Alabama Week 10 Review
Behind a dominant rushing performance from Derrick Henry, the Crimson Tide rolled over LSU, 30-16, last Saturday (Nov. 7) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Henry was overshadowed by LSU’s Leonard Fournette coming into the game but it was Henry that stole the show with 210 yards on 38 carries and three touchdowns. Kicker Adam Griffith made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 55-yarder right before halftime. Fournette averaged close to 200 yards per game entering the contest but the Crimson Tide defense held him to a mere 31 yards on 19 carries. Alabama improved to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play. UA travels to Starkville this Saturday (Nov. 14) to take on Mississippi State.
Auburn Week 10 Review
Auburn put together its most complete performance of the season en route to a 26-10 road victory over Texas A&M. Starting at quarterback in place of an injured Sean White, Jeremy Johnson submitted his best performance of the season. Running back Jovon Robinson also had his best game of the year in rushing for 159 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. Defensively, the Tigers shut down the A&M offense while forcing three turnovers. Auburn improved to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in league play. The Tigers host Georgia on Saturday in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
SEC rankings
1. Alabama (8-1, 5-1)
2. LSU (7-1, 4-1)
3. Florida (8-1, 6-1)
4. Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2)
5. Arkansas (5-4, 3-2)
6. Ole Miss (7-3, 4-2)
7. Auburn (5-4, 2-4)
8. Georgia (6-3, 4-3)
9. Texas A&M (6-3, 3-3)
10. Tennessee (5-4, 3-3)
11. Kentucky (4-5, 2-5)
12. South Carolina (3-6, 1-6)
13. Vanderbilt (3-6, 1-4)
14. Missouri (4-5, 1-5)
Week 11 Previews and Predictions
Week 10: 5-2; season: 65-19
Game of the Week
Alabama at Mississippi State (-8). Last Saturday couldn’t have worked out any better for the Crimson Tide. In addition to UA knocking off LSU, Ole Miss lost to Arkansas earlier in the day. Ala-bama now controls its own destiny in the SEC West Division. If Alabama defeats Mississippi State and Auburn, the Tide will face Florida in the SEC Championship game. Nick Saban has never lost to Dan Mullen, and Alabama has won seven straight in the series. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the country last year when they lost to Alabama, 25-20, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Dak Prescott is the best quarterback Alabama has faced this year, but that still might not be enough for the Bulldogs on Saturday. Prediction: Alabama 24, Mississippi State 17.
Arkansas at LSU (-8). Arkansas has back-to-back overtime wins in SEC play, and the Hogs’ win over Ole Miss was one of the best finishes in all of college football this season. LSU isn’t out of the mix just yet in the SEC West but the Tigers need Alabama to lose another game at some point this season. Prediction: LSU 21, Arkansas 17.
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (-3.5). After a promising start to the season, things have spiraled out of control in recent weeks for Kentucky. The Wildcats have lost three straight conference games by double digits and must now win two of the next three games to reach a bowl game. Vanderbilt nearly upset Florida on the road last week but the Commodores came up just short. Nevertheless, Vandy has slightly improved in Derek Mason’s second season. Prediction: Kentucky 16, Vanderbilt 13.
Georgia at Auburn (-1.5). Auburn and Georgia meet this Saturday in the 119th meeting of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. The series is tied all-time at 55-55-8, but the Bulldogs have dominated the rivalry as of late. Georgia has won seven of the last nine meetings, including a 34-7 trouncing of the Tigers last November. Mark Richt’s team hasn’t played well in the last month but did look better a week ago against Kentucky. Auburn played its best game of the season last week against Texas A&M and is looking to become bowl eligible with a win on Saturday. Prediction: Auburn 23, Georgia 21.
North Texas at Tennessee (-41). The Volunteers’ sixth win should be an easy one, and they have a very realistic chance of winning out. Prediction: Tennessee 55, North Texas 3.
Western Carolina at Texas A&M (-32). The Aggies have struggled in the last month but should be able to correct some issues on Saturday against Western Carolina. Prediction: Texas A&M 61, Western Carolina 13.
BYU at Missouri (+6.5). The Tigers have won the SEC East Division the past two seasons but will struggle to reach a bowl game this year. At 4-5, the Tigers would have to win two of their three remaining games against BYU, Tennessee and Arkansas in order to secure a postseason game. It’s very likely that Missouri finishes the season at 4-8. Prediction: BYU 24, Missouri 13.
Florida at South Carolina (+7.5). Florida already has clinched the SEC East but the Gators must correct several offensive issues if they want a chance at winning the SEC title. Florida remains very much alive in the playoff race but the Gators aren’t winning anything if they continue to play like they did last week against Vanderbilt. South Carolina has played inspired football in recent weeks but simply isn’t talented enough to compete with better teams in the SEC. Prediction: Florida 20, South Carolina 10.