Biscuits & SEC Week 9 game-by-game previews 2024
Week 9 has some key matchups, headlined by a battle for sole possession of first in the SEC in College Station.
By: Bossman, Hammer, Waco Kid
Week after week this season, the SEC and college football have delivered. Close games, big upsets, spectacular plays, and memorable moments. We have seen it all, and there’s no reason why that trend will slow down this week. Expect chaos as I think we are in for a wild finish to the season.
The boys got back on track somewhat last week in the picks department after a shaky Week 7. Hammer is clinging to a slim lead in the straight-up column, but lags behind against the spread. Bossman and Waco Kid are now even after a rough week against the spread for the Waco Kid. Can anyone claw their way back to .500 in that department? It’ll be close.
Let’s dive into week 9.
Bossman: Did that go the way you thought it was gonna go? Nope. Preseason hype for both of these teams had fans believing in these teams. Instead, the Rebels playoff hopes are on life support and the Sooners are hearing talk about their coach's buyout bubbling up. Not good for either team who had high aspirations this season. For Oklahoma, we don’t need to belabor the point, it’s obvious for anyone with eyes, confirmed by the firing of Seth Littrell earlier this week. The offense is abysmal, and they cannot figure anything out on that side of the ball. Neither QB has performed well, the offensive line has more holes than the movie Holes, and their WR corps has been decimated by injury. For awareness, it’ll be Jackson Arnold as QB1 moving forward. The OU defense isn’t up to snuff for a Brent Venables defense, but they aren’t bad either, giving up just 21 points per game. That’s the only reason that I hesitate to pick Ole Miss to cover in this game. While the Rebs have a plethora of weapons to choose from, they just haven’t been able to put it all together this season. They have the body of a Ferrari but it’s been performing like a ‘69 Mustang. Great at times, it has some muscle, but it’ll sputter on you at times. Still, I think Ole Miss covers late - barely - but gets a comfortable win in Oxford.
#18 Ole Miss 35
Oklahoma 14
Hammer: Ole Miss had a much-needed bye last week to lick their wounds after losing to LSU in overtime and starting SEC play 1-2 overall. Coming into the season, Ole Miss was all in and spent a ton of NIL money assembling a team ready to make a run at the SEC title and the CFP. Two losses before November have completely erased the Rebels margin for error. They need to win out and that journey starts this weekend, where the Rebs will be out for blood. No rest for the weary Oklahoma Sooners who have gotten their teeth kicked in the last few weeks, resulting in first-year OC Seth Littrell being fired after last week’s debacle against South Carolina. Brent Venables and the Sooners are reeling, and a road trip to Oxford against a rested Ole Miss team is not going to help things. I expect Jaxson Dart and the Ole Miss offense to look crisp here. Yes, Oklahoma’s defense is still good, their issues are on offense, but with a week off to reassess, look for the Rebels to have a good offensive plan and execute at a high level. On the other side of the ball, Ole Miss will absolutely feast on this Sooner offense. South Carolina totaled nine sacks and 13 TFLs last week against this dismal Sooner offensive line. Expect more of that this weekend as the Ole Miss front seven is nasty. I don’t see a world where Oklahoma scores more than 10 points unless they get a bunch of turnovers or score non-offensive touchdowns. I’ll take Ole Miss to win big and cover here.
#18 Ole Miss 31
Oklahoma 10
Waco Kid:
#18 Ole Miss 38
Oklahoma 20
Bossman: I know this will sound crazy at first glance since Mississippi State has won one game all season…but hear me out. The Bulldogs are playing much better football right now than they were early in the season. Michael Van Buren at QB has changed the complexion of this team. In his last three games, Van Buren has averaged 230 yards, two TDs, and .7 INTs. When you watch him, he’s got poise in the pocket when he has time and he hits receivers for big chunk plays. Just watch the Georgia highlights. I think the Bulldogs have found something with this kid, and they shouldn’t be overlooked with him at the helm. This team is dangerous, and this game might be their only shot to get an SEC win this season. Arkansas meanwhile has reverted back to the Hogs we’ve become accustomed to over the last few years. An above-average team that plays below their talent level due to turnovers (they’re -5 in turnover ratio this season). Last week they got blown out by LSU due to their inability to protect the football. The Bulldogs are +2 in turnover ratio this season and turned over Conner Weigman twice last week. Watch the turnover battle in this one. I think Arkansas is the better team and gets the win here, but it won’t be easy, and I’ll take Mississippi State to cover.
Arkansas 26
Mississippi State 23
Hammer: Oh boy, this is a trap game if I have ever seen one. I bought into Arkansas and picked them to upset LSU last weekend. They didn’t come close. LSU curb stomped them in Fayetteville and now they have to hit the road to Starkville. Taylen Green had some injury issues coming into the LSU game, and he did not look healthy in that game to me. I’m sure he will play this weekend as well, but if he isn’t 100% this could get really, really dicey. Michael Van Buren is playing good football, especially for a true freshman, and Lebby’s team is battling. Since Van Buren took over for an injured Blake Shapen, the Bulldogs have competed and covered the spread against Texas, Georgia, and Texas A&M. Given the Bulldog’s personnel limitations, this is likely their best chance to win an SEC game, so I expect them to come out ready to roll. I can’t totally give up on Arkansas but this game scares me. I think Bobby Petrino will dial up enough plays for the Hogs to escape with a win here, but I think Mississippi State covers again.
Arkansas 31
Mississippi State 28
Waco Kid:
Arkansas 28
Mississippi State 10
Bossman: I don’t think either of these teams is ranked where they should be. I know Missouri is 6-1, but it hasn’t been pretty. Alabama has lost two games, and the last three weeks have been eye-opening and shocking, to say the least. This team was a couple plays from having three losses. They look like a completely different team since that big-time win over Georgia. Jalen Milroe looks lost and like a totally different QB than the one we saw progress in the back half of last season and looks seasoned at the start of this year. I thought he’d hit his stride and Bama was headed straight for the playoff, but that’s not the case at all. As for the Tigers, things just haven’t played out as expected. This team looked primed for a playoff run (and they still might be!), but I’m having trouble trusting what I’m seeing. Both of these teams are standing on shaky ground right now, and it’s tough to pick a winner here. With this one being at home in Bryant-Denny, I’ll take the Tide to win outright, but that -13.5 spread is too much for me right now. Mizzou covers.
#15 Alabama 28
#21 Missouri 24
Hammer: Alabama needs this game in the worst way. The Crimson Tide have already lost 2 games in the regular season for the first time since 2007, Nick Saban’s first year. DeBoer can’t afford another loss, especially at home against Mizzou. Plus, Missouri is beat up badly right now. On the latest injury report, QB Brady Cook, WR Mookie Cooper, and RB Nate Noel are all listed as doubtful in the latest injury report. That does not bode well for Missouri, who still has no offensive identity. I expect Alabama to win this ballgame, but nothing I have seen from them makes me think they can cover this spread. Despite the doubtful designation on Cook, I think he is going to try and give it a go. If Drew Pine ends up starting, all bets are off and Bama will likely cover. But for now, give me the Tigers to keep this close. Every unit for Alabama has been inconsistent and Missouri is decent enough to keep this close #analysis.
#15 Alabama 28
#21 Missouri 17
Waco Kid:
#15 Alabama 31
#21 Missouri 17
Bossman: Can the Dores shock the world twice in one season? We’ll find out on Saturday. I’m pumped to watch this one. Texas is coming off a bare-knuckle brawl against Georgia that may have broken Steve Sarkisian, who was posting inspirational quotes postgame on Instagram like he just went through a high school breakup. I’m really interested to see how Quinn Ewers responds in this game after getting benched in the first half against Georgia. If the Texas offense sputters early, this one could be a dogfight from start to finish. Diego Stones is a total baller, and Vanderbilt does things differently on offense than anyone in the SEC so they’re hard to prepare for. Here’s the thing: the Texas defense is the best in the SEC, giving up under 10 points a game. I expect Sark to have these guys ready for Vandy after a weeklong bender on Simple Plan and My Chemical Romance gets his head right. Texas pulls away in the second half and covers.
#5 Texas 41
#25 Vanderbilt 24
Hammer: Well, well, well. After a crushing loss at home where Texas got punked on their home field and the fans threw a hissy fit, a road trip to play Diego Pavia and the mighty Vanderbilt Commodores awaits. I am fascinated to see how Texas responds here. They were cocky heading into that Georgia game and looked completely shell-shocked when the Dawgs punched them in the mouth. Vandy’s offense has given teams fits all year thanks to the options principles and Pavia’s comfort in that system. This is a game that Vandy could easily muck up and keep close, adding to the Texas frustration. Not to mention the Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning debate. If Texas gets off to a slow start and Ewers throws an early interception (something he does fairly often), does he get benched? It’s hard to know where his head is coming into this game. I say all that to say, I think Vandy covers here. They are pesky and a tough matchup. Sure, Texas could run away with this game if they play at peak efficiency. Vanderbilt does not have the defense, especially the secondary, to cover all the Longhorn weapons, so if this turns into a track meet, Texas can pull away and win in a blowout. But I am done doubting Deigo Pavia and this team. I think they can slow this game down, possess the ball and keep it under the spread even in a losing effort.
#5 Texas 30
#25 Vanderbilt 17
Waco Kid:
#25 Vanderbilt 24
#5 Texas 17
Bossman: This one is gonna be fun. Since A&M joined the SEC in 2012, this rivalry has had many twists and turns. LSU owned the Aggies from 2012-2017, winning the first six games between the two as SEC opponents. Since then, the series is dead even at 3-3, and we saw the 74-72 game in College Station, a 50-7 drubbing in 2019 at the hands of Joe Burrow, and a 38-23 beatdown of #16 LSU in Kyle Field at the hands of third-string freshman Conner Wiegman. I expect more fireworks this year and a hard-fought game. I’m really interested to see what happens with Weigman – which one will we get? The one who floundered against Notre Dame and Mississippi State, or the one who was lights out against Missouri? This LSU defense, especially the secondary, has tightened up in recent weeks, but they’re still vulnerable. The Aggies will need to take advantage of that if they want to win because LSU is going to score points. The other matchup I’m watching is this Aggie defensive line vs. this stout Tigers offensive line. Can they get Garrett Nussmeier off schedule? Overall, this will be a blast to watch, especially with the night environment at Kyle Field. The place will be rocking, and that’s what I think gives A&M a slight edge in this game.
#14 Texas A&M 30
#8 LSU 27
Hammer: For all the talk this season about Texas, Ole Miss, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, etc these two teams are the only ones without an SEC loss on their record. That’s right, Texas A&M and LSU lead the SEC right now and the winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat for getting to the SEC title game in Atlanta. The stakes could not be higher, so a night game at Kyle Field is the perfect venue for this matchup. Garrett Nussmeier and his band of merry men will need to go on the road into a hostile environment for the second week in a row, but this time against a much better defense. The Aggies will throw more at Nuss than any team he has seen this season. The A&M front seven is nasty, they get after the QB, and Mike Elko and Jay Bateman have done a great job this year of confusing offensive lines and getting free rushers at the QB. That might be what it takes to actually sack Nussmeier, who thanks to his shiftiness in the pocket and an excellent offensive line, has not been sacked in several weeks. I do not expect LSU to be able to run the ball against A&M, so protecting Nussmeier is paramount for LSU. For Texas A&M, I do think they will be able to run the ball. Le’Veon Moss “just been ballin, really” all year long. But, the Aggies can’t win this game unless Conner Weigman plays well and avoids turnovers. He has been Jekyll and Hyde so far this year, but if he can take care of the ball and hit some shots downfield against an improved but vulnerable LSU secondary, A&M will be in business. Since this game is at Kyle Field, I’ll take the Aggies to win and cover here but this will be a dogfight.
#14 Texas A&M 27
#8 LSU 24
Waco Kid:
#14 Texas A&M 27
#8 LSU 24
Bossman: Is anyone going to watch this game besides die-hards? No offense to Auburn or Kentucky fans, but this one is likely to be ugly. Neither one of these teams seems to be able to get anything going on offense and it feels like this game will be stuck in the muck. You’ve got two coaches who are down right now and fighting for some sort of respectability in lost seasons. Auburn has been losing close games this year and I keep picking them to jump up and get someone…so this week, I’m going on a wing and a prayer and taking the Tigers again. This pick is based on little evidence and mostly a coin flip. Whatever.
Auburn 23
Kentucky 21
Hammer: This is the dumpster fire bowl. Auburn simply can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot and losing close games. They don’t know how to win, that much is clear. The Tigers are undisciplined, they turn the ball over, and Hugh Freeze looks lost. Someone get this man a burner phone ASAP! Kentucky, meanwhile, is not much better off. Their offense stinks to high heaven, and people are not happy with Mark Stoops in Lexington. I have no idea who will win this game. Neither team seems very interested in winning lately, and neither team does a whole lot well. I’ll take Kentucky because they are at home and they beat Ole Miss earlier this year. They have at least shown the ability to win a close game and make clutch plays once this year. Auburn has not.
Kentucky 17
Auburn 14
Waco Kid:
Kentucky 35
Auburn 21
