South Carolina at No. 1 Georgia 
Hey, it’s refreshing to see someone new at the top of the nation’s leaderboard. Wait, South Carolina is 6-2 and second in the SEC East? I know, I’m just as surprised as you are. The fact of the matter is South Carolina has silently been rocking it down in Columbia. Now it seems they have got a chance to knock Georgia off the throne. That being said, the Bulldogs aren’t ranked No. 1 for nothing and now they’ve got a big red and black target painted on their backs. The Gamecocks are masters of deception, playing absolutely inconsistent at every position and yet, finding a way to win. How they’re doing this is by not making dumb mistakes. They’re ninth in the nation with just 0.8 giveaways per game, 16th in turnover margin and eighth in penalty yards per game. Now that’s playing smart football, and smart football wins games. The Bulldogs, however, are so explosive that they merely sweep these statistics under the rug. They’re deadly efficient, accounting .572 points per play and literally perfect in the red zone. They’re tied for first in the nation here, meaning they’ve never gotten within 20 yards of the end zone and not come away with points. That’s a daunting task for a Gamecocks squad who won’t be able to slow down the Dawgs or keep up with them on the offensive side. I expect South Carolina to make this a very enjoyable watch, but ultimately fall flat.
Prediction: Georgia 37, South Carolina 17
No. 19 LSU at No. 2 Alabama
Don’t be fooled by that No. 2 rating: Alabama is still borderline unfairly good. I guess Georgia’s just getting it done with a little more flare than the Tide. At this point in the season it’s safe to say LSU is officially a competitive team. Their two losses come against teams they really should have beat, but things have since turned around for the Tigers and they’re making plays happen. This week they go into Tuscaloosa, the definition of home field advantage. The LSU O-Line has been better, but Derrius Guice isn’t Leonard Fournette. Plus, on average Alabama concedes just 68.1 yards on the ground per game. Bama will force the Tigers to move the chains through the air. This isn’t what LSU is famous for, but they have shown the ability to stretch the field and mitigate turnovers. That’ll prove handy against an Alabama squad who feeds off takeaways. Rewind some of their opponents’ turnovers this season, and all of a sudden they aren’t 8-0. The bottom line is this will be a hard-fought matchup until the end with a Tigers team still in playoff contention and the Crimson Tide wanting to prove they’re still No. 1. Last season was a dogfight until Alabama pulled away with just a 10-0 win. This season, LSU controls their turnovers, tests Bama downfield and keeps things interesting. 
Prediction: Alabama 24, LSU 13