Week 7 in the SEC might as well be dubbed "separation Saturday," because the matchups within the conference will define the landscape for the stretch run of the 2017 season.
LSU hosts Auburn, Texas A&M visits Florida and Tennessee will welcome South Carolina in three of the big matchups in Week 7. How will it all shake out? Let's get it started with some picks.
Record straight up: 45-11 (5-1 last week)
Record against the spread: 29-16-2 (3-2-1 last week)
*Games without lines are not counted in the ATS record
Main Course
No. 10 Auburn at LSU (+7)
- SportsLine game forecaster
- LSU found a spark
- Auburn's been solid for the last month
- It comes down to the trenches
LSU is riding high after toppling Florida last week, but will come crashing back down to Earth. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada implemented motions and jet-sweeps galore vs. the Gators, who adjusted in the second half to slow it down. With LSU limited at the quarterback position and an offensive line that's all banged up, that's all they have -- and it won't be enough to upset Auburn. The defensive front is fierce for the Tigers from The Plains, will shut down LSU's offense and Auburn's Jarrett Stidham will lead an offense that breaks a couple of big plays in the second half to take you to covertown. Pick: Auburn Tigers (-7)
Strong Cocktails
Texas A&M at Florida (-3)
- SportsLine game forecaster
- Aggies just got a moral victory
- Gator defense is banged up
- The wrong team is favored
We saw Florida's line last week against LSU shift from the Gators by nearly a touchdown to coach Jim McElwain's crew going off as underdogs when toe met leather. The same thing should happen here, because Texas A&M is a significantly better football team. The multi-dimensional rushing attack led by quarterback Kellen Mond and running backs Keith Ford and Trayveon Williams is tough to defend for any team, much less a defense like Florida's that's all banged up. The Aggies defense will rattle Gator quarterback Feleipe Franks, and the misery level will rise in Gatorland. Pick: Aggies (+3)
South Carolina at Tennessee (-2.5)
- SportsLine game forecaster
- The Gamecocks defense found itself
- The Vols have no offense
- Is this it for Butch Jones?
Did I miss the part of the season where Tennessee developed an offense and deserved any benefit of the doubt? Apparently so, because there's no reason why the Vols should be favored over the Gamecocks -- even at home. The Vols have no offensive identity outside of running back John Kelly, is making a switch to redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and they're squaring off against a defense that hasn't allowed more then 400 yards in any of their last four games and just scored three touchdowns in a win over Arkansas. Will Muschamp will out-coach Butch Jones for the second straight season, cranking up even more heat on Jones on Rocky Top. Pick: Gamecocks (+2.5)
Arkansas at No. 1 Alabama (-30)
- SportsLine game forecaster
- Austin Allen might be hurt
- Alabama is going to be angry
- Dial-a-score games with Bama are tricky
Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen's status is in doubt after he sustained a shoulder injury last week against South Carolina, Alabama's players will hear a lot from coach Nick Saban, judging from his "rat poison" comments, after being tested (or threatened) by Texas A&M, and Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema is suddenly on one of the hottest seats in the country. This will be a blowout, with the only question being how badly Saban wants to make it hurt. Gut feeling, because he wasn't happy with his team's performance last weekend, he'll make it hurt -- at Bielema's expense. Pick: Crimson Tide (-30)
Appetizers
Missouri at No. 4 Georgia (-30)
- SportsLine game forecaster
- Fromm will feast
- Bulldog D will rattle Drew Lock
- But watch out for that backdoor cover
Look, I'm heavily invested in Georgia. I picked the Bulldogs to go to the College Football Playoff National Championship when we went on the record in August, and nothing that has transpired over the last month of the season has shifted me away from that pick. However, once Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm goes nuts on the Tigers defense, Roquan Smith and Co. force Tigers quarterback Drew Lock into several mistakes and the starters get pulled and these two teams drift into garbage time, will Georgia really win by more than four touchdowns? They can, but they won't. Pick: Tigers (+30)
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (-3)
- SportsLine game forecaster
- Neither team has been the same since Bama
- Rebel O-Line will have success
- It'll come down to a turnover
It's been a rough few weeks for Vanderbilt and Ole Miss -- especially when they lined up (and got smoked) by the Crimson Tide. When two struggling teams square off against each other, I'll take the one with the better athletes -- in this case, Ole Miss. The Rebels offensive line will win consistently at the line of scrimmage and the big receivers will feast on a Commodores secondary that won't be able to keep up. Pick: Rebels (-3)
Side Dish
BYU at Mississippi State (-24)
- SportsLine game forecaster
- BYU's offense is a wreck
- It's an early kickoff
- Mississippi State is better than most think
BYU ranks 128th out of 130 in offense, Bulldogs defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has had two weeks to prepare and has plenty of talent up front. The Cougars won't have the athletes to slow down Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and the dynamic offense led by coach Dan Mullen. Mississippi State will prove that consecutive blowout losses to Georgia and Auburn are compliments to those programs rather than indictments of itself with a big win. Pick: Bulldogs (-24)