Shockwaves raffled the South last Saturday as South Carolina and Georgia upset their hated archrivals. The two supposedly mediocre SEC teams decisively defeated the ACC's best. The Dawgs never trailed the Yellow Jackets on Tech's home field and the Gamecocks dealt the Tigers their worst loss of the season 34-17.

Now the Jackets and Tigers must lick their wounds quickly and try to get ready emotionally for the ACC Championship clash that is far more important in the general scheme of things than the rivalry games.

The combatants in the SEC Championship rematch took care of business against their archrivals last week. Florida cruised to an easy win over FSU, but Alabama had to put together a late drive to subdue stubborn Auburn.

East Carolina's win over Southern Miss secured the host's spot in the Conference USA Championship game for the Pirates against Houston.

Let's preview Dixie's final FBS games before the bowl season.

ACC Championship

Clemson and Georgia Tech limp into Tampa Bay having been embarrassed by their in-state rivals last week. Tech beat the Tigers by three points in Atlanta early in the season. Both teams are stronger now than in September. Here's Old Claude's take on how the teams compare:

Offense - Clemson relies a lot on the big play. Tech's offense is more consistent and rolls up first downs. The Jackets have a better offensive line, but the Tigers have superior "skill" players overall. Execution will be the key.

Defense - Were it not for the fact that Tech runs an offense that takes special preparation to face, Clemson would have a huge edge on defense. The key for the Tigers is to score at least ten points early before the Jackets get on the scoreboard. If this happens Clemson's defense can settle down and play assignment football. If Tech breaks out on top it can control the pace of the game and its undersized defense can focus more on preventing the big play.

Kicking Game - Georgia Tech has a big advantage in field goals and even extra points. Clemson has been terribly inconsistent in these areas. Slight edge to Tech in punting. Kick-offs are about equal. Both teams cover kicks and punts relatively well.

Return Game - Advantage Clemson. Tech has no one to compare with C. J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford on punt and kick-off returns.

Intangibles - Emotion plays such a huge role in college football. These teams were obviously depressed after disappointing losses last week. Both head coaches seem to be excellent motivators and, quite frankly, the most motivated team will probably win.

Prediction - Clemson by 3.

Conference USA Championship

This one will be played on BC's home turf, but it will take far more than home field advantage to stop explosive Houston. The Cougar offense has not faced many defenses as good as Skip Holtz's Pirate unit. Coach Holtz's boys have not faced an offense that compares to Houston's, however. The Pirates will have to play a nearly perfect game and Houston will have to turn the ball over a few times for this one to be close. Perhaps Skip's dad Lou can be called on for one of his famous pre-game pep talks. The Pirates will need any edge they can find.

Prediction - Houston by 20.

SEC Championship

Florida and Alabama face-off in the biggest game of the year in America. Number One vs. Number Two - does it get any better than this? The winner is guaranteed a spot in the National Title game. Let's see how these teams break down.

Offense - Florida has the edge at QB (Tebow). Bama has the edge on the ground (Ingram and a powerful line). Ingram's health could be a factor, but his back up Richardson is almost as good.

Defense - These are two of the best defensive teams in America. Florida will put plenty of pressure on Bama's QB McElroy. The Tide defenders have the ability to shut down the Gator rushing attack.

Return Game - Javier Arenas (Bama) and Brandon James (Fla.) are about as good as any return men in the country. Both are definitely game-breakers.

Kicking Game - Not much difference here. Both have very good kickers and punters. The Tide will have to be careful with protection. The Gators are very capable of blocking punts and place kicks.

Intangibles - Both coaches are excellent motivators. If the game is close, it may come down to on-field leadership. Florida has a definite edge here. His name is Tim Tebow. The game may have never seen a smarter, more inspirational leader.

Prediction - Florida by 4.