VSiN’s college football expert takes a look at his five best games for Saturday.
Georgia (-22.5, 44.5) vs. Kentucky
The most important game of the week comes from a matchup with a point spread north of three touchdowns. Although Georgia has been largely dealt significant point spreads all year, the Bulldogs are still 5-1 ATS. And lately, they are looking dominant with backup QB Stetson Bennett leading the way. Kentucky, meanwhile, just beat Florida and LSU in consecutive weeks, which speaks to talent and coaching. Outside of the close call against Tennessee-Chattanooga, the Wildcats have been exceptional — and also good to backers. But this is another obstacle entirely, and playing in Athens won’t make things any easier.
Arkansas (-5, 54) vs. Auburn
Sam Pittman made the right call for Arkansas last week. He went for the two-point conversion knowing his defense was cooked against Ole Miss. The play design itself was very “meh,” but I liked the attitude and the Razorbacks covered for the sixth time in seven games. Auburn was quasi-competitive with Georgia for much of the game last week, although the Tigers couldn’t keep up (or cover the 15-point spread). This spread, however, signifies some confidence in Auburn. Even on the road, I lean toward the underdog.
Texas (-4, 60) vs. Oklahoma State
If you bet Texas (+3.5) last week, I just want you to know I was thinking about you over the weekend. That was not a pleasant loss to Oklahoma considering how big the Longhorns were up early and the fact that the game seemed destined to end on a field goal. It didn’t, and here we are. It will be fascinating to see how Texas rallies, and Oklahoma State is plenty capable of letting that hangover linger. The Cowboys are unbeaten, and they will showcase a defense that is ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Offensively, however, Oklahoma State is currently ranked No. 89 nationally, and I am just not sure that’ll be a good fit for this game.
Alabama (-17.5, 58) at Mississippi State
It happened. Alabama lost. It still feels a bit surreal, although the Crimson Tide earned that L. What I am interested to see is how this team — and especially this offense — responds. And in terms of an opponent, Mississippi State is an interesting one. It’s an odd place to play, especially considering what happened last week to Alabama. The Bulldogs have also been a bit underrated this year, plus they come in following a week off after beating Texas A&M the prior week. Alabama’s pass defense wasn’t superb on Saturday, and it’ll likely be tested once again by Mike Leach. While a bounce-back from Nick Saban wouldn’t surprise, this one intrigues me.
Baylor (-6, 51.5) vs. BYU
It’s an odd matchup played at an odd time of the year, although I am very much up for it. Also, somewhat strangely, these two will be conference foes soon enough. BYU was not up for its game against Boise State last weekend, and the Cougars lost 26-17 at home as six-point favorites. On the other side, I bet against Baylor last week, and that was a very bad idea. The Bears crushed West Virginia 45-20 as a short favorite to move to 5-1. While the reputation at Baylor has long been about offense, the Bears have the nation’s No. 21-ranked scoring defense at the moment. For BYU, having struggled offensively of late, that could be an issue.