Tiger Bait Review: Week 9

McNeese State (8-0, 7-0 Southland)

This Week: Sam Houston State

The Cowboys survived a scare from Abilene Christian, 15-13, to stay perfect on the year. This weekend McNeese plays Sam Houston State in the Southland's answer to LSU-Alabama.

Mississippi State (6-2, 2-2 SEC)

This Week: Missouri

The Bulldogs are coming off a bye week into Thursday's matchup with low-scoring Missouri. To give you a barometer of how much confidence I have in the Bulldogs to win, if Mississippi State can hang 21 then I feel like the game should be out of reach for Mizzou.

Auburn (4-4, 1-4 SEC)

This Week: Texas A&M

The Tigers limp into a bye after field goal-ing their way into a respectable scoreline against Ole Miss. Auburn has to scrap together two wins against A&M, Georgia, Idaho (lol), and Alabama to go bowling.

Syracuse (3-5, 1-4 ACC)

This Week: @ Louisville

The Orange raced Florida State tight, but in the end the Seminoles had a gear that Syracuse didn't have and outclassed them 45-21. Bowl eligibility is not out of the question for Syracuse but with a remaining slate of llvll, Clemson, NC State, and Boston College, three wins does not seem likely. And to think they were unbeaten and ranked when LSU came calling.

Eastern Michigan (1-8, 0-5 MAC)

This Week: Miami (OH)

Eastern Michigan, the Nihilist Arby's of college football, lost 58-28 to Western Michigan.

South Carolina (3-5, 1-5 SEC)

This Week: @ Tennessee

The Gamecocks played A&M close but couldn't finish the drill, losing 35-28. Tennessee, Florida, The Citadel, Clemson. South Carolina needs three wins there to go bowling. A bleak situation just keeps getting bleaker.

Florida (7-1, 5-1 SEC)

This Week: Vanderbilt

After systematically pantsing their in-conference rival in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party 27-3, Florida can effectively set it on cruise control, playing Vanderbilt and South Carolina to close out SEC regular season play before loading on up to Atlanta.

Western Kentucky (7-2, 5-0 C-USA)

This Week: Florida Atlantic

The Hilltoppers dropped Old Dominion 55-30, keeping pace with Marshall for the surprisingly good C-USA East race and this week draw 2-6 FAU. #Gameday4Huntington

Alabama (7-1, 4-1 SEC)

This Week: LSU

Alabama, the next team in the way, plays host to LSU and Gameday for Game Of The Century IV. The winner of LSU-Bama inherits a stranglehold on the SEC West and becomes the odds on favorite to play Florida in Atlanta.

Arkansas (4-4, 2-2 SEC)

This Week: @ Ole Miss

The Razorbacks dispatched UT-Martin easily by a score of 63-28 and draw Ole Miss in Oxford this week, the first leg of the CBS doubleheader.

Ole Miss (7-2, 4-1 SEC)

This Week: Arkansas

The Rebels put away Auburn 27-19, but something eye catching lies in the box score: 300 passing yards allowed to a pretty lackluster Auburn team. I almost feel wrong for saying this because it doesn't sound natural, but if that's what Auburn did through the air, imagine what LSU is capable of against this defense.

Texas A&M (6-2, 3-2 SEC)

This Week: Auburn

The Aggies edged out South Carolina 35-28, but just like Ole Miss, something favorable lies in the box score: 250 rushing yards allowed against a team that isn't exactly the most physical or fastest team in the south. God, it feels weird to say stuff like that about LSU's offense.