SEC Odds, Games of the Year + Nuggets

Published on Tuesday, 11/3/15, at 12:55 p.m. Eastern.

Odds to win the SEC at Sportsbook.ag.

Alabama +125 (risk $100 to win $125)
Florida +130
LSU +300
Ole Miss +425
Arkansas 300/1
Georgia 300/1
Tennessee 300/1
Mississippi St. 1,000/1
Texas A&M 1,000/1

SEC Games of the Year from Sportsbook.ag.

Georgia -3.5 at Auburn
LSU -10.5 vs. Arkansas
Alabama -7.5 at Miss St.
BYU -3.5 at Missouri (in Kansas City)
Ole Miss pick ’em vs. LSU
Arkansas -13.5 vs. Missouri
Alabama -13.5 at Auburn
Florida -5.5 vs. FSU
Georgia -5.5 at Ga. Tech
Lousville -4.5 at Kentucky
Ole Miss -3.5 at Mississippi St.
Clemson -18.5 at South Carolina
Tennessee -17 vs. Vandy

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

–The ‘under’ is 8-0 for Missouri going into Thursday’s home game vs. Mississippi St. As of early Tuesday afternoon, no Vegas books had posted a total. Some offshores opened at 39 on Monday, but they had moved to 41.5 points.

–We can now safely call Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk’s junior season an unmitigated disaster. Less than a week after being reinstated to the team after a suspension that lasted nearly a month, he was suspended for the rest of the season. Reports out of Missouri indicated that Mauk may have been involved in some minor altercation at a bar over the weekend. Whatever the case, it was enough for Gary Pinkel to pull the plug on Mauk’s 2015 campaign. Pinkel has refused to divulge any details on the matter.

–The ‘under’ remained unblemished in Vanderbilt games this past weekend. The Commodores have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 7-0-1 clip.

–Tennessee will be favored in its four remaining games and has an excellent shot at finishing 8-4. With a bowl win, the Volunteers could reach the nine-win mark for the first time since 2007, Phillip Fulmer’s next-to-last year at the helm. Can’t you just see it now? After a win over Northwestern, Penn St. or Minnesota, Butch Jones will be at the post-game presser breaking out every stat on earth about UT playing more freshmen and sophomores than any other blah, blah, blah! Learn how to coach a football game in the fourth quarter, dude!

–When you consider that Marquez North has had a very disappointing season and that Pig Howard was a complete non-factor before being dismissed from the program, UT quarterback Josh Dobbs has had a helluva season. Dobbs has 1,505 passing yards with an 11/3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has 438 rushing yards and seven TDs, in addition to one reception for 58 yards and a TD.

–North is ‘questionable’ Saturday vs. South Carolina due to a back injury.

–When the Gamecocks covered the number as 16-point underdogs in a 35-28 loss at Texas A&M last week, it improved the record of double-digit ‘dogs to 6-2 ATS in SEC play this year. We have three of those this week — Vandy (at Florida), Arkansas (at Ole Miss) and South Carolina (at Tennessee).

–If the Georgia job opens, there seems to be a good bit of chatter that FSU’s Jimbo Fisher would interested in the gig. Guess what, folks? Any coach in the ACC wants that job. In fact, most Power Five coaches outside of the SEC would have interest in moving to Athens.

–This Coaching Carousel is going to be something else. Alabama DC Kirby Smart is reportedly interested in the Va. Tech job. I’ve been saying for years that he’s just waiting for the UGA job to open up. I think Georgia would conduct a national search, but Smart could be in play at his alma mater as an option if it misses out on its first 2-3 targets. Could Jim Mora Jr. be an option for UGA? He was the coach of the Falcons just 66 miles down the road not too long ago. The biggest question to me is how Mark Richt wants to play this. Also, what if UGA wins out? If the Bulldogs fall at Auburn and/or at Ga. Tech (and hey, let’s don’t discount Ga. Southern’s chances ‘tween the hedges in the sandwich game between AU and G-TEch, either!), I can’t fathom Richt retaining his job. Does he retire and make it easy for everyone by accepting some type of fundraising position at Georgia? Does he bolt for the Miami job? Is he even on The U’s radar? Does Richt resign with a smile on his face and talk about doing missionary work? Who knows?! It’s going to be interesting to watch what takes place in Athens over the next 30 days.

–Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader says the honeymoon is over for Mark Stoops at UK.

–Memphis coach Justin Fuente is going to have lots of options but like I’ve been saying for weeks, he should be South Carolina’s No. 1 target.

—SEC Coach of the Year Candidates:
1-Jim McElwain (Florida)
2-Les Miles (LSU)
3-Nick Saban (Alabama)
4-Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss)
5-Dan Mullen (Mississippi St.)

–Truth be told, McElwain has that honor wrapped up.

–I want this to stay a secret because nobody is mentioning it (and I LOVE that), but Florida will undoubtedly be in the playoffs if it wins the rest of its games.

–Auburn DE Carl Lawson returned to action for the first time since Week 1 in AU’s 27-19 home loss to Ole Miss this past Saturday. The stat sheet only credits Lawson for one tackle, but he was disruptive getting off the edge. I think Auburn is going to beat Georgia on Nov. 14 and it might knock off Texas A&M in College Station this weekend. The stats aren’t overly impressive by any means, but I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen out of QB Sean White in the last three games.

–Florida could be without a pair of starting offensive linemen this week against Vandy. Sophomore OT David Sharpe is ‘doubtful’ with a foot injury, while freshman OG Martez Ivey is ‘questionable’ with an ankle sprain.

–Arkansas WR Drew Morgan is listed as ‘questionable’ at Ole Miss, but Bret Bielema told the media Monday that he “should be good to go.” Morgan injured his shoulder in last week’s win over UT-Martin that improved the Razorbacks’ record to 4-4. With injuries galore at the WR position this year, Morgan has enjoyed a breakout campaign with team-highs in receptions (35), receiving yards (498) and TD catches (six). The Hogs had been without three of their best WRs since Week 3. However, one returned last week when Jared Cornelius had four catches for 33 yards. Keon Hatcher remains ‘out’ but is expected to return at some point this month.

–Arkansas QB Brandon Allen has a 15/5 TD-INT ratio.

–I finally had a solid weekend in college football, going 5-1 in Week 9. I’m back in play tonight with some Tuesday MACtion.

–Remember Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett, the Florida QBs who committed to Urban Meyer and signed with the Gators as part of Will Muschamp’s first recruiting class? Both are enjoying stellar senior seasons. Driskel has been outstanding for Skip Holtz at La. Tech, completing 61.6 percent of his throws for 2,729 yards with a 19/4 TD-INT ratio. Driskel has also run for 243 yards and five TDs. The Bulldogs are 6-3 and in line for a trip to the C-USA title game if they can beat So. Miss at home in the regular-season finale (assuming they handle their business in easy games the next two weeks). Brissett has completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,586 yards while leading N.C. St. to a 5-3 record. He has a stellar 13/1 TD-INT ratio and has also run for a pair of scores. In the last two seasons with the Wolfpack, Brissett has 36 TD passes compared to only six interceptions.