In the SEC, virtually every game is an important one. However, there probably won’t be a game in the SEC this season that means more than our No. 2 game of the season, the clash between the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

LSU Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide Picks & Info
LSU Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide Date: Saturday, November 5th
LSU Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
LSU Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide Spread: Alabama Crimson Tide -5.5

The Tigers are going to open up this game ranked as the No. 1 team in the country, as they are just in front of the BCS Rankings. They have had a tumultuous season chock full of suspensions and players that have been dealing with other off the field issues. QB Jordan Jefferson was suspended for the first month of the season, but he is back, though he is splitting time with QB Jarrett Lee. This defense is one of the best in the country, and it has shut down virtually every team that it has run up against. There isn’t a team in America that has played a schedule that has been this tough. The Bayou Bengals have already won a de facto road game against the Oregon Ducks and a legitimate road game against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: LSU 24 – Alabama 21
2009: Alabama 24 – LSU 15
2008: Alabama 27 – LSU 21
2007: LSU 41 – Alabama 34
2006: LSU 28 – Alabama 14
2005: LSU 16 – Alabama 13
2004: LSU 26 – Alabama 10
2003: LSU 27 – Alabama 3
2002: Alabama 31 – LSU 0
2001: LSU 35 – Alabama 21
2000: LSU 30 – Alabama 28
1999: Alabama 23 – LSU 17
1998: Alabama 22 – LSU 16
1997: LSU 27 – Alabama 0
1996: Alabama 26 – LSU 0

This was supposed to be a rough year for the Crimson Tide, as they had to replace their three biggest offensive stars at quarterback, wide receiver, and running back. However, RB Trent Richardson has been a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, and the likelihood is there that he could end up taking the honors for this award right here in this game. Scarily enough, the Tide have allowed less than half the touchdowns to opponents that Richardson has scored. Heck, the total yardage between the opponents and Richardson isn’t all that far apart either. Head Coach Nick Saban and company haven’t played that tough of a schedule yet, but that win at the Penn State Nittany Lions is looking better and better as the weeks pass and the Lions climb up the polls.

Alabama opened up this season at -6 in this game, but since that point, the line has come out at +5.5 at 5Dimes, and +5 at some other outlets. We fully expect to see this number drop over the course of the next two weeks, though both of these teams are on bye until the game the first weekend of November.

LSU Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 10/23/11):
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LSU Tigers (+5.5) @ Alabama Crimson Tide

With Boise State leaving the WAC, things have definitely opened up for the other teams in this conference. Of course, what we have to remember most about last season is that it wasn’t the boys from the Blue Turf that won the conference: the Nevada Wolf Pack (Current WAC Odds: 2.15 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) did. Sure, Nevada has its own problems this year replacing a stud signal caller in Colin Kaepernick, who felt like he was playing in Reno for at least seven years, and the likes of Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott are gone from the backfield, but Head Coach Chris Ault almost always fields a competent side. After dealing with four straight hellacious road games to start off the season (including a trip to Boise), Nevada plays six of its last eight games at home with those two roadies at New Mexico State and Utah State. There’s no excuse for the Wolf Pack not to win this conference.

Head Coach Pat Hill always has his Fresno State Bulldogs (2011 WAC Lines: 3.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) ready to take on anyone in the country, and this season, he gets to face Cal, Nebraska, Ole Miss, and Boise State out of conference play. The problem here is that this team just plays too many games on the road (seven to be exact), and it’s stuck with the extra road game in conference this year. Games at Nevada, Idaho, and Hawaii won’t be fun to say the least, and unless Hill’s defense can rank a whole heck of a lot better than No. 83 in the nation in scoring like it did last year, the Dogs are in trouble.

The media has selected the Hawaii Warriors (Current WAC Odds: 2.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) as the favorites for the WAC this year, but we just aren’t so sure that it is justified. WRs Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares were both 1,500+ yard receivers a year ago, and RB Alex Green rumbled for nearly 1,200 yards and accounted for 19 scores. QB Bryant Moniz is back in the saddle, and he is surely going to throw for over 5,000 yards once again this year, but this Hawaii defense is just woeful at times. Parlay all of that with the newcomers that have to slot in on offense and the road trips to Nevada, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, and San Jose State, and the makings are there for a 5-2 or 4-3 mark in conference play.

2011 Odds To Win The WAC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/28/11):
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Nevada Wolf Pack 2.15 to 1
Hawaii Warriors 2.50 to 1
Fresno State Bulldogs 3.50 to 1
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 7 to 1
Idaho Vandals 17.50 to 1
San Jose State Spartans 19 to 1
Utah State Aggies 22 to 1
New Mexico State Aggies 36 to 1

The Sun Belt is one of the more open conferences in America this year, but the teams in this division are definitely up and coming. This is no longer just the doormat for the rest of college football. Case in point: The Florida International Golden Panthers (Current Sun Belt Odds: 2.40 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). FIU didn’t exactly come out of nowhere last season, but it did end up winning the conference crown and winning its bowl game against Toledo. Getting both Troy and Florida Atlantic at home this year is a big plus, but there are definitely some challenges coming if this offense can’t put up anywhere near the 28.8 points per game that it did a year ago.

You know that the perennial powers of the Sun Belt, the Troy Trojans (2011 Sun Belt Lines: 2.40 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) are bound and determined to get their conference title back this season, especially after losing it at home against FIU in bad form last season. Even though WR Jerrel Jernigan has moved on to the next level, QB Corey Robinson still has the potential to be the best player in this conference. He threw for 3,726 yards as a true freshman, and he should easily eclipse the 4,000 yard barrier this year in this offense as long as he stays healthy.

The team to watch out for as the up and coming bunch is the third favorite in the conference, the Arkansas State Red Wolves (Current Sun Belt Odds: 6.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Both FIU and Troy are paying visits to Jonesboro this year, and that bodes well for a team which was a lot better than its 4-8 record indicated last season. ASU lost five games by a TD or fewer last season, and its 52-26 loss at eventual National Champions Auburn Tigers turned out to look not all that bad, all things considered. QB Ryan Aplin was good for right at 30.0 PPG last season, but the key for the Red Wolves will be establishing a defense after allowing a miserable 440.5 YPG on the campaign in 2010.

2011 Odds To Win The Sun Belt @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/28/11):
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Florida International Golden Panthers 2.40 to 1
Troy Trojans 2.40 to 1
Arkansas State Red Wolves 6.25 to 1
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 6.75 to 1
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders 8.50 to 1
North Texas Mean Green 11 to 1
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 15 to 1
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 16 to 1
Florida Atlantic Owls 19 to 1

Last season, the Florida State Seminoles looked completely outclassed on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners. This year, with both teams starting off ranked in the Top 5 of the country, the Noles will look to exact some revenge for what might amount to be the start of a National Championship season for both.

Oklahoma @ Florida State Picks & Info
Oklahoma Sooners @ Florida State Game Date: Saturday, September 17, 2011
Oklahoma @ FSU Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Oklahoma @ Florida State Game Line: Florida State Seminoles +2

The Sooners have some high hopes this season after a few years of relative disappointment after the injuries and departure of QB Sam Bradford. However, it wasn’t the offense that was the problem last year. QB Landry Jones tore apart defenses to the tune of over 4,700 yards, and he very well could be in for even better numbers this year with more emphasis coming on the passing game. WR Ryan Broyles had a field day in this fixture last year, going for 124 yards and a score on a dozen receptions. The defense was an issue for the most part, but not against FSU. This unit held the Noles down to just 345 total yards, a true accomplishment after racking up 500 yards of offense.

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida State Seminoles Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Oklahoma 47 – Florida State 17
2001: Oklahoma 13 – Florida State 2 (National Championship Game)

FSU has never really had any luck against the Sooners, getting beaten twice relatively badly. Now, Head Coach Jimbo Fisher is going to hope that QB EJ Manuel has the goods to get the job done this year in what could amount to be the biggest game that the Garnet and Gold have had in quite some time. The defense picked up the slack over the back half of the season until the ACC Championship Game, and Fisher knows that this unit is going to be the key at home to stopping the Sooners’ mighty attack. Look for DB Greg Reid, who had a terrible game last year, to have a significantly better showing. He could be the difference maker in this one.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Florida State Seminoles Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/26/11):
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Oklahoma Sooners (-2) @ Florida State Seminoles

The SEC is always one of the roughest conferences to try to handicap, as the National Champions usually end up coming from this conference. This year, could we be saying the same thing? The favorites to take down the conference crown are the Alabama Crimson Tide (Current SEC Odds: 2.05 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Tide are losing a ton from last year’s offense, but when you look past the fact that QB Greg McIlroy, WR Julio Jones, and RB Mark Ingram are gone, you see that there is still a heck of a lot of talent coming back for Head Coach Nick Saban. It’s not like Saban hasn’t been able to figure out how to recruit in the past and then get the most out of what he brought into town. QB AJ McCarron should be fine, and so should the Alabama ‘D’. The biggest problem game on the slate is at home, a date with LSU.

Speaking of the LSU Tigers (2011 SEC Lines: 4.75 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook), they’re the next in a hoard of teams in the conference that are lined in the +475ish range to win this conference crown. We know that it is likely going to take a win against Alabama on the road to win the SEC, something that definitely won’t come easily. We’ll find out quite a bit right away this year when the Bayou Bengals take on the Oregon Ducks at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and it’ll be clear if QB Jordan Jefferson and company can’t keep up with the Quack Attack, they won’t be able to win this conference either.

The team that really could be there for the watching this season is the Georgia Bulldogs (Current SEC Odds: 4.75 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). We don’t really think that Head Coach Mark Richt and company have assembled the best team in the SEC East this season, but we don’t think that there is another team out there that can say that they have as easy of a road as UGA does. This is the year that the team gets the extra conference home game thanks to the fact that the annual Cocktail Party against Florida was originally slated as a road game, and to top it all off, both Alabama and LSU are dodged on the slate. Whereas South Carolina, another one of the favorites in the SEC East doesn’t get a real good look at some heavy duty competition until these two teams meet “Between the Hedges” in Week 2, Georgia gets to start off with a stern test against Boise State. With a lot on the line for Richt and the growth of QB Aaron Murray expected in his sophomore season, we wouldn’t be shocked to see the Dawgs right there when it’s said and done with playing for the SEC title.

2011 Odds To Win The SEC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Alabama Crimson Tide 2.05 to 1
Florida Gators 4.60 to 1
Georgia Bulldogs 4.75 to 1
LSU Tigers 4.75 to 1
South Carolina Gamecocks 6.25 to 1
Arkansas Razorbacks 17.50 to 1
Mississippi State Bulldogs 22 to 1
Tennessee Volunteers 22 to 1
Auburn Tigers 37 to 1
Kentucky Wildcats 85 to 1
Mississippi Rebels 85 to 1
Vanderbilt Commodores 185 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The SEC East Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Georgia Bulldogs 1.80 to 1
Florida Gators 1.90 to 1
South Carolina Gamecocks 2 to 1
Tennessee Volunteers 9 to 1
Kentucky Wildcats 33 to 1
Vanderbilt Commodores 75 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The SEC West Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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Alabama Crimson Tide 1 to 1.40
LSU Tigers 2.75 to 1
Arkansas Razorbacks 9.15 to 1
Mississippi State Bulldogs 13 to 1
Auburn Tigers 18 to 1
Mississippi Rebels 33 to 1

We’re down to the point that it is awfully hard to pick which games are better than one another, but in this Top 5 showdown, the LSU Tigers and Oregon Ducks will meet, not just for conference bragging rights, but in a game that could be an early elimination game from BCS National Championship contention.

LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Picks & Info
LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Date: Saturday, September 3rd, 8:00 ET
LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Spread: Oregon Ducks pk

This is going to be the toughest test of the year for the LSU offense and the LSU defense. No, the Oregon defense isn’t the greatest on the planet, but it definitely is a unit that has an easier job than most thanks to this offense. QB Jordan Jefferson really hasn’t played all that well in his career, but in this case, he knows that he is probably going to have to account for at least three or four TDs for his team to even have a shot. Sure, the Bayou Bengals will have the advantage of having to travel just a few hours instead of halfway across the country to get to this one, but this should be a fairly bi-partisan crowd. The only advantage comes on the defensive side of the ball, where Head Coach Les Miles has been working all Spring and Summer long trying to figure out how to slow down what the Ducks are going to be bringing their way in this primetime showdown.

LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Past Games (Since 1996)
None

Oregon, on the other hand, is going to try to make sure that it doesn’t end up getting into the same situation in this game that it did the last time that it played a team from the SEC West. The Auburn Tigers were able to relatively silence this potent offense, but we have to remember that that came after a long, long layoff thanks to the time lapse between the last game of the regular season and the BCS National Championship Game. One might think that the time off might be an issue this year as well, but QB Darron Thomas and RB LaMichael James were off and running last season at the outset, and we see no reason why that can’t continue this year, starting off in less than two weeks’ time against the high flying LSU defense.

LSU Tigers @ Oregon Ducks Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/24/11):
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LSU Tigers (pk) @ Oregon Ducks

The Big 10 (err… Big 12?) definitely has a new look to it this season with the addition of the Cornhuskers into the fold. But will they be able to make the big time impact that everyone is looking for in this conference? One, and potentially two bids will be on the line on October 1st when Big Red tries to make its first Big 10 statement in Camp Randall against the Badgers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Picks & Info
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Date: Saturday, October 1st
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Spread: Wisconsin Badgers -2.5

Nebraska thinks that it can be a National Championship contender this year, but it is clear that this is the biggest test on the slate. Remember that this could be the first of two meetings against Wisky on the season, as there is a very possible date for these two in the first Big 10 Championship Game as well. QB Taylor Martinez did great against the Washington Huskies in the first go around of those two teams last season, but when push came to shove, U-Dub got the best of him and the Huskers in the Holiday Bowl. Cause for concern? Head Coach Bo Pelini is going to hope that a defense that ranked No. 10 in the nation last year at 308.2 yards per game can keep things going in spite of the fact that over the last two seasons, the team has lost some absolute studs on this side of the ball in DT Ndamukong Suh and DB Prince Amukamara.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Past Games (Since 1995)
None

The Badgers are going to look a whole heck of a lot like they did last year. We know that RB John Clay is no longer in the fold, but the two men that shined last season in his absence, RB Montee Ball and RB James White are still here in Madison. Those three helped Wisconsin to the No. 11 rushing offense in the land at 247.1 yards per game, and they did so without the use of a mobile quarterback bolstering the yardage totals. This year, QB Russell Wilson at least brings a level of athleticism to the fold, but he also gives Head Coach Bret Bielema the best signal caller that he has had in his short time at Wisconsin since taking over for the famed Barry Alvarez. This is going to be the fifth straight home game to start the season, and if Wisconsin can get past this one, it should be a Top 5 team in the nation and be 6-0 going into games against Michigan State and Ohio State on the road in back to back weeks.

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/23/11):
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Nebraska Cornhuskers (+2.5) @ Wisconsin Badgers