Southern Conference Power Rankings/Predictions - Week 10.

[BlackNGoldR3v0lut10n]

This past week I went 2-2, Chattanooga came back to tie the game with Elon only to have Coleman dump the game away two interceptions that Elon converted into TDs. Georgia Southern found out the hard way that they are not as good without Jaybo Shaw. This week's power rankings (number of parenthesis indicates number of wins needed to be eligible for an at-large playoff bid).

1) Appalachian State (Qualified) - with this win, their ticket to the playoffs is punched
2) Wofford (1) - Feeling good about their chances to get into the playoffs
3) Furman (3*) - effort was good vs. Appalachian State
4) Elon (out) - victory vs. Chattanooga came at a price
5) Samford (out) - shocks the SoCon with win over Georgia Southern
6) Chattanooga (2) - Coleman threw five interceptions, C'mon Man!
7) Georgia Southern (3*) - in trouble at a bad time as ASU comes a calling
8) Western Carolina (out) - gets a respite for the rest of their season
9) The Citadel (out) - ran out of the stadium by Wofford

*-indicates one loss away from elimination for at-large consideration

Week 10 Predictions
Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern - no Jaybo Shaw, no chance
Western Carolina @ Furman - WCU may have a chance, then again maybe not
Chattanooga @ Auburn (Beatdown of the week) - Auburn makes short work of Chattanooga
Elon @ The Citadel - Phoenix defense could be enough vs. The Citadel
Wofford @ Samford (game of the week) - Samford finds out the hard way that Wofford is not Georgia Southern

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

I'm willing to bet App will score fewer on us than they have on anyone so far, but with Jaybo not being 100% and the OL being banged up there's just no way we can score enough to win the game. It will be closer than ASU fans (and GSU fans for that matter) think, though.

Auburn by 20
Wofford big (Wofford is much better than Sammy who really only won because of a fluke interception)
Elon
Furman of course

[SU DOG]

Samford really only won because of a fluke interception??? xlolx

[T-Dog]

It will be closer than ASU fans (and GSU fans for that matter) think, though.

True App fans know that any win in Statesboro is a good win. Don't care how it's done, just want the win.

[Smitty]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern
Western Carolina @ Furman
Chattanooga @ Auburn
Elon @ The Citadel
Wofford @ Samford

All the left side this week... I think Western may pull an upset this week but would not be surprised if we still get beat.

[insideout08]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern
Western Carolina @ Furman
Chattanooga @ Auburn
Elon @ The Citadel
Wofford @ Samford

All the left side this week... I think Western may pull an upset this week but would not be surprised if we still get beat.

Chattanooga over Auburn? Ha, nice.

[seantaylor]

We are just really bad in all phases of the game right now. I honestly don't think we win another game. We just have zero speed on the field at all times.

[Smitty]

Chattanooga over Auburn? Ha, nice.

LOL yeah I wish didn't see that I selected that

[The Cats]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern
Western Carolina @ Furman
Chattanooga @ Auburn
Elon @ The Citadel
Wofford @ Samford

[SpeedkingATL]

We are just really bad in all phases of the game right now. I honestly don't think we win another game. We just have zero speed on the field at all times.

I hope you are right....

[biggie]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern
Western Carolina @ Furman
Chattanooga @ Auburn
Elon @ The Citadel
Wofford @ Samford

[Cincy App]

I'm willing to bet App will score fewer on us than they have on anyone so far, but with Jaybo not being 100% and the OL being banged up there's just no way we can score enough to win the game. It will be closer than ASU fans (and GSU fans for that matter) think, though.



I expect a close game in Statesboro. I don't think ASU has beaten GSU by more than one score in any game in Statesboro since since GSU joined the SoCon. GSU may be down but the Apps should be prepared for a struggle.

[Saint3333]

ASU has never won by more than 7 in Statesboro. They are 3-6 down there, certainly no sure thing. In 2006 GSU was terrible and an AE led ASU team only won by 7 and had to come back to win it, a miracle run after catch by Mayfield.

[theasushow]

ASU has never won by more than 7 in Statesboro. They are 3-6 down there, certainly no sure thing. In 2006 GSU was terrible and an AE led ASU team only won by 7 and had to come back to win it, a miracle run after catch by Mayfield.

when AE got sacked in the end zone during the 2008 game, I lost about 5 years of my life.

[PaladinFan]

I'm encouraged by Furman's effort at App. Lot of injuries and a few suspensions have really hurt the offense, but the defense has done a complete 180 from last season. I'm wondering if winning out and finishing 7-4 saves Bobby Lamb's job.

[AppStsGr8]

True App fans know that any win in Statesboro is a good win. Don't care how it's done, just want the win.

That's for sure. I don't care what any stats or records say when App goes to Statesboro. An App win isn't assured by any stretch of the imagination. Go App!

[AshevilleApp2]

I'm encouraged by Furman's effort at App. Lot of injuries and a few suspensions have really hurt the offense, but the defense has done a complete 180 from last season. I'm wondering if winning out and finishing 7-4 saves Bobby Lamb's job.

If you manage 7-4 there's still a chance of making the playoffs. I would think that would save his job. Either way, be careful what you wish for. Every program goes through rough patches. Many App fans wanted Jerry Moore fired after the 2004 season.

[SpeedkingATL]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern - The game of the week in the SoCon and one that I expect will be very closely contested. GSU has stumbled of late but in this grude match GSU has always been very tough on App at Paulson and I expect this year to be no different. App is better against the run this year but will be faceing the best rushing attack they've seen this year. The final is 28-26 App with the game going to the final whistle.

Western Carolina @ Furman - Furman has seen their season kinda go down the drain the last 2 weeks as the injuries and suspensions have finally taken their toll. That said, they are a better team than WCU and their pass defense will shut down the Cats best weapon in their passing game as they did a pretty good job against Apps passing attack. Playing to save Lambchop's head coaching job, Furman wins 28-17.

Chattanooga @ Auburn - Really bad time for UTC to travel to Auburn as they are firing on all cylinders and working hard to impress the BCS poll voters. Coleman will do a little damage to the Auburn secondary, but the Mocs defense in no match for the Auburn offensive machine at The Flats. Auburn wins 56-21.

Elon @ The Citadel - The big question this week is will the Citdogs score as they have thrown up zeros in their last 2 contests. Riddle racks up the yardage as the Citdogs are again ineffective running the option. Elon wins in Charleston 38 - 7.

Wofford @ Samford - This suddenly looks like an actual contest as Sammy has played much better football the last few weeks and Chris Evans has really found his stride. Sammy plays everyone tough and they will give the ankle-biters a good contest at home fighting for that winning record. As an App fan would love to see the upset but it won't happen this week. Ankle-biters win 31-28.

[ashram]

Any UTC fans making the trip to Auburn? We had a great trip down there last year. Their fans were pretty much all really nice and parking was easy. You can walk down the street anywhere in town and say "war eagle" and someone will say it back to you.

[Woof]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern - mountain people too much for depleted Eaglets
Western Carolina @ Furman - in battle for ugliest school colors, furples prove too much for outmanned kitties
Chattanooga @ Auburn -normally pull for the upset, but not this week. Sorry Mocs, but don't want you to be too confident in 3 weeks. Cam Newton is a machine!
Elon @ The Citadel - Boy is El Cid bad. Terriers could have scored at will, but put in 2nd and 3rd teamers early. Elon need only show up. Citadel gift wraps another conf. W.
Wofford @ Samford - Expect Sammy to give us a close game. Shoud not be a high scoring affair. Think our D will slow Evans down a bit. Pray that our O starts firing on all cylinders again.

[PaladinFan]

If you manage 7-4 there's still a chance of making the playoffs. I would think that would save his job. Either way, be careful what you wish for. Every program goes through rough patches. Many App fans wanted Jerry Moore fired after the 2004 season.

I think the people that want Lamb gone are vastly in the minority. He's never had a losing season and Furman's graudation rate for football players is astronomically high (97%). As far as the administration goes, its hard to can a guy that has devoted nearly 30 years to your institution, wins, and graduates nearly everyone who plays for him. I personally like the way he runs the program. I like that he has had to get out the discipline stick only a few times in his tenure, and when he does, it's zero tolerance.

No team is entitled to win. I appreciate that Furman has had winning seasons each year Lamb has been there. There have been a lot of other national powers that have had miserable seasons in recent memory. Furman may not be in the title hunt, but they've always been in the playoff conversation.

[UCMoc]

Any UTC fans making the trip to Auburn? We had a great trip down there last year. Their fans were pretty much all really nice and parking was easy. You can walk down the street anywhere in town and say "war eagle" and someone will say it back to you.

I am going to stay the weekend down there. I'm really looking forward to seeing everything they have to offer. In the past, when I've gone to these types of "money games," everyone has been very welcoming.

[chattanoogamocs]

I am going to stay the weekend down there. I'm really looking forward to seeing everything they have to offer. In the past, when I've gone to these types of "money games," everyone has been very welcoming.

I think most of the time they are nice because they aren't terribly concerned...they know the odds of their team losing are pretty slim. If fans perceive your team as a threat, that's when the trash talking begins.

[PaladinFan]

I think most of the time they are nice because they aren't terribly concerned...they know the odds of their team losing are pretty slim. If fans perceive your team as a threat, that's when the trash talking begins.

Furman played Auburn in the same slot last season. The crowd will be rather tame as many of the die hards will sell their tickets to families looking to see a game. Expect a big crowd (80k plus), just not a crazy one.

[Reign of Terrier]

Ankle-biters win 31-28.

too high of a score. The winner will have no more than 28 points maximum and the loser will probably have <17 points

[TBone]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern; App St wins a close one 31-30
Western Carolina @ Furman; Furman rolls 28-10
Chattanooga @ Auburn
Elon @ The Citadel; Elon 42-14
Wofford @ Samford; Terriers D plays tough 27-13

[GunsAndGuitars]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern - I'm ready for the stress...I'm just not sure the 2 packs of smokes and a 12 pack are going to cut it this weekend. 35-30
Western Carolina @ Furman - I can't bring myself to call an upset here, but the battle of the purples might be closer than people think...maybe. 28-24
Chattanooga @ Auburn - I'd love to see the Mocs win, but stopping Cam Newton? 45-7
Elon @ The Citadel - I'd love to see Elon lose this weekend as much as I'd like to see UTC win. Does Citadel even score this weekend? 42-0
Wofford @ Samford - Auburn will score than both of these teams combined. 20-13

[SouthernEagle02]

Western Carolina (2-6, 1-4) at Furman (4-4, 2-3)
After enjoying the week off, Western makes the trip over the mountain to face Furman in a rather lackluster game. Lackluster because this game is nothing more than a respect game for both teams. Western is trying to match their total conference wins from last year, while the Paladins hope to rebound and get some momentum going heading into the final weeks. Both teams played App St in their last games and both lost: Furman by 11 and Western by 23. Furman only amassed 266 offensive yards while they gave up 363. Western fared better, gaining 349 yards but gave up close to 400. 363 and 391 yards given up by the two defenses. This honestly is a tossup as the Paladins field the #7 offense while the Cats #8. But I’ll go with the Paladins in this one.
Furman 28 Western Carolina 21

Chattanooga (5-3, 4-2) at Auburn (9-0, 6-0)
After getting defeated by the Phoenix of Elon 49-35, the Mocs make the trip to Auburn, Alabama for a date with the SEC West leading Tigers. I was actually surprised UTC lost, mainly because offensively they seemed to fare better than Elon. But then I read the stat sheet further and saw that they more or less self-destructed. It’s hard to win a game with your QB tosses 5 picks, three of which were pick 6’s, you fumble the ball twice, and you commit 7 penalties. Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare after beating Ole Miss 51-31. It gets ugly early for the Mocs, but they make it respectable at the end.
Auburn 58 Chattanooga 28

Elon (3-5, 2-3) at The Citadel (2-7, 0-6)
After knocking of the Mocs 49-35, the Phoenix continue the road show by traveling to Charleston to play The Citadel. In the win over UTC, Scott Riddle & AJ Harris led the offensive attack as Riddle threw for 260 yards and a pair of TD’s, while Harris rushed for 4 TD’s and 163 yards. The Elon defense did their part by forcing 2 fumbles and intercepting BJ Coleman 5 times. On the other side, the Bulldogs will try and rebound after getting drubbed by Wofford 35-0. The Bulldogs haven’t found the end zone & only have a combined 303 offensive yards in their last two games. If I’m a Citadel fan, I’d be concerned. But then again, seeing as the Bulldogs haven’t won a conference game in 2010, why waste the energy? I’ll take Elon in this one, but maybe, just maybe the Citadel’s #3 defense will make them earn it.
Elon 42 Citadel 10

Wofford (7-1, 5-0) at Samford (4-4, 2-3)
Wofford takes their undefeated SoCon record to Birmingham to face the Bulldogs of Samford on Sammy’s homecoming weekend. Both teams were victorious in their last outings (Wofford d. Citadel/Samford d. GS). In the victory over the Citadel, Wofford’s option attack posted 362 offensive yards with Breitenstien and Johnson each collecting rushing TD’s. The Terrier defense stepped up by keeping the Bulldogs scoreless and out of the red zone. The Terriers special teams also helped the cause as they never allowed the Bulldogs to start a drive in Terrier territory. Samford returns home after beating Georgia Southern 20-13. This was Sammy’s third consecutive victory over the Eagles and in the win the Bulldog offense managed to post 319 yards while the defense held the Eagles to their second lowest offensive output, forced 4 fumbles, picked up 2 sacks, and intercepted Jaybo Shaw once. Unfortunately for Samford, Wofford is a much better team than Georgia Southern. Wofford owns the top spot on defense and seeing how Samford fields the #5 offense, it will be difficult for Sammy to score points. Wofford spoils Samford’s homecoming in a big way
Wofford 49 Samford 13

App St (8-0, 6-0) at Georgia Southern (4-4, 2-3)
Its App St, its homecoming, & the game is in the ‘Boro. Add that together and you should get a pretty darn good game. However, the key word in that sentence is should. The Mountaineers are playing championship football and seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time; while the Eagles are playing terrible football and have zero sense of urgency or heart. In their last game, the Mountaineers took care of Furman 37-26. App posted 363 offensive yards & Pressley had another terrific day (137 passing yard and 80 rushing yards). The Eagles on the other hand were defeated by Samford for the third time in three years and were held to only 174 offensive yards. True, the Eagles started a true freshman at QB, but even when Jaybo came in, nothing happened. Bottom line it was a pathetic performance by the Eagles.

However, this is the GS/App St. game & history has shown that both teams bring it regardless of the season they’re having. Aside from knocking off the #1 team in the SoCon and it being homecoming, the Eagles have extra incentive for winning this game. The extra incentive comes in the form revenge from the beat down they received last year in Boone. Personally I loathe this game. Why? Mainly because if we lose, it will be yet another year I’ll have to listen to my cousin (who’s a App alum and frequent poster here) for another year. But also because it’s such a close game and always come down to who makes the fewest mental mistakes. But I digress. While my heart tells me Eagles by 3, my head (and correctly so) says the Mountaineers by 7 in OT.
App St. 35 Georgia Southern 28 OT

[AndrewFU21]

I'm surprised to see so many picking Furman/Western to be a close game. Even the mediocre FU teams of the last few years have crushed WCU.

[Smitty]

It should be Furman all the way in the game however if WCU can finish a drive, they can be competitive. I'm not getting my hopes up (learned that after the Samford game) but it should be pretty interesting.

[longtimemocfan]

Appalachian State @ Georgia Southern- Too bad Shaw isn't 100%. To me GSU has one of the better secondaries in the conference.
Western Carolina @ Furman-We will see if Western has any pride left in them.
Chattanooga @ Auburn-Maybe Newton is worried about the scandal that has been surrounding him. Doubt it. Auburn by a lot.
Elon @ The Citadel-Never did hear how bad Riddle was injured. I think the back up to him is more than adequate if they have to use him.
Wofford @ Samford- The battle of the dogs. Samford for whatever reason has played better on the road in conference play.

[chattanoogamocs]

Maybe if the Mocs paid him 200K of the guarantee money, he could throw the game out way. :)