ATHENS — An intense Georgia football team will take the field expecting to win against a relaxed Ole Miss team playing with a nothing to lose approach.
Ultimately the Top 10 showdown between the No. 2 Bulldogs and No. 9 Rebels at 7 p.m. in Sanford Stadium will come down to blocking and tackling.
But Kirby Smart noted during his appearance on the Pat McAfee Shown on Friday how different he and Lane Kiffin really are.
“He talks about all the time, staying loose, (and) I’m kind of the opposite of that,” Smart said during the ESPN program being broadcast live from Myers Quad on the UGA campus.
“You look at this thing, the two opposites ….”
Smart played safety in college and was Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator before taking over at Georgia in 2016, and Kiffin is a former college quarterback who overlapped with Smart in Tuscaloosa in 2014-15 as Saban’s offensive coordinator.
“Although we both have a lot core beliefs that are the same, he is a very laid-back, loosey-goosey, throw-caution-to-the-wind kind of coach.”
Smart said he doesn’t expect Kiffin to hold anything back, so the read here is that Georgia’s offense will come out as aggressive as ever,
The pick: Georgia 42, Ole Miss 30
Alabama -10.5 at Kentucky, noon, ESPN
The Crimson Tide made a statement against LSU, and now the Wildcats stand in the way of Nick Saban’s rolling Tide, and that’s a bad place to be.
Alabama is closing in on the SEC Championship Game and will not be denied.
The pick: Alabama 42, Kentucky 17
Tennessee -2.5 at Missouri -1, 3:30 p.m., CBS
The Vols have scored 66 and 62 points against the Tigers in the past two meetings, but this is a different Tennessee offense.
Missouri will be dug in for the Vols’ physical approach and ready to match up at home.
The pick: Missouri 30, Tennessee 28
Vanderbilt at South Carolina -13, noon, SEC Network
This is the Commodores best chance to win another game this season, and they very nearly did that their last trip to Columbia before losing 21-20.
Would you believe the Gamecocks have won 14 straight in this series dating back to 2009? Make it 15.
The pick: South Carolina 30, Vanderbilt 24
Auburn at Arkansas -2.5, 4 p.m., SEC Network
Sam Pittman’s Hogs got a much-needed win last week in their first game after changing offensive coordinators.
The momentum will continue in Fayetteville against an Auburn team playing its third consecutive road game.
The pick: Arkansas 31, Auburn 24
Florida at LSU -14.5., 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
The Tigers are the much better team, but are they the healthier group? The answer is “no,” and the Gators have an opportunity for instant redemption via an upset win.
Florida won’t quite pull it off in Tiger Stadium — especially not under the lights — but the Gators will make it interesting.
The pick: LSU 31, Florida 28
Mississippi State at Texas A&M -17, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Jimbo Fisher has to win the games he’s supposed to, right? Well Mississippi State has won the past two meetings against the Aggies.
The Maroon Bulldogs need wins in two of their last three games — at Texas A&M, vs. Southern Miss and vs. Ole Miss — to qualify for a bowl.
They won’t get one in College Station, but they’ll cover the spread.
The pick: Texas A&M 20, Mississippi State 16.
West Virginia at Oklahoma -13, 7 p.m., Fox
The Sooners have dropped two straight one-possession road games and return home to face the surging 6-3 Mountaineers.
The pick: Oklahoma 34, West Virginia 31
Texas -12.5 at TCU, 7:30 p.m. ABC
The Longhorns travel to Fort Worth to face a program that prevented them from scoring an offensive touchdown in Austin last season.
The Horned Frogs have dropped two straight road games and simply don’t seem to match up.
The pick: Texas 37, TCU 20
Record last week: 7-2 straight-up, 5-3 against the spread
Season record: 79-14 straight-up, 47-40 vs. spread
