We have reached the first Saturday in November, and the SEC on CBS doubleheader will go a long way toward determining the winners of each division.
No. 12 Missouri will tee it up with No. 2 Georgia on Saturday afternoon in Athens, Georgia, in what is essentially a must-win matchup for the Tigers. Coach Eli Drinkwitz's squad has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, and with only one conference loss it would be in the driver's seat in the division if it can draw even with the two-time reigning national champions. On the other side, the Bulldogs offense didn't seem to have any issue in its first full game without tight end Brock Bowers as it boat-raced rival Florida 43-20 last weekend.
The second game of the doubleheader will take place under the lights in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. No. 8 Alabama will host No. 14 LSU in a rematch of last year's overtime thriller in Baton Rouge that helped LSU win its first SEC West title since 2019. Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels established himself as a star in that game, and a victory over the Crimson Tide on Saturday would make him the first starting signal-caller to beat a Nick Saban-led Alabama team in back-to-back years.
Let's take a spin around the SEC and make some picks in this week's edition of SEC Smothered and Covered.
Appetizer: Brady Cook's big chance
The Missouri quarterback was booed by the home crowd early in the Week 3 win over Kansas State but has been on fire ever since. Cook is third in the nation in completion percentage for passes of 15 air yards or more without being pressured (59.6%), behind only LSU's Jayden Daniels (65%) and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy (64%) -- two of the top three leading candidates in Heisman Trophy odds.
That actually plays into Georgia's weakness -- getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Georgia is tied for ninth in the SEC at 2.0 sacks per game. However, the Bulldogs did manage to sack Florida quarterback Graham Mertz four times last week -- all in the first half. That was Georgia's season high, though.
If Cook gets time to throw, his track record of finding receivers Luther Burden III, Theo Wease Jr and Mookie Cooper speaks for itself.
Main course: Weakness vs. Weakness
There will be plenty of focus on the massive matchup between Alabama's stout defense and LSU's dynamic offense. However, the matchup that will decide the outcome is the battle of futility between the Crimson Tide's offensive line and the porous Tiger defense. Among SEC teams, Alabama ranks No. 11 and No. 14, respectively, in tackles for loss allowed per game and sacks allowed per game; however, LSU's defense is only No. 12 and No. 13 in the SEC in generating those respective stats.
What makes this matchup even more intriguing is fact that LSU will be without defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo and cornerback Zy Alexander for the game, as well as "inactive" defensive backs Denver Harris and Duce Chestnut. That could mean everything if Daniels and the Tigers force Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe into a track meet.
Styles make fights, and that's typically not the way that Saban wants to operate. However, if Milroe can take advantage of LSU's defensive weakness and its massive injury list, this could turn into Milroe's best game with the program.
Dessert: Quinshon Judkins is getting hot
The star running back for No. 10 Ole Miss has topped the 100-yard mark in three of his last four game. He ripped off 124 yards on just 17 carries and scored twice last weekend vs. Vanderbilt, confirming that he is 100% healthy after a slow start to the season.
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher knows just how much of a threat Judkins will be when the Aggies and Rebels square off Saturday afternoon.
"He's hitting the runs. You see the cuts, and he very rarely misses cuts and both backs, and they're blocking. They got in the groove of what they're doing offensively and done really well. They're playing well," Fisher said.
However, the Aggies have allowed more than 42 rushing yards in only one of their last four games, which goes to show just how phenomenal this matchup will be.
Power rankings
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- LSU
- Tennessee
- Missouri
- Texas A&M
- Kentucky
- Florida
- Auburn
- Mississippi State
- South Carolina
- Arkansas
- Vanderbilt
Picks
Straight up: 67-11 | Against the spread: 33-31-2
*Picks use SportsLine consensus odds and were made on Instagram since SEC Smothered & Covered started in Week 2
No. 12 Missouri at No. 2 Georgia
Trends are your friend, and the trends favor Missouri to cover in this one. The Tigers are 5-2 against the spread while the Bulldogs are 2-4-1. Georgia will do all that it can to not only limit the damage Tigers signal-caller Brady Cook can cause, but also go old school and pound the rock in order to drain the clock. Coach Kirby Smart and the Dawgs will stay undefeated, but the Tigers will either keep it close or sneak in the back door in the fourth quarter. Pick: Missouri +15.5
No. 14 LSU at No. 8 Alabama
LSU's offense -- particularly the arms and legs of Daniels -- will be too much for the Crimson Tide, and the Tigers will make it two straight over their SEC West rival. Defense doesn't win championships anymore, "just enough" defense does. The Tide won't have enough to prevent this one from turning into a track meet. Their offensive line will struggle and Milroe simply won't be able to keep up. Pick: LSU +3
Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Ole Miss
The Aggies will look to slow the pace down and keep the Rebels offense on the sideline. That's a nice idea, but there's not much to suggest that they can do it based on their struggles on the ground over the last month. As a result, coach Lane Kiffin will let his offense cook and quarterback Jaxson Dart will lead his team to a fourth-quarter cover in a must-win game for the Rebels if they want to make the SEC Championship Game for the first time ever. Pick: Ole Miss -3
UConn at No. 17 Tennessee
The Volunteers defensive front has created havoc behind the line of scrimmage all season, and there's no reason to expect that to change this weekend. With that being the case, the offense should put up points-a-plenty on the overmatched Huskies. The Volunteers play at Missouri next weekend, which is a must-win game no matter what happens in the Tigers' game vs. Georgia this weekend. Coach Josh Heupel will look to generate some more offensive momentum headed into what will be the biggest game of the year next week. Pick: Tennessee -35
Arkansas at Florida
The Razorbacks are a mess on both sides of the ball, and the Gators will take advantage to send them to their seventh straight loss. The Gators offense, led by quarterback Graham Mertz and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, will rebound from last week's game vs. Georgia and move the ball against the porous Hogs defense. Arkansas made a coordinator change on offense prior to the bye week, but it won't matter in what will be a double-digit win for the Gators. Pick: Florida -6
Jacksonville State at South Carolina
Jacksonville State is 5-2-1 against the spread in its first season in FBS and will notch another cover on its résumé in what will be a low-scoring affair. South Carolina needs something -- anything -- to build upon, and running back Mario Anderson will be the one coach Shane Beamer relies on to make that happen. Anderson runs angry but doesn't necessarily have breakaway speed. Beamer will give Anderson the keys, which will limit possessions and allow Jacksonville State to hit that backdoor cover. Pick: Jacksonville State +15.5
Auburn at Vanderbilt
The Tigers finally got quarterback Payton Thorne cooking last week in the win over Mississippi State, and he will continue that momentum Saturday afternoon against the Commodores. More importantly, though, is the fact that the Tigers offensive line showed up in a big way last weekend. That will allow coach Hugh Freeze's crew to control the line of scrimmage, wear down a thin Commodores defensive front and pull away for a two-touchdown win late in the ball game. Pick: Auburn -12.5
Kentucky at Mississippi State
Starkville can be an intimidating place to play at night, but the Wildcats will be able to handle a Bulldogs squad that simply can't find its identity on either side of the ball. Quarterback Devin Leary threw for 372 yards and averaged 9.5 yards per attempt last week vs. Tennessee in his best game as a Wildcat. Can the Bulldogs stop him? It's highly unlikely based on the way they played last week against Auburn. Even if they do, it'll open running lanes for star tailback Ray Davis. This one will get sideways. Pick: Kentucky -3.5
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 10, and which underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned well over $2,000 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.
