SEC + 3: Week Five

Let's dive straight into this week's games:

South Carolina vs. Missouri

Godsey: In my eyes, these two teams are almost even. Missouri had the better record, but I think South Carolina has the better team. South Carolina will be trying to build off of a much-needed win. Missouri has to regroup after the loss to Kentucky. The Tigers will have home field advantage, but will be without Maty Mauk. I'll have to go with South Carolina for that reason. 

The Pick: South Carolina 27 Missouri 24

Griff: The Gamecocks' defense looked a lot more motivated and physical last weekend, and I know it was just against Central Florida. That Central Florida team, however, was very hungry for a win coming into Williams-Brice last Saturday. So far this season, Georgia has been the only team to score on the Gamecocks in the second half, and South Carolina's defense will decide whether this game is won or lost. That being said, I don't think the Missouri defense is as good as it has been in years passed, and true freshman Lorenzo Nunez gets the job done in what will be his first start on the road.

The Pick: South Carolina 23 Missouri 21

(13) Alabama vs. (8) Georgia

Godsey: Alabama cannot lose this game if they want to make it to the playoff. I'd say their backs are against the ropes, and QB Jake Coker has got to step up and inspire others to do the same. Georgia needs this game to solidify their place in the top 10. I believe a one-loss Alabama team could make it into to the playoffs, but I'm not sure a one-loss Georgia team could do the same. I guess we'll find out because I think Alabama wins on the road. 

The Pick: Alabama 31 Georgia 27

Griff: This game provides the Bulldogs a chance to make a statement for being the best team in the conference, but it's also a chance for Alabama to gain back whatever confidence they dropped against Ole Miss a couple weeks ago. The Tide will have to keep Georgia's offense off the field and make Greyson Lambert throw the football. Otherwise, we'll see another episode of "The Nick Chubb Show." Nick Saban usually has his team ready to go in big regular season games, and I just don't see Alabama dropping back-to-back SEC games.

The Pick: Alabama 28 Georgia 20

San Jose State vs. Auburn

Godsey: I never thought I would say this about an Auburn game, but I don't know what to expect. I think Sean White did okay for his first start, and the team showed improvement. Auburn should handle them easily but I'm not so sure that they will beat the spread. 

The Pick: Auburn 38 San Jose State 24

Griff: This will be a good opportunity for Sean White to get more game reps under Gus Mahlzan's system. The thing I'm looking for the most, however, is if the Tigers made any adjustments on defense. The Auburn defense will determine how this team will progress through the rest of the season, especially with a young quarterback at the helm.

The Pick: Auburn 45 San Jose State 14

(3) Ole Miss vs. (25) Florida

Godsey: The Rebels struggled last week and will have to take care of business down in The Swamp if they want to remain at their current rank. Florida has definitely improved but not enough to beat the Rebels. 

The Pick: Ole Miss 35 Florida 17

Griff: Florida stole the show last Saturday, defeating Tennessee in the most thrilling game of the week. The Gators' defense might be able to keep this thing close for a little while, but the Rebels won't lose until their difficult five-game stretch of SEC West opponents.

The Pick: Ole Miss 31 Florida 14

Arkansas vs. Tennessee

Godsey: Arkansas has fallen off the football map. They will try to become a factor in the SEC, but Neyland Stadium is a very tough place to win. Meanwhile, Tennessee is trying to rebound from yet another loss at Florida. A very smart man once told me that Tennessee is cursed. That may be true on the road but is not the case at home. 

The Pick: Tennessee 24 Arkansas 14

Griff: The Razorbacks' season continues its nightmarish course, as the Hogs dropped a heartbreaker last week at "Jerry World." I wonder what the Arkansas' fan base will be doing to accelerate the departure of Bret Bielema after this week's loss as well.

The Pick: Tennessee 28 Arkansas 13

Eastern Michigan vs. (9) LSU

Godsey: The only question I have about this game is: will the Tigers beat the ridiculous 44.5 point spread? My other thought about this game can be summed up in one word:  blowout. 

The Pick: LSU 48 Eastern Michigan 7

Griff: Leonard Fournette looks better-and-better each week, but this week he'll be chilling on the bench by the second half. LSU gets a nice tune-up before heading to South Carolina next weekend.

The Pick: LSU 56 Eastern Michigan 6

Vanderbilt vs. Middle Tennessee State

Godsey: I've got to give Vanderbilt credit. They're probably one of the best 1-3 teams around. If Vanderbilt can play another turnover-free game, I like their chances of winning on the road. If they turn the ball over two or more times, they lose. The MTSU offense is too good, and they'll capitalize. 

The Pick: Vanderbilt 28 Middle Tennessee State 27

Griff: Vanderbilt plays physical defense, and the Commodores showed us that last week in the red zone against Ole Miss. I fully expect the Commodores to be able to create turnovers that will allow them to win big against Middle Tennessee State.

The Pick: Vanderbilt 31 Middle Tennessee State 16

(21) Mississippi State vs. (14) Texas A&M

Godsey: The undefeated Aggies will have their hands full with a Mississippi State team that looks to get back in the race for the SEC West. In my opinion, the Bulldogs have had a harder road to travel thus far. A&M was tested last week on the road to an Arkansas team that's a mess all in itself. I like A&M for one reason, home field advantage. 

The Pick: Texas A&M 31 Mississippi State 24

Griff: I see this game setting up very similar to when these two teams met last season. I thought last year that the Aggies were the superior team, and hell, they might've been. Once the game kicked off, however, the Bulldogs showed that they were a much more aggressive and physical team. I think we see the sequel, as last year's matchup will repeat itself, but I think this years edition is a little closer.

The Pick: Mississippi State 31 Texas A&M 28

Eastern Kentucky vs. Kentucky

Godsey: Kentucky is on the upswing. They will work on fine tuning both sides of the ball and win big. 

The Pick: Kentucky 38 Eastern Kentucky 10

Griff: Through three conference games, I don't think many people would've thought that Kentucky would be 2-1 with big wins over Missouri and South Carolina. Mark Stoops has his team looking like a contender in the East, and the Wildcats will be able to polish their game even more on Saturday.

The Pick: Kentucky 41 Eastern Kentucky 17

(23) West Virginia vs. (15) Oklahoma

Godsey: West Virginia has the best defense in the country, giving less than eight points per game. But Oklahoma is lot different than Georgia Southern and Liberty. Traditionally, this game has been more of a shootout than anything else. I expect to see pretty much the same thing this year.

The Pick: Oklahoma 38 West Virginia 35

Griff: The first big test for West Virginia thus far, and I honestly think that Oklahoma will surprise a lot of people in this game by how talented they are. The Sooners aren't far from being a playoff team, and this game makes their matchup against TCU all the more exciting.

The Pick: Oklahoma 45 West Virginia 31

(6) Notre Dame vs. (12) Clemson

Godsey: Here we go, both come in strong but only one makes it out alive. The loser is virtually out of the playoff. My weatherman for South Carolina is calling for a lot of rain up there, and I think Clemson is about to drown. The Notre Dame offense is too good at running the ball and in a monsoon, it matters. I don't see Clemson moving the ball consistently on that defense, and I see the Irish winning big on the road. 

The Pick: Notre Dame 38 Clemson 21

Griff: This game will be a nice blast from the past, as the elements will add to the excitement and physicality on the field. Clemson has to prove that they belong with the best in the country in the trenches, and I think that Wayne Gallman will have to be the workhorse for the Tigers, who'll shock the nation with a big win over the Irish.

The Pick: Clemson 21 Notre Dame 20

Arizona State vs. (7) UCLA

Godsey: UCLA has got to be careful this week. If they are looking ahead to next week's visit to Stanford, ASU will steal their thunder. The Sun Devils are a tricky opponent, but if the Bruins take care of the football and stick with a balanced attack, I see no reason that they can't stay undefeated and in the top 10. 

The Pick: UCLA 45 Arizona State 24

Griff: Arizona State has yet to really impress me this season, while UCLA continues to prove me wrong. This weekend will allow the Bruins to remain in the playoff discussion for yet another week.

The Pick: UCLA 42 Arizona State 28

As always, thanks for reading! Be sure to follow Griff on Twitter @griffaldo. Have a game you want us to pick? Send me a Tweet!