Paschall's Picks: Egg Bowl show down one for ages

OTHER PICKSLouisville 20, Kentucky 13Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 24Boston Coll. 24, Syracuse 16UNC 31, N.C. State 26Miami 23, Pittsburgh 22Duke 30, Wake Forest 17TCU 26, Texas 23Marshall 35, W. Kentucky 18UCLA 38, Stanford 27Ohio State 31, Michigan 13Utah 37, Colorado 24Baylor 48, Texas Tech 21USC 34, Notre Dame 19Michigan St. 21, Penn St. 16Wisconsin 34, Minnesota 23Kansas State 41, Kansas 16Oregon 45, Oregon State 34

Ole Miss and Mississippi State combined for just six wins entering the 2004 Egg Bowl, five heading into their '05 matchup and six again in '06.

The Bulldogs and Rebels combined for seven wins entering their Magnolia State showdown as recently as 2011, but this year's total is a rivalry-record 18. Not in half a century has an Egg Bowl had so much on the line as the No. 4 Bulldogs (10-1) prepare to face the No. 19 Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

"The Egg Bowl motivates our team more than any other week," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said Wednesday. "The pride of the state is on the line and the pride of your university. Our kids are motivated, and I'm sure that the other team will be also."

Ole Miss is out of this year's Southeastern Conference race but still has an opportunity for its first 10-win season since 2003.

For Mississippi State, there is much more on the line. The Bulldogs, who are clinging to the fourth and final spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, have a chance Saturday to win 11 games overall and seven league games, which would be program firsts.

"I don't think there has been any division in college football that has ever been as tough as the West has been this year," MSU coach Dan Mullen said. "You have seven bowl-eligible teams and excellent teams from top to bottom. Almost all the losses have been to other teams within the West except for two or three from the East."

Saturday also could be a moment of atonement for Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace, who fumbled in overtime last November to seal a 17-10 loss in Starkville. Wallace sprained his ankle in last Saturday's loss at Arkansas.

"He's been limited some, but you would have to chain him down to keep him from going into this game," Freeze said.

Pasquali's Pix:

LSU at Texas A&M: Think the SEC West can take its toll? The Tigers were 13th in the preseason and the Aggies 21st. Tigers 20, Aggies 16.

Arkansas at Missouri: The Tigers have very good pass-rushers. The Razorbacks prefer not to pass. Razorbacks 17, Tigers 13.

Georgia Tech at Georgia: It's up to the Yellow Jackets to make this a rivalry again after losing 12 of the last 13. Bulldogs 31, Jackets 24.

South Carolina at Clemson: This hasn't been Steve Spurrier's greatest season, but oh the verbal jabs he could unleash with a sixth straight win over the Tigers. Gamecocks 24, Tigers 19.

Mississippi State at Ole Miss: This year's Egg Bowl is on CBS, marking the first time it has been on a major network since NBC televised the 1964 game. Bulldogs 28, Rebels 23.

Florida at Florida State: This week has been one for Gators fans to recall the glorious exit of Ron Zook in Tallahassee. Seminoles 31, Gators 16.

Tennessee at Vanderbilt: Commodores coach Derek Mason said "Tennessee" three times on the SEC teleconference Wednesday after referring to the Volunteers on Tuesday as "the team out East." Vols 35, Commodores 7.

Auburn at Alabama: A year after Auburn won the 1972 "Punt Bama Punt" game 17-16, the Crimson Tide rolled to a 35-0 victory. Crimson Tide 34, Tigers 13.

Last week:

Winners.................19

Prima donnas.........6

Pasquali is 255-70 overall (78.5 percent) this season.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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