Can Auburn upset Georgia? Week 11 SEC Predictions

Georgia might be the top team in the country, but it’s biggest test of the season may well not have come at Notre Dame in Week 2….it may come in the form of hated rival Auburn at 3.30pm on Saturday. The Georgia-Auburn game, one of the South’s oldest rivalries, will be compelling viewing…..far above other games. No.2 Alabama is going to No.16 Mississippi State, who will be looking for their second major scalp in Cowbell Country after they blew out LSU earlier in the season. Speaking of the Tigers, they host an awful Arkansas team. In the East, Butch Jones’ assumed leaving party will continue with a trip to surging Missouri, which is playing better than most people expected this time in the season, while rival Florida goes to South Carolina. Ole Miss hosts Louisiana in the Jefferson Sports Pilot game, while there’s not a lot nice to be said about the Kentucky vs Vandy game either. Oh, and New Mexico travels to Texas A&M.

So here we are for the Week 11 games in order of interest.

  1. No.1 Georgia (-3) at Auburn: The game of the day – if not the week. If Auburn hadn’t blown a 20-point lead against LSU, this game could be massive for both sides’ play-off ambitions. While Auburn’s still in the race as the country’s best two-loss teams, Georgia is in the pole position. But although Georgia fans are really excited about this match-up, one Georgia season ticket holder we spoke to isn’t. “I think Auburn’s gonna stack the box and make Jake Fromm throw. I’m not excited about that match-up. This game’s going to be all about turnovers. Whoever has less of them will win.” What should be noted is that Auburn will be the first good running defense Georgia has faced since its one-point win over Notre Dame, and the first good QB since it faced Missouri’s Drew Lock, who ripped the secondary to shreds in the first half of that match-up. Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham’s thrown for 1,996 yards and 11 TDs this season, by the way. PREDICTION: Georgia by 7 in an absolute battle to the end. This one could go to overtime. 
  2. No.2 Alabama (-14) at No.16 Mississippi State: Listen, we haven’t made any secret of the fact that we love Nick Fitzgerald. If it wasn’t for Fitzgerald, God knows how the Bulldogs program would have been after the departure of Dak Prescott. Fitzgerald has again had a good season, throwing for 1,459 yards and 13 TDs. The problem for Fitzgerald is that he’s thrown for 10 INTs. He can’t afford any turnovers against a ravenous Alabama defense. PREDICTION: Alabama by 18. It’ll be close for a quarter or two, but eventually Fitzgerald will be forced to go for it, and that’s where the cracks will start to show.  
  3. Tennessee at Missouri (-12): Missouri is surging at the moment. Yes, we know that the last three games have been against lackluster opponents, but Mizzou actually showed life a little before that, when they were unlucky to lose at Kentucky and they took Georgia’s secondary to the cleaners in the first half of that game (as we’ve mentioned before!). As for Tennessee, the Vols managed to find something to smile about when they beat Southern Miss in Neyland on Saturday. Despite all the crap that we’ve given them, Tennessee’s pass defense really isn’t bad, giving up just 7 pass TDs all season and only 6.65 yards per attempt. We don’t know if Tennessee’s got the offense against Missouri’s not-great secondary, but this one’s going to be closer than many believe. Missouri’s defense is still awful, isn’t it? PREDICTION: Missouri by 4 in a close one. 
  4. Kentucky at Vanderbilt (-2): In SEC play this weekend, this is predicted to be the closest game of the weekend. As we’ve mentioned before Kentucky’s been pretty painful to watch all season, and Vanderbilt’s been painful since it beat Kansas State and was run over by Alabama the next week. I actually like Vanderbilt because of QB Kyle Shurmur, who’s had an 1,884 yard, 20 TD season so far – and doesn’t get picked off a lot (3 INTs). Kentucky’s one of the worst in the country at passing yards allowed (120th), giving up 2,515 yards all season at 7.67 yards per attempt. PREDICTION: Vanderbilt by 7 in a weird, accidental thriller.
  5. Arkansas at No.24 LSU (-17): There are usually nice things we can say about both programs, but there aren’t a lot of good things to say about the Razorbacks, who struggled against the mighty Coastal Carolina last week. LSU will depend a lot on its running game, as Derrius Guice continues to get stronger and the passing play continues to struggle. That’ll be fine for the Tigers, who face an Arkansas rushing D that gives up over 5 yards per rush. PREDICTION: LSU by 21. 
  6. Florida at South Carolina (-6): Florida was awful at Missouri, but this will be interesting because of a couple of things. The first is that Florida doesn’t have a head coach and any offensive ideas, and the second is that both were coached by Steve Spurrier. Then again, South Carolina isn’t incredible, either. Can Florida pull this one out of its behind? PREDICTION: Nope. South Carolina by 10. 
  7. New Mexico at Texas A&M (-17): TEXAS A&M’S ONLY A 17-POINT FAVORITE OVER NEW MEIXCO? FIRE SUMLIN ALREADY! Prediction: The Aggies are going to kill ’em. Aggies by 35. 
  8. Louisiana at Ole Miss (-20): We’ve got no clue who’s going to watch the game. Even ardent Ole Miss fans may struggle with this, which pits together a UL team which isn’t great against an Ole Miss side which isn’t great – but has an offense. PREDICTION: Ole Miss by 30.