Georgia Football: Week 9 predictions
By Max Tolbert
![NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 14: Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs talks to CBS after a win against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the first half at FirstBank Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images) NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 14: Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs talks to CBS after a win against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the first half at FirstBank Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/d54fedc5a53f0b17964f6bb16c4154c4d36a55fdd2280ef9bf06d7b5289f69e5.jpg)
It is now week 9, and Georgia football takes on the hated Florida Gators. This season has flown by; I remember when everyone talked about how Georgia’s schedule was so easy three months ago. That narrative went away fast. As we look down the barrel of the final month of college football, the regular season, we should take a moment and enjoy every second of it. Soon, it will be mid-February, and we will have nothing to watch except College basketball and regular season NBA games. So miserable! I just said to enjoy every moment, but this slate of games is not as interesting as the past few weeks. Which means there will be significant upsets. I hope I can avoid them. Outside of the Georgia game, there isn’t a game I am 100% interested in. Oh well! It’s college football; I love it!
Last week, I finally had my first winning record in months. I went two for one on the picks, and now I am 13-17 on the season. I am four games away from .500. I keep chipping away at this thing! As the season winds down, I am the best at my picks, so I am about to go on a hot streak. Alright, enough talking; let’s get to some picks.
Oregon(-6.5) vs.Utah over/under 44.5- Ceasers
- Date: October 28, 2023
- Game Time: 3:30 pm
- Venue: Rice-Eccels Stadium (Salt Lake City, Utah)
- How to Watch: Fox
- Streaming on FuboTV
Utah has been a tough team this year. Their defense has been lights out, and their offenses have done enough to win them games. It is hard to go against the Utes after that massive upset win against USC. I like everything about Utah and dig the experience; I want to watch a game there someday. But it is not a beauty contest; this is football.
Ever since Oregon has lost to Washington, many have ignored the Ducks. Bo Nix’s Heisman campaign ended in Seattle. The guy is still in the conversation and should be in New York City in December. I am a fan of Dan Lanning and think that one day, sadly, he will replace Saban at Alabama. Oregon is the better team here. They have the better QB since Cam Rising is done for the season, and they have the better players. It will be challenging for the Ducks to cover the spread on the road, but I will take my chances on the better team. So give me the Ducks and the Under in this one.
Mississippi State vs. Auburn (-6.5) over/under 41.5- Ceasers
- Date: October 28, 2023
- Game Time: 3:30 pm
- Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn, Al)
- How to Watch: SEC Network
- Streaming on FuboTV
The battle of the bottom-tier bowl! Man, does this game stink or what? This game really should be at noon, and a Jefferson Pilot game or CSS. But week 9 is not great, so we have to pick this game, sadly. For MSU, they still might be without Will Rogers. If so, I do not know how the ugly Bulldogs beat Auburn. Did you see the Arkansas game last week? They only scored 7 points and won! Auburn has had a bad year, but they have been competitive in games. Hey, they almost beat Ole Miss last week. That has to count for something, right? Right?
I like watching these games because it shows how much better the SEC is than all the other conferences. If this were Northwestern vs Purdue, it would be an awful game. But because of the player quality in this game, it should be a decent watch. Freeze has to go back to play calling and bench Throne. It is a hard watch. So please give me the Tigers to cover and give me the under. While typing this, I legitimately looked up the weather in Auburn, Alabama, for Saturday, which called for rain. So this game will be a slog fest. It’s like a 14-3 type of game, and I will love every minute flipping back and forth when the Georgia game is in commercial.
Tennessee vs. Kentucky (+4.0) over/under 51.5- Ceasers
- Date: October 28, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 pm
- Venue: Kroger Field (Lexington, KY)
- How to Watch: ESPN
- Streaming on FuboTV
The last time we saw Kentucky, they blew a 14-0 lead at home against Mizzou. That was two weeks ago, as they had a bye last week. Tennessee lost to Alabama a week ago after blowing a 17-point lead on the road. Both these teams are fighting to keep their seasons alive and a possible NY6 Bowl. Now, will the NY6 Bowl bid happen? Probably not, but they believe, and that is all that matters.
The Vols are not a great team; they are a decent team, but they are not great. Joe Milton is not the guy the Vols hoped for, and now, as their SEC East hopes are on life support, they need Milton to come through. Kentucky thought they were a great team, but they are in the same tier as the Vols. More than likely, the Vols win this game, but I picked the Wildcats to finish second in the SEC East. Furthermore, Kentucky is a home dog at night. I will pick the Cats to cover and take the over. I still do not know if Kentucky wins outright.
There you have it; week nine picks are in. Let’s hope I go 3-0 and keep chipping away at .500. But more importantly, let’s hope the Dawgs beat those stinking Gators down in Jacksonville this Saturday. My thoughts and predictions on the WLOCP will be on the site on Friday. Sneak preview: You will be thrilled if my prediction is correct. See you on the other side!
Dawgs still banged up, but add more players this week. light. Hot