble. Meanwhile it will be fun to see how the West will be won. In the South’s other league, otherwise known as the ACC, your football forecaster Van here predicts a foggy finish for who will get the “right” to go to Charlotte.

The game of the week in the SEC is a Cat versus Cat tussle as LSU goes to Auburn. Les Miles and the Bayou Bengals struggled a bit last week, but then they always do it seems. Gene Chizik’s troup of Tigers had a little easier time, if you call giving up 4 touchdowns to a backup quarterback easy. This contest won’t be a classic 3 yards and a cloud of dust, and as lucky as the Red Stick Kitties have been, the East Alabama felines best hope that they have the ball last. Van’s Vanquished, LSU.

In a game that used to mean something, Alabama travels to Knoxville to face Tennessee. The mountain men from UT might be tempted to Volunteer for early season termination, the way this year has gone. The Crimson Tide still has high hopes to be the one loss team in the National Championship, and won’t let some blue tick hounds get in their way. Van’s Vanquished, Tennessee.

The team from the former Southwest Conference welcomes the team formerly known as the Rebels into Fayetteville Saturday. The Razorbacks hope for a division championship took a hit last week, as did their starting quarterback. The Black Bears of Oxford are not that punchy though, and often look like they’d be happier in a circus than in the wild. The Mississippians will be looking for the nearest Ol’ Man river crossing before the day is long. Van’s Vanquished, Ole Miss.

Kentucky finds itself in the rare place of being a favorite in an SEC game when Georgia comes to town. The Wildcats made a valiant comeback last week and were rewarded with a gift win for their efforts. The Bulldogs aren’t such a giving team though and will be looking to make the home team as blue as their grass. Unfortunately for the Red Clay Hounds, the Lexington Lads look good in blue and won’t be in need of any comebacks this week. Van’s Vanquished, Georgia.

In the other SEC contests, South Carolina will vanquish Vanderbilt and Mississippi State will vanquish UAB.

Meanwhile, over in the ACC this week there are two, count ‘em two, semi-interesting matchups.

Georgia Tech heads up I-85 to the sleepy town of Clemson to face Dabo and his kids. The Carolina Cats had their most complete game of the season last week against Maryland while the Yellow Jackets held a scrimmage against Middle Tennessee. The North Avenue Trade Schoolers have been searching for a defense this year and unfortunately that search is still ongoing. Before the sun sets in Death Valley the Rambling Wreck will be driving through an Orange haze. Van’s Vanquished, Georgia Tech.

Sometimes Butch Davis must wish he’d never left South Florida for the sun-drenched climes of Cleveland. This week he’ll be reminded of that life changing decision as he takes his new team to FLA to face his old team Miami. Given the “adversity” of this season so far, the Tar Heels record is practically over achievement. The Hurricanes meanwhile have underachieved (at least by their wishful standards) and their performance on the field so far has been a Category None. The U will not be a happy place as the South Beach skies turn Carolina Blue. Van’s Vanquished, Miami.

In the other ACC games of the day, Maryland will vanquish Boston College, Virginia Tech will vanquish Duke, and Virginia will vanquish Eastern Michigan.