Auburn Week 12 Review
An open week helped Auburn get back on track last week as the Tigers cruised to a 48-14 victory over Louisiana-Monroe. AU quarterback Payton Thorne threw for 286 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, including three to freshman receiver Cam Coleman. Both Coleman and KeAndre Lambert-Smith totaled at least 100 receiving yards, and Jarquez Hunter added another 102 yards on the ground as the Tigers improved to 4-6 on the season. Auburn welcomes Texas A&M to Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday (Nov. 23) for the Tigers’ final home game of the season.
Alabama Week 12 Review
Alabama entered its home stretch of the season with a dominant 52-7 win over Mercer. The Crimson Tide is in prime position to secure a playoff berth with two regular season games remaining. Quarterback Jalen Milroe threw for two touchdowns and added another on the ground as UA built a 31-7 halftime advantage. Kalen DeBoer was able to play a number of backups in the second half. Alabama improved to 8-2 and travels to Norman, Oklahoma this Saturday to take on the Sooners for the first time in the SEC.
SEC Week 13 Rankings
1. Texas (9-1, 5-1)
2. Georgia (8-2, 6-2)
3. Alabama (8-2, 4-2)
4. Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2)
5. Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1)
6. Tennessee (8-2, 5-2)
7. South Carolina (7-3, 5-3)
8. LSU (6-4, 3-3)
9. Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3)
10. Arkansas (5-5, 3-4)
11. Missouri (7-3, 3-23)
12. Florida (5-5, 3-4)
13. Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5)
14. Auburn (4-6, 1-5)
15. Kentucky (4-6, 1-6)
16. Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6)
Week 13 Previews and Predictions
Last week: 7-1; season: 82-26
Game of the Week: Texas A&M at Auburn (+2.5). Only a handful of SEC teams control their own destiny, and Texas A&M is one of those teams. If the Aggies beat Auburn and Texas, they will play for the SEC championship and an automatic playoff berth. Even if Texas A&M loses to Auburn, the Aggies can still earn a trip to Atlanta with a win over in-state rival Texas. With that game on the horizon next week, Saturday night’s trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium turns into a bit of a trap game for A&M. Auburn is fighting for bowl eligibility and this will be The Tigers’ lone home conference night game this season. Texas A&M is one of the most improved teams in the country but is officially on upset alert this weekend. Prediction: Auburn 24, Texas A&M 21.
Ole Miss at Florida (+10). Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss in prime position to reach the playoffs, as all the Rebels have to do is win the last two games of the year as double-digit favorites. Florida is playing its best football of the season, however, and Billy Napier is returning for another year in Gainesville after a strong win over LSU. If Napier can pull off another upset on Saturday, he would earn a lot of trust back from Gator fans entering 2025. Prediction: Ole Miss 34, Florida 24.
UMass at Georgia (-42). Last week’s double-digit win over Tennessee put Georgia in a great spot for the playoffs, and the Bulldogs can now boast the best two wins of any team in college football. Georgia will cruise Saturday against a UMass team that just fired its coach, and all that’s standing in their way for a playoff bid is rival Georgia Tech next week. Prediction: Georgia 45, UMass 0.
UTEP at Tennessee (-41.5). While the loss at Georgia was not necessarily damaging to Tennessee’s playoff chances, the Volunteers are in a more precarious position. The win over Alabama will certainly help with the playoff committee, but the UT might need another playoff contender like Indiana or Texas to lose in order to feel better about its chances. Prediction: Tennessee 59, UTEP 9.
Kentucky at Texas (-20.5). If Texas wins its next two games, the Longhorns will make the playoffs even with a loss in the SEC title game. However, if Texas slips up to Kentucky or Texas A&M, the Longhorns’ resume is suspiciously void of quality wins, and Steve Sarkisian will have to hope the committee values the eye test over resume when evaluating the Texas resume. Prediction: Texas 38, Kentucky 7.
Wofford at South Carolina. If the Gamecocks win this week and knock off Clemson next week, Shane Beamer will have a legitimate argument for a playoff spot even at 9-3. It still might be a long shot, and the Gamecocks would definitely need a couple of breaks elsewhere, but it is still a possibility, which is a credit to the job Beamer has done this season. Prediction: South Carolina 41, Wofford 6.
Louisiana Tech at Arkansas (-22). The Razorbacks are only one win away from bowl eligibility, and Sam Pittman’s crew should clear that hurdle on Saturday. Pittman has likely done enough to secure at least one more year in Fayetteville, but a 7-5 record would do wonders for his job security. Prediction: Arkansas 38, Louisiana Tech 16.
Missouri at Mississippi State (+7.5). While Mississippi State is clearly the worst team in the SEC, the Bulldogs have made subtle improvements throughout the season in Jeff Lebby’s first year. MSU has had an extra week of practice to prepare for Missouri, whose playoff chances ended last week in a tough loss at South Carolina. This is a great spot for Lebby to earn his first conference win as a head coach. Prediction: Mississippi State 24, Missouri 20.
Alabama at Oklahoma (+13.5). A month ago, Alabama’s chances of winning an SEC title looked slim, but the Crimson Tide now has path to make it to Atlanta yet again. If Alabama beats Oklahoma and Auburn, it’s likely the Crimson Tide will win tiebreakers over other two-loss SEC teams to reach the SEC championship game. Even if Alabama does not make it to Atlanta, a 10-2 record will be more than enough to secure a playoff bid, and the Tide would likely host a game in the first round. Prediction: Alabama 27, Oklahoma 12.
Vanderbilt at LSU (-8). Two weeks ago, many were discussing LSU as one of the favorites to win the SEC and reach the playoffs. Since then, the Tigers have lost three straight SEC games and are just trying to salvage the season. In fact, LSU and Vanderbilt have the same record with two weeks remaining, which is not something anyone predicted to happen when the season began. Prediction: LSU 31, Vanderbilt 27.
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