Friday, November 17, 2017

Football 2017: Week 12

The season is creeping toward a sad ending, and Texas A&M at Ole Miss (6:00 PM on ESPN-2) is a must-win game if Kevin Sumlin hopes to match the mediocrity of the last three seasons (2013-2015). His problem is that three consecutive 8-5 finishes is what got him into his current predicament in the first place, but he'll have to beat Ole Miss and either LSU or a bowl opponent TBD to bring home the fourth one. My gut feeling is that seven wins might be the best I can expect, assuming one win in the last three games.

At any rate, Ole Miss (5-5) has also had problems this year, but is still favored by 2.5 points at home. College Football News expects A&M will struggle to keep the lid on the Ole Miss passing game, and will lose a 37-34 shootout.

Update: As luck would have it, this turned out to be a game I wish I'd watched from start to finish. The Aggies won 31-24, and from the post-game reports I read, they apparently played pretty well in all three phases, with the defense scoring the last A&M touchdown on an interception return, and holding Ole Miss scoreless in the second half.

Other games on the TV schedule, with CFN score predictions:
  • Texas (5-5) at West Virginia (7-3) at 11:00 AM on ESPN. Mountaineers, favored by 3.5 points, expected to win 27-23. Update: Texas U won 28-14 and might finish the year with a better record than A&M. Bummer.
  • Mississippi State (7-3) at Arkansas (4-6) at 11:00 AM on CBS. The hogs are 12 point underdogs at home, and MSU should win 37-20. Update: It wasn't a cakewalk, but MSU got out of the game with a 28-21 win.
  • Kentucky (7-3) at Georgia (9-1) at 2:30 PM on CBS. The Bulldogs are heavy favorites at 21.5 points, and CFN forecasts a fairly easy 38-13 victory. Update: This was no contest, with Georgia winning 42-13.
  • Louisiana State (7-3) at Tennessee (4-6) at 6:00 PM on ESPN. The wheels have come off for the Volunteers. Favored by 15.5 points, LSU should romp 34-16. Update: Tennessee was no match for LSU, losing 30-10. 

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