Week 9 Record: (6-0)
Overall: (61-17)
Florida’s day could not have been much better last Saturday. With a win over Georgia, combined with a Tennessee upset loss at South Carolina, the Gators are right back in the thick of the SEC East race. This week all eyes are on Baton Rouge, Louisiana as LSU hosts Alabama in a classic battle with SEC Championship implications.
Georgia Southern at Ole Miss (12 p.m., ESPNU)
Ole Miss has had a season to forget up to this point. Last Saturday’s loss to Auburn dropped the Rebels to 3-5 on the season, with a 1-4 conference record.
The Rebels new focus is starting fresh, forgetting their struggles and simply achieving bowl eligibility. This all starts with better coaching. The Rebels have consistently been unable to put a whole game together. Once again they fell flat on their face in the second half last week. To improve some of its offensive woes, Ole Miss needs to find a cure for a struggling ground game.
Defensively, the Rebels were blistered by Auburn’s rushing attack. They have struggled all season long to contain explosive offenses and have certainly been a prime reason for the team’s struggles.
This week, the Ole Miss defense needs to zero in on stopping Georgia Southern’s rushing attack. The Eagles offense relies heavily on the run, so if the Rebels can at least limit their ground production they should pick up a much-needed win.
Head coach Hugh Freeze needs to fix the Rebels problems quickly in order to build momentum on the recruiting trail and for the offseason.
The Pick: Ole Miss 45, Georgia Southern 21
While a win over the Eagles won’t turn the Rebels' season around, it should give them momentum heading into the home stretch of the schedule. Kelly will have a big day in a solid win for Ole Miss.
No. 4 Texas A&M at Mississippi State (12 p.m., SEC Network)
The initial College Football Playoff rankings were revealed on Tuesday, featuring Texas A&M as the surprise No. 4 over Washington. The Aggies must put aside the rankings and focus on closing out the rest of their schedule with solid performances.
Trevor Knight should be looking forward to this week’s matchup against Mississippi State, as the Bulldogs pass defense ranks 105th in the FBS. Running Back Trayveon Williams will provide balance for the Aggies offense and should turn in another solid performance against MSU’s struggling defense.
The Aggies defense will surely be focused on shutting down Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald. The Bulldogs quarterback has been their only true playmaker this season, so containing him should result in a good defensive performance for A&M.
The Bulldogs must find another offensive threat outside of Fitzgerald. The running backs have essentially gone missing, as Fitzgerald is the team’s leading rusher. Mississippi State needs to take advantage of the absence of Texas A&M defensive lineman Myles Garrett to have any chance of pulling the upset.
The aforementioned MSU defense was torched during the month of October. Things won’t get much easier with the Aggies coming to town, who have perhaps the most talented receiving core in the nation, led by sophomore Christian Kirk.
The Pick: Texas A&M 40, Mississippi State 14
It is a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs; so don’t expect this one to be close. The Aggies balanced offense will run away with a road victory on Saturday.
Vanderbilt at No. 9 Auburn (12 p.m., ESPN)
Vanderbilt enters needing two more wins to reach bowl eligibility. A road game against Auburn won’t help their chances.
The Commodores have proved they can pull off the upset this season, behind stellar defensive play against Georgia back in week seven. The challenge against Auburn will be limiting the Tigers’ brilliant running game. Linebacker Zach Cunningham will need to make his presence felt to give the Commodores a chance at slowing Auburn.
Quarterback Kyle Shurmur must have an excellent game through the air on Saturday. If Shurmur can be efficient and hit the short passes, Vandy can then turn to its offensive star, Ralph Webb.
Auburn’s defensive line led by Carl Lawson will have a big impact in this game. If they can manage to prevent Webb from reaching the second-level and put pressure on Shurmur when he drops back to pass, the Commodores should be no threat.
Running backs Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway will both look to continue their brilliant seasons on the ground. Sean White needs to be careful with the football and let his backfield carry the Tigers.
The Pick: Auburn 38, Vanderbilt 7
Auburn is clicking on all cylinders offensively and has benefited from the surprising play of its defense. Vanderbilt’s offense continues to be one of the worst in the country.
No. 11 Florida at Arkansas (3:30 p.m., CBS)
Florida looks to keep control of the SEC East and continue their hopes of making the College Football Playoff alive with a win over Arkansas.
The Gators have avoided picking up a second loss since falling to Tennessee back in September. The defense has been the main reason for Florida’s success. The unit has given up a total of 82 points this season, the least of any team in the FBS. This week they are tasked with facing Arkansas running back Rawleigh Williams III, who has been excellent for the Razorbacks.
Luke Del Rio hasn’t looked like his usual self since returning from an injury. He needs a good performance through the air against an Arkansas pass defense that hasn’t been bad thus far.
The Hogs have struggled to defend the run this season. They can’t afford to allow the Gators to build momentum through their ground game if they hope to pull off the home upset.
Head coach Bret Bielema is hoping for a vast improvement after his offense was held to just three points against Auburn two weeks ago. Quarterback Austin Allen needs to find the holes in the stingy Florida secondary and get Williams III the ball on some screens to chip away at the Gators’ defense.
The Pick: Florida 21, Arkansas 17
The Gators will survive a tough road test against the Razorbacks. Del Rio will make just enough plays to push Florida to a win in a defensive slugfest.
Missouri at South Carolina (4 p.m., SEC Network)
In this SEC East battle, these teams are headed in completely opposite directions. Missouri comes in limping after a home loss to Kentucky, while South Carolina enters off an upset of the SEC East favorite Tennessee Volunteers.
The Tigers appeared to be improving after good performances in the early season. Then Drew Lock hit a wall and has been virtually a non-factor for the Tigers offense. To turn around their offensive struggles against South Carolina, the Tigers need pound the ball with Damarea Crockett, as the Gamecocks have struggled against the run this season.
The Tigers defense has been an absolute atrocity this season, ranking No. 117 in the FBS and last in the SEC in total defense. This week they must face true-freshman quarterback Jake Bentley and the Gamecocks.
Bentley has rejuvenated a previously sputtering South Carolina offense. His performance, along with the contributions of other freshmen on the Gamecocks' offense, boosted them to a win over Tennessee. Against Missouri they will look to establish the run first and then turn to the passing game. Wide receiver Bryan Edwards will likely see plenty of targets against the Tigers’ cornerbacks.
The Gamecocks' defense has been led by the strong play of cornerback Jamarcus King, who had two interceptions a week ago. Look for another solid performance from the group against Missouri.
The Pick: South Carolina 31, Missouri 17
South Carolina will ride the momentum from the victory over Tennessee and will be in good shape to reach bowl eligibility after a win over Missouri.
Tennessee Tech at Tennessee (4 p.m., SEC Network)
Tennessee is looking to recover from a brutal October stretch that saw losses to Texas A&M, Alabama, and South Carolina. The Volunteers aspirations to make the College Football Playoff have disappeared, but their hopes to reach the SEC Championship Game are still alive.
Turnovers have continued to plague Tennessee and played a huge part in the loss to South Carolina last week. Joshua Dobbs needs to play better at the quarterback position after struggling to pass the ball effectively during the month of October. Alvin Kamara is still recovering from an injury, and Jalen Hurd announced that he was transferring from the program earlier this week, leaving John Kelly as the man in the backfield against Tennessee Tech.
The Volunteers' defense played better against South Carolina last week after getting destroyed by Alabama in their previous game. The Golden Eagles shouldn’t present too much of a challenge for the Vols on Saturday.
Senior quarterback Michael Birdsong has been excellent this season for Tennessee Tech. If the FCS Golden Eagles are going to upset the Volunteers, he will need a huge game.
The Pick: Tennessee 44, Tennessee Tech 7
Tennessee can use this week to get healthy. The Golden Eagles don’t have the firepower necessary to pull off the upset.
Georgia at Kentucky (7:30 p.m., SEC Network)
Georgia has lost four out of its last five games, with the lone win coming against a pre-Bentley South Carolina. Meanwhile, Kentucky is in full stride after picking up wins against lower-tier SEC teams.
Quarterback Jacob Eason has struggled at times this season and still needs time to adjust to the college game. Until then, the Bulldogs should rely heavily on running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Look for Chubb to attack the Kentucky defense up the middle, while Michel utilizes his speed around the edges.
Georgia’s defense has been strong this season, ranking fourth in the SEC in total defense behind only Florida, Alabama and LSU. Shutting down Kentucky’s backfield will be the challenge on Saturday.
Freshman running back Benny Snell Jr. has been highly productive for the Wildcats. He, along with Boom Williams, will need big days out of the backfield against a ferocious Georgia run defense.
The Wildcats' defense will need to stop both Chubb and Michel from having big days. The group has struggled against the run this season, but has shown signs of improvement in the later weeks.
The Pick: Georgia 30, Kentucky 24
Kentucky is in the thick of the SEC East race in November, but a loss to the Bulldogs will effectively end its chances. Chubb will have a huge day in route to a Georgia victory.
No. 1 Alabama at No. 13 LSU (8 p.m., CBS)
Nothing says November like seeing Alabama and LSU lined up opposite of each other. This game has huge implications as always, and the winner of this matchup has been ranked in the top five every year since 2006.
Alabama is hoping to continue that trend and extend its winning streak over LSU to six games. Nick Saban’s team has been led by the brilliant play of true-freshman Jalen Hurts. He and running back Damien Harris have led an explosive offense for the Tide, but they have yet to face a defense as strong as LSU’s.
The Alabama defense has made a habit of reaching the end zone this season, tallying nine total defensive touchdowns to lead the FBS. This week they must face
Both Fournette and Derrius Guice will look to establish the run game for the Tigers. Quarterback Danny Etling’s main goal is to protect the football and avoid turnovers to give the Tigers their best chance at a win.
The LSU defense will have to find a way to stop Alabama’s dynamic offense but are the best suited out of any team in the SEC West to do so.
The Pick: Alabama 27, LSU 14
Alabama’s streak of non-offensive touchdowns will come to an end against LSU, but the Tide will overpower the Tigers’ defense to remain atop the SEC West and the nation.