After a Week 7 that sent shockwaves through the SEC, the Alligator’s Florida football beat reporters are back for another round of picks.
Georgia’s loss to Auburn was the headliner, but Tennessee’s win over Alabama, Kentucky’s continued surge and Florida’s road victory at Texas all added to the chaos. With Week 8 on deck, Ava DiCecca, Max Bernstein, Curan Ahern and Riley Orovitz are making their calls on six conference matchups, with points awarded for each correct winner and three extra for nailing the exact score.
Through seven weeks, Curan Ahern still leads the group with 69 points. DiCecca, Bernstein and Orovitz are tied behind him at 58 apiece.
The day opens with LSU heading to Auburn, where the Tigers are coming off their stunning 27-24 upset of No. 1 Georgia on a last-second field goal.
LSU arrives after a 31-0 win over Mississippi State, and the matchup brings back memories of the teams’ 2023 meeting, when LSU rolled to a 48-18 win in Baton Rouge. Auburn has lost its last two against LSU, but it’ll try to ride the energy from its first win in Athens since 2001.
Ahern sees LSU taking this one 24-17, while Orovitz has the Tigers 24-21.
Tennessee then heads to South Carolina with momentum from one of the biggest wins of its season. The Volunteers handled then-No.
6 Alabama 26-10 and limited the Crimson Tide to just 201 yards of offense. South Carolina returns from a bye after a 38-19 upset of then-No.
16 Florida in Gainesville. The Gamecocks have won three of the last four home games in the series, including a 63-38 blowout in 2022, but Tennessee has taken four of the last five overall.
DiCecca picked Tennessee 35-21. Bernstein went with 27-23. Ahern has the Volunteers 27-24, and Orovitz expects a 38-27 Tennessee win.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama is trying to stop a slide after back-to-back losses. The Crimson Tide fell 20-17 to Georgia before dropping a 26-10 decision to Tennessee.
Texas A&M comes in after snapping a two-game skid with a 41-0 shutout of The Citadel. Alabama has dominated the matchup, winning 10 of the last 11 meetings and five straight at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Aggies haven’t won in Tuscaloosa since Johnny Manziel led them to an upset in 2012.
DiCecca, Bernstein, Ahern and Orovitz all backed Alabama. DiCecca’s pick is 35-27, Bernstein chose 31-16, Ahern went with 34-20 and Orovitz selected 24-18.
Oklahoma’s first trip to Mississippi State brings a reunion of sorts, with Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby having served as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. Oklahoma is coming off a 21-13 home loss to Kentucky, while Mississippi State tries to bounce back from a 31-0 defeat at LSU. The Sooners have struggled to score all season, and Mississippi State’s situation is complicated by the uncertain status of quarterback Kamario Taylor.
DiCecca picked Oklahoma 20-17 and Bernstein has the Sooners 24-20. Ahern went the other way with Mississippi State 21-17, and Orovitz also backed the Bulldogs, 28-24.
The marquee matchup comes in Austin, where No. 7 Ole Miss visits No.
19 Texas for the first time since 2013. Ole Miss has won two straight and just blasted Missouri 31-3 behind another strong outing from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Texas is trying to recover from a two-game losing streak after falling 27-24 at home to Florida. The Rebels also won the last meeting between the programs, a 44-23 comeback in Austin after trailing by nine at halftime.
This time, it’s their first matchup as SEC opponents.
DiCecca has Ole Miss 35-21. Bernstein picked 30-24, Ahern went 28-24 and Orovitz took 31-28.
Kentucky closes the slate at home against Vanderbilt, with the Wildcats looking to keep one of the season’s surprise runs rolling. Kentucky became bowl-eligible by beating Oklahoma 21-13 on the road, while Vanderbilt has dropped four straight after a 31-21 loss to Arkansas. The Commodores have won the last two meetings, including a 45-17 rout in Nashville last season, and they’ll try to keep that recent edge alive in their first trip to Lexington since a 20-13 upset in 2024.
DiCecca picked Kentucky 27-17. Bernstein chose 31-20, Ahern went with 27-14 and Orovitz has the Wildcats 28-10.
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Late in the fourth quarter against Texas, Jon Sumrall made it clear he was thinking the same way plenty of aggressive coaches do in a tight game: he wanted the first down, not the safer kick. The Florida coachs mindset fit the moment, with the Gators trying to finish off a victory and trusting the offense to make one more play instead of settling for points and handing the outcome back to the Longhorns.
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The shift was noticeable enough to raise the bigger question now hanging over Florida: was that just a one-game adjustment, or the start of a real change in how this defense wants to operate? With Georgia coming up, the Gators have a chance to show whether the more aggressive approach can hold up against a deeper, more punishing offense. [Read more 🡒]