SEC college football picks, odds in Week 13: Does Alabama need style points in College Football Playoff race?

We have reached competition week, which is the most productive week of the yr in our wonderful recreation. Whether it is the Iron Bowl, Egg Bowl or Clean, Old Fashioned Hate, the affect of this weekend’s effects will resonate inside of properties divided, person states and the college football international as an entire. 

Alabama travels to Auburn to take at the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium in the Iron Bowl — 10 years after the notorious “Kick Six” that knocked the Crimson Tide out of the BCS National Championship race and vaulted the Tigers into the SEC Championship Game and past. 

Elsewhere, Georgia gets an opportunity to track up for the SEC identify recreation only one mile up the street from Mercedes-Benz Stadium when it takes on rival Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. The Bulldogs are driving prime as they prolonged their successful streak to twenty-eight video games, and quarterback Carson Beck has orchestrated a late-season price as a gloomy horse Heisman Trophy contender. 

And, after all, there may be the Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night time. You by no means know if chaos will ensue … or if a participant will pretend to pee like a dog and lose the sport in consequence.

Let’s take a spin across the convention and make alternatives in this week’s version of SEC Smothered and Covered.

Appetizer: What will Florida do?

The Gators are in a captivating spot one win from bowl eligibility. They will get started backup quarterback Max Brown towards No. 5 Florida State … which will even get started backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker. Go forward and drop an enormous shoulder shrug emoji in the headline of this recreation preview as a result of it is unimaginable for any one to grasp what’s going to occur. 

Brown performed smartly coming off the bench for the injured Graham Mertz with 98 yards of overall offense in the Week 12 loss to Missouri. Keep in thoughts that Brown rushed for two,335 yards all the way through his final two seasons in highschool, so it’ll be tough for the Seminoles to organize for the potential of a dual-threat quarterback now that Gators trainer Billy Napier has per week to recreation plan round Brown’s ability set. 

That provides Florida far more than only a puncher’s probability. The Gators are determined, bad staff, and a window is open for them to increase their season. Watch out, Florida State. 

Main direction: Does Alabama in reality need style points?

The simple solution is sure, however the precise solution isn’t any. Why? Because all Alabama must do is stay successful. The choice to let the Crimson Tide into the College Football Playoff is solely depending on their document somewhat than how they get the ones wins or losses.

Coach Nick Saban’s squad wishes lend a hand … a large number of it. The Tide is not going to bounce Texas. The head-to-head loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium might be an excessive amount of for the committee to forget about. The midseason damage to quarterback Quinn Ewers and season-ending damage to working again Jonathon Brooks will in reality be a favorable knowledge level for the committee so long as the Longhorns win out. They can play the sloppiest video games possible. Two wins will stay the Tide in the rearview reflect. 

The Tide even have a Pac-12 drawback. One-loss Oregon with a revenge win over height 5 Washington and a Pac-12 championship at the mantle will resonate with a committee. The Ducks had been a extra whole staff all season, and it is most probably that the Pac-12 might be seen as a harder convention than the SEC when all is claimed and finished. 

And if Florida State can win the following two video games — together with what’s going to most probably be a top-10 win over Louisville in the ACC Championship Game — with Rodemaker, a loss of style points might be inappropriate. 

Simply put, Alabama wishes Texas to be the transparent lower No. 3 staff in the rustic. If that occurs, the door might be extensive open. That’s the one manner in for Saban and Co. 

Dessert: LSU working it up

It used to be transparent final week that Tigers trainer Brian Kelly used to be completely content material leaving quarterback Jayden Daniels in the sport lengthy sufficient for him to bring together online game stats to provoke Heisman electorate. Expect Kelly to do it once more if he will get the risk towards Texas A&M.

This is completely advantageous. 

It’s an enormous win for a program to boast a Heisman winner for recruiting functions — particularly in the age of NIL and the switch portal. Lincoln Riley produced Heisman Trophy winners who transferred in from Texas Tech (Baker Mayfield) and Texas A&M (Kyler Murray), and he despatched former Alabama signal-caller Jalen Hurts to New York City as a finalist. Plus, USC’s Caleb Williams — final yr’s winner — has been featured in nationwide promoting campaigns all season.

Daniels has thrived in his two seasons at LSU beneath Kelly. The mixture of person good fortune, NFL Draft buzz and native incomes possible may lift LSU to this period’s model of the ones Oklahoma groups beneath Riley. 

Power ratings

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Missouri
4. Ole Miss
5. LSU
6. Tennessee
7. Texas A&M
8. Florida
9. Kentucky
10. South Carolina
11. Auburn
12. Arkansas
13. Mississippi State
14. Vanderbilt

Picks

Straight up: 87-15 | Against the unfold: 43-42-3

*Picks use SportsLine consensus odds and had been made on Instagram since SEC Smothered & Covered began in Week 2

No. 1 Georgia (-24) at Georgia Tech: After a gradual get started towards the unfold, Georgia has coated in 3 of its final 4 video games because the protection has transform extra constant in growing havoc in the backfield. That mentioned, there is not any need for trainer Kirby Smart to stay his foot at the fuel since subsequent weekend’s SEC identify recreation is way more vital than creating a commentary towards the Bulldogs’ in-state rival. This recreation screams backdoor duvet. Pick: Georgia Tech +24

No. 5 Florida State (-6.5) at Florida: Let’s get this out of the way in which: You’re an absolute nut task for those who wager this recreation in some way. The mixture of backup quarterbacks and motivation — the Seminoles need to stick in the CFP race; the Gators need to earn a bowl berth — makes capping this recreation nearly unimaginable. Florida State has too many guns out of doors, which is able to lend a hand Rodemaker in the passing recreation. However, the ‘Noles can have bother slowing down what’s going to be a extra run-based assault from the Gators. Florida State will win a nail-biter. Pick: Florida +6.5

No. 8 Alabama (-14.5) at Auburn: Jordan-Hare magic did not exist final weekend in the Tigers’ loss to New Mexico State, nor will it this weekend towards the Crimson Tide. The Tigers protection will be unable to decelerate Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe although offensive coordinator Tommy Rees remains conservative early. The Tide will keep watch over this one during and cruise to a canopy in the second one part. Pick: Alabama -14.5

No. 9 Missouri (-7.5) at Arkansas: It used to be introduced Sunday that Razorbacks trainer Sam Pittman might be retained, however he may not finish this season on a prime observe. Tigers working again Cody Schrader has been an absolute monster and no one can duvet Biletnikoff Award semifinalist Luther Burden III. Coach Eli Drinkwitz’s staff will cruise to double-digit win … and most probably a New Year’s Six bowl berth. Pick: Missouri -7.5

Kentucky at No. 10 Louisville (-7): The Wildcats offense sputtered final weekend in the loss to South Carolina, which does not bode smartly towards a Cardinals offense that now not simplest is potent beneath first-year trainer Jeff Brohm, however wishes style points to transform an element in the CFP race. Cards quarterback Jack Plummer will power the Wildcats right into a shootout, and so they merely are not ready for that. Pick: Louisville -7

No. 12 Ole Miss (-11) at Mississippi State: The Egg Bowl is all the time a must-watch match and Thanksgiving night time in Starkville goes to be wild … for the visiting Rebels. It’s onerous to believe a Bulldogs offense that has didn’t expand an identification all season, particularly since it’s going to most probably need to get better over 30 points to also have a probability towards trainer Lane Kiffin’s squad. Even if this recreation will get whacky early, the Rebs will draw back in the second one part for a large win. Pick: Ole Miss -11

Texas A&M at No. 14 LSU (-11): It’s transparent that Kelly needs Daniels to rack up as many online game stats as imaginable, and an enormous efficiency towards a just right Aggies protection will pass a ways in opposition to development his Heisman Trophy résumé. However, it is unimaginable to believe this Tigers protection. Expect points-a-plenty in this one as Texas A&M provides its lovers hope via preserving it shut in the fourth quarter. Pick: Texas A&M +11

Vanderbilt at No. 21 Tennessee (-27): The Volunteers need a four-touchdown win to money tickets … and they’re going to do it. The working recreation has began to tail off, however the Commodores run protection ranks No. 111 nationally for the season (176 yards in keeping with recreation) and No. 99 all the way through the month of November (183 yards in keeping with recreation). Expect Jaylen Wright, Joe Milton III, Dylan Sampson and Jabari Small to have a box day. Pick: Tennessee -27

No. 24 Clemson (-7) at South Carolina: Revenge might be at the minds of the Tigers as they appear to get again at the successful facet of this sour competition. Running again Will Shipley has led a punishing assault over the past a number of weeks. That will stay Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler at the sideline. It may not be lovely in any respect, however Clemson trainer Dabo Swinney will lead his staff to a double-digit win after that dashing assault wears down South Carolina’s protection in the fourth quarter. Pick: Clemson -7 

Which college football alternatives are you able to make with self assurance in Week 13, and which underdogs will win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a confirmed pc style that has returned smartly over $2,000 in benefit over the last seven-plus seasons — and to find out.