By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent
SEC football rankings
1. Alabama (8-0, 5-0)
2. Georgia (7-1, 5-1)
3. Florida (6-2, 4-2)
4. LSU (7-1, 4-1)
5. Kentucky (7-1, 5-1)
6. Mississippi State (5-3, 2-3)
7. Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2)
8. South Carolina (4-3, 3-3)
9. Auburn (5-3, 2-3)
10. Missouri (4-4, 0-4)
11. Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-4)
12. Ole Miss (5-3, 1-3)
13. Tennessee (3-5, 1-4)
14. Arkansas (2-7, 0-5)
Week 10 Previews and Predictions
Week 9 record: 3-2, season: 60-17
Game of the Week: Alabama at LSU (+14). The SEC West will likely be decided Saturday night in Baton Rouge. If Alabama wins, it clinches the division. If LSU wins, it needs to win out to secure the division title. The Crimson Tide looks unbeatable, but they haven’t been tested so far. LSU has one of the best defenses in the league but will be without star linebacker Devin White for the first half of the game. The Tigers need to limit the UA offense because they likely don’t possess the offensive power to win a shootout. Prediction: Alabama 38, LSU 16.
South Carolina at Ole Miss (Pick). The Gamecocks have been up-and-down all season and desperately needed their comeback win over Tennessee last week. South Carolina can’t win the SEC East but can still post a successful season if the Gamecocks can win six or seven games. Ole Miss can’t make a bowl game but have a chance to end the season on a positive note. Prediction: South Carolina 34, Ole Miss 31.
Texas A&M at Auburn (-5.5). It’s been a disappointing season so far for the Tigers but they picked up a dominating road win last week over Ole Miss to improve to 5-3 on the season. AU had an open week to heal up, and welcomes in Texas A&M this weekend. The Aggies lost to Mississippi State in arguably their worst performance of the season but are undefeated against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Prediction: Texas A&M 23, Auburn 20.
Georgia at Kentucky (+9.5). Before the season, not many people predicted Georgia and Kentucky to play for the SEC East title. The Bulldogs were the favorites to win the division but Kentucky has been the biggest surprise of the conference so far. The Wildcats have found ways to win close games this year, including last week’s last-second 15-14 victory at Missouri. Kentucky is undefeated at home this year, and it should be a tough environment in Lexington for the Bulldogs, who are coming off of a big win over Florida. Prediction: Georgia 27, Kentucky 10.
Charlotte at Tennessee (-21). Jeremy Pruitt still has an opportunity to take Tennessee to a bowl game in his first season, but the Volunteers missed a golden opportunity last week against South Carolina. The narrow loss sent the Vols to 3-5, and they don’t have much margin for error for the remainder of the season. UT should handle Charlotte easily, but the schedule is more challenging after this week. Prediction: Tennessee 38, Charlotte 16.
Missouri at Florida (-6). Despite the loss to Georgia, the Gators remain ahead of schedule in Dan Mullen’s first season. Florida finished 4-7 a year ago and already is 6-2, with the only losses coming against Georgia and Kentucky. Mi-ssouri nearly took down Kentucky a week ago but could not generate anything offensively in the second half. The Tigers have a decent record at 4-4 but have not beaten a quality opponent all year. Prediction: Florida 31, Missouri 24.
Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State (-21). The Bulldogs responded from their 19-3 loss at LSU with an impressive home victory over Texas A&M. Nick Fitzgerald went from the worst performance of his career against the Tigers to one of his best against the Aggies, and Mississippi State now has the chance to turn its season around and finish on a strong note. Prediction: Mississippi State 41, Louisiana Tech 13.