The 2025 college football season started 87 days ago with postseason aspirations soaring among programs across the country. Now, we have somehow reached the final week of the regular season with drama and College Football Playoff stakes at their peak.
Here are my picks for the Iron Bowl and other consequential SEC matchups for Week 14.
No. 10 Alabama at Auburn: Nov. 29, 6:30 p.m. CT
I don’t need to explain what’s at stake with this edition of the Iron Bowl. It’s a must-win for Alabama as head coach Kalen DeBoer looks to advance his team to the College Football Playoff for the first time.
While the talk all week has been about the ‘voo-doo’ as Jordan-Hare Stadium, it’s important to remember that this matchup favors the Crimson Tide.
Alabama’s defense is playing at a championship level as of late and should have success against a Tiger quarterback position that has been inconsistent throughout the season.
This game boils down to the level of play Alabama gets from its offense. If the Crimson Tide can hit on some of the shock plays and can find continuity like it did earlier in the season, it’s likely that this team finds a way to take home a win.
This is still Auburn’s Super Bowl as the Tigers fight for bowl eligibility, but this is the kind of game that DeBoer has found ways to win throughout his career.
“Iron Bowl’s everything. You gotta win,” Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said this week.
Prediction: Alabama 27, Auburn 17
Where to watch: ABC
No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 16 Texas: Nov. 28, 6:30 p.m. CT
These two heated rivals will square off as SEC foes for the second year in a row with heavy stakes on the line.
For the Aggies who have essentially locked up a CFP spot, a win advances them to the SEC Title Game as they look to win the conference for the first time. For the three-loss Longhorns, this is a must-win game if they want to stay alive for an at-large bid to the CFP.
This matchup doesn’t bode well for Texas because its defense will not be able to keep up with Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed and this Texas A&M offense.
“We have the ability to be explosive, which helps not having to always be locked into going on 12, 13, 14-play drives,” Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko said. “Some of our explosiveness has really been important for us. You’ve seen that in each of our road games.”
The Aggies have been rolling all year, and that doesn’t end here, despite a home field advantage for Texas.
Prediction: Texas A&M 41, Texas 31
Where to watch: ABC
No. 14 Vanderbilt at No. 19 Tennessee: Nov. 29, 2:30 p.m. CT
Neyland Stadium will be rocking for this recently ignited rivalry as the Vols look to knock the Commodores out of the playoff race.
“Anytime you’re going to Knoxville, you’re talking about playing in one of the toughest environments in the world,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said. “We have to do a great job at not inviting 100,000 plus into the game. We have to handle the noise. We have to handle the emotions of it all. This is a rival. This is a big game.”
Vanderbilt quarterback Deigo Pavia has been playing at a Heisman level in recent weeks, and I don’t expect that to end this week.
The offense will roll and the defense will do enough to get the Commodores a win, setting them up for a potential date with the CFP.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 27, Tennessee 20
Where to watch: ESPN
