Mississippi State vs Auburn Spreads 2011 College Football Picks: Mississippi State and Auburn kick off conference play this weekend with a Saturday afternoon meeting at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. The 12:21pm ET dust up between the two SEC West rivals can be seen live on the SEC Network or ESPN3.com. The latest 2011 College Football Picks have the Bulldogs listed as a -6.5 against the spread road favorite; the game total is set at 56.5 points.
Auburn, which only returned six starters and 38 lettermen from last year's National Championship winning team, got a big
scare last Saturday as Utah State nearly pulled off the upset at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Aggies eventually fell 42-38 thanks to two late touchdowns by the Tigers.
Head Coach Gene Chizik's offense did not look the same without Cam Newton as Auburn managed just 17 first downs and 364 total yards against the Aggies defense. The defense also turned in a shoddy performance, giving up 27 first downs and 448 total yards to Utah State. Combined, the two units played poorly enough for Auburn to drop out of the AP top 25.
Despite the limited yardage total and fall from the rankings, junior passer Barrett Trotter did play well in his first start for the Tigers, completing 17 of his 23 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 16 Mississippi State had no such trouble in its season opener as Dan Mullen's troops destroyed an overmatched Memphis club 59-14 at the Liberty Bowl last Thursday night. The Bulldogs, led by quarterback Chris Relf and running back Vick Ballard, amassed 645 total yards, 309 of which came on the ground.
Relf finished the night with 202 pass yards, two passing touchdowns, and 51 yards rushing yards while Ballard racked up 166 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries.
While the Tigers may show a little moxie and some pride early in this contest, expect the Bulldogs to roll. Mississippi State nearly won last year's meeting between these two rivals, falling 17-14 at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. The talent and experience edge now lean heavily in the Bulldogs favor.
Yes, MSU has lost its last 11 conference openers, but they are 4-1 in their last five trips to Auburn. Take the Bulldogs minus the 6.5.
Mississippi State vs Auburn Spreads 2011 College Football Picks:
Mississippi State Bulldogs -6.5 (-110), Over 56.5 Points (-110)
Auburn Tigers +6.5 (-110), Under 56.5 Points (-110)
