Randy Smith
It's finally here. The week that we've waited months and months for. College football begins tonight, and doesn't let up until Monday. For the second straight year, I will pick the winners in every game involving SEC teams. Last year I correctly picked winners almost 80% of the time, so here we go for 2015!
(Thursday) North Carolina @ South Carolina: Steve Spurrier always loves to play on Thursday night. I imagine it's because he can be on the golf course on Saturdays while everyone else is playing football.
This could be a tough opener for the Gamecocks, but the "Ol' ball coach" always does his best work when his teams are not supposed to be outstanding.
South Carolina 31 North Carolina 24.
(Thursday) Western Kentucky @ Vanderbilt: This one is rated as a toss-up, even though most people think the Hilltoppers will win. Western was 8-5 a year ago and a good solid football team. Vandy has finally proven the Commodores are past the James Franklin influence.
Western Kentucky 28 Vanderbilt 24.
Alabama vs Wisconsin at Texas Stadium: I would assume that head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffen have decided on a starting quarterback by now. Crimson Tide fans shouldn't worry much. No matter who they put in will be solid. That's just the way Saban coaches. Last year Blake Sims was a pleasant surprise, becoming a real star in his fifth-year senior season. Alabama is very high on running back Kenyan Drake who really needs to have a big game against the Badgers. Wisconsin will run the ball.....a lot. 'Bama wins but it could be close.
Alabama 28 Wisconsin 17.
Louisville @ Auburn: Coach Bobby Petrino returns to the plains where he had some success a few years back. He won't be welcomed with open arms by the Tiger fans, but he probably doesn't expect a warm homecoming. He brings a respectable team into Auburn, but Coach Gus Malzahn's squad is just too good.
Auburn 45 Louisville 20.
New Mexico State @ Florida: The Jim McElwain era begins in the swamp and if the new coach has any success at all on the recruiting trails the Gators will be better quickly. McElwain must find some playmakers in time for the 2015 season however. The good news is the Gators first two games are against New Mexico State and East Carolina.
Florida 44 New Mexico State 14.
Louisiana-Monroe @ Georgia: It will be hot and steamy in Athens on Saturday as the Bulldogs open the 2015 season with a noon kickoff. Look for an awful lot of Nick Chubb in this one. Coach Mark Richt will likely play things a bit close to the vest, as Georgia has a pair of SEC games against Vanderbilt and South Carolina coming up.
Georgia 52 Louisiana Monroe 17.
Louisiana-Lafayette @ Kentucky: This is the portion of the schedule the Wildcats excel in; the first part. Coach Mark Stoops cannot allow his team to lose six straight games to end a season as he did last year. It's hard to believe the same Kentucky team that lost in three overtimes at Florida is the same team that lost to Tennessee 50-16. This one goes to the Cats.
Kentucky 34 Louisiana-Lafayette 14.
McNeese State @ LSU: Night time games on Saturday nights in Baton Rouge are always fun and sometimes magical. LSU could be a real dark horse in the SEC West in 2015 and an easy opener gives the Tigers a chance to settle in with some personnel before playing at Mississippi State next week.
LSU 49 McNeese State 20.
U.T. Martin @ Ole Miss: The Rebels are another quality SEC team that will break in a new quarterback in 2015. Chad Kelly replaces Bo Wallace for Ole Miss and should be more than solid. It gets a lot tougher in two weeks as the Johnny Rebs play at Alabama. This week should be easy.
Ole Miss 40 U.T. Martin 7.
Mississippi State @ Southern Miss: This one could be interesting, though the Bulldogs are a 23 point pick to win on the road. MSU was ranked number one in the country last year for five straight weeks and they return a lot of talent, including the SEC's best quarterback in Dak Prescott. The Bulldogs have a lot to prove, mainly that the great season they enjoyed last year was no fluke.
Mississippi State 37 Southern Miss 14.
SE Missouri @ Missouri: The two time defending SEC East champs will be good again in 2015, but will they be good enough to outlast Tennessee and Georgia who are both picked ahead of them in the preseason polls? That remains to be seen, but there is no doubt the Tigers are better than SE Missouri.
Missouri 37 SE Missouri 6.
Arizona State @ Texas A&M: This could be the best game of the day involving SEC teams. The Aggies are picked to win by three points at home against the Sun Devils, but there is the unknown "Chavis factor" for ASU to deal with. How much better will Texas A&M be with the "Chief" directing the defense? They will be better and they will be good enough to score a win over ASU.
Texas A&M 35 Arizona State 24.
UTEP @ Arkansas: The Hogs were the one team that nobody wanted to face near the end of the 2014 season, and I'm sure nobody wants to play them this year either. The Razorbacks could be a real sleeper in the SEC West this year and they will have no trouble getting past UTEP.
Arkansas 48 UTEP 21.
Bowling Green vs Tennessee in Nashville: It's finally "Football Tine in Tennessee." Vol fans have waited patiently for months; some even years to see a Volunteer squad this talented take the field. I picked team 119 for Tennessee to win ten games this season, and even though Bowling Green is the pre-season favorite to win the Mid-American Conference title, Coach Butch Jones' squad will prevail. This one will be close most of the way however, as Tennessee fans need to know this is not "Cupcake U." Betting odds have been close all summer long. The Vols pass a big test early.
Tennessee 38 Bowling Green 27.
---
Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer. He is currently teaching Broadcasting at Coahulla Creek High School near Dalton, Ga.
His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for thirty years.
He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century.
In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have four grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, DellaMae and CoraLee.