SEC+3: Week Two Picks

Week one was absolutely full of great games. Week two's schedule is a little bit weaker, but there's still some good ones. We're all tied up after the first week's games, and here are the standings:

 

Keister: 12-4

Godsey: 12-4

Griff: 12-4

 

Here's our picks for week two:

 

Nicholls State vs. (9) Georgia

Keister:  The Bulldogs will primarily use the run again this weekend. This will be a more decisive victory that will allow for some younger players and different ball carriers to get in the mix for Coach Smart’s squad in Athens Saturday.
 

 The Pick: Georgia 48 Nicholls State 7
 

 Godsey: After the difficult win over North Carolina, the Bulldogs will tweak their game, and at halftime rest some players. This will allow the coaching staff to evaluate some of their younger players.

 The Pick: Georgia 52 Nicholls State 13
 

 Griff: We will see a lot of Nick Chubb early, and Georgia gets a nice tune-up this week in a big win.
 

 The Pick: Georgia 56 Nicholls State 6
 

 

Prairie View A&M vs. (20) Texas A&M

 

Keister: After an intense week one victory versus a ranked opponent, the Aggies will be on cruise control for most of this game. Aggie fans will get a glimpse of future starters for a lot of time in this contest.
 

 The Pick: Texas A&M 63  Prarie View A&M 6
 

 Godsey: The Aggies had an impressive victory at home last week and will go 2-0 before heading to Auburn next week.
 

 The Pick: Texas A&M 41 Prarie View A&M 20
 

 Griff: Texas A&M wins big. Oh yeah, in case you were wondering the Panthers are Prairie View A&M’s mascot.
 

 The Pick: Texas A&M 66 Prairie View A&M 10
 

 

Kentucky vs. Florida

 

Keister: The Swamp isn't a kind atmosphere for any opponent, and it’s especially harsh to Kentucky. The Wildcats may score early and keep it somewhat close to start, but in the end defensive woes and poor record against the Gators will continue for the Wildcats. Luke Del Rio and the Gators will iron out some issues and look smoother than they did in the opener against UMass.
 

 The Pick: Florida 30 Kentucky 20
 

 Godsey: An unimpressive win over UMass knocked the Gators out of the top 25. It’ll take a strong outing to put them back in, and I don’t expect this game will be an easy win. I’ll pick the Gators at home, but this game will be closer than expected.
 

 The Pick: Florida 27 Kentucky 24
 

Griff: This game has been a sloppy one the past few years, but Florida has always found a way. I think the recurring theme continues Saturday.
 

 The Pick: Florida 23 Kentucky 17
 

 

Western Kentucky vs. (1) Alabama

 

Keister: The Crimson Tide doesn’t appear to have fallen off from the same dominant style of play. Same head coach and the same team will roll smoothly to another blowout victory in Tuscaloosa.
 

 The Pick: Alabama 55 Western Kentucky 10
 

 Godsey: Either Alabama is a lot better than we thought, or Southern Cal is much worse. The questions we had at quarterback for Alabama seem to have been answered. It seems the Tide have reloaded for another playoff run. Alabama wins at home.
 

 The Pick: Alabama 48 Western Kentucky 10
 

 Griff: Jalen Hurts showed some amazing potential last weekend, and Lane Kiffin gets a chance this weekend gain his quarterback even more experience. The score to this game all depends on when Nick Saban wants to take his foot off the gas.
 

 The Pick: Alabama 52 Western Kentucky 3

 

Wofford vs. (19) Ole Miss

 

Keister: Pains from the Florida State loss are still lingering in Oxford. The Rebels will be out to put this one away early and will be focused on both sides of the ball. Playing a triple option team will make an early hiccup or two certainly possible, but in the end won't matter.
 

 The Pick: Ole Miss 47 Wofford 13
 

 Godsey: It’s been a tough week for the Rebels after the loss to Florida State. Not because of the opponent, but because of the manner in which it all slipped away. The Rebels will get through this game with Wofford and put the last game behind them.
 

The Pick: Ole Miss 56 Wofford 7

 

Griff: I’m going to just throw this one out there and say Ole Miss might hang 70 on the Terriers. Hugh Freeze and his team had to feel a little sick after a tough loss on Labor Day.
 

The Pick: Ole Miss 70 Wofford 10
 

 

Middle Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

 

Keister:  Middle Tennessee is blessed with a luxury that Vanderbilt simply doesn't have: a consistent and accurate quarterback, Brent Stockstill. He will have a field day in this game, and the Blue Raiders will wear the Commodores down with a quick passing game. Middle Tennessee will have a victory secured faster than most would predict.
 

The Pick: Middle Tennessee 33 Vanderbilt 17
 

 Godsey: Vanderbilt could be in trouble again this week. Middle Tennessee can really move ball and they had a really stiff defense in a win over Alabama A&M. I’m going to take the Blue Raiders in a semi-upset.
 

The Pick: Middle Tennessee 31 Vanderbilt 24
 

 Griff: Derek Mason has to regroup his team after a tough opening loss. You’d have to think there’s a lot riding on this game for Vanderbilt, and that makes it intriguing. The Commodores will need play good defense and control the ball, and that will be the difference.
 

The Pick: Vanderbilt 23 Middle Tennessee 21
 

 

South Carolina vs. Mississippi State

 

Keister: Coach Muschamp and company come in to Starkville looking to start 2-0 in conference play. Mississippi State will come out aggressive on both sides of the ball. The Gamecocks will weather the storm and early momentum built by the Bulldogs and display a healthy balance of offensive play calling, with freshman running back A.J. Turner providing a big spark in the passing and running game. Both teams will be more fluid on offense, with South Carolina getting a good performance from the defensive and special teams units to give them the slight edge needed.
 

The Pick: South Carolina 27 Mississippi State 23
 

 Godsey: Both teams need a win this week, one more than the other. South Carolina escaped Vanderbilt in week one and a road win would go a long way as moving forward. We all know what’s at stake for the Bulldogs. Have they fallen so far down this year that competing in the SEC looks impossible? As Lee Corso would say on College Gameday, “Not so fast!” With respect to South Alabama, I think that loss should be chalked up as a fluke. I think Mississippi State proves that this week with a close victory over the Gamecocks.
 

The Pick: Mississippi State 17 South Carolina 14
 

 Griff: This is an interesting game and will evaluate where each team stands this early in the season. This game could end up going a bunch of different ways, but South Carolina’s defense will make the difference.
 

The Pick: South Carolina 24 Mississippi State 23

 

Arkansas vs. (15) TCU

 

Keister: In one of the more interesting contests of the weekend, the Razorbacks will look much improved on offense and dominate the line of scrimmage against a Horned Frogs squad that had 41 scored on them by South Dakota State last weekend. TCU will move the ball and score early, but the depth and physicality of Arkansas will wear down Coach Patterson’s squad in an early key win for Arkansas on the road.
 

The Pick: Arkansas 28 TCU 20
 

 Godsey: This will be a good game to watch, folks. I know Arkansas didn’t exactly make a statement last week, but don’t count them out just yet. I think the TCU offense will be too much for the Razorbacks to handle, but I still expect a good game.
 

The Pick: TCU 38 Arkansas 34
 

 Griff: Here’s another game that’s very interesting. Arkansas’ ability to run the ball will determine the outcome of this game. I’m going to have faith in the Razorbacks ability to dominate the line of scrimmage.
 

The Pick: Arkansas 34 TCU 31

 

Arkansas State vs. Auburn

 

Keister: The Auburn defense flexes its muscle.
 

The Pick: Auburn 31 Arkansas State 14
 

 Godsey: As an Auburn fan, I am looking forward to this game. Auburn wins it, but here is what I am wanting to learn. I want to see how the quarterback rotation plays out, and how the offense responds. Sean White is the man again this week, and that doesn’t mean much when you see three different quarterbacks in a single series. It’ll be interesting to see what scheme they come up with to supplement a weak passing game. The defense against Clemson was phenomenal, and I expect them to do very well against the Red Wolves, so this game comes down to the offense. If the Tigers have trouble against the Red Wolves defense, it’s going to be a long year for the entire Auburn nation.
 

The Pick: Auburn 37 Arkansas State 13
 

 Griff: It will be interesting to see how Auburn tries to get their offense a spark. The Tigers defense is certainly more than capable to win this ball game.
 

The Pick: Auburn 23 Arkansas State 10

 

Eastern Michigan vs. Missouri

 

Keister: This game will be forgettable.
 

The Pick: Missouri 20 Eastern Michigan 14
 

 Godsey: Missouri will handle business at home, but they may have trouble slowing Eastern Michigan down.
 

The Pick: Missouri 38 Eastern Michigan 20
 

 Griff: The Tigers defense will just be too much for Eastern Michigan.
 

The Pick: Missouri 28 Eastern Michigan 13

 

Virginia Tech vs. (17) Tennessee

 

Keister: In Coach Fuente's big game debut for the Hokies, Virginia Tech will come out strong with well-executed play on defense and an early score or two. The Vols will buckle down in the second quarter and answer the early criticisms they've faced after a close call in week one against Appalachian State. Josh Dobbs will display his playmaking ability throughout the game, propelling Coach Jones team to a quality win on a big stage.
 

The Pick: Tennessee 31 Virginia Tech 20
 

 Godsey: We’ve been waiting a long time to see this game, but mostly because of the location. This will be the largest crowd ever at a college football game. I imagine both teams will have trouble calling an audible, especially if it’s a close game. The Vols disappointed a lot of people last week, so we will see if they can make a statement against the Hokies.
 

The Pick: Tennessee 34 Virginia Tech 31
 

 Griff: A battle in Bristol. 160 thousand people will get to see a good football game. It will be a game that’s closer than people expect, but Tennessee survives another week.
 

The Pick: Tennessee 27 Virginia Tech 17

 

Troy vs. (2) Clemson

 

Keister: The fireworks will be on display early and often in Death Valley Saturday with some much awaited debut appearances from blue chip prospects. Troy opened the season with a victory last week, but unfortunately for them Clemson isn't Austin Peay.
 

The Pick: Clemson 47 Troy 13
 

Godsey: No shocker here, Clemson wins big.

 

The Pick: Clemson 56 Troy 10
 

Griff: Tigers will make a strong debut in Death Valley. DeShaun Watson will be looking for a spot on the bench for the entire second half.
 

The Pick: Clemson 63 Troy 13

 

BYU vs. Utah

 

Keister: In what will be a physical and intense matchup between the in-state opponents the dual threat element that Taysom Hill provides along with the momentum from last week’s big opening victory against Arizona will allow the Cougars to take care of business Saturday.
 

 The Pick: BYU 31 Utah 23
 

 Godsey: This game is pretty evenly matched, but the Cougars run game will eventually grind the Utah defense down. This game will go into the fourth quarter, but BYU will pull away.
 

 The Pick: BYU 33 Utah 21
 

 Griff: BYU had a huge victory in week one, and the Cougars have another tough test against Utah this weekend. Taysom Hill will lead the Cougars to another big win.
 

 The Pick: BYU 31 Utah 30

 

Penn State vs. Pittsburgh

 

Keister: In what will be a hard fought, low-scoring defensive affair, having an experienced presence at quarterback will give the Panthers the lift they need in front of the hometown crowd. James Conner and company will stay composed and keep chipping away at the Nittany Lion defense, ultimately getting the extra score needed for the win at Heinz Field.
 

 The Pick: Pittsburgh 17 Penn State 13
 

 Godsey: Neither team has been tested yet, so this rivalry will answer a lot questions on both sides. Like the last pick, the run game will be key in controlling the tempo and keeping the defense fresh. Penn State wins a close game.
 

The Pick: Penn State 28 Pittsburgh 27
 

 Griff: First off, props to Pitt running back James Conner for overcoming his battle with cancer and getting back on the field. That guy has my upmost respect for his bravery battling such an awful disease that affects so many. That being said, this old rivalry should be a solid game. Penn State was my early thought, but I have to go with Pitt’s defense. Give me the Panthers as the tougher cat on Saturday.
 

The Pick: Pittsburgh 24 Penn State 20
 

 

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @GSL_SECPlus3 and @griffaldo. You can also like us on Facebook and follow the blog by mashing the "follow" button in the upper right of your screen. As always, thanks for reading!