No. 1 Georgia (9-0) @ No. 10 Auburn (7-2)
Auburn’s got a great opportunity in the next two weekends to really cause some turmoil in the SEC. At the same time this is an absolute must-win for the Bulldogs. The Tigers are still competitive for the SEC West title and snagging a win this weekend could put them in the CFP conversation. Undefeated Georgia is a shoo-in for the SEC Championship game but Auburn is more than good enough to ruin their national championship plans. Plus, pull off a win this weekend, welcome Alabama into Auburn next week, ruin their plans as well and suddenly Auburn’s turned the whole nation on its head. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they’ll have some trouble relying on Kerryon Johnson to run the ball against a Georgia defense that held the Fighting Irish to just 55 yards on the ground. The Tiger offensive line is less than stellar but the man under center, Jarrett Stidham, has been Heisman-caliber except in Auburn’s two losses. On the defensive side, the Tigers’ D-line has slowly improved over the last three years and should fare better than most against the Dawgs’ front line. The Bulldogs’ specialty is clearly their explosive offense. Auburn’s defense hasn’t allowed more than 27 points in any game of 2017. Get Stidham rolling, stop Nick Chubb at the line and we’ll have a legendary SEC showdown on our hands.
Prediction: Georgia 31, Auburn 27
No. 2 Alabama (9-0) @ No. 16 Mississippi State (7-2)
Despite their perfect record, the Crimson Tide are finding themselves in a seriously scary situation. They get a win this weekend, hope Auburn falls to Georgia and they’ll be off to another SEC Championship. Unfortunately for Bama, Mississippi State has enough up its sleeve to rock the boat in Starkville. It’s not a fun place to play in and the Tide has showed signs of failure against LSU and Texas A&M. What’s the secret? Get your defense off the field. Alabama’s smallest margins of victory have come when they fail to convert on over 40 percent of their 3rd downs. Bring some pressure down on Jalen Hurts and put Nick Fitzgerald in a position to score. Speaking of the Bulldog’s offense, Fitzgerald has to keep possession of the ball. He has 10 picks and just 13 TD’s so far this season. The Alabama squad lives off of these turnovers. You throw just two measly picks and the Tide either runs it in for a score or grinds your defense down to a pile of dust. For Mississippi, keep things simple, control the clock and you can beat the Tide at their own game.
Prediction: Alabama 35, Mississippi State 13