Can Texas, Oklahoma stay in College Football Playoff hunt? SEC football predictions | Adams
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The consequences of firing an SEC football coach during a season are substantial. And they include more than money.
Just look at how the post-firing season has gone for Arkansas, Florida, LSU and Auburn.
The Razorbacks fired first, sending Sam Pittman into a lucrative retirement. Florida was next, ridding itself of Billy Napier in the least surprising coaching move of the season. In a classic knee-jerk reaction, LSU bolstered the net worth of Brian Kelly after a poor showing against Texas A&M. Finally, Auburn bid adieu to Hugh Freeze.
You might have noticed the teams those coaches left behind haven’t fared well under interim leadership.
The Razorbacks have lost four consecutive games under Bobby Petrino.
Florida is 0-2 post-Napier. And the Gators – now led by interim coach Billy Gonzales − embarrassed themselves in their most recent loss, 38-7 to Kentucky. I can’t remember an SEC team expending less effort in defeat.
LSU’s hard-hitting defense didn’t quit against Alabama. But its offense sunk to a new low, highlighted by back-to-back delay-of-game penalties. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier should opt out while he’s still upright. Interim coach Frank Wilson did him a favor by replacing him with a backup in the fourth quarter.
Auburn’s DJ Durkin should have been honored as the SEC’s interim coach of the week based on how hard his team played in a close loss to Vanderbilt.
Tennessee 52, New Mexico State 10: Coach Josh Heupel can only hope his Vols didn’t watch Florida’s performance against Kentucky. Tennessee has had enough trouble winning in The Swamp without being overconfident.
There’s no way you could have watched the Kentucky-Florida game and not be overconfident against the Gators.
And yes, I realize the Vols don’t play Florida until Nov. 23. But is New Mexico State worth more than this sentence?
Ole Miss 34, Florida 17: Remarkably, the six-loss Gators still could qualify for a bowl. They also have a chance to lose nine games for the first time in 46 years.
Nine losses is more likely than bowl eligibility.
Georgia 27, Texas 21: The Bulldogs running game, which is averaging almost 5.0 yards per carry, keeps improving – as evidenced by Georgia’s 305 yards rushing against Mississippi State.
Its offensive line isn’t the only reason for the progress. Quarterback Gunner Stockton is stretching the field more with his passing.
Texas A&M 38, South Carolina 20: You might have forgotten that the Gamecocks were nationally ranked in preseason. But South Carolina fans haven’t forgotten, which helps explain why heat is building on coach Shane Beamer.
He made a veteran move by firing his offensive coordinator after a loss to Ole Miss. He might want to toss his defensive coordinator overboard after the upcoming loss to the Aggies.
Missouri 30, Mississippi State 24: The season has taken a toll on Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen, who couldn’t finish the game against Georgia because of injury. If he can’t play against the Tigers, you could have a matchup of freshman quarterbacks – Matt Zollers of Missouri and Kamario Taylor of Mississippi State.
Taylor was 6-for-10 passing for 87 yards against Georgia and ran for 53 yards and three touchdowns. Zollers completed only seven of 22 passes against Texas A&M.
LSU 27, Arkansas 21: Although you can’t tell it by their offense, the Tigers are making headway. They have named a new university president and a new athletic director.
Hiring a coach might take longer.
Alabama 24, Oklahoma 17: The Tide struggled offensively in a win over LSU, so Oklahoma’s aggressive defense could pose problems. But Alabama can prevail without much offense if it figures out what Tennessee couldn’t against the Sooners.
If you can slow down quarterback John Mateer’s running, Oklahoma doesn’t have many offensive options.
Kentucky 41, Tennessee Tech 17: Wildcats coach Mark Stoops has caught plenty of heat the past two seasons, but his players still believe him. The Wildcats’ back-to-back wins against Auburn and Florida tell you that.
Record: 85-15 (.850), 59-33 (.638) against the spread.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Adams: Can Texas, Oklahoma stay in CFP hunt? SEC football predictions
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