Mark Edwards' picks: Tide will pound UT; JSU will have tough time

Mark Edwards, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·4 min read

Oct. 21—It's a light weekend for the Southeastern Conference.

Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Missouri and Auburn are off. Across the country, there aren't a ton of good games.

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There are a couple of rivalry games: Alabama/Tennessee and Southern California/Notre Dame. No games matching ranked teams.

Still, it's a college football weekend, and that's a good thing. On to the picks:

Tennessee (4-3) at No. 4 Alabama (6-1): Is this still a rivalry? Asked about it Wednesday, Nick Saban wouldn't say yes or no, just that it's significant if you lose this one because it's significant to a lot of people.

Yes, this game is a rivalry, but for now, it's the same kind of rivalry a dog has with a fire hydrant. The last time Alabama lost to Tennessee was 2006 when Tide fifth-year senior running back Brian Robinson was in second grade. ... Alabama 38, Tennessee 13.

Jacksonville State (3-3) at Sam Houston State (5-0): Winning this one would go far in helping the Gamecocks make the FCS playoffs. But, consider:

—Plus for JSU: The Gamecocks beat Stephen F. Austin, which gave Sam Houston all it could handle before losing 21-20. That game included the Bearkats needing to convert on fourth down twice late in the game.

—Minus for JSU: Sam Houston didn't have three-year starting quarterback Eric Schmid, who was injured. He's back and ready to go.

—Plus for JSU: The Gamecocks got this last weekend off, so they've had more time to rest, recuperate and prepare for this one.

—Minus for JSU: So did Sam Houston.

Expect a solid effort from JSU, but ... Sam Houston 35, Jacksonville State 14.

LSU (4-3) at No. 12 Ole Miss (5-1): This is the 10th time LSU has faced Ole Miss when Ole Miss was ranked and LSU wasn't. Ole Miss is 8-0-1 in the previous nine. With Ed Orgeron getting fired this week but still in charge through the end of the season, it's uncertain how his team will play. ... Ole Miss 42, LSU 31.

Clemson (4-2) at No. 23 Pittsburgh (5-1): After three straight years of ranking fourth in the country in scoring, Clemson can't put the ball in the end zone very often. The Tigers average 20.5 points a game, which is 114th out of 130 teams. Take out a 49-point effort against South Carolina State, and that figure drops to 14.8 points. ... Pittsburgh 27, Clemson 20.

Southern California (3-3) at No. 13 Notre Dame (5-1): As with Alabama/Tennessee, this is a streaky series. For now, that favors Notre Dame, which has won three straight and is favored to make it four. ... Notre Dame 24, Southern California 17.

South Carolina (4-3) at No. 17 Texas A&M (5-2): The Gamecocks don't score very well, and Texas A&M actually has a pretty good defense. The Aggies are second in the SEC to Georgia in scoring defense with 16.4 points a game. ... Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 17.

Mississippi State (3-3) at Vanderbilt (2-5): Vandebrilt has lost 16 SEC games in a row, dating back to a 21-14 win over then-No. 22 Missouri in 2019. ... Mississippi State 24, Vanderbilt 10.

No. 2 Cincinnati (6-0) at Navy (1-5): Former Alabama running back Jerome Ford is now at Cincinnati and ranks seventh in the nation with 118.2 rushing yards a game. ... Cincinnati 35, Navy 7.

Tulane at No. 21 SMU (6-0): SMU is the only ranked team left on Cincinnati's schedule. ... SMU 34, Tulane 17.

No. 18 North Carolina State (5-1) at Miami (2-4): N.C. State is sixth nationally in scoring defense with 14.3 points a game. ... North Carolina State 24, Miami 17.

Last week: 4-6. Picked a few underdogs last week and paid for it. Missed on Auburn's win at Arkansas, LSU's win over Florida, Texas A&M's win over Missouri, Oklahoma State's win over Texas, Ole Miss' win at Tennessee, and North Carolina State's win over Boston College.

Senior Editor Mark Edwards: 256-235-3570. On Twitter: @MarkSportsStar.