AL.com’s college football staff sees a relatively calmer Week 8 slate, but there’s still plenty to chew on with Alabama and Auburn both at home and several notable games scattered across the country.
Last week shook up the AP Top 25 and the AL.com picks race, and the staff is now back at it with selections against the spread. That means these picks don’t necessarily reflect who each staffer thinks will win outright - only who will cover.
The biggest SEC games in Alabama get top billing, starting with LSU at Auburn at 11 a.m. on ABC. The staff leans heavily toward LSU there, and every predictor listed expects the Tigers to leave with the cover. The projected scores range from LSU 21, Auburn 20 from Michael Casagrande to LSU 37, Auburn 24 from Thomas Ashworth.
At 2:30 p.m. on ABC, Texas A&M visits Alabama as a 14.5-point underdog, and the Alabama picks are even more one-sided. Every staffer backs Alabama to cover, with predicted final scores ranging from 24-6 to 44-17 in Alabama’s favor.
Elsewhere, the staff split on a handful of intriguing matchups. Indiana is favored by 7 at Michigan, but the group mostly sided with Indiana.
Tennessee, laying 2.5 at South Carolina, also drew a strong consensus, though Andrew Hammond and Nick Kelly went with South Carolina. Oklahoma’s trip to Mississippi State produced another divided board, with the staff split between the Sooners and Bulldogs.
The same goes for Ole Miss at Texas, where several staffers think the Rebels can stay within 3.5 points, while others took Texas. USC at Wisconsin brought another close call, with the staff leaning slightly toward USC but with three picks for Wisconsin.
There were also smaller but still notable choices across the schedule. Troy against Louisiana-Monroe drew a mixed set of picks, while North Dakota State at New Mexico leaned toward the Bison. Utah at home against Houston also tilted toward Utah, though a few staffers saw value in Houston catching 6.5.
Updated standings show Izzy Gould on top at 43-27. Jerry Humphrey and Nick Kelly are tied at 40-30, followed by Peter Rauterkus at 38-32.
Michael Casagrande, Andrew Hammond and Creg Stephenson are all 37-33. Thomas Ashworth and Ben Flanagan sit at 33-37, and Gabe Burggraf is 27-43.
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What stood out most was how quickly some names began to separate themselves in the box score, with the first-half numbers showing who was getting touches, who was defending well and who was already earning extended run. There is still plenty of time for roles to shift before the games start counting, but this was exactly the sort of preseason test that can shape the conversation around Alabamas rotation for weeks to come. [Read more 🡒]
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Alabama Showed Something Tide Fans Will Love In Auburn Clash
Alabama got a useful early test in Birmingham and passed it with a narrow 87-85 win over Auburn in an exhibition game at Legacy Arena. The Tide showed a balanced scoring punch, with four players reaching double figures and Amari Allen leading the way with 23 points, a sign of depth that should catch the attention of Alabama fans as the season approaches.
Auburn made it plenty uncomfortable, with Kevin Overton pouring in 26 points and the game turning chippy at times as the physicality ramped up. Tahaad Pettiford and Bukky Oboye both fouled out in the scuffle-filled matchup, leaving plenty to sort through for both sides, but Alabamas ability to answer in a game like this is exactly the kind of takeaway Tide supporters will like. [Read more 🡒]