By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent
Alabama Week 6 Review
One week after a thrilling victory over Georgia, Alabama suffered one of the worst losses in program history in a 40-35 defeat at Vanderbilt. In pulling off the upset, the Commodores led wire-to-wire, outgained the Crimson Tide in total yardage, dominated time of possession and physically manhandled Kalen DeBoer’s team. It was an eye-opening, welcome-to-the-SEC moment for DeBoer and a game that truly kicked off his tenure as UA head coach, more so than the Georgia game. Jalen Milroe threw for 310 yards and a touchdown and an interception that was returned for a touchdown and added another score on the ground. Alabama, which fell to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the SEC, returns home this Saturday (Oct. 12) for a matchup against South Carolina.
Auburn Week 6 Review
Auburn faced four teams from Power 4 conferences this season and the Tigers have lost all of them. AU dropped to 2-4 on the year and 0-3 in the SEC after a 31-13 road loss at Georgia last week. Hugh Freeze’s bunch was competitive for most of the game, against Georgia, but a failed fourth-and-1 conversion attempt to start the fourth quarter while trailing 21-10 ended any chances of an upset. Quarterback Payton Thorne threw for 200 yards and did not have a turnover but also did not have any touchdowns as the Tiger offense once again struggled with consistency. Jarquez Hunter led Auburn on the ground with 91 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries. The Tigers have a well-timed bye week this weekend before a road game at Missouri.
SEC Week 7 Rankings
1. Texas (5-0, 1-0)
2. Georgia (4-1, 2-1)
3. Alabama (4-1, 1-1)
4. Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0)
5. LSU (4-1, 1-0)
6. Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1)
7. Arkansas (4-2, 1-1)
8. Tennessee (4-1, 1-1)
9. Missouri (4-1, 1-1)
10. Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1)
11. Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1)
12. South Carolina (3-2, 1-1)
13. Kentucky (3-2, 1-2)
14. Florida (3-2, 1-1)
15. Auburn (2-4, 0-3)
16. Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2)
Week 7 Previews and Predictions
Last week: 3-3; season: 50-16
Game of the Week: Ole Miss at LSU (+3.5). Saturday night’s showdown in Baton Rouge is not necessarily an elimination game for the Rebels and Tigers with the expanded playoff field, but the loser will have no margin for error the rest of the season due to earlier losses. LSU’s loss to USC looks worse now than it did a month ago, and while the Ole Miss loss to Kentucky does not look as bad as Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt, the Rebels also do not have a quality win as of yet. Beating LSU in Tiger Stadium at night would certainly qualify as such. LSU has had an extra week to prepare, so there should be plenty of fireworks in Death Valley. Prediction: LSU 41, Ole Miss 34.
South Carolina at Alabama (-21). How Alabama responds this Saturday and over the next couple of weeks should go a long way in determining how successful Kalen DeBoer will be in Tuscaloosa. On paper, Alabama should cruise past South Carolina, and the extra motivation from last week’s loss to Vanderbilt should add another level to the Crimson Tide’s performance. Even with a huge matchup against Tennessee on deck, UA likely learned it cannot afford to overlook anyone, so this should be a complete performance on Saturday from the Tide. Prediction: Alabama 48, South Carolina 13.
Missouri at UMass (+27.5). Thanks to upsets elsewhere in the SEC last week, Missouri’s embarrassing blowout loss at Texas A&M was somewhat glossed over. However, it was a very poor performance from the Tigers, the kind of loss that suggests this Missouri team might not be a playoff contender like many expected in the preseason. Prediction: Missouri 48, UMass 17.
Texas vs. Oklahoma (+14.5). The first SEC edition of the Red River Rivalry takes place this weekend in Dallas, and both teams had a week to prepare and get healthier. Quinn Ewers should be back under center for the Longhorns after missing two games, and Oklahoma should have some receiving depth back after traveling to Auburn without five wideouts. The Sooners upset the Longhorns a season ago, but these two programs look to be trending in opposite directions. Prediction: Texas 31, Oklahoma 20.
Mississippi State at Georgia (-33). Outside of two remarkable halves of football in the second halves against Clemson and Alabama, Georgia has looked rather pedestrian for much of this season. Kirby Smart is likely a victim of his own success, but this Georgia team certainly does not appear to be as elite as the last three seasons. Saturday’s matchup against Mississippi State likely won’t be an issue, but a road game at Texas looms large next week. Prediction: Georgia 38, Mississippi State 10.
Florida at Tennessee (-16). It wasn’t nearly as notable as Alabama’s shocking loss to Vanderbilt, but Tennessee also lost as a double-digit favorite. The Volunteers dropped a surprising game at Arkansas, and the Tennessee offense has looked pedestrian in recent games. Tennessee hosts Florida for its first home conference game, and the Gators just earned an impressive win over UCF a week ago. Prediction: Tennessee 31, Florida 17.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky (-14). Coming off perhaps the best win in program history, Vanderbilt hits the road for another conference game at Kentucky on Saturday night. The Wildcats had an open week to prepare for the Commodores, and it’s unlikely they will be caught overlooking Vandy after its win over Alabama. If Diego Pavia and the Dores can pull off another upset, their chances of reaching a bowl game would drastically improve. Prediction: Kentucky 24, Vanderbilt 13.