Arkansas at Ole Miss
The Razorbacks are still chasing their first SEC win and to make matters worse, they’ll be without senior offensive lineman Frank Ragnow the rest of the season. Ragnow is arguably the best center in the country and went down with a high ankle sprain last Saturday that will require surgery. Arkansas isn’t going to push Ragnow to return in order to protect his NFL future. This weekend they’ll hit the road to face a Rebels squad that’s been putting up big offensive numbers at home. Unfortunately, it was reported Sunday that Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the PCL in his right knee late into the Rebels’ loss to LSU. The five-star prospect leads the SEC in passing yards per game and total offense. This is a big hit for a team that is founded on its offensive identity. Stepping into Patterson’s place is Jordan Ta’amu, JUCO transfer from New Mexico Military Institute. The Hawaii native finds himself under center in a game that originally would have been an easy win for the Rebels. The Hogs now have a chance. The real battle will be won or lost at the line between Arkansas’s O-line and the Ole Miss pass rush. I’m thinking this one will be close, but the Razorbacks will come out on top with a few forced turnovers.
Prediction: Arkansas 27, Ole Miss 24
Georgia vs Florida
There’s no doubt that Georgia is clearly the better team here. However, Florida is likely to keep things close. On average Florida has won or lost each game this season by less than a touchdown. To compound that, this is a century-long rivalry both squads need to win. Florida is on a three-game winning streak over the Bulldogs and they have the secondary but not necessarily the D-line or linebacking core to halt Georgia’s run game. The Dawgs finally have all the pieces in place and they’re under a lot of pressure to make things happen. They’ll turn towards senior running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to lead the offense on the ground behind freshman quarterback Jake Fromm under center. The Bulldogs defense isn’t a brick wall, but they’ll take their chances against a Gator squad riddled with injuries and suspensions. With as close as their games have been, it’s tough to get a read on Florida. One could make a case as to whether they’re just a few plays away from being 6-0 or 0-6. Either way, the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party is going to be a great matchup to look out for. In the end, I see Georgia taking care of business.
Prediction: Georgia 38, Florida 13