Lots of gain and little pain in SEC Football Week Two Score Predictions

• Mississippi State at Arizona State - 9:30 PM CST (ESPN) - The Sun Devils are 1-0, with an opening win over Wyoming, 48-7. They are favored to win in Tempe, but my hunch is the Bulldogs, with a new coach and a new offense can surprise them. The Bulldogs opened with a practice game (Eastern Kentucky), but the MSU offense was clicking in a 56-7 win. This game is my upset special of the week. Game Prediction - Mississippi State 31 - Arizona State 24

SEC Showcase Game of the Week

I don't know if the Texas Longhorns realize it, but they have a special responsibility Saturday morning. They go to the Big House representing the SEC. That is no small burden. The Horns are about a touchdown favorite against the defending National Champions. Neither team will be bumped from Playoff contention with a loss, but how well Texas does could eventually factor into whether the SEC gets a fifth Playoff team. I expect Texas, with better talent, will win. But the last time I picked against the Wolverines did not end well. The Game is at 11:00 AM CST on Fox and my pick is Texas 30 - Michigan 20

Alabama Crimson Tide moves to 2-0

My preseason pick for the USF game was a 42-17 win. As is almost always the case, when a Bama game gets near, my optimism grows. I will adjust my original prediction to Alabama 45 - USF 14; a win in a similar fashion to the WKU game, with both Alabama playbooks used sparingly.