Florida vs LSU- Week 7
There has not, nor will there be, a better matchup between a quarterback and his receivers against an opposing defensive secondary this season. Zach Mettenberger of LSU has shown improvement since last season and has proved he’s capable of leading a potent offense. At his side is Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., both of which are phenomenal talents. The trio will face off against the most talented defensive secondary in the nation. Despite being a true freshman, Vernon Hargreaves III has already proven himself to be the best cornerback on the team. Although, Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Roberson, and Jaylen Watkins are all possible top 100 picks for next May’s NFL Draft. The battle will be relentless. In a sense, it is Muhammed Ali vs Joe Frazier. Both forces have dominated their opposition thus far, but this matchup will prove who is superior.
Texas A&M vs Ole Miss- Week 7
Johnny Manziel will clash head-to-head with Bo Wallace. Both are unpredictable, mobile quarterbacks, yet they are quite different. Manziel is a more polished passer that has orchestrated the most lethal, high scoring offense in the SEC. Wallace, on the other hand, holds his offense back from greatness. Wide receivers Donte Moncrief and Laquon Treadwell are large, fascinating talents that can not put up the stats that they are fully capable of due to Wallace’s incompetence. Surprisingly enough, Ole Miss gets the advantage on defense. The Nkemdiche brothers, CJ Johnson, and Charles Sawyer make for a plethora of talent that Texas A&M must find a way to beat.
Georgia vs Florida- Week 10
With injuries littering the Georgia offense, they will have an even tougher time facing the tenacious defense of Florida. Aaron Murray will have the daunting task of facing the Florida defensive backs without two of his most talented wide receivers. Luckily, Todd Gurley will be back at full health by the time this game comes around. As a freshman, Gurley dominated the Gators last year and will likely do so again. Florida’s Tyler Murphy will need to lead his offense to score more points than usual, which is certainly possible considering the youth and inexperience on Georgia’s defense.
Alabama vs LSU- Week 11
Two of the most feared, powerful rushing attacks in the nation are set to square off to possibly determine who will win the SEC West. There is no clear advantage between LSU’s Jeremy Hill and Alabama’s TJ Yeldon, which forces both teams’ quarterbacks to be the difference makers. AJ McCarron is Nick Saban’s prototypical pocket passing game manager that relies on his plethora of talented wide receivers and support from his running backs to be effective. Zach Mettenberger of LSU is a more competent and confident passer, but also has wide receivers of the same caliber. Alabama’s relatively inexperienced defensive backfield will struggle to keep Mettenberger’s passing attack at bay.
Texas A&M vs LSU- week 13
The erratic tendencies of Johnny Manziel meet up against the pocket passing of Zach Mettenberger in this SEC showdown. In terms of talent level, both offense mirror each other. Texas A&M has Ben Malena as a weapon out of the backfield, while LSU has the brutal, violent running support of Jeremy Hill. At wide receiver, A&M’s Mike Evans and Malcome Kennedy will attempt to out play LSU’s dynamic duo of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. It will be up to LSU’s superior defense, led by Craig Loston and Anthony Johnson, to contain Manziel and allow Mettenberger to play stress-free football.