♪♪ And now, the end is near
And so we face the final weekend
My friends, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, nothing is certain ♪♪
Heading into the final weekend there are 5 teams who still have a legitimate chance of winning the SEC regular season title. Only 4, however, will earn a first round bye in Hoover.
Current standings:
1. Arkansas 19- 8 -- needs 2 wins to assure being #1
2. Tennessee 18- 9 1.0 needs at least 2 wins to have a shot at #1
3. Vanderbilt 17- 9 1.5 needs a sweep to have a good shot at #1
4. Florida 17-10 2.0 must sweep Arkansas to have a shot at #1
4. Miss State 17-10 2.0 needs a sweep to have a decent shot at #1
Week 10 Series [rankings from USA Today Coaches Poll]
All series have a Thursday start
#6 Mississippi State at Alabama
Can the Dawgs recover from losing a home series to lowly Missouri? State is 8-4 in SEC road games, losing only a series at Vandy. Bama is 2-2 in home series but all their SEC series wins were against the 3 bottom teams. State is still chasing a National Seed and Alabama is just trying to get into the NCAAT. With both teams equally motivated we'll say Mississippi State wins the series 2 games to 1.
#8 Florida at #1 Arkansas
This series will have the most impact on who wins the regular season SEC Title. A series win will clinch it for Arkansas, but a Florida series win gives Vandy or UT the chance to take it. Florida is a better home team than they are on the road, and Arkansas is equally good on the road or at home. They have won all 9 previous series. Florida’s starting pitching has firmed up in recent weeks but so has Arkansas’. Arkansas took a big series at UT last weekend with all three games being one-run affairs, resulting in the Hogs players having to take cold showers after game 3.
Arkansas has the nation’s best closer who can work multiple innings twice in a weekend – Kevin Kopps. But Florida also has a long-reliever/closer who can do the same -- Leftwich. Arkansas has locked down the #1 seed for the NCAAT. Florida is trying to get a Top 8 seed.
Each team will win one of the first two games leaving game 3 to decide everything.
We foresee Florida taking that game and Florida wins the series 2 games to 1.
#32 LSU at Texas A&M
This series will determine whether the A&M players are ready for Rod Childress to leave or not. Players have a way of showing how they feel about that by on-the-field performance. LSU is coming back after a dreadful start and have won 3 of their last 4 series. A&M has lost 5 of their last 6 series but 2 of their 3 SEC series wins were at home. LSU is on th edge of making or not making the NCAAT; A&M is on the edge of making/not making the SECT.
Given those facts and trends, we think LSU takes the series 2 games to 1. Goodbye, Rod?
Auburn at Missouri
The series winner likely gets to go to Hoover and the loser will go home to sulk. Both, however, will have to pull for LSU to take out A&M to insure that. Since we just predicted that will happen then we think this series will indeed determine who doesn’t make it to Hoover. Can Mizzou keep their momentum from winning in Starkville last weekend? After losing their first 6 series Auburn has now won 2 of their last 3 – can they keep that going?
We flipped a coin and it says Auburns wins the series 2 games to 1. Auburn goes to Hoover and Missouri goes nowhere and their coach will force them to walk as a tribute (of sorts) to their pitching staff.
#12 Ole Miss at #42 Georgia
Georgia has been down then up and then down gain in the SEC – lost their first 3 series, won their next 3, then lost their next 3. But mostly they’ve lost series to the better teams (other than Vandy.) Ole Miss can score runs but they also give up a lot of runs. Ole Miss is chasing to be a host site for a NCAAT Regional. Georgia needs a series win just to get in the NCAAT. Who wants it most?
We say Ole Miss wins this series 2 games to 1.
Kentucky at #2 Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt must sweep in order to potentially win the SEC title and/or the SEC East. With Rocker and Leiter back on track we think that will happen as they play before a full house in Nashville for the first time this season. Kentucky has literally nothing to play for as they have almost no chance of making the NCAAT.
Vandy sweeps Kentucky 3-0.
#4 Tennessee at #18 South Carolina
Despite losing home series to both Vandy and Arkansas the Vols are still in the hunt for the SEC title. But to do that they will likely need to sweep this series. South Carolina is trying to secure a spot as a host site for the NCAAT. They stumbled last weekend at Florida but then so has every other team to go to Gainesville this year. Standing room only crowds should give them a big lift. However, we think Tennessee wins this series 2 games to 1.
If all this holds true [it almost assuredly won’t] the final SEC standings [SECT seed listed] would be as follows:
1. Vandy 20- 9
2. Arkansas 20-10
3. Tennessee 20-10
4. Florida 19-11
5. Miss State 19-11
6. Ole Miss 18-12
7. South Carolina 16-14
8. Alabama 13-16
9. Georgia 13-17
10. LSU 13-17
11. Kentucky 11-19
12. Auburn 10-20
13. Texas A&M 9-21
14. Missouri 8-22
Enjoy the weekend action with all the necessary accompanying Scoreboard Watching.
And so we face the final weekend
My friends, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, nothing is certain ♪♪
Heading into the final weekend there are 5 teams who still have a legitimate chance of winning the SEC regular season title. Only 4, however, will earn a first round bye in Hoover.
Current standings:
1. Arkansas 19- 8 -- needs 2 wins to assure being #1
2. Tennessee 18- 9 1.0 needs at least 2 wins to have a shot at #1
3. Vanderbilt 17- 9 1.5 needs a sweep to have a good shot at #1
4. Florida 17-10 2.0 must sweep Arkansas to have a shot at #1
4. Miss State 17-10 2.0 needs a sweep to have a decent shot at #1
Week 10 Series [rankings from USA Today Coaches Poll]
All series have a Thursday start
#6 Mississippi State at Alabama
Can the Dawgs recover from losing a home series to lowly Missouri? State is 8-4 in SEC road games, losing only a series at Vandy. Bama is 2-2 in home series but all their SEC series wins were against the 3 bottom teams. State is still chasing a National Seed and Alabama is just trying to get into the NCAAT. With both teams equally motivated we'll say Mississippi State wins the series 2 games to 1.
#8 Florida at #1 Arkansas
This series will have the most impact on who wins the regular season SEC Title. A series win will clinch it for Arkansas, but a Florida series win gives Vandy or UT the chance to take it. Florida is a better home team than they are on the road, and Arkansas is equally good on the road or at home. They have won all 9 previous series. Florida’s starting pitching has firmed up in recent weeks but so has Arkansas’. Arkansas took a big series at UT last weekend with all three games being one-run affairs, resulting in the Hogs players having to take cold showers after game 3.
Arkansas has the nation’s best closer who can work multiple innings twice in a weekend – Kevin Kopps. But Florida also has a long-reliever/closer who can do the same -- Leftwich. Arkansas has locked down the #1 seed for the NCAAT. Florida is trying to get a Top 8 seed.
Each team will win one of the first two games leaving game 3 to decide everything.
We foresee Florida taking that game and Florida wins the series 2 games to 1.
#32 LSU at Texas A&M
This series will determine whether the A&M players are ready for Rod Childress to leave or not. Players have a way of showing how they feel about that by on-the-field performance. LSU is coming back after a dreadful start and have won 3 of their last 4 series. A&M has lost 5 of their last 6 series but 2 of their 3 SEC series wins were at home. LSU is on th edge of making or not making the NCAAT; A&M is on the edge of making/not making the SECT.
Given those facts and trends, we think LSU takes the series 2 games to 1. Goodbye, Rod?
Auburn at Missouri
The series winner likely gets to go to Hoover and the loser will go home to sulk. Both, however, will have to pull for LSU to take out A&M to insure that. Since we just predicted that will happen then we think this series will indeed determine who doesn’t make it to Hoover. Can Mizzou keep their momentum from winning in Starkville last weekend? After losing their first 6 series Auburn has now won 2 of their last 3 – can they keep that going?
We flipped a coin and it says Auburns wins the series 2 games to 1. Auburn goes to Hoover and Missouri goes nowhere and their coach will force them to walk as a tribute (of sorts) to their pitching staff.
#12 Ole Miss at #42 Georgia
Georgia has been down then up and then down gain in the SEC – lost their first 3 series, won their next 3, then lost their next 3. But mostly they’ve lost series to the better teams (other than Vandy.) Ole Miss can score runs but they also give up a lot of runs. Ole Miss is chasing to be a host site for a NCAAT Regional. Georgia needs a series win just to get in the NCAAT. Who wants it most?
We say Ole Miss wins this series 2 games to 1.
Kentucky at #2 Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt must sweep in order to potentially win the SEC title and/or the SEC East. With Rocker and Leiter back on track we think that will happen as they play before a full house in Nashville for the first time this season. Kentucky has literally nothing to play for as they have almost no chance of making the NCAAT.
Vandy sweeps Kentucky 3-0.
#4 Tennessee at #18 South Carolina
Despite losing home series to both Vandy and Arkansas the Vols are still in the hunt for the SEC title. But to do that they will likely need to sweep this series. South Carolina is trying to secure a spot as a host site for the NCAAT. They stumbled last weekend at Florida but then so has every other team to go to Gainesville this year. Standing room only crowds should give them a big lift. However, we think Tennessee wins this series 2 games to 1.
If all this holds true [it almost assuredly won’t] the final SEC standings [SECT seed listed] would be as follows:
1. Vandy 20- 9
2. Arkansas 20-10
3. Tennessee 20-10
4. Florida 19-11
5. Miss State 19-11
6. Ole Miss 18-12
7. South Carolina 16-14
8. Alabama 13-16
9. Georgia 13-17
10. LSU 13-17
11. Kentucky 11-19
12. Auburn 10-20
13. Texas A&M 9-21
14. Missouri 8-22
Enjoy the weekend action with all the necessary accompanying Scoreboard Watching.
