On Nov. 5, 2011, Alabama and LSU took the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in a matchup between two undefeated teams, with SEC West supremacy on the line.
Fast forward eight years later, and we’re in the exact same place.This time, both teams have very different different styles of play. That game was dubbed “The Game of the Century,” and ended up with a final score of 9-6. The over/under for this matchup is 62.5, and I would bet my life savings on the over. Football has changed a lot over the past eight years, and it will be evident in this matchup.
While Alabama-LSU will be the game of the week, and possibly the game of the century, there are several other intriguing SEC matchups taking place. So, without further ado, here are the best games from the best conference for Week 11. (RELATED: SEC Week 10 Preview And Predictions: The World’s Largest Cocktail Party)
Appalachian State vs. South Carolina: This is one of the more underrated games of the weekend, but it has the potential to be a great one. The Mountaineers saw their dream season and top 25 ranking go up in flames last week with a home loss to Georgia Southern that probably also ended their hopes of making a Big Six bowl game. Meanwhile, the 4-5 Gamecocks are trying to claw their way to any sort of bowl game, but have to win this one with Texas A&M and Clemson coming up. South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp needs to make a bowl game this year to avoid the hot seat, and South Carolina fans need to see continued improvement from talented freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski, in order to feel good about the future. This is going to be a great game, but I think South Carolina will pull out a close one to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Prediction: South Carolina 30 Appalachian State 24
Missouri vs. Georgia: This has been an odd college football season, but perhaps no team has been more of an enigma than Missouri. They have looked unbeatable at home, going 5-0, but have been incompetent on the road, with losses to Wyoming, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. The Tigers should be 8-0, and this game should be a matchup between two top ten teams, but Missouri has missed an opportunity to have a special season and have been relegated to the role of spoiler. On paper, this could be a bit of a trap game for the Bulldogs, coming off an emotional cocktail party win over Florida, but nothing I’ve seen from Missouri gives me any confidence they can be competitive in this game. The Bulldogs will win big. (RELATED: Celebrating 2nd And 26 On Feb. 26)
Prediction: Georgia 41 Missouri 17
Jake Fromm #11 of the Georgia Bulldogs throws the ball during the first half of the Allstate Sugar Bowl against the Texas Longhorns at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 01, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
LSU vs. Alabama: The game everybody has been waiting all season for is finally here. It’s Alabama vs. LSU. It’s the top team in the AP poll vs. the top team in the Coaches Poll. It’s such a big game that the president of the United States will even be in town. So, who will win? Much of the outcome will be based on whether or not superstar Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will play. I think Alabama is the better team, but Tua’s health continues to loom over this game, and current Heisman front-runner Joe Burrow is good enough to go blow for blow with a healthy Tua, much less an injured one. That being said, the Tigers are also facing some major absences headed into this showdown. LSU sacks leader Michael Divnity left the team earlier this week for unknown reasons, and superstar safety Grant Delpit has also been banged up. Alabama’s defense is a bit down this year, but LSU’s is even worse. I think the Crimson Tide has enough to win a shootout, and continue its undefeated season. This game of the century will go to Alabama.
Prediction: Alabama 38 LSU 31