Can you believe that Tuesday Night MACtion doesn’t start until November? I was all set to write the intro to this Mailbag discussing how there would soon be NFL or FBS football on every day of the week.

Then I found out Tuesday Night MACtion doesn’t start until Week 11 on Nov. 5. Unbelievable.

We need football on Tuesday nights and we need it sooner than November. Get it together, MAC.

Anyway, here are your questions for this week’s SDS Mailbag:

@HReside:

I see a lot of colleges are allowing alcohol to be sold at games. I’d like you to assign a signature drink to each SEC team.

As someone who enjoys an adult beverage on occasion (or on any occasion), this is a fun question. I’m not going to create some new mix for each team, though, so let’s have some fun assigning drinks to each SEC team:

  • Alabama: Manhattan — There’s a lot of buzz around Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence (and rightfully so), but I think this is the year Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa lifts the Heisman Trophy when he goes to New York for the ceremony.
  • Arkansas: Moonshine — Sorry, Razorback fans. It looks like it’s going to be another long year. Might not want to remember this one.
  • Auburn: Dark and Stormy — The Tigers have a tough schedule this year and a coach who many think is on the hot seat. A loss to Oregon on Saturday will send many fans to a dark place.
  • Florida: Long Island Iced Tea — Watching Feleipe Franks is going to be a roller coaster this year. Taking the edge off with one of the most alcoholic drinks out there might help Florida fans.
  • Georgia: Champagne — Is this the year the Bulldogs have reason to celebrate at the end of the season? This could be their best window, as both QB Jake Fromm and RB D’Andre Swift can leave for the 2020 NFL Draft.
  • Kentucky: Gin and soda — In my opinion, gin is the most underrated spirit. I didn’t think I liked gin until I started getting it with soda water instead of tonic. Turns out, I just don’t like tonic. Kentucky is not getting much respect heading into 2019, so it can probably relate.
  • LSU: Hurricane — Alcohol is coming to Tiger Stadium! It’s a chance to party, so do it in true Louisiana style with a Hurricane. (Note: They probably won’t actually sell Hurricanes at LSU games, which is probably for the best.)
  • Mississippi State: Yuengling — The most popular beer in Pennsylvania is a good one for the Bulldogs, who are relying on former Penn State QB Tommy Stevens and former Penn State OC Joe Moorhead to lead them to a great record this fall.
  • Mizzou: Budweiser — I know it’s not technically a local St. Louis beer anymore, but it’s still billed as the “King of Beers.” The Tigers definitely enter 2019 with some kingly expectations.
  • Ole Miss: Fireball — Look, Fireball is either the start of a really good night or a really bad night. I don’t know what to expect from the Rebels this year, so fans should roll the dice with some Fireball.
  • South Carolina: Mudslide — That schedule is brutal this year. After going 7-6 last year, the Gamecocks could slide all the way down to where they miss a bowl game in 2019.
  • Tennessee: High West Campfire Whiskey — This is a delicious, smooth whiskey made in Utah (my brother-in-law may or may not work for this company). When Jeremy Pruitt leads the Vols to a bowl game this year, Tennessee fans are going to want to toast with something smoky, and High West’s Campfire perfectly fits the bill.
  • Texas A&M: White Claw — I know fellow SDS employee Chris Marler is going to be upset that White Claw wasn’t assigned to Alabama. However, it’s a drink that is quickly gaining popularity and national prominence. The Aggies are on the same trajectory.
  • Vanderbilt: Old Fashioned — With a running back like Ke’Shawn Vaughn and a new quarterback, the Commodores would be wise to take it back to the old days and pound the rock on the ground.

All this talk about signature drinks has me thirsty.

@SportsMe59:

What will be the most competitive game to watch this weekend?

So we’re talking most competitive game, not best? That makes a difference to me. If I had to pick the most competitive game, there are 2 that I have my eyes on. (Note: I’m limiting this to SEC games only.)

First, let’s talk about Ole Miss at Memphis. I have no idea what to expect from either team. Ole Miss relied heavily on the passing game in 2018. Well, they lost QB Jordan Ta’amu and WRs D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown and DaMarkus Lodge. Yes, they have talented players ready to step up, but will that be evident in Week 1?

Meanwhile, the Tigers lost 2 of their top 3 rushers (Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard) to the NFL. They still have QB Brady White, though, so I give the Tigers the slight edge. It should be a shootout in Memphis.

Also, that game between No. 11 Oregon and No. 16 Auburn has my eye. The battle between Auburn’s defensive line and Oregon’s offensive line may be the best position battle all weekend. Be sure to tune in to that one, too.

@ChazPhillipsIV:

Which Georgia Heisman candidate is more likely to be a finalist at the end of the year — Jake Fromm or D’Andre Swift?

I know Swift is a trendy pick among people who don’t want to predict a quarterback to win the award, but the answer here is Fromm. In the past 9 years, the breakdown of top-3 vote-getters for the Heisman each year goes like this:

  • 19 quarterbacks
  • 6 running backs
  • 1 wide receiver
  • 1 linebacker

In 8 of those 9 years, a quarterback has won the award (Derrick Henry is the lone RB winner in that span). Football is a quarterback-driven sport these days, so it would take a truly heroic effort from Swift to move the needle.

Quarterbacks get a disproportionate amount of credit when teams win and a disproportionate amount of blame when teams lose. Still, if Fromm manages to turn this year’s Georgia receiving corps into decent players, he deserves to be in New York.

Also, if Swift is going to have a great year, he’ll likely have a lot of receiving yards. Who will be throwing him the ball? Exactly.

@Dobbe8:

Six SEC teams are playing either true road games or neutral-site games this weekend. Power rank them by where you’d most want to live.

Indeed, there are 4 SEC neutral-site games this week (not counting Florida-Miami in Orlando last weekend) and 2 true road games. Let’s just say all of the locations of those games are not created equally.

Here’s how I’d break down the road venues for SEC teams this week (Note: I’m not including Georgia’s trip to Nashville, since that’s an SEC game against Vanderbilt):

  1. Charlotte (North Carolina vs. South Carolina) — A growing city, great beer culture, close to the mountains and the home of the SEC Network? Sign me up.
  2. Atlanta (Duke vs. Alabama) — I’ve been to Atlanta a few times, and I always enjoy it. Plus, it will serve as the host for SEC Media Days in 2020, so that would be convenient for my job.
  3. Arlington (Oregon vs. Auburn) — One of my best friends lives in Texas. I’m pretty sure it’s still a couple of hours away from Arlington, but that’s fine. I don’t want to live too close to him. Also, my dad is a Cowboys fan, so I could take him to games when he visited.
  4. Memphis (Ole Miss at Memphis) — Great barbecue scene? Check. Close-ish to St. Louis (which is the closest major city to my hometown)? Check. Sounds pretty solid.
  5. New Orleans (Louisiana vs. Mississippi State) — Visiting New Orleans is fun, but I don’t know that I’d ever want to live there. Sorry.
  6. Laramie (Mizzou at Wyoming) — Look, I’ve lived out West in the mountains (Park City, Utah). Park City is magical. Laramie is not.

There you have it. If you find yourself in Wyoming, go to Jackson Hole or go somewhere else.

BONUS: Dobbe’s Locks of the Week went 1-1 last week. Here are his picks for Week 1:

  • South Carolina vs. North Carolina (Under 63): Neither team has scored 30 points in a game in their past 6 meetings. Add in a freshman QB for UNC and it could be a low-scoring affair.
  • Auburn vs. Oregon (Over 55.5): I would love it more if Oregon were at home (it’s at JerryWorld in Texas), but I’m confident Bo Nix can succeed in his first start.
  • FAU at Ohio State (over 64): Lane Kiffin is a coach with something to prove. Ohio State’s Justin Fields is a quarterback with something to prove. I think the Owls can score the 10 to 14 points we need to cover the over.

Dobbe’s Locks of the Week record: 1-1

@MichaelJtr8:

Do you think Carli Lloyd has a legit chance to make an NFL roster as a kicker next year?

Honestly, I don’t see why not. She should at least get plenty of tryouts. If she can kick consistently in pads and a helmet, why not give her a shot? Plenty of teams need kickers.

Some people are quite concerned about what happens if Lloyd gets hit by a big, strong man (say, Ndamukong Suh). That’s a ridiculous attitude when nobody said anything about Martin Gramatica’s 10-year NFL career. He was listed at 5-8 and 170 pounds. I’m 3 inches taller and the same weight and I would get destroyed by Suh and basically anyone else who stepped foot on an NFL field.

Just like no one expected Gramatica to get in there and make tackles (if your kicker has to make a tackle, something has gone horribly wrong), Lloyd — also listed at 5-8 — shouldn’t be expected to suddenly morph into Lawrence Taylor when one of her kicks is inevitably blocked.

If she can kick as consistently (or even more consistently) than the men, let the woman play!

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.