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...
South Carolina Suddenly Has A Huge Backfield Problem After Oklahoma
South Carolinas backfield took a major hit against Oklahoma when Matt Fuller went down in the first quarter with an ankle injury, a sequence that ended with a broken bone in his foot and a likely season-ending surgery. Fuller had been one of the Gamecocks most productive runners, piling up 513 rushing yards and five touchdowns before the injury, and his absence immediately changed the feel of the offense.
Jabree Coleman, Christian Clark and Isaiah Augustave were the backs asked to absorb the workload after Fuller exited, and the staff now has to sort out how to replace both production and reliability moving forward. For a team trying to keep its ground game steady, losing a back who had become such a central piece of the rotation creates a problem that is hard to patch quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Beamer Was Still Angry During South Carolinas Rout Of Oklahoma
South Carolina had already put together one of its sharpest offensive halves of the season against Oklahoma, piling up 322 yards and taking a 28-10 lead into the break, but Shane Beamer still found plenty to correct. Even with the Gamecocks controlling the game midway through the third quarter, the head coach was dissatisfied at halftime, pointing to the 10 points his team had handed away through mistakes while still acknowledging how well the offense handled Oklahomas defense.
Beamers reaction fit the tone of a coach who wants more than a comfortable margin, especially in a game that had already tilted so heavily in South Carolinas favor. The scoring cushion was there, the production was there, and the matchup was unfolding the way the Gamecocks wanted, but the frustration served as a reminder that Beamer was looking at the bigger picture rather than just the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Late-Season Surge Just Got Hard To Ignore
South Carolinas late-season push picked up another jolt in Norman, where the Gamecocks handled Oklahoma 42-25 behind a big day from LaNorris Sellers. The quarterback threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns while adding two more scores on the ground, giving South Carolina the kind of balanced punch that can travel well this time of year even after a pair of interceptions and the early loss of top running back Matt Fuller.
What made the result stand out was how the Gamecocks absorbed the mistakes and still kept control. Oklahoma won the turnover battle, but South Carolinas defense made the Sooners work for everything and the offense kept finding answers, leaving the home team unable to climb back into the game. For a program trying to build momentum down the stretch, this was the sort of road win that gets noticed. [Read more 🡒]