The Crimson Tide — and my picks — got back into the win column versus Louisiana-Monroe Saturday. This week, Alabama takes on Wisconsin in a rematch of last year’s beatdown in Madison, Georgia travels to Knoxville to take on Tennessee in a ranked battle and Florida looks to rebound from its upset loss last week with a date in Death Valley versus LSU.
Hopefully you have your popcorn handy, because we have quite a slate this week. Here are my picks:
No. 19 Alabama vs. Wisconsin: Sept. 13, 11 a.m. CT
Part 2 of this home-and-home series takes this matchup to Tuscaloosa for the fourth all-time meeting between the Crimson Tide and Badgers. Last season, Alabama went to Madison and destroyed Wisconsin 42-10 in Year 1 under Kalen DeBoer.
This game gives similar vibes; an uber-talented Alabama team versus a Wisconsin team that just doesn’t have the talent profile to keep up.
Wisconsin will look to keep to its identity in running the ball hard downhill, which is something that the Crimson Tide defense will likely see coming from a mile away.
Alabama, on the other hand, will trot out a revamped pro-style offense that will put an emphasis on airing the ball out. This is much different than the QB run type of scheme that the Crimson Tide ran in Madison a year ago, meaning the Badgers may not have a great grasp on what offensive looks they might see.
“I just don’t know if Wisconsin has enough pop to make this competitive if Alabama plays well,” On3 analyst Ari Wasserman said.
Also worth noting is the possible return of several Alabama starters from injury. This includes wide receiver Ryan Williams, running back Jam Miller and defensive tackle Tim Keenan III. If one or more of these guys makes a return Saturday, Wisconsin could be in ever more trouble than it previously would’ve been.
This has deja vu written all over it from last year’s meeting. Give me Alabama to cover a -20.5 spread, building momentum into the bye week and into a showdown at Georgia in two weeks.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Wisconsin 10
Where to watch: ABC
No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 15 Tennessee: Sept. 13, 2:30 p.m. CT
Last season, the Bulldogs made light work of the Vols in Athens, winning 31-17, despite trailing 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. This year, the series shifts to Knoxville, where a raucous Neyland Stadium will welcome Georgia with one of the toughest environments it will play in all year.
Tennessee has looked much better than anticipated through two weeks, cruising by Syracuse with a 19-point margin in Week 1 and disassembling East Tennessee State in Week 2, but now the Vols will have to deal with their first real test of 2025, the sixth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.
Georgia is a team that’s been hard to get a read on through two weeks. A pair of games against straight-up cupcakes will make useful film hard to come by for its opponents.
This game will come down to the following:
Does Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar actually have an SEC-caliber skillset? He’s looked poised throughout the Vols’ first two games, but looking good against Syracuse and looking good against Georgia require very different levels of play.
Will Georgia’s offense show a level of improvement? If you didn’t pay close attention to the Bulldogs’ SEC Championship campaign last season, you probably didn’t notice how poor this team’s offense really was. Georgia’s overall offensive ranking was 38th and the unit averaged just 4.1 yards per carry.
If the offensive production isn’t improved, this game could have the same vibe as the Bulldogs’ loss at Ole Miss last season, which was primarily due to an inept offensive performance.
If we know one thing about a Kirby Smart coached team, we know that the defense will show up, but, if the Bulldogs want to survive a trip to Knoxville with a win, its offense will have to show improvement.
This one is difficult to predict, but I’ll base this pick on the assumption that Georgia gets its offense in order. I’m rolling with the Dawgs until they prove they aren’t worth rolling with.
Prediction: Georgia 27, Tennessee 17
Where to watch: ABC
Florida at No. 3 LSU: Sept. 13, 6:30 p.m. CT
Death Valley will be rocking Saturday when the Gators come to town to take on LSU. The Tigers are coming off back-to-back wins, including a huge victory over Clemson on the road in Week 1. Florida comes into this game looking for redemption after losing to USF at home last week.
Before the Gators’ loss Saturday, this matchup seemed to have the making of an instant classic. Now, it seems like Florida could be one of the more pedestrian teams in the SEC, making it seem likely that the Tigers will roll.
However, LSU has been known to play down to its competition in the past, meaning nothing is certain with this game.
I expect the home field advantage to be a major factor in this game. A night game at Tiger Stadium is one of the most difficult atmospheres for road teams in all of college football.
“Baton Rouge happens to be the worst place in the world for a visiting team. It’s like being inside a drum,” legendary Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant said about the environment at LSU.
This feels like it could be a letdown spot for the Tigers, but the Gators just looked too flawed in last week’s loss to make me feel comfortable picking a road upset here.
Prediction: LSU 23, Florida 10
Where to watch: ABC
