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SEC Football: Picks and Predictions for another busy week in the SEC

By Matt Green

AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 24: Kerryon Johnson
AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 24: Kerryon Johnson /
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 It’s time for another week of SEC football, and after six weeks the season is starting to take shape.

The first full slate of SEC football games didn’t disappoint. Alabama was tested for the first time all year in their 27-19 win over Texas A&M. Florida’s pixie dust finally ran out in their 17-16 loss to LSU. Georgia and Auburn once again won in blowout fashion, while South Carolina’s blowout win over Arkansas may have been the most surprising result of the weekend.

This week offers us another near-full slate of SEC action, with Mississippi State playing the only non-conference game and Kentucky on a bye week. Here’s my Week 7 SEC football picks:

BYU @ Mississippi State – 12:00 (SEC Network)

Mississippi State probably need the bye week after being dominated by Georgia and Auburn by a combined 80-13 in the previous two weeks. This week they host a BYU team that’s 1-5, which includes a 27-0 loss to LSU, who the Bulldogs beat 37-7 earlier this season. The Cougars are tied for 128th in the country in scoring offense, scoring 11.7 points per game. The Bulldogs should enjoy getting back into the win column before getting back into conference play next week.

  • Mississippi State 31, BYU 10

South Carolina @ Tennessee – 12:00 (ESPN)

Butch Jones is essentially fighting for his job in this game. His seat seemingly gets hotter by the day, or by the press conference anyway. South Carolina is coming off a blowout win over Arkansas, but they’ll be tested going into Neyland Stadium. The Vols are 110th in the nation in offensive yards/game, while the Gamecocks are tied for 11th in the nation with 13 takeaways on the season. Tennessee will be giving redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano his first career start on Saturday, so we’ll see if he can make a difference.

With his job on the line, Butch Jones has elected to start redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano on Saturday against South Carolina. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
With his job on the line, Butch Jones has elected to start redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano on Saturday against South Carolina. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

  • South Carolina 31, Tennessee 24

(10) Auburn @ LSU – 3:30 (CBS)

Auburn and LSU is one of the classic, smash-mouth SEC football rivalries, and their 2016 meeting gave us one of the wildest endings we’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something. Over the last three weeks, the Tigers have looked like the team they were advertised to be, outscoring opponents 144-47 in their first three conference games of the season. LSU was looking like a sinking ship before last week’s win over Florida. I don’t want to make too much of history, but Auburn hasn’t beaten LSU in Baton Rouge since 1999, and that’s too much for me to ignore.

  • LSU 20, Auburn 17

Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss – 3:30 (SEC Network)

Last season, Vanderbilt beat Ole Miss 38-17, giving them their first win over the Rebels since 2012. Both teams come into this game with three losses, and loss in this game will likely end any chance at bowl eligibility, although Ole Miss doesn’t have that to worry about. After allowing 13 points in the first three games of the season, the Commodores have allowed 142 points over the last three games. I don’t see them slowing down the Rebels offense this week either, but it will be a close game.

  • Ole Miss 31, Vanderbilt 27

Texas A&M @ Florida – 7:00 (ESPN2)

There’s a lot of hot seat talk coming out of Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, but I think the coach that people should be talking about is Jim McElwain. In just year three, McElwain still has time, but his leash is getting shorter and shorter. In three seasons, the Gators have yet to put any sort of offense on the field. Florida is 103rd in the nation in offensive yards/game and 96th in the nation in scoring offense. The Aggies are coming off of a close loss to Alabama, which I think will give them confidence moving forward.

Texas A&M 27, Florida 13

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Arkansas @ (1) Alabama – 7:15 (ESPN)

There is no question about who will win this game. The only question is by how much. Bret Bielema’s job is not on the line or anything in this game, but that’s probably because there’s really nothing he can do to save his job. While it’s looking like Austin Allen will play against the Crimson Tide, I don’t think it will make much of a difference. Alabama looked mortal against Texas A&M, but I see them bouncing back and dominating again this week.

  • Alabama 38, Arkansas 3

Missouri @ (4) Georgia – 7:30

Georgia has dominated SEC competition this season. Through three conference games, they’ve outscored their opponents 117-17. Missouri has looked like the worst team in the SEC, but if the Bulldogs struggle to get after the quarterback the way they did last week, this game could be closer than people think.

  • Georgia 37, Missouri 17

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