The Week 7 slate of SEC football is nothing short of stellar. With marquee matchups scattered across all time slots, couches across the country will be packed and pizzas will be ordered in bulk.
Here are my picks for Alabama-Missouri, Oklahoma-Texas, Florida-Texas A&M and Georgia-Auburn.
No. 8 Alabama at No. 14 Missouri: Oct. 11, 11 a.m. CT
The Crimson Tide’s trip out to Columbia has a trap game written all over it. An early kickoff against a hungry opponent after a pair of emotionally draining wins signals red warning lights all over this football game.
However, head coach Kalen DeBoer says his team is not letting this game sneak up on them.
“They are really good and they are dominating on the run game, both sides of the ball,” he said on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “Time of possession, if we’re not careful, we aren’t going to have the ball at all.”
While the Tigers have been playing very well on both sides of the ball, they haven’t seen anything like this Alabama team.
The quarterback play that the Crimson Tide has been getting is nothing like anything Missouri has seen this year. Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson has been playing at a Heisman level in recent weeks, even garnering the attention of national media.
“If Ty Simpson’s name was Ty Manning, we would cancel the end of the season Heisman Trophy ceremony and just do it now,” FOX sports analyst Joel Klatt said, referencing the offseason hype that Texas quarterback Arch Manning received during the offseason and is not delivering on thus far in 2025.
It’s also worth noting that Alabama beat Missouri to a pulp last season 34-0. While the Tigers did come into the game banged up, a score of that margin against a ranked opponent still instills confidence in a team’s ability to dominate an opposing squad.
While I don’t think the Crimson Tide will demolish Missouri the way it did last year and I don’t love the spot, this team is rolling. Give me Alabama to extend its winning streak to five.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Missouri 24
Where to watch: ABC
No. 6 Oklahoma vs Texas: Oct. 11, 2:30 p.m. CT
This is one of the more intriguing Red River Shootouts you may ever see. The preseason No. 1 team in the country, now unranked, takes on its biggest rival, who is now ranked inside the Top 10, on a neutral field.
A lot of this result depends on the health of Heisman Trophy hopeful and Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer. The Washington State transfer recently had surgery and was originally thought not to be available for this game.
Recent information from CBS reporter Matt Zenitz indicates that Mateer is making a push to play this week.
“Like we’ve reported the last couple weeks, it continues to be possible he ends up playing this week, but no final call has been made as of yet,” Zenitz said. “The post-surgery feedback was very good and led to optimism regarding the recovery timetable.”
I think Mateer’s injury is a huge factor but not the deciding one. The Longhorns have still been playing head and shoulders below the level of the Sooners thus far. OU could win this game even without its star signal caller.
Prediction: Oklahoma 27, Texas 21 (assuming Mateer plays)
Where to watch: ABC
Florida at No. 5 Texas A&M: Oct. 11, 6 p.m. CT
The Aggies are coming off a dominant win over Mississippi State, which spoiled my pick last week, and are looking to remain undefeated as they host a Florida team that just upset Texas.
While the Gators, whose head coach Billy Napier is on the hot seat, are much better than the public’s perception of them, I think Texas A&M has too much firepower on offense to be stopped in this spot.
College Station will be rocking on Saturday, and the Aggies will move to 6-0.
Prediction: Texas A&M 30, Florida 18
Where to watch: ESPN
No. 10 Georgia at Auburn: Oct. 11, 6:30 p.m.
The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry contains lots of intrigue this season. Auburn had very high preseason expectations but has looked inept offensively, while Georgia is two weeks removed from a demoralizing loss at the hands of the Crimson Tide.
Auburn absolutely has the talent profile to compete in this game. Throw in home-field advantage and you have the ingredients for an upset.
The Bulldogs, however, still have the taste of their own blood in their mouths after that home loss two weeks ago. Expect a Georgia team with a newfound killer instinct to show up in this game to extend Auburn’s losing streak to three.
Prediction: Georgia 24, Auburn 10
Where to watch: ABC
