Alabama Week 9 Review
Amari Cooper set the tone of the last week’s game early on. On Alabama’s first play of offense, Blake Sims hit Cooper for an 80-yard touchdown. Cooper went on to set an Alabama school record with 224 yards receiving, and he also added two touchdowns on the game. The Crimson Tide won the game 34-20, although the score was 27-0 at one point. The Tide improved to 7-1 overall, and 4-1 in SEC play. Alabama is off this week before traveling to Baton Rouge to take on LSU next Saturday (Nov. 8).
Auburn Week 9 Review
This Saturday matchup between Auburn and South Carolina involved two of the greatest offensive minds in all of college football. Steve Spurrier and Gus Malzahn are certainly innovative play-callers, and their acumen was on display during Auburn’s 42-35 victory over South Carolina. Both offenses were nearly unstoppable, and for a while it looked as if the Gamecocks were going to pull off the upset in Jordan-Hare. The Tigers’ running game ultimately proved to be too much for the Gamecocks, and cornerback Jonathan Jones picked off two fourth quarter passes to preserve the win for Auburn. The Tigers improved to 6-1 overall, and 3-1 in league play. Auburn travels to Oxford to take on Ole Miss this weekend (Nov. 1).
SEC Rankings
1. Mississippi State (7-0, 4-0)
2. Auburn (6-1, 3-1)
3. Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1)
4. Alabama (7-1, 4-1)
5. Georgia (6-1, 4-1)
6. LSU (7-2, 3-2)
7. Texas A&M (5-3, 2-3)
8. Arkansas (4-4, 0-4)
9. Missouri (6-2, 3-1)
10. Kentucky (5-3, 2-3)
11. South Carolina (4-4, 2-4)
12. Florida (3-3, 2-3)
13. Tennessee (3-5, 0-4)
14. Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-5)
Week 10 Previews and Predictions
Week 9: 5-1; Season: 63-11
Saturday, Nov. 1
Louisiana-Monroe at Texas A&M (-32). The Aggies had a very difficult four-game stretch but should be able to get back on track this weekend. Prediction: Texas A&M 55, Louisiana-Monroe 13.
Florida at Georgia (-13). Remember when this game used to be a big deal? Will Muschamp has yet to defeat Mark Richt, and the Bulldogs should win again despite playing without their best player for the third consecutive game. Prediction: Georgia 38, Florida 10.
Kentucky at Missouri (-6.5). Surprisingly, Missouri is still alive in the SEC East race. The Tigers need to win out and have Georgia lose once, but it is still a possibility. If Kentucky were to become bowl eligible in Mark Stoops’ second year, it would be a great accomplishment for this program. Prediction: Missouri 27, Kentucky 23.
Old Dominion at Vanderbilt (-7.5). This might be Vanderbilt’s last chance at a win this season. Prediction: Vanderbilt 34, Old Dominion 23.
Arkansas at Mississippi State (-11). The Bulldogs are still the No. 1 team in the country but shouldn’t take the Razorbacks lightly. Arkansas is capable of pulling off the upset, although the Razorbacks might have trouble running the ball against the Bulldog defense. Dak Prescott should have another big day for Mississippi State. Prediction: Mississippi State 41, Arkansas 27.
Tennessee at South Ca-rolina (-7). Steve Spurrier pulled out every trick he had last week against Auburn and still lost. South Carolina can score but also cannot stop anyone. Fortunately for the Gamecocks, Tennessee has trouble putting points on the board. The Vols are still winless in the SEC and are dangerously close to not reaching a bowl game yet again. Prediction: South Carolina 45, Tennessee 37.
Game of the Week
Auburn at Ole Miss (-2). In the first rankings for the College Football Playoff, the Tigers were ranked third and the Rebels fourth. Each team has one loss, and this probably is an elimination game. Au-burn and Ole Miss both control their own destiny, although Auburn’s road to the national championship involves three difficult road games against top 11 teams. If Auburn can run the ball successfully, the Tigers have a great chance of knocking off the Rebels. However, if Ole Miss’s defense can keep the game a low scoring affair, it would benefit the home team. Prediction: Auburn 31, Ole Miss 23.