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Let me start today’s message with an apology for last week’s strikeout. Nowhere to go but up!
All eyes will be on the SEC today, which features the only three top-25 matchups of Week 9.
Starting with No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma at 12 p.m. (all times ET), this conference will be in the spotlight all day. Later, No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt headlines the 3:30 p.m. window. Tonight, No. 3 Texas A&M visits No. 20 LSU in the biggest game in years for the Aggies.
Week 9 also brings another handful of intriguing matchups in the wide-open Big 12, where five teams are 3-1 or better in conference play, including 4-0 BYU and 4-0 Cincinnati.
Both those teams have tough matchups today. The Cougars are road underdogs vs. Iowa State, while the Bearcats are just 3.5-point home favorites vs. Baylor.
No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma (-5)
Kickoff: 12 p.m. ET (ABC)
While last week’s trip to Georgia ultimately got away from the Rebels, I still came away impressed with Ole Miss, which led the Bulldogs 35-26 entering the fourth quarter of that game.Â
Lane Kiffin’s team has been able to move the ball every week, even against tough competition, including LSU and Georgia. At minimum, I expect Ole Miss to score enough to keep today’s game close. Oklahoma is elite defensively, but the Sooners have been far from dominant offensively.Â
As long as the Rebels, who are averaging 37.4 points per game, can score 20-24 points today, that should be enough to cover against an OU team that is yet to reach 30 points a Power 4 conference opponent.
Pick:Â Ole Miss +5Â (-110 at bet365)
No. 4 Alabama (-11) at South Carolina
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
First of all, yes, I’m aware of how unkind Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia has been to heavy road favorites over the years. But this year’s Gamecocks roster does not have the bodies to keep up with an Alabama team that is battle-tested and getting better every week.Â
There’s a chance the Tide will have a letdown after last week’s big win over Tennessee, but South Carolina has been unimpressive outside of a 35-13 win over Kentucky, and I don’t see the Cocks keeping this one close for 60 minutes, even if they get off to a strong start.Â
Bama’s road trips to Florida State, Georgia and Missouri have exposed QB Ty Simpson and Co. to some raucous road environments already, and that will help this team stay locked in against a team that scored just 17 total points the last two weeks.
Pick:Â Alabama -11Â (-110 at bet365)
Minnesota at Iowa (-8.5)
Kickoff: Â 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
These teams are historically much better on defense than offense, and this year has been no exception. Both the Gophers and the Hawkeyes have put up some points in a few games this year, but I expect this to be a defensive struggle from start to finish.Â
Per ESPN’s SP+, both Iowa and Minnesota are outside the top 50 offensively, but top-20 defensively, with the Hawkeyes currently boasting the No. 7 defense in the nation.Â
This has low-scoring slugfest written all over it. Hopefully, this is a case where the obvious play turns out to be the right one.
Pick:Â Under 39.5Â (-110 at FanDuel)
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