Last Week’s Record: 7-1 (87.5%)
Season’s Record: 68-12 (85.0%)
We’ve been averaging less than two losses per week here at the Predictions Dept., but keeping up that streak will be a chore this week. Week 9 looks to be the hardest week to pick correctly that we’ve seen yet in 2025. It might not be the week of the biggest games – Ole Miss-Oklahoma is probably the marquee game of the lot – but most of the matchups could go either way.
AUBURN at ARKANSAS
So follow along with us for a minute here: Arkansas has already fired head coach Sam Pittman. Auburn is probably about to part ways with Hugh Freeze. Arkansas is currently coached by Bob Petrino, who used to be the head coach at Arkansas and was almost made the head coach at Auburn at one time. He’s coaching for a job in 2025, and it could be at either of these schools. As it stands now, this is a battle between no-offense Auburn and no-defense Arkansas. With the game in Fayetteville, we like the Razorbacks, but both teams are coming off close losses last week and who knows what kind of headspace either team finds itself in right now. Arkansas is probably out of the running for the postseason, given its closing schedule, and Auburn probably needs to win this game to have any chance of making it to a bowl. So many storylines here, to say nothing of having to evaluate each team on its merits. When in doubt, bet on the home team.
Arkansas 30
Auburn 27
ALABAMA at SOUTH CAROLINA
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TENNESSEE at KENTUCKY
This game used to be at or near the end of the season for both teams; now Tennessee has to come off one rivalry game and go straight into another. Kentucky took Texas to overtime last week in Lexington and hosts again this week, but the Wildcat offense probably won’t be able to keep up with Tennessee’s output. The Tennessee coaches have a tall task ahead of them to keep their players focused on what is still a very reachable College Football Playoff; however, Tennessee can’t afford to slip up anywhere down the stretch. Fortunately for Tennessee, the Vol offense is hard to defend, much harder than Texas’ defense was for Kentucky to shut down. Assuming nothing crazy – like a pick-six as the first-half clock runs out – Tennessee should come home with the victory here, even if it might take a few series to shake off the effects of the Alabama loss.
Tennessee 33
Kentucky 17
TEXAS A&M at LOUISIANA STATE
There are a lot of observers picking the upset here, which in this case means LSU winning the game over an Aggie team that finds itself ranked 3rd in the country. Texas A&M’s offense didn’t have any trouble producing last week against Arkansas, but the defense looked like it hadn’t seen a football prior to the game. LSU’s road loss at Vanderbilt was understandable, but still a bit unexpected given the talent edge LSU brought into the game. The question is whether LSU can pressure A&M’s defense despite being fairly one-dimensional – i.e., no ground game to speak of – while the defense needs to take it up a notch from what LSU put on the field last Saturday. Is this the week Texas A&M runs out of gas? If it isn’t, does Brian Kelly survive the season at LSU? This is the pick we have the least confidence in for the week.
LSU 23
Texas A&M 20
MISSISSIPPI at OKLAHOMA
Ole Miss let one get away from them last week at Georgia; now the Rebels have to bounce back in another road game, this time facing a team with a much stouter defense. Oklahoma’s offense is slowly getting figured out, and having QB John Mateer at less than 100 percent doesn’t help, but the Sooner defense is as good now as it has ever been. Both teams still have playoff aspirations but the road probably ends for the loser. This one is about as hard to figure as Texas A&M-LSU, and it really comes down to Mateer’s ability to keep pace with the Rebel offense.
Ole Miss 29
Oklahoma 23
TEXAS at MISSISSIPPI STATE
We didn’t expect Texas to have such problems with Kentucky last week regardless of how much the Longhorn offense is struggling. The Wildcats were thought to be the bottom of the SEC barrel but they nearly pulled the upset. Now Texas gets a team with about half the defensive prowess of Kentucky, but at least twice the offensive potential. Mississippi State needs to figure out how to get out of its own way more than anything; the Bulldogs are on a nice upward trajectory but lack the confidence that comes from playing in and winning big games. We think Texas’ defense will be up to the task, and despite Arch Manning’s struggles to date, the Bulldogs aren’t elite on that side of the ball.
Texas 27
Mississippi St. 19
MISSOURI at VANDERBILT
This one is a matchup of previously-vanquished Alabama foes, and it will come down to what most Vandy games come down to these days: how well the Missouri defense can corral Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia. Missouri’s offensive balance should allow it to stay in the game for its duration, but there’s no reason the Tigers should have had to go to overtime to beat Auburn last week. If Missouri can’t pull away from a wilting Auburn team on the road, how can it hold Pavia and a motivated Commodore team in check, also on the road? The primary question for Vanderbilt is the same as always: Can you keep a good thing going, or revert to being the Vandy of old?
Vanderbilt 27
Missouri 24
IDLE: Florida, Georgia
Follow Jess Nicholas on X at @TideFansJessN