Week 10 predictions for SEC games

By Jason Pattyson

FAYETTEVILLE — Top dog Texas A&M made their case as the team to beat in the SEC through 9 weeks of play after they shut down LSU in the friendly confines of Kyle Field last Saturday. The 12th man made a tangible difference in the win. Alabama and Arkansas got back on track with easy wins, and Auburn won its first league win on its fifth try. Ole Miss and Texas escaped with victories to round out the recap. 

Last week, we were 4-2 straight up and 3-3 against the spread. This week has the potential to be an exciting Saturday filled with a rivalry in the World’s Largest Cocktail Party, and an upset or two or three could be on the horizon. So, lets get into it. 

No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) -16.5 vs Florida (4-2, 2-2)

If anyone would have said this game could be a decent contest after week one, anyone with a pulse would have told you were absolutely wrong. Here we are, and if this SEC football season has taught us, do not rule anything out; ask Vandy. Florida and head coach Billy Napier can get closer to bowl eligibility, but the Bulldogs stand in the way. After a week off handling business in Austin, TX, the Bulldogs must take this game seriously. Florida heads into this one after their bye week. So freshman quarterback DJ Lagway leads the team in passing but has been a turnover machine, and Graham Mertz is out for the season with a torn ACL, so it’s Lagway the rest of the way. The cocktails will fly, and the Dawgs will continue their venture towards the CFP, ABC at 2:30 p.m. 

Florida – 17

Georgia – 38

Auburn (3-5, 1-4) -7 vs. Vanderbilt (5-3, 2-2) 

Vanderbilt just about pulled off the impossible, taking down Alabama and Texas in the same season, and came up four points shy of completing that. Deigo Pavia didn’t have his best day, but the Vandy defense was filth, and Quinn Ewers was on skates all afternoon. Vanderbilt has a chance to become bowl-eligible against a reeling Auburn Tiger team. Head coach Hugh Freeze faces Pavia and Vandy consultant Jerry Kill again, and he is tired of seeing the shifty signal caller. He has caused headaches for Freeze since 2022 in the first meeting between the three when Freeze was at Liberty and Kill was at New Mexico State. The Longhorns figured out the cheat code to limit Pavia in the pocket, and now it’s up to the Tiger defensive staff to try and replicate that approach. They have the Jimmy’s and Joe’s, and now they must execute the game plan. SEC Network 11:45 a.m. 

Vanderbilt – 27

Auburn -  10

Oklahoma (4-4, 1-4) vs Maine (4-4)

The Sooners were shut out in the second half of the 12-point loss at Ole Miss last week. OU has lost three SEC games in a row, only the second time since 1998. The other was head coach Brent Venables’s first season in Norman, so he is on the hook for the only two three-game losing streaks in the last 26 years. It’s not a stat you want to be on the wrong side of. Maine comes to town at just the right time. The Black Bears got a solid victory over Villanova two weeks ago, but this one might be over before the second quarter. Jackson Arnold looked good against the Rebel defense despite the struggles on the scoreboard. Sooners get back on track before they face Mizzou on the road next week. Sooners often and win big. 1:30 p.m. on SEC Plus.

Maine – 3

Oklahoma – 45

Mississippi State (1-7, 0-5) -18 vs Massachuttes (2-6)

UMass rolls into Starkville, Ms., just at the right time. The Bulldogs got throttled last week at the hands of Arkansas, and it was questioned by two failed fourth, and goal calls that ended up in turnovers and left State fans shaking their heads. The Bulldog offense can rack up yards and move the ball between the 20’s very well, when they capitalize they have to limit the penalties. The Minute Men went to CoMo earlier in the season and left with a 45-3 loss, and this Saturday will be more of the same. The Bulldogs are big in this one, SEC Network, at 3:45 p.m.

UMass – 10

Mississippi State – 41

South Carolina (4-3, 2-3) vs No. 10 Texas A&M (7-1, 5-0) -2.5

Did someone say trap game? Carolina took LSU to the final seconds a few weeks ago, just about beat Alabama, but lost in heartbreaking fashion. So they have the weapons to pull off the upset; they have to finish in the fourth quarter. A&M is coming off of an emotionally draining win against LSU; they got the win, but at what cost? There are no off weeks in the league, and it’s up to head coach Mike Elko and his staff not to fall for the trap. Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed came in after Connor Weigman was pulled after halftime in the win, and he will get another chance to use his tools against USC. The Aggie defense will try to limit the possessions for LaNorris Sellers, but it could come down to the effectiveness of a Rocket to power the Gamecocks past the Aggies, ABC, 6:30 p.m.

Texas A&M – 30

South Carolina – 24

No. 7 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1) -16.5 vs. Kentucky (3-5, 1-5)

Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats lost a tough one to Auburn and handed them their first SEC victory this season. Wildcat quarterback Brock Vandagriff has been inconsistent, with six scores and five picks this season. Tennessee is coming off a bye week, and head coach Josh Heupel got to take a hard look at the production from his offense, and the rushing yards output was halved after SEC play started. The offensive line will have their work cut out against the Wildcat front seven, but the extra time off should help get the offense back on track. It should be a big night at Neyland Stadium under the lights, SEC Network 6:45 p.m.

Kentucky – 10

Tennessee – 49

Arkansas (5-3, 3-2) vs. No. Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2) -7

Arkansas is one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time in two years. Taylen Green looked good to go after the offensive explosion in Starkville and racked up the seventh most yards in school history. Freshman back Braylen Russell earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors with 175 yards on 16 carries as if the Razorbacks needed help in that area, to begin with, they are starting to tap into the full potential of this offense, have to limit the turnovers. Ole Miss escaped with a 12-point win against the Sooners and held them scoreless in the second half. Jaxon Dart had a pedestrian throwing for over 300 yards and a score.

Linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul returns to the place he called home for three years before transferring last offseason. It should be a rainy day in Fayetteville, so winning the turnover battle will be amplified. Both teams have had their share of problems with either Ole Miss letting teams back into games; LSU and Kentucky can attest to that. Or, Arkansas is playing from behind after a costly turnover deep in their territory. They are a good team but not good enough to overcome turnovers. That will be the key in this one: who can stay away from their Achilles heel and win the turnover battle? Here are the Hogville staff writers’ picks.

Otis Kirk / 31-21 Arkansas 

Dudley Dawson / 28-24 Arkansas 

Jerry Meadows / 45-41 Arkansas 

John James / 26-20 Ole Miss

Drake Priddy / 34-31 Arkansas 

Jason Pattyson / 24-20 Ole Miss