Ole Miss @ LSU: 27-14 Ole Miss wins (Dylan Liggett)
Ole Miss will face a tough test this week against No. 13 LSU on the road in Baton Rouge. After a loss to Kentucky in their SEC home opener, the Rebels made a statement last Saturday in their 27-3 victory over South Carolina.
The Rebels’ defense saw a return to form against the Gamecocks, allowing only a single field goal.
The offense also came out firing with a strong run game and a sharp passing game — even if quarterback Jaxson Dart looked lackluster in the second half.
With star wide receiver Tre Harris out with an ankle injury, the Rebels will need to spread the ball around to their remaining receivers and keep the run game going strong if they want to win.
So far this season, quarterback Garret Nussmeier and the LSU offense have looked dull. While the defense is a definite upgrade from last season, the Tigers will have to get creative to shut down the explosive Ole Miss offense.
If they want to win, the Tigers need to shut down the Rebels’ pass game and stem the tide of the Rebels’ ground game.
The Tigers’ offense still has weapons in wide receiver Kyren Lacy and running back Caden Durham, and if the offense can get the run game going and manage to put points on the board, LSU may stand a chance.
Florida @ Tennessee: 35-7 Tennessee wins (Luke Dunavant)
The Florida Gators have had a rough start this season, going 3-2 so far with wins over Samford, Mississippi State and UCF.
Graham Mertz is the starting quarterback for the Gators, and his numbers are unimpressive. He has thrown for 666 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Gators’ defense is the only chance Florida has to win this game. As a team, they have 13 sacks and two interceptions. EDGE rushers Tyreak Sapp and George Gumbs Jr. both lead the way with two and a half sacks each.
The Tennessee Volunteers, coming off of a heartbreaking loss at Arkansas, are out for revenge. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava had his first bad game of the season last week, throwing for 158 yards and no touchdowns. He will more than likely bounce back with the support of the fans at home.
The Volunteers’ defense is roughly the same as Florida’s on paper — with nine sacks and two interceptions. The main difference is EDGE rusher James Pearce Jr., who is a monster on the defensive line. He has tallied 12 tackles and one and a half sacks on the season. Tennessee should be able to take advantage of a weaker Florida offensive line.
Penn State @ Southern California: 27-14 Penn State wins (Wilson Engeriser)
Despite having no statement wins and playing close games against almost all of its opponents, Penn State is now the No. 4 team in the AP poll. Their best win came against No. 23 Illinois, 21-7.
Southern California is a polar opposite to Penn State. The Trojans notched a good win against LSU to start the season but have gone off the rails since then. They fell to Michigan by a field goal, rebounded by beating Wisconsin by three scores but then lost to Minnesota last Saturday in a game in which three turnovers proved to be their downfall.
For the Nittany Lions to win, they must rely on their ground game with running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. For USC to have a chance, quarterback Miller Moss needs to control his turnovers. In both games USC lost, he threw at least one interception.
Texas @ Oklahoma: 31-14 Texas wins (Ian Sparks)
Both new additions to the SEC have started strong with Texas now ranked No. 1 in the country for the second time this season. Oklahoma bounced back from its first conference loss against Tennessee with a solid win on the road at Auburn and currently sits at No. 18.
Texas is coming off a bye week after beating Mississippi State behind freshman quarterback Arch Manning’s three touchdown performance. It has yet to be determined if former starter Quinn Ewers will be available for the matchup this weekend, but the Longhorns are prepared to play Manning should he not be available.
With either Ewers or Manning at QB, the Longhorns should improve to 6-0 on the season.
Ohio State @ Oregon: 35-31 Ohio State wins (Charles Hausman)
Ohio State will head west to Eugene, Ore., for a week seven contest against Oregon, with ESPN’s College GameDay present. Both teams are 5-0 on the season and sit inside the Top 5 in the most recent AP Poll.
No. 2 Ohio State has been electric this season, with no competition coming close to stealing their thunder. The Buckeyes’ passing game has been lethal with quarterback Will Howard leading an air raid offense. Howard has two star receivers — Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka — as targets.
Squeaking by in the first two weeks, No. 3 Oregon found their footing after a dominant win over rival Oregon State. Dillon Gabriel, transfer quarterback from Oklahoma, will try to sneak past the Buckeyes’ defense. This matchup will determine the clear leader of the Big 10 Conference.
South Carolina @ Alabama: 52-17 Alabama wins (Sarah Fenton)
Despite a historic loss to an unranked Vanderbilt team last week, former No. 1 Alabama will be tough to beat. Prior to Saturday’s defeat in Nashville, Alabama was 4-0, including a dramatic win over a top Georgia team.
The Gamecocks’ previous teams could have put up more of a challenge, but the 2024 roster is not likely to upset Alabama. The Tide’s defense is going to be intimidating for South Carolina, and they should be able to control the game from beginning to end.
Mississippi State @ Georgia: 56-3 Georgia wins (Lily Green)
This weekend’s visit to Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., will be Mississippi State’s second consecutive top five road matchup.
Mississippi State is coming off a bye week. The week prior, the Bulldogs lost to No. 1 Texas 35-13 in quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr.’s first official start for Mississippi State. QB Blake Shapen remains out after suffering a shoulder injury in the Bulldogs’ game against Florida.
Georgia beat Auburn 31-13 the previous week and heads into this contest as the favorite. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck totals 1,359 passing yards and 12 touchdowns and will look to find another conference win.
