The 2nd half of the SEC season starts Saturday. If it’s anything like the 1st, we’re in for quite a ride. I mean, didn’t everybody have Kentucky hitting Week 7 with a better record than Alabama? Or Arkansas getting into the top 10, only for Texas A&M to go 0-2 in the league and then crash Alabama’s party? Face it, we’re all guessing every week, which makes things interesting here in the bold predictions department. Here’s a long shot for every Week 7 SEC game — see which ones pan out.

Auburn in an upset

Arkansas is one of the surprises of the season, but it’s in a rough spot here, coming off a heartbreaking loss to Ole Miss that was one of those “leave it all on the field” kind of games. Meanwhile, Auburn got crushed by Georgia, but that happens. The Razorbacks just feel like a team that should not be stuck playing a 3rd straight noon ET kickoff, but here they are. We’ll take the fighting Bo Nixes for an upset win on the road — not that it’ll be easy, but the physical ground attack sets up 1 big passing play late for Nix as Auburn upsets Arkansas 28-24.

Florida destroys LSU

This line is 11.5 points. How? LSU got streamrolled by Kentucky, losing by 3 touchdowns in Lexington in a game that wasn’t even really THAT close. Meanwhile, the Tigers are losing starters like a middle-aged man loses his keys. The bad news is they aren’t finding them again 15 minutes later. Florida seems ripe to win by 3 scores at LSU, with Emory Jones having a 200 yards passing/100 yards rushing kind of day.

A&M runs all over Mizzou

How much better is Texas A&M than Missouri? Much more than 8.5 points. Missouri might have the worst run defense in the recent history of the SEC. It’s time for A&M to pound it on the ground — we’ll take Isaiah Spiller AND Devon Achane to top 100 rushing yards in the win. Regardless of whether Haynes King or Zach Calzada or neither is ready to go on Saturday, the Aggies should run and run and then run some more. If they do that, they’ll win by 25-plus.

Kentucky gives Georgia its closest SEC game of the regular season

No, we can’t pick a 3-touchdown upset by Kentucky. But we can say that a) the Wildcats cover that spread and that b) they will give Georgia its closest SEC game of the entire regular season. No, Kentucky doesn’t quite have enough weapons to hang with the Bulldogs for 4 quarters. But losing this game by a 31-17 kind of score will demonstrate both that Kentucky really is quite good and that Georgia really is otherworldly. And if you don’t buy that now, you’ll buy it after nobody else plays the Bulldogs closer (in the regular season).

Vandy confuses Carolina early

Similarly, we can’t pick Vandy to win an actual SEC game, much less one on the road. But we can say that a reeling South Carolina team can come out sloppy and play a really bad half, trailing the ‘Dores at intermission. Carolina will recover in the 2nd half, rushing for 200 yards and passing for 200, and it’ll get a comfortable 30-14 kind of win. But it’ll be ugly early.

Bama bounces back

Yes, we were surprised they lost. No, we don’t see another loss coming down the pike soon. Mississippi State is so heavily 1-dimensional that it’s hard to imagine Alabama struggling with its offense in a significant way. It says here that MSU passes for fewer than 200 yards and Bama wins by 30.

A hundo in Knoxville … and UT wins

The best offense in the SEC vs. perhaps the hottest offense in the SEC. Who wins? The scoreboard operator. For the 2nd week in a row, the Rebels are part of a 100-point game. That said, Tennessee uses the home-field advantage to win late. How? On a blocked field goal, thus completing the Lane Kiffin karma chain. This game throws the SEC West race and the Heisman situation both into chaos. And what would make more sense in the SEC in 2021?