It’s almost Halloween, so I bought several bags of various candies to give out to trick-or-treaters in my new neighborhood. Come to find out, there is no trick-or-treating in my neighborhood.

So now I have several huge bags of candy and no one to share them with. And that’s just fine with me. No complaints here.

However, check back with me after I gorge on candy during this weekend’s games. I might have a few complaints then.

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

@SChinni12:

What’s each team’s biggest “trick-or-treat” game remaining on the schedule?

I love this Halloween-themed question, and I’m basically going to answer it with each team’s biggest “trap” game, because I think we’re on the same page here.

There are still plenty of trick-or-treat games left this season, so it’ll be interesting to see which teams navigate them the best.

Here’s a look at each team’s trickiest remaining game:

  • Alabama: Week 11 vs. Mississippi State (especially if they beat LSU next weekend)
  • Arkansas: Week 12 at Mississippi State
  • Auburn: Week 10 vs. Texas A&M
  • Florida: Week 13 at Florida State (can’t overlook a struggling rival)
  • Georgia: Week 13 vs. Georgia Tech (see above)
  • Kentucky: Week 11 at Tennessee
  • LSU: Week 11 at Arkansas (right after Alabama game)
  • Mississippi State: Week 12 vs. Arkansas (right before Egg Bowl)
  • Mizzou: Week 12 at Tennessee
  • Ole Miss: Week 12 at Vanderbilt (right before Egg Bowl)
  • South Carolina: Week 10 at Ole Miss
  • Tennessee: Week 13 at Vanderbilt (could be for bowl eligibility)
  • Texas A&M: Week 12 vs. UAB (tough, energetic squad)
  • Vanderbilt: Week 12 vs. Ole Miss

Robert:

Every SEC fanbase would probably argue that their school’s traditions are the class of the conference. Which stands out to you as the most iconic?

Every school seems to have an iconic song — from Rammer Jammer to Rocky Top to Sandstorm and more — so I decided to eliminate those. There are plenty of non-musical traditions to choose from, so we’ll focus on those.

Here are some of the best traditions from around the SEC (started off by the conference’s two newest members, interestingly enough):

  1. Homecoming, Mizzou — Anytime you start something that nearly every high school and college team does, that’s pretty special.
  2. Midnight Yell, Texas A&M — If you’re an Aggies fan, Midnight Yell Practice is a bucket-list affair. This is such a unique and long-standing tradition that it gets the No. 2 spot on the list.
  3. Toomer’s Corner, Auburn — Though there have been some unsavory happenings there in recent years, it is still an iconic place and a great tradition when the legendary oak trees are covered in toilet paper.
  4. Vol Navy, Tennessee — Tailgating, but in the water? Yes, please! The Vol Navy is one of the coolest traditions in the country.
  5. Tailgating in The Grove, Ole Miss — The Rebels have perhaps the best tailgating scene in the country, with the beautiful plot of land next to the stadium called The Grove. Eating and drinking under some majestic magnolias sounds pretty great to me.

Honorable mentions are night games at LSU’s Death Valley, cowbells at Mississippi State and calling the Hogs at Arkansas.

@Dobbe8:

Rank the top 5 tailgate foods. And where would a bag of McDoubles rank?

I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but anyone who says they don’t like McDonald’s is a liar. It is objectively delicious food — the most delicious food science can create. Yes, it’s bad for you, and no, I don’t care. If you bring a bag of McDoubles (extra points for Big Mac sauce on them), you’ll be very popular at my tailgate.

However, you can’t exactly make those at a tailgate, so here are my top five foods that can be created in football stadium parking lots:

  1. Hot dogs/brats — To me, nothing says tailgate like tube-shaped meats. Give me a couple of hot dogs and a brat and a couple of beers and I’m a happy camper.
  2. Chili — This is mostly for those November games when the fall weather is on its way out and winter is setting in. Nothing beats a good bowl of chili on days like that.
  3. Pulled pork — You can eat it by itself, put it on a sandwich, throw it on some nachos or any number of other things. Simply because of its versatility, it gets the No. 3 spot.
  4. Chips and dip — Simple, but effective. Make sure you have a variety of dips and both regular and tortilla chips.
  5. Potato salad — I absolutely love potato salad. Mustard-based or mayo-based, I don’t care. Just give me all of the potato salad.

BONUS: Now it’s time for Dobbe’s Locks of the Week! If you bet his LSU -7 and the under on that game last week, you won. If you bet his other picks, not so much. Here’s what Dobbe sees happening this weekend (lines via MyBookie):

  • Florida vs. Georgia (over 52 points) — This is what I want to happen. You can’t take away the joy of watching this game by betting anything else.
  • Oklahoma State (+4) vs. Texas — I wish they got some more points, but the Cowboys will win on homecoming night in the throwback Barry Sanders jerseys.
  • Tennessee (+7.5) at South Carolina — This might just be my nightmares as a Mizzou fan, but I see this as another VERY close South Carolina victory.

Cosmo:

You and Drew Lock decide to purchase an NBA franchise. They all are for sale. Money is no object. Which team do you buy?

Clearly, someone read my profile of Drew Lock, where I mention how much he loves basketball. If I had the money, I have no doubt he’d go in on owning an NBA team with me, and he may even throw in some of his upcoming NFL money to help the cause.

If we were going to buy an NBA team, though, it’d have to be one that we could relocate to Kansas City, because that’s where Lock is from and, having gone to Mizzou myself (have I ever mentioned that?), that city needs a basketball team. They already have an NBA-ready arena in the Sprint Center, but these are currently the banners hanging from the rafters …

So, if Lock and I were buying a basketball team, I’d have to suggest the Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets or Orlando Magic as my top options. I’d probably say the Kings are the team most likely to move, so let’s buy that squad, Drew.

@RFellows67:

Is there a Chick-fil-A in every SEC city?

If you’re planning an SEC road trip, fear not — every SEC city does indeed have a Chick-fil-A, according to the company’s website. As one of the SEC’s biggest sponsors, that certainly makes sense.

Coming in last place, with only one store in the city, are Oxford, Starkville and Columbia (the Missouri one). Leading the way is Knoxville, with a whopping 11 Chick-fil-A restaurants. Columbia, S.C., comes in second with 10.

Have questions for the SDS Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.