Week 7 in Alabama brings the kind of board AL.com staffers love: rivalry games, conference pressure, and a couple of high-profile matchups that split the room in a hurry.
The biggest attention grabbers are obvious. Alabama heads to Tennessee for the “Third Saturday in October,” and Auburn goes to Athens for the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.”
UAB and Troy both draw important conference tests, and the week also features one major Top 10 showdown in the Big Ten. As always, these selections are against the spread, so the picks reflect who each staffer thinks will cover rather than simply win outright.
The early slate opens Thursday night with East Carolina at UAB, and the staff mostly leaned toward the Pirates. Thomas Ashworth, Gabe Burggraf, Michael Casagrande, Ben Flanagan, Andrew Hammond, Nick Kelly and Peter Rauterkus picked East Carolina, while Izzy Gould, Jerry Humphrey and Creg Stephenson took UAB.
There’s plenty of disagreement in the Florida-Texas game, too. Florida is getting 10.5 points, and the picks split accordingly. Ashworth, Gould, Hammond, Kelly, Rauterkus and Stephenson backed Florida, while Burggraf, Casagrande, Flanagan and Humphrey went with Texas.
Ohio State at Indiana was the cleanest call on the board. Every staffer picked Ohio State to cover the 3.5-point spread.
Mississippi State at LSU brought a little more debate. Ashworth, Casagrande, Flanagan, Gould, Humphrey and Rauterkus sided with Mississippi State, while Burggraf, Hammond, Kelly and Stephenson chose LSU.
Ole Miss laying 5.5 against Missouri drew a divided group as well. Ashworth, Casagrande, Flanagan, Gould, Hammond and Humphrey picked Ole Miss, while Burggraf, Kelly and Rauterkus took Missouri.
The Troy-Louisiana game was another split decision. Ashworth, Casagrande, Flanagan, Gould, Kelly and Stephenson picked Louisiana, while Burggraf, Hammond, Humphrey and Rauterkus went with Troy.
For the Oklahoma State-Houston matchup, the picks listed show Ashworth, Burggraf, Gould, Kelly, Rauterkus and Stephenson on Oklahoma State, while Casagrande, Flanagan, Hammond and Humphrey went with Houston.
Notre Dame at BYU also tilted a little toward one side, but not by much. Ashworth, Casagrande, Humphrey, Kelly, Rauterkus and Stephenson chose Notre Dame, while Burggraf, Flanagan, Gould and Hammond went with BYU.
The two SEC headliners were unanimous. Every staffer picked Georgia to cover against Auburn, with predicted scores ranging from Georgia 28, Auburn 10 to Georgia 42, Auburn 17. The Alabama-Tennessee game was just as decisive in the opposite direction: every staffer picked Alabama, with projected scores ranging from Alabama 27, Tennessee 20 to Alabama 45, Tennessee 30.
The updated standings show Jerry Humphrey on top at 36-24, followed by Nick Kelly at 35-25 and Izzy Gould at 34-26. Michael Casagrande and Peter Rauterkus are both 33-27, Andrew Hammond and Creg Stephenson are both 31-29, Ben Flanagan sits at 28-32, Thomas Ashworth is 27-33, and Gabe Burggraf is 22-38.
In Other News...
Georgia's Alabama Win Just Got More Complicated For Kirby Smart
Georgias win over Alabama in Week 6 pushed Kirby Smarts team to 6-0 and kept the Bulldogs at No. 1, but it also added another layer of concern to what had already become a physical stretch. Smart pointed to the injury situation after the game, and one of the bigger hits in the backfield involves junior running back Chauncey Bowens, who is dealing with a lower-body injury.
Bowens is set to miss the Week 7 trip to Auburn, and there is no timetable yet for his return. With Bowens and Nate Frazier both dealing with injuries, Georgia has been forced into a committee approach at running back, a setup that works in the short term but leaves Smart managing one more variable as the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Have To Reshuffle Key Spots Before Tennessee
Alabamas first SEC availability report for Saturdays trip to Tennessee offered an early look at the kind of lineup juggling Kalen DeBoer may have to manage in a rivalry game that rarely leaves much margin for error. The list included several players in various categories, but the most immediate concerns came with Ryan Coleman-Williams and Terrance Green ruled out, both dealing with injuries that could force the Tide to adjust on the fly before they even get to Knoxville.
Coleman-Williams is working through knee and head injuries, while Green is sidelined with a lower-leg issue, leaving Alabama to sort out key spots if those absences hold through game day. DeBoer said this week that he had updates on player conditions and potential replacements for injured starters, which means the Tide are already weighing how to reshuffle important roles before facing a Tennessee team that will be eager to test any thin spots in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Defense May Finally Get The Help It Needs Vs Tennessee
Alabamas defense has been carrying a heavy load lately, and the weekly availability report offered at least one encouraging sign before the Tennessee game. Star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and defensive tackle Terrance Green were listed as out, but sophomore linebacker Justin Hill was tagged as probable, setting up a potential boost for a unit that has needed more speed, flexibility and depth in the middle of the field.
Hills return would matter because Alabama has been looking for ways to lighten the burden on its linebackers while sharpening its pressure up front. A player who can give the defense more versatility can also help the Tide rotate more cleanly and keep fresh legs on the field, which is exactly the kind of support this matchup could demand. [Read more 🡒]