Tennessee at No. 1 Alabama
It seems like Tennessee still hasn’t returned to form since they lost a heartbreaker to Texas A&M in 2016. They couldn’t make it out of The Swamp with a victory against an overrated Florida earlier this season, and have since been shut out by Georgia and even fell to South Carolina. Nick Saban and Co. are perfect against the Volunteers in the last 10 years. The fact of the matter is Tennessee’s best chance for a win against Bama was last year when they were hot. Alabama has nearly endless resources and keeping up with their offensive pace is the only way to beat them. Or is it? The Vols have scored a touchdown in just two of their last four competitions, but their secondary has been terrific and allowed more than one touchdown just once this season. If the Tennessee defense can’t slow down the Tide in the early minutes, the game will be out of hand before they know it.
Prediction: Alabama 39, Tennessee 9
No. 25 LSU at Ole Miss
LSU has surprised us again and again this season, whether it be good or bad. They beat Syracuse who just snagged a victory from national championship-defending Clemson, yet lost to Troy the next week. Last weekend they pulled off a tight win over No. 10 Auburn. That being said, they should make easy work of Ole Miss — but the Tigers obviously don’t care what I think. This squad clearly has its flaws, but they’ve somehow kept themselves from slipping into an abyss. The offense is shaky but the defense is playing great ball. With the return of Arden Key, the pass rush should cause trouble for Ole Miss QB Shea Patterson and his struggling offensive line. However, Patterson has been great in the pocket and has already racked up 2143 yards for 17 scores and six picks. At home, he’s boasting 72.6 percent completion and averages 11.23 yards per game for 13 scores and just a single pick. He’s currently seventh in the nation for yards and is set to face a competent Tiger secondary. I’m going to root for the Rebels to keep the margin in their favor, and give us an upset.
Prediction: LSU 20, Ole Miss 23
Around the SEC — Week 8
October 20, 2017
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