The SEC is dominate with some of the top classes in recruiting this week with 3) Tennessee, 5) LSU, 6) Alabama, 7) Georgia and 9) Florida.
South Region Recruiting Rankings, Visitors:
Tennessee will host at least three official visitors this weekend who are all eager to see the Vols' orange carpet treatment: five-star MLB Jeff Luc from Port St. Lucie-Treasure Coast, Fla., Florida verbal five-star safety Matt Elam from Palm Beach Gardens-Dwyer, Fla. and four-star safety Dietrich Riley from LaCanada-St. Francis, Calif.
Georgia has listed two official visitors when the LSU Tigers roll into Athens with four-star cornerback Cody Riggs from Ft. Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla., and four-star cornerback Terrence Mitchell from Tampa-Hillsborough, Fla.
The recruiting rankings for a couple of ACC teams slide in at 20) Miami, who has a big game with Oklahoma, and 22) Clemson who heads to Maryland looking for a win.
You see another group of SEC teams enter the recruiting race with 23) Auburn, who picked up a commitment this week from DE Craig Sanders, 26) South Carolina, looking to land some high-profilers after the big win over Ole Miss, and 27) Vanderbilt who's hosting a fiesty Rebel team this weekend.
Five ACC teams hit the next group of recruiting rankings with 29) Florida State, 30) Georgia Tech, 36) Wake Forest, 38) N.C. State, and 40) North Carolina. Several of these schools' fans have already turned their attention to basketball.
North Carolina will host a football official visitor this weekend in four-star tight end Alex Smith from West Chester-Lakota West, Ohio.
Three SEC teams, 52) Ole Miss, 53) Mississippi State, and 55) Arkansas, are clustered together and may battle for area recruits to climb a little higher in the recruiting rankings before February.
Other South Region rankings:
56. Duke
58. UCF
67. South Florida
71. Kentucky
72. Tulane
73. Southern Miss
85. Louisiana Tech
88. East Carolina
94. Troy
99. UAB
101. FIU
112. Memphis
113. Arkansas State
SEC Publishers/Writers Predictions:
BamaMag.com (30-4)
Texas A&M 30, Arkansas 28 -- Teams have tough time week after playing Bama.
Alabama 31, Kentucky 7 -- Kentucky has tough schedule with Tide after Florida
LSU 17, Georgia 14 -- Tigers are going to have to pick up the pace
Georgia Tech 21, Mississippi State 7 -- Bulldogs have to be down
South Carolina 35, South Carolina State 10 -- Or whatever Spurrier wants it
to be
Auburn 24, Tennessee 10 -- Give the nod to the best quarterback
Ole Miss 27, Vanderbilt 17 -- Rebels had extra time to lick wounds
HawgsIllustrated.com (31-4)
Arkansas 28, Texas A&M 24 - It's certainly not Texas-Oklahoma yet, but this neutral site game at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium should become a classic between a pair of old rivals.
OLB Courtney Gibson (Ft. Gibson, Okla.)
Razorbacks landed 12th commitment
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Alabama 35 Kentucky 14 - That Alabama defense should continue to maul opponents.
Georgia 24, LSU 21 - Picking an upset here, but the Tigers just have not impressed too much yet and Georgia has been pretty good at home this season getting tight wins.
Georgia Tech 31, Mississippi State 21 - Got to give Mississippi State credit for its hard-fought loss to LSU last weekend, but running prowess will win this one for the visitors.
South Carolina 31, South Carolina State 14 - Great opportunity for South Carolina State, but that doesn't translate into a win as the Gamecocks finally get to have an easy win.
Auburn 31, Tennessee 28 - The Vols have the home crowd and are a slight favorite, but the Tigers are flourishing under offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and should have enough to win this one.
Ole Miss 24, Vanderbilt 10 - The Rebels bounce back after their tough loss, but still have some work to do to get that offense going against SEC foes.
autigers.com (ITAT) (25-5)
Arkansas at Texas A&M--The Aggies have put up huge offensive numbers this season. Arkansas has given up huge chunks of yardage, but can score. It should make for an entertaining game in Arlington, Tex., on the homefield of the Dallas Cowboys. Texas A&M 48, Arkansas 40
Punter Steven Clark (Kansas City-Park Hill, Mo.)
Auburn lands commitment
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Alabama at Kentucky--The Wildcats never were in the game last week vs. the Gators. Even if they get off to a better start this week, the result is likely to be another SEC loss. Alabama 31, Kentucky 10
LSU at Georgia--This should be a good game to watch. Could this be the week that highly ranked but unimpressive LSU plays four strong quarters? LSU 24, Georgia 21
Georgia Tech at Mississippi State--The Yellow Jackets are a tough team to get a handle on, but should be able to win this game, even on the road, thanks to a strong running attack. Although
Tech formerly played in the SEC, this is just the fourth time these two programs have met in football with the Yellow Jackets winning all three, including a 38-7 romp at Grant Field last year. Georgia Tech 27, Mississippi State 16
South Carolina vs. South Carolina State--Steve Spurrier has been less than amused at his team's offensive numbers so far. This week's opponent should help pad the stats even though the visitors are 3-0. South Carolina 41, South Carolina State 14
Auburn at Tennessee--The Tigers look to run their record to 5-0 against a group of Volunteers who need a victory to start a demanding October schedule. Look for senior Chris Todd to lead the Tigers to a road win. Auburn 27, Tennessee 18
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt--The Commodores could keep this one close for a while, but look for the Ole Miss offense to get cranked up and be the difference in Nashville. Ole Miss 27, Vanderbilt 14
FightinGators.com (19-4)
Arkansas 24 at Texas A&M 18 - SEC-SEC-SEC
Alabama 28 at Kentucky 10: The Gators beat up on the Wildcats, and they are hurting pretty good. Bama should run it all day.
LSU 13 at Georgia 20 - Two teams still trying to find an identity. Georgia wins with the homie crowd.
Miss. State 31 hosts Georgia Tech 17 - SEC-SEC-SEC
South Carolina 45 hosts South Carolina State 6 - SEC-SEC-SEC
Auburn 24 at Tennessee 14 - another moral victory for the Vols who will lose again by 10.
Ole Miss 31 at Vanderbilt 13 - I like Vandy, but the Rebs are going to come out swinging after last week's tough loss.
DawgPost.com (17-3)
Jerry Jones helps Arkansas knock off Texas A&M in Dallas...
Alabama, the best team in the country, punishes Kentucky...
Georgia's turnovers catch up with them as LSU wins an ugly one...
Mississippi State falls to Georgia Tech at home...
South Carolina thrashes South Carolina State...
Auburn can't score against Tennessee...
Ole Miss struggles but beats Vanderbilt...
KentuckySportsReport.com (19-4)
Arkansas 35 at TAMU 31 - The Hogs outscore the Aggies in a shootout.
Alabama 42 at Kentucky 14 - Cats continue to struggle against another powerful opponent.
LSU 27 at Georgia 31- Georgia pulls out a victory over the talented Tigers between the hedges.
Miss. State 17 hosts Georgia Tech 38 - The Yellow Jackets running game can't be stopped in Starkville.
South Carolina 51 hosts South Carolina State 10 - Spurrier's Cocks put on a show against their Palmetto State counterparts.
Auburn 24 at Tennessee 21 - Auburn pulls out a victory at the last minute against the Volunteers.
Ole Miss 31 at Vanderbilt 17 - Vandy makes a game of it for three quarters, but the Rebels pull away.
TigerSportsDigest.com (26-7)
Arkansas 24, Texas A&M 17: The Razorbacks take one from the Aggies on the road behind a fourth-quarter comeback where Ryan Mallett makes the TAMU defense pay.
Alabama 35, Kentucky 14: The Tide have played nothing but consistent football, and they are surely one of the top two teams in the country. A trip to the Bluegrass State won't change any of that.
LSU 28, Georgia 24: The Tigers squeeze another one out on the road, again behind a 200-plus passing game from Jordan Jefferson and Russell Shepard's first collegiate touchdown.
Georgia Tech 14, Mississippi State 17: The Bulldogs are going to stack the box and force Tech to throw the football. If Anthony Dixon can't get things rolling on the ground, the Bulldogs should pull the upset.
South Carolina State 0, South Carolina 31: The Gamecocks blank their in-state rivals one-week removed from their victory over Ole Miss.
Auburn 27, Tennessee 24: Both programs are hoping to bounce back into the SEC picture in 2009. The Tigers, however, look to be the better side and should be able to pound the running game and take one away from head coach Lane Kiffin.
Ole Miss 35, Vanderbilt 10: The Rebels must bounce back after their loss to USC last Thursday, which means that the Commodores - who have given the Rebels a couple of close bouts in the past - are in for a long night. Expect the Wild Rebel to run over and around a spotty Commodore defense.
Gene'sPage.com (21-2)
Texas A&M 28, Arkansas 17: The Arkansas offensive line has to play a lot better. Granted they won't see many front sevens as strong as Alabama's, but the Hogs got exposed this past Saturday. The Aggies are tough at home, so they should be able to pull this one out.
RB Vick Ballard (Miss. Gulf Coast)
The Bulldogs pick up two commitments from Juco including WR Kevin Bolden
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Alabama 31, Kentucky 10: UK is a middle of the pack team playing the top team in the west and the west is stronger this year than it has been in year's past. Hartline really struggled with the Gators' pass rush, so he can expect more of the same this week.
Georgia 24, LSU 21: Georgia continues to impress and the Tigers charmed life continues. LSU escaped an upset last week, but 4-0 is 4-0. The trip to the other Dawghouse won't prove as successful. The Tigers' Lottery ticket expires this week.
Miss. State 21, Georgia Tech 17: Mississippi State is much improved and the last two games they have given up only 63 yards rushing combined. Tech is a running team, so this one should get interesting. State grew up a lot last week, but couldn't close the deal with LSU. An inspired effort should result in a win this week.
South Carolina 45, South Carolina State 7: The Gamecocks were able to pull a minor upset last week over Ole Miss even though they had a hard time getting out of their own way. SC State will need more than a few timely penalties to stay in this one.
Auburn 28, Tennessee 10: The Vols' on the field ability has not matched their off the field commentary. Auburn can score and score a lot. The Tigers have perhaps the league's most improved offense. Auburn should be ranked and they will be after this one.
Ole Miss 21, Vanderbilt 20: Vandy has won three of the last five including a nail biter in Oxford last year. I am not sure what to expect out of the Vandy offense, but they have a good enough defense to keep the Rebs honest. Ole Miss has to win this game or things could go south in a hurry.
OMSpirit.com (30-5)
Arkansas-Texas A&M: Should be a classic between two old SWC rivals, but it won't be. Arky has too much offense against A&M's defense - they ain't Bama. Arkansas 30, Texas A&M 20.
Alabama - Kentucky: Too bad the Cats had back-to-back home games against Florida and Bama. Saban will want to outdo the Gators. Alabama 40, Kentucky 10.
LSU - Georgia: The Bulldogs will upset the number four team in the country because LSU's ranking is a mirage. Their interior personnel on both sides of the ball are not good enough for this match. Georgia 24, LSU 21.
Mississippi State - Georgia Tech: The Bulldogs are playing better than predicted and will manage a win in an ugly game in Starkville. MSU 20, Tech 17.
South Carolina - South Carolina State: Why bother? USC DE/DT/MLB/OLB Eric Norwood may eat one of their offensive players. USC 50, SC State 7.
Auburn-Tennessee: The Vols' defense has been pretty salty. So has Auburn's offense. Interesting match. Auburn in a squeaker. Auburn 24, UT 23.
Ole Miss - Vanderbilt: After bering knocked off their lofty perch by South Carolina, the Rebels will be looking for redemption and will get it. Ole Miss 34, Vandy 20.
GamecockAnthem.com (31-4)
Arkansas 38 - Texas A&M 34: The Arkansas defense has been MIA up to this point, but Ryan Mallett and the Hogs' offense will get back on track in Aggie-land.
Eric Norwood
Defensive Player of the Week
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Alabama 31 - Kentucky 10: Could ‘Bama be the best team in the country?
Georgia 34 - LSU 20: LSU is not the team they’ve been in recent years.
Georgia Tech 23 - Miss. State 17: It’s tough enough having to prepare for Paul Johnson’s option offense in one week, but it’s even more difficult when coming off a painful, last minute loss to LSU.
South Carolina 41 - SC State 13: The Gamecocks show improvement in the red zone and work out some of the offensive kinks before returning to SEC play.
Auburn 27 - Tennessee 17: The Tigers aren’t getting much respect yet, but they’ll make a statement against the Vols this weekend.
Ole Miss 30 - Vanderbilt 13: The Rebels bounce back from last week’s loss with a convincing road win over the ‘Dores.
InsideTennessee.com (30-5)
Arkansas 41, Texas A&M 38: The Razorback rollercoaster ride continues.
Alabama 27, Kentucky 13: Tide's due for a letdown after slaughtering the Hogs.
Georgia 26, LSU 20: Interesting matchup between two teams who excel at winning unimpressively.
Miss. State 24, Georgia Tech 21: Can Bulldogs recover after blowing one vs. LSU?
South Carolina 42, South Carolina State 14: Good thing Spurrier had two extra days to prepare for this one, right?
Tennessee 26, Auburn 24: Rookie coaches Kiffin, Chizik meet to see whose rebuilding effort is farther along.
Ole Miss 24, Vanderbilt 17: Commodores won last year in Oxford, and the Rebels looked bad vs. the Gamecocks last week.
VandyMania.com (29-5)
Texas A&M 31, Arkansas 24- A&M has one of the best offenses in the country. Hogs just aren't that good yet.
Alabama 27, Kentucky 21- Wildcats lose second straight contest to an SEC power. Tide quarterback: beware of the helmet hit!
Georgia 28, LSU 17- Reality sets in that the Tigers aren't as good as they thought.
Miss. State 20, Georgia Tech 13- Bulldogs get a little revenge for the butt whipping they took in Atlanta last year.
South Carolina 31, South Carolina State 7 Nice game for the Gamecocks after their upset over Ole Miss.
Auburn 17, Tennessee 14- Auburn wins on a late field goal and Kiffin starts to feel the heat.
Vanderbilt 20, Ole Miss 17- Ole Miss- still feeling the shock of Thursday night and thinking ahead to the Tide- falls in Nashville to Vanderbilt.
Complete list of recruiting rankings [click here].
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