Just five SEC matchups are on the Week 9 slate, but that still left the SDS staff with plenty to argue over, from Georgia-Florida to South Carolina-Oklahoma and Ohio State-USC.
Here’s how the crew sees the week against the spread.
2026 season records
- Spenser Davis: 19-24
- Andy Olson: 17-26
- Adam Spencer: 20-23
- Ethan Stone: 28-15
Arizona at Texas Tech (-3.5)
Spenser Davis is backing Arizona, saying he thinks the Wildcats are the real deal and isn’t sold on Will Hammond in a spot like this. He also pointed to an interesting side note: Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege played quarterback for the Red Raiders under Mike Leach and Tommy Tuberville. PICK: Arizona +3.5
Andy Olson waited until the end to land here, but he settled on the favorite. He’s leaning on SP+ and Cody Campbell’s big bucks for a Texas Tech cover. PICK: Texas Tech -3.5
Adam Spencer is also on Arizona, agreeing with Spenser that this Wildcats team is dangerous. He thinks they can keep it within a field goal on the road. PICK: Arizona +3.5
Ethan Stone sees a bounce-back spot for Texas Tech. With the Red Raiders at home and Arizona’s defense having struggled on the road, he likes the favorite. PICK: Texas Tech -3.5
Auburn at Ole Miss (-13.5)
Spenser Davis is buying low on Ole Miss after the Rebels’ road loss to a beat-up Texas team in Week 8. He noted that Texas’ defense has the statistical edge as No. 1 in adjusted EPA-per-play, while Auburn’s defense is solid but not elite.
He also sees more concern for the Tigers’ offense against an Ole Miss defense that has delivered at times this season. PICK: Ole Miss -13.5
Andy Olson doesn’t think Ole Miss will have much trouble winning, but 13.5 is a big number, especially with Trinidad Chambliss coming off a rough October and Auburn showing it can win on the road. PICK: Auburn +13.5
Adam Spencer also took Auburn with the points. He called the Tigers a good team and said Ole Miss is very banged up, even if he doesn’t expect Auburn to win outright. PICK: Auburn +13.5
Florida vs. Georgia (-12.5)
Spenser Davis thinks this could turn into a blowout, but he also expects Florida to come out swinging. He mentioned Florida OC Buster Faulkner’s success against Georgia while at Georgia Tech, where he posted a 48% success rate over three games, and likes what that might mean with more talent at Florida. PICK: Florida +12.5
Andy Olson followed the same path, saying Faulkner knows Kirby Smart as well as anyone and has had success against Georgia before. With more talent and an extra week to scheme, he thinks the Gators can cover. PICK: Florida +12.5
Adam Spencer went the other direction and took Georgia to win and cover. He said the last two weeks probably haven’t been fun for Georgia after the Auburn loss, but believes Kirby Smart will have the Bulldogs ready to show they’re championship contenders in Atlanta. PICK: Georgia -12.5
Ethan Stone also likes Florida to stay inside the number. He said Georgia has handled weaker teams but played close games against better ones, and pointed to the rivalry setting and Faulkner’s knowledge of Smart and Georgia. PICK: Florida +12.5
South Carolina at Oklahoma (-4.5)
Spenser Davis isn’t willing to back Oklahoma as a favorite in SEC play. He called John Mateer volatile and said the Sooners’ run game has been inconsistent for years.
While Oklahoma’s offense had a good day in Starkville, he believes South Carolina’s defense is stronger and likes the way the Gamecocks have been playing. He also reminded readers that South Carolina came into Norman two years ago and led 21-0 with 9:45 left in the first quarter.
PICK: South Carolina +4.5
Andy Olson isn’t going as far as the outright upset, but he does like South Carolina with the points because he expects the Gamecocks to keep it within a field goal. PICK: South Carolina +4.5
Adam Spencer is taking the Gamecocks outright, even though the graphic won’t reflect it. PICK: South Carolina +4.5
Ethan Stone is the most aggressive of the bunch here, saying South Carolina wins straight up. He pointed to LaNorris Sellers’ turnaround before the Florida win and said that if he can lead USC past Tennessee, he can do it again against an Oklahoma offense he sees as worse. PICK: South Carolina +4.5
Ohio State (-6.5) at USC
Spenser Davis is worried about USC in the trenches, but he expects the Trojans to look better on offense at home than they did in Madison last week. He also sees disaster potential in Ohio State’s quarterback situation, which is enough for him to grab the home dog. PICK: USC +6.5
Andy Olson made the same call, saying he wouldn’t rule out an outright upset but isn’t comfortable laying points with Ohio State’s quarterback situation. PICK: USC +6.5
Adam Spencer is on Ohio State to win and cover, though he doesn’t expect a runaway. He said one team has Jeremiah Smith and the other doesn’t, and suggested the Buckeyes’ quarterback should lean on the “Jeremiah down there somewhere” approach. PICK: Ohio State -6.5
Ethan Stone called this the easiest pick he’s made all year. He thinks USC is going to get blown out, even with a backup quarterback for Ohio State, and cited Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph’s 58 passing yards in a 24-7 win over the Trojans. He added that Luke Fahey doesn’t need to do anything special and said USC lacks the physicality to make this one competitive, even with Ohio State traveling to Southern California.
In Other News...
Tim Tebow Calls Out What Had Florida Falling Apart Vs Georgia
Floridas trip to Jacksonville got away from it fast, and by halftime the problems were plain enough for Tim Tebow and Roman Harper to pick apart on the broadcast. The Gators were staring at a 24-0 deficit, and the story of the first half was less about one bad break than a steady unraveling built on turnovers, penalties and Georgia controlling the clock.
Two interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown by Chris Cole left Florida with little margin for error and even less momentum. Tebow and Harper pointed to the need for cleaner execution and suggested the offense might need more quarterback runs to change the rhythm in the second half, a reminder that the Gators were searching for answers as much as points. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Blew Another Georgia Shot Before The Game Even Started
Floridas latest meeting with Georgia brought another round of questions about the quarterback plan, and this time the answer came before the game had really settled in. Jon Sumrall opened with Aaron Philo under center, a choice that carried obvious risk given the concerns around his readiness, and the early offense never found much footing as the Gators struggled to protect the ball and get into any kind of rhythm.
After Philos second interception, Sumrall turned to Tramell Jones in an attempt to steady things, but by then Florida was already digging out of a hole it could not climb out of. The turnovers fed directly into a 31-8 loss, leaving the Gators to sort through not just another defeat to Georgia, but a decision at quarterback that shaped the game long before the final score did. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Georgia Upset Hopes Suddenly Hinge On One Late Question
Florida heads to Atlanta with a familiar kind of pressure hanging over this rivalry game, and the latest wrinkle is the status of wide receiver Vernell Brown III. After being downgraded to questionable on the injury report, Brown has become one of the key variables in a matchup where Florida already needs things to break right on both sides of the ball. The Gators are trying to solve a Georgia defense that can make life difficult for any offense, and Browns availability matters because Florida will need as much reliable production as it can get.
On the other side, Floridas upset path also depends on whether its blitz-heavy approach can bother Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton enough to tilt the game. The Gators have spent plenty of time looking for ways to create disruption, but the margin for error against Georgia is thin, especially if Florida is shorthanded at receiver. With so much of the preview tied to one late injury question and one defensive gamble, the buildup to Atlanta has a very specific kind of tension to it. [Read more 🡒]