No. 11 Alabama at No. 15 LSU: 6:30 p.m. CT, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Saturday’s showdown between Alabama and LSU is for all intents and purposes a playoff game featuring a pair of two-loss teams. The winner will squarely be in the 12-team playoff field, and the loser will have no realistic chance of finding themselves in the final bracket.
LSU struggled to contain Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe’s rushing ability in last season’s meeting in Tuscaloosa, as he led the Crimson Tide in rushing yards and found the end zone four times on the ground. Since then, the Tigers have not shown improvement in neutralizing mobile quarterbacks. In the team’s last game versus Texas A&M, LSU’s defense allowed the Aggies’ Marcel Reed to rush for three touchdowns. Although the Tigers have had the bye week to figure out how they’ll try to stop Milroe, it may be incredibly difficult to contain the physical gifts that the quarterback displays.
For Alabama, there is a playbook out there for how to attack LSU, as demonstrated in Texas A&M’s 15-point win over the Tigers. The Aggies dominated the game by exposing LSU’s lack of ability to stop the run, doing so to the tune of 242 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. If the Crimson Tide can find a way to continue to expose this issue, it is much more likely to have its preferred outcome when the clock hits zero.
It is hard to account for how Alabama will adjust to the crowd noise of a night game in Death Valley. If head coach Kalen DeBoer can properly prepare his team for this moment on this stage, then Alabama will be able to exploit LSU’s red flags and come away with a huge road win.
Prediction: Alabama 20, LSU 17
Where to watch: ABC
No. 3 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss: 2:30 p.m. CT, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi
Fans are in for a treat with this showdown between two elite teams in the SEC.
Georgia has been on a roller coaster all season. The Bulldogs dominated one of the top teams in the country on the road when they beat Texas, but looked vulnerable in games against Florida and Kentucky. Ole Miss has had its back against the wall since it picked up its second loss at the beginning of October. Both teams need a win — Georgia to remain in the SEC championship race, and Ole Miss to stay in the playoff race as a whole.
The Rebels have quietly been on a roll since they lost their second game of the season to LSU on Oct. 12. Since then, Ole Miss has handled its opponents with ease, most recently throttling Arkansas 63-31. If this team can continue scoring points at that volume, it will give Georgia some serious issues on Saturday.
Predicting this game is predicting whether or not Georgia will play to its full capacity. We’ll see the team that entered Austin and handed Texas a huge loss.
Prediction: Georgia 27, Ole Miss 23
Where to watch: ABC
South Carolina at Vanderbilt: 3:15 p.m. CT, FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
This is a very intriguing game between three-loss teams that have overachieved throughout the season. Both had crucial upset wins versus top-10 teams and have shown major flashes all season.
Vanderbilt is coming off of a game where it edged out a win over Auburn on the road. This is a team that has completely changed the narrative when it comes to Vanderbilt football. The Commodores are no longer the SEC’s punching bag and have assembled a very impressive season with a marquee win over formerly No. 1 Alabama. Beating the Gamecocks will require a lot from this team’s offensive line, as South Carolina trots out one of the very best defensive lines in the country.
South Carolina has a clear path to winning this game on the road. Utilizing the defensive line, the team’s biggest strength, will disrupt the Vanderbilt offense and completely throw off the Commodores’ rhythm. On the other side of the ball, the Gamecocks’ best chance of winning will be to pound the rock and run the ball at a high level.
South Carolina showed last week that it can compete with anyone when it thrashed a then-top-10 Texas A&M. There will be no hangover when the Gamecocks make the trip to Nashville to take on the Commodores, and the team will handle business with relative ease on Saturday.
Prediction: South Carolina 31, Vanderbilt 21
Where to watch: SEC Network
