Week 11 Record: (4-3)
Overall: (71-22)
Georgia’s upset of Auburn means Alabama will once again win the SEC West. Florida can punch their ticket to Atlanta with a win over LSU on Saturday or a Tennessee loss to Missouri. Week 12 contains four conference matchups and several games against smaller schools as many teams prepare for the upcoming Rivalry Week.
The Conference Games:
No. 23 Florida at No. 16 LSU (1 p.m., SEC Network)
Florida and LSU are set to resolve a game that was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew. The game was originally scheduled to take place in Gainesville but will now be played in Baton Rouge.
Despite struggling against Arkansas two weeks ago the Gators’ defense bounced back against South Carolina, holding them to just seven points. The unit has been one of the best in the nation and will be challenged by LSU’s big time back, Leonard Fournette.
Florida’s offense has been most successful when establishing a legitimate running game. Running back Jordan Scarlett must find a way to reach the second level of the Tigers’ defense.
The rushing game carries the Tigers; with the combination of Fournette and Derrius Guice the backfield is loaded with talent. Quarterback Danny Etling will need to avoid turning the ball over and give his backs priority in the offense.
LSU should have the upper hand in this one if they can stop the Florida running attack from finding traction.
The Pick: LSU 20 Florida 13
With the game now being played in Death Valley the Tigers will pull out the victory over an evenly matched opponent.
Missouri at Tennessee (3:30 p.m., CBS)
Missouri grabbed their first conference win of the season a week ago against Vanderbilt and hope to translate the momentum into a road win against Tennessee. This is a must-win for the Volunteers to stay in the SEC East race.
The Tigers’ offense has a roller coaster this season, but has the capability to move the ball. Drew Lock will have to take care of the football to beat Tennessee and running back Damarea Crockett will need to find success on the ground.
Missouri’s rushing defense continues to struggle and will face a tough task in stopping Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs. Making things even worse for the Tigers, Running back Alvin Kamara is set to return from injury for the Vols.
Kamara’s return should give Tennessee a boost on offense. He and Dobbs will look to break off big runs against the Tigers’ defense.
With injuries still haunting the Tennessee defense, Lock will look for a big day to end the Vols' chances in the SEC East.
The Pick: Tennessee 31 Missouri 26
In a closer than expected game, the return of Kamara will push Tennessee to the win. Lock has the opportunity for a big day but will need to be near perfect to upset the Volunteers on the road.
Arkansas at Mississippi State (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Arkansas was trounced by LSU a week ago and hopes to recover against Mississippi State on Saturday.
The Razorbacks offense committed three turnovers and was held under 300 yards by the Tigers last week. To rebound against the Bulldogs, quarterback Austin Allen will need to avoid throwing interceptions. Rawleigh Williams III will also need to have more of an impact against the Bulldogs’ defense.
Defensively the Hogs will need to do better at stopping the run. Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald will make that a tough task, but if he is stopped the MSU offense will likely struggle.
Fitzgerald is the key to the Bulldogs' offense but Aeris Williams’ production has increased recently. To pull off the win against Arkansas, both Fitzgerald and Williams will need big days on the ground.
Getting pressure on Allen is the first step in stopping the Razorbacks’ offense. Forcing Allen into uncomfortable situations and coming up with a few sacks will greatly help the Bulldogs chances of picking up a win.
The Pick: Arkansas 35 Mississippi State 24
Arkansas has been extremely inconsistent all season but look for the offense to bounce back and carry the Hogs to their seventh victory of the season.
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt (8 p.m., SEC Network)
Freshman quarterback Shea Patterson wowed in his debut against Texas A&M, leading Ole Miss’s fourth quarter comeback.
Patterson certainly made a statement in his first game but will face a tough Vanderbilt defense this week. Running back Akeem Judd averaged five yards per carry last week out of a Rebels backfield that had struggled for much of the season.
Facing Commodores’ running back Ralph Webb will force the Rebels to load the box to stop the run. This reinforcement will provide much-needed help, as the Rebels rushing defense has been torched all season.
Quarterback Kyle Shurmur will need to exploit the holes in the Ole miss secondary as many have this season. If Webb has a big game then the Commodores have a good chance at taking down Rebels.
Vanderbilt’s defense will look to recover after struggling against Missouri. Linebacker Zach Cunningham is no doubt one of the best players in the nation and will likely be a first round NFL draft pick.
The Pick: Ole Miss 30 Vanderbilt 17
Ole Miss will end Vanderbilt’s hopes of reaching a bowl game by relying on their passing attack to break the Commodores secondary.
The rest of the picks:
Texas A&M 52, UTSA 10
Georgia 49, LA-Lafayette 14
South Carolina 35, Western Carolina 10
Kentucky 44, Austin Peay 10
Alabama 49, Chattanooga 3
Auburn 38, Alabama A&M 7