Auburn gets another chance to make noise under the Halloween lights, and this one comes with plenty on the line for both sides.
The Tigers head to Oxford with a 4-3 record and a 2-3 mark in SEC play, and they’ve actually handled Oct. 31 pretty well over the years. Since 1970, Auburn is 5-2-1 in games played on Halloween, according to the research cited here. That’s a quirky little edge in a week that already feels different, with the calendar giving college football its last Saturday Halloween until 2037.
This matchup also lands at an awkward spot for Mississippi. The Rebels are still hanging around the playoff conversation in a crowded group of two-loss SEC teams, but another defeat would make the path much tougher with Georgia coming to town next week. They’ll have to do it without star running back Kewan Lacy, who was ruled out in Wednesday’s availability report after separating a shoulder in last week’s loss at Texas.
Auburn is coming off a rough one of its own, a 38-17 loss to LSU that came in Jordan-Hare Stadium and left plenty to sort out. Still, there’s a little more room to breathe now: the Tigers are favored in their next three games and need two more wins to become bowl eligible. Pulling an upset in Oxford would be a bonus on top of that.
The pick here is Mississippi 31, Auburn 17. A road win against a team this talented is a tough ask, and the betting line reflects that as Auburn enters as a 12.5-point underdog even without Lacy in the lineup.
Elsewhere in the SEC, there’s only one ranked-on-ranked showdown this week, and it comes with a wrinkle. No.
17 Florida meets No. 3 Georgia at 2:30 p.m.
CT on ABC in Atlanta because the Jacksonville stadium is under construction, which means the rivalry is moving for the next two years. Georgia is nearly a two-touchdown favorite, but Florida has been dangerous.
The pick: Georgia has something to prove.
South Carolina travels to Oklahoma at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network in a game that matches a hot team against an offense that still hasn’t shown much life.
The Gamecocks have been rolling, while the Sooners’ attack remains a problem. The pick: Cocks rock the prairie.
Mississippi State goes to No. 11 Texas at 6:30 p.m.
CT on ESPN, and that sets up as a brutal spot for the Bulldogs. Kamario Taylor is out for the season, Mississippi State is on a three-game losing streak, and the offense has vanished.
The pick: Texas.
No. 23 Missouri visits Arkansas at 6:45 p.m.
CT on SEC Network. Arkansas comes in rested after a 10-point road win at Vanderbilt, while Missouri is looking to rebound after getting humbled in Oxford two weeks ago and should be sharper after its open week.
The pick: Missouri.
Outside the league, the day starts fast in the Big Ten with No. 25 Wisconsin at Iowa at 11 a.m. on Fox, Illinois at Maryland, and Michigan at Rutgers at 11:30 a.m. on BTN.
Minnesota at Indiana at 2:30 p.m. on CBS will tell us a lot about what kind of offense Indiana can bring after putting up nothing last week at Michigan. The biggest Big Ten game is No.
2 Ohio State at USC at 6:30 p.m. on NBC, with the Buckeyes dealing with life without starting QB Julian Sayin.
The Big 12 also offers a ranked matchup with No. 22 Arizona at No.
13 Texas Tech at 11 a.m. on ESPN, a game with extra sting after the Red Raiders were whipped at Cincinnati last week. That helps put more attention on undefeated No.
6 Utah at Cincinnati at 2:45 p.m. on ESPN.
In the ACC, the slate is light. No.
19 SMU visits Syracuse at 11 a.m. on ESPN2, and No. 1 Miami heads to North Carolina at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
Notre Dame, ranked fifth, gets Navy at 11 a.m. CT on ABC in Foxborough, where the Midshipmen enter at 2-5 with just one win over FBS opponents.
In Other News...
Alabama Walks Into LSU With One Distraction Nick Saban Always Warned About
Lane Kiffin has spent the week talking about the kind of challenge Alabama still presents, even in a different era. He called the Crimson Tide a highly talented group and compared them to the Alabama teams that used to set the standard under Nick Saban, which is a reminder that the respect around this matchup still runs deep on both sides.
But there is always another layer when Alabama goes to Tiger Stadium, and Saban long had a name for it. The noise, the buildup and everything wrapped around a trip to LSU can turn into the kind of rat poison he used to warn about, and this time the spotlight also lands on quarterback Keelon Russell, who will be making his first trip there. For Alabama, the game is about more than talent on paper, because in Baton Rouge the distractions can become part of the test. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Suddenly Has A Real Fight On Its Hands For Top RB Commit
Nigel Newkirks commitment has not stopped the recruiting race from heating up. The four-star running back, who remains a priority for Alabamas staff, is set to take an official visit to Ohio State for the Buckeyes home game against Oregon on Nov. 7, a notable development for a player the Crimson Tide had hoped to keep firmly in the fold through the fall.
Ohio States continued push comes even after losing another recruit, and Newkirks situation has only added intrigue because he has not played this senior season while recovering from injury. He flashed enough as a junior to make himself a coveted target, and now Alabama has real reason to keep watching the recruitment closely as the Buckeyes try to make one more serious run at him. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Run Game Problem Just Became A Huge Bye Week Focus
Alabamas ground attack looked like one of the teams early strengths, but the last three games have brought a noticeable dip in both production and efficiency against Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M. With the Tide headed into a bye week, the conversation around the offense has shifted toward fixing what has become a glaring issue before the schedule tightens again.
That puts extra pressure on the work being done now, especially with a pivotal road trip to LSU looming and College Football Playoff positioning still very much on the line. Mal Waldrep Jr. and Daniel Hill both addressed the need to improve the run game during the break, and Alabama will be hoping the extra time translates into something more reliable when the season resumes. [Read more 🡒]