Alabama @ Tennessee 35-28 Tennessee wins (Wilson Engeriser)
This is one of the most exciting rivalries in the SEC. While Tennessee looks to capitalize on a reeling Alabama team, the Tide looks to rebound during an up-and-down season.
One of the major storylines in college football this season is the downfall of Alabama. After beating Georgia in a top-ranked game, the wheels have fallen off. The Crimson Tide lost to Vanderbilt by five points, and instead of rebounding and destroying their next opponent, the Tide almost lost to South Carolina.
Tennessee started the season 4-0 but lost to Arkansas by five points two weeks ago. The Volunteers rebounded with an overtime win against Florida. With quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Dylan Sampson, Tennessee’s offense is the star of the team.
This will be a matchup that disrupts the SEC standings for what feels like the umpteenth time this season. Neyland Stadium will be rocking and Alabama will suffer a second upset loss of the season at the hands of the Vols.
Georgia @ Texas 45-42 Georgia wins (Luke Dunavant)
The Georgia Bulldogs will travel to Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium to face the dominant Texas Longhorns.
After giving up 31 points to a banged up Mississippi State team, the Bulldogs will look to prove that they are still one of the best teams in the SEC. Quarterback Carson Beck has thrown for 1,818 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Bulldogs’ pass game has been their only saving grace, as the run game has yet to hit its stride.
The Georgia defense is very good at getting to the quarterback, with 11 sacks this season; Tyrion Ingrahm-Dawkins remains in the lead with three sacks. However, the Bulldogs are not as skilled at intercepting the ball, as they only have three interceptions this year.
After demolishing the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 34-3, the Texas Longhorns are clearly the best team in the SEC. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is back at the starting position, throwing for 199 yards, one touchdown and an interception. The Longhorns’ pass attack is one of the best in the country, as they have weapons all over the field.
Totaling 18.5 sacks and seven interceptions, the Texas defense is astounding. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. leads in sacks with four-and-a-half. In the secondary, there are seven different players who have an interception.
While the Longhorns are much better on paper, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart should be able to get his players in a great position to upset the No. 1 team in the country.
South Carolina @ Oklahoma 24-21 Oklahoma wins (Lily Green)
The South Carolina Gamecocks will take a trip to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to play the Oklahoma Sooners.
After keeping up with the Crimson Tide — losing 27-25 — the Gamecocks will look for a road win to improve their current 3-3 record. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers had 238 passing yards against Alabama, putting him at 793 passing yards over the first six games of the season.
Standing at 4-2, the Sooners have a home advantage and a better record than the Gamecocks. Oklahoma suffered its second loss last week after being dismantled by the Texas Longhorns 34-3 in the Red River Rivalry. With only 538 passing yards over the first six games, quarterback Jackson Arnold will look to improve this week.
Colorado @ Arizona 28-24 Colorado wins (Ian Sparks)
Following a three-point loss to Kansas State, Colorado is sitting at 4-2 and has already matched its win total from a season ago. Superstars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have not disappointed to start this year, as both have put up electric numbers.
Arizona has lost two straight games against Texas Tech and BYU since knocking off then No. 10 Utah in Salt Lake City. The Wildcats started the year ranked in the top 25 before losing to Kansas State and have not yet climbed back into the rankings. A win against Colorado would not necessarily put them back in but would be a huge step forward to finishing their season strong.
That said, Colorado will get the road win. The star power of Sanders and Hunter will prove to be too much, resulting in the Buffaloes winning in a close one.
Texas A&M @ Mississippi State 31-17 Texas A&M wins (Delaney Smith)
With underdogs coming in clutch against high-ranked SEC teams, anything could happen. However, Texas A&M and Mississippi State are on opposite ends of the conference rankings.
Mississippi State put up 31 points against Georgia in Athens but could not stop the dominant offense in Week 7, while the Aggies had a bye. Freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. has taken over as starter for the Bulldogs after senior Blake Shapen’s season ended with a shoulder injury in the Florida game.
In Week 6, Texas A&M dominated No. 9 Missouri at home 41-10, with running back Le’Von Moss reaching the end zone three times. Starting quarterback Connor Weigman came back from injury throwing for 276 yards.
Texas A&M is undefeated in conference play thus far, and the win streak will not end in Starkville.
Michigan @ Illinois 24-14 Illinois wins (Dylan Liggett)
The Fighting Illini have had a great season so far. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has put up solid numbers, and running back Kaden Feagin has been on fire in the ground game. Although Feagin was injured in Illinois’ victory over Purdue last week and is expected to miss a few weeks, do not expect the Illinois offense to stop rolling.
The Michigan Wolverines have struggled a bit this season after losing Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and most of their starters to the NFL. The defense has looked average, and the offense is not as as explosive as it was last year — mainly due to the team’s issues at quarterback and an inability to pass the ball — making the offense extremely one dimensional and easy to shut down.
Expect a victory from the Illini in their first ranked matchup at home in the last 24 years.
LSU @ Arkansas: 30-17 LSU wins (Nate Donohue)
After beating Ole Miss in an overtime thriller in Death Valley, the Tigers will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to face a Razorbacks team that upset No. 4 Tennessee two weeks ago. Razorback Stadium is undoubtedly a hostile environment, so this could very well be a trap game for the Tigers.
Of major concern for Arkansas is the health of quarterback Taylen Green, who is still nursing a bone bruise he suffered against Tennessee. Green has thrown for over 1,500 yards on the season and rushed for over 300. The 6-foot-6 junior signal caller had the bye week to heal, but he remains as a questionable component of this game.
Regardless of whether Green plays, LSU should win this one. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier found his stride late in the Ole Miss game, throwing a touchdown with 27 seconds left in regulation and then throwing a game-winner on LSU’s first offensive play in overtime. The Tiger defense, too, is stingy, forcing two turnovers against the Rebels and sacking quarterback Jaxson Dart six times.
Kentucky @ Florida 20-13 Florida wins (Tanner Shapiro)
Kentucky will travel to the swamp where they look to bounce back after a tough loss to Vanderbilt last week. The Gators also are coming off a gut wrenching loss where they took a ranked Tennessee team to overtime.
Florida lost quarterback Graham Mertz for the rest of the year with an ACL injury, leaving five- star freshman DJ Lagaway to get the start. Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff struggled in the loss against Vanderbuilt, throwing for a measly 158 yards. The run game struggled as well, as the Wildcats ran the ball 31 times with little success.
Florida’s bright spot in what has been a rough season has been the wide receivers. Chimere Deke and Elijhah Badger have been great for the Gators in SEC play.
