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A-Z guide to SEC bowl season

Chris Wright

By Chris Wright

Published:

Going to New Orleans, Dallas or Houston? You don’t need our help to have a good time.

Here’s a not-so-obvious A-Z guide to help you through the SEC’s bowl games, names, places and people:

A — Alabama: Doesn’t everything involving college football begin with Alabama? The Crimson Tide have won more championships (15) and more bowl games (35) than any other football-playing program.

B — Birmingham: Site of Auburn vs. Memphis. Check out The Garage Cafe for pregame beverage needs … or postgame if Paxton Lynch gets loose on that shaky Auburn secondary.

C — Charlotte: Site of Mississippi State vs. N.C. State. With the wife? Spoil her with an evening at Crave, a dessert and martini bar just minutes from Bank of America Stadium. With the fellas? Yeah, there’s spots for you, too.

(Craft beer lovers, see T: Tampa Bay.)

D — Dak Prescott: Greatest QB in Bulldogs history vs. @StateCoachD, Dave Doeren. Winner gets to fill in this category next season.

E — Emmanuel Ogbah: You know Myles Garrett, right? Ogbah had more sacks (13.0) as the dominant force on Oklahoma State’s defense. His matchup against Ole Miss LT Laremy Tunsil could be the best of the bowl season.

“He’s violent,” Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer told USA Today. “He’s powerful. He’s got great speed for his size. He’s long. He’s got tremendous body control for his size. All those measurables that you want that guy to have, he’s got ‘em. It’s why the (NFL) loves him.”

F — Favorites: The SEC is favored in nine of its 10 bowl games. Michigan over Florida is the exception. Alabama is a 9-point favorite to beat Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl playoff semifinal.

G — Glendale, Arizona: Site of the national championship game. One-hundred and 28 teams opened camp with dreams of ending it here. Four have a chance, including Alabama.

H — Horn Boss (or Houston): Houston is the site of LSU vs. Texas Tech, where Leonard Fournette will attempt to run all over the Red Raiders. Usually behind that soft pitch, which they call “Horn Boss.” Might as well rename it “House Call.”

https://vine.co/v/ePBu0jvJdOt

I — Impact freshman: The SEC has many, but not all. Penn State RB Saquon Bailey ran for 1,007 yards (second nationally among freshmen) and 7 TDs. Michigan State RB L.J. Scott scored 11 TDs, including the game-winner in the Big Ten Championship Game that sent the Spartans to the playoffs.

J — Jacksonville, Fla.: Site of Georgia vs. Penn State. The 17th green at TPC Sawgrass is about 30 miles southeast. It’s a public course … not built for the public. Bring a credit card and a dozen balls.

K — jaKe coKer: We’ve been saying all season, at some point, Alabama’s QB will have to win a game. The window-crack TD throw he made to beat double coverage against Florida might have been his most impressive of the season. Michigan State will try everything in its power to negate Derrick Henry. Do Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban have enough confidence in Coker to let it fly?

L — Linebackers: Michigan State has two in particular, Riley Bullough and John Reschke, who apparently want some of what Derrick Henry has to offer. Reschke told spartantailgate.com that they’re going to hit Henry harder than they’ve hit anyone.

M — Mike Dantonio: Kidding! No coach outkicks his recruiting coverage more than Mark Dantonio. His past four recruiting classes were ranked No. 41, No. 40, No. 22 and No. 22.

N — Nashville: Site of Texas A&M vs. Louisville. Try the hot chicken. Anywhere. But especially at Hattie B’s and Prince’s.

O — Outback Bowl: It’s true, you can’t spell that, either, without UT. Would throw the Head Ball Coach a hat tip, but I know he only wears visors.

P — Please don’t go: Dear Ole Miss juniors, Derrick Henry, Vernon Hargreaves, A’Shawn Robinson, etc., etc., thanks for the memories. Now go create a few more on your way out.

Q — Quarterbacks who got away: Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (suburban Atlanta) and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph (Rock Hill, S.C.) are the headliners the SEC will have to overcome this bowl season, but Memphis’ Paxton Lynch (suburban Orlando) has developed into a first-round NFL prospect. N.C. State’s Jacoby Brissett (West Palm Beach, Fla./U of Florida), Michigan’s Jake Rudock (Weston, Fla.) and Louisville’s Lamar Johnson (Boynton Beach, Fla.) also are from SEC states.

R — Records: Several could fall. Texas A&M and Duke combined for 100 points in the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl; Ole Miss and Oklahoma State both average more than 40 points and could threaten that. … Nick Chubb ran for an SEC-bowl record 266 yards last year against Louisville in the Belk Bowl. If Texas Tech somehow holds Leonard Fournette below that total, that might be worth its own parade. The Red Raiders, on average, allowed 271 yards rushing per game this season. … The SEC bowl record for field goals is five. We can say with a great deal of certainty Florida won’t go anywhere near that against Michigan.

S — SEC supremacy: It’s at stake. After four teams combined to win seven consecutive national championships, the SEC has gone two years without one. Last year, it didn’t even play for one.

T — Tampa Bay: Site of Tennessee vs. Northwestern. As important, maybe even more so, home to some of the best craft beer in Florida. Among the must-haves: Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Angry Chair in Tampa and Rapp Brewery in Seminole. Just save me some of that Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout.

U — Uniforms: We know what Alabama will wear. (Probably Penn State, too.) Everybody else? It’s an alternate uni-verse for most everybody else.

V — Victory: Texas A&M is trying to win a bowl game for the fifth consecutive year, fourth as an SEC member. That’s the longest active streak in the conference.

W — Workload? Derrick Henry had 90 carries in his past two games. His high school coach once ran him 57 times in one game. He’ll be all right. The ball isn’t that heavy.

X — X-factor: Antonio Callaway returned a punt for a TD against Alabama in the SEC title game. Which special teams player will make a key play this bowl season? Kansas State’s only hope of beating Arkansas might reside with kick returner Morgan Burns, who led the country with 4 KO returns for touchdowns.

Y — Yulee, Fla.: Small town just outside of Jacksonville produced the Heisman Trophy winner, Derrick Henry, who will try to become the first SEC running back in history to crash the 2,000-yard barrier.

Z — Zeke Elliott: If his coaches would have given him more than 12 carries against Michigan State, he might have gotten another crack at Alabama in the playoff. Instead, he and the Buckeyes will be watching the playoffs from their Glendale, Ariz., hotel.

Chris Wright
Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.

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