The Vanquished - Week 11

Whew! The old soothsayer Van pretty much whiffed last week, at least on the bigger games. Maybe an extra dose of Smart Pills is in order for this week. The coaches involved are certainly gonna need more smarts than many of them demonstrated. On to the Week 11 picks.

South Carolina is on the brink of going to its first SEC Championship ever, evah! Only the Gators of Florida stand in their way. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, the wetlands denizens are more than happy to get out of that way because … for South Carolina the brink is really the edge of the cliff they are about to fall over. The Ol’ Ball Coach will not seem so Superior in his own stomping grounds as the Orange reptiles chomp on some Garnet drumsticks. Van’s Vanquished, South Carolina.

Auburn’s perfect season continues on the field as it welcomes its oldest rival Georgia to town. Sadly for the Plainsmen, “perfect” is not a word that can be used for them off the field. The Bulldogs would love to take advantage of that controversy as their saintly coach brings them down I-85. The Red Clay Hounds will find though, that once the Tigers get their helmets on, payola will be forgotten, temporarily at least. Van’s Vanquished, Georgia.

Alabama hosts the other Bulldogs of the SEC, Mississippi State, in its first home game in several weeks. MSU is rested and ready to put its part in the Cam Newton saga on the back burner for 60 minutes. The Crimson Pachyderms will look to regain their footing as after last week’s stumble and little Maroon dogs make good dance step maps. That and a little home cooking will do the Tide wonders. Van’s Vanquished, Mississippi State.

In other SEC games, Kentucky will vanquish Vanderbilt, Arkansas will vanquish UTEP and LSU will vanquish Louisiana-Monroe.

In the ACC Virginia Tech looks to move one step closer to its usual division championship as it goes to Chapel Hill. The boys in baby blue surprised FSU and probably can’t sneak on the Gobblers from Blacksburg. For Butch Davis, the off-field issues seem to have subsided, just as Beamer Ball has gotten itself into gear. The Hokies might find a little Tar slowin’ them down, but not much. Van’s Vanquished, UNC.

Clemson got back on the winning track last week but this is another week and the opponent tougher. The Seminoles are still smarting from getting the horn last week and will have their tomahawks sharp and ready. Dabo’s darlings can be elusive Cats, but Oseola and his whole tribe will be after them this time. FSU will come out of this scrap with just a few scratches. Van’s Vanquished, Clemson.

Georgia Tech commemorates its 1990 National Championship season this week and Miami is the guest. The Yellow Jackets would love to borrow some of that magic from 20 years ago against a Hurricane team, while not blowing at full strength, will still bring the rain. The QB for the Coral Gables crowd isn’t decided yet, but Tech’s is. Starting a backup quarterback is not generally a recipe for success and the North Avenue Trade Schoolers haven’t been very good cooks this year. Van’s Vanquished, Georgia Tech.

In the remaining ACC matchups, Duke will vanquish Boston College, Maryland will vanquish Virginia, and N. C. State will vanquish Wake Forest.