Week 8 was not a good week at the Bold Predictions department. Apparently, the assignment must have been missed, because it wasn’t “Tell Us What Is Absolutely Not Going to Happen” week. Anyway, like a successful offensive, we’re putting a bad one behind us and moving on. It’s a short slate again in Week 9, but here are our bold predictions for every SEC game.

Offensive Player of the Week Raheim Sanders takes it to Auburn

Arkansas is only a 3.5-point favorite at Auburn. Yes, the Razorbacks have been a bit up and down, but one thing has been constant — Arkansas loves to run the football, particularly with Sanders. Meanwhile, Auburn is dead last in the SEC in rushing defense, giving up more than 204 yards per game and about 4.9 yards per carry. This sounds like a match made in football heaven. Arkansas’ defense has been a bit spotty, but Auburn isn’t exactly an inovative point-scoring machine. The Razorbacks will take it to the Tigers, winning by a 34-14 margin, with Sanders rushing for 150 yards, pushing him over 1,000 for the season. He’s the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week in a comfortable win.

Stetson Bennett IV humbles the Gators

Obviously, UGA-UF is one of those rivalries in which nobody ever really knows anything. And Georgia looking pretty mortal in back-to-back games with Kent State and Mizzou probably gave Gator Nation a significant deal of hope. But don’t buy in. In the past 2 weeks, UGA has been UGA again, winning by a combined 97-10 margin and rolling up 500 yards of offense per week while barely giving up 400 total yards in both games combined. Yes, Florida is better than Auburn and Vanderbilt. But the Gators’ defense is wearing down as the season goes. Meanwhile, 7 of the past 8 games in this series have been double-digit victories. Florida has allowed more than 200 yards passing in every game this season except against South Florida. Bennett got pulled too early last week to reach 300 yards, but he’ll do it this week. UGA 41, Florida 10.

Missouri upsets the Gamecocks

South Carolina, resplendent with its No. 25 ranking, is a 3.5-point home favorite over 3-4 Missouri. That alone should raise some questions, because usually home field is worth roughly a field goal in gambling lines. Meanwhile, Missouri should have won against Auburn on the road, and it could have taken down Florida. Eli Drinkwitz has won 1 road game in each of his first 2 seasons. WIth only Tennessee left as a road trip, it’s now or never for the Tigers. Meanwhile, South Carolina has had a nice diet of Nick Saban rat poison, as the Gamecocks’ win over Texas A&M just might have made them a little, well, cocky. Missouri uglies this one out on a Harrison Mevis field goal, 24-21.

Ole Miss handles the Aggies

Both Ole Miss and Texas A&M are capable of looking like top-10 teams or like they could go 6-6. The good news for Ole Miss is that it already has 7 wins. A&M hasn’t topped 24 points since its opener with Sam Houston State (when it scored 31). Ole Miss, meanwhile, has given up 34 and 45 points in its past 2 games. But given the choice between the Ole Miss defense getting fixed and the A&M offense, the former seems more likely. And don’t forget the chaos surrounding A&M’s team right now. Let’s call for a 2-score win for the Rebels thanks to a pair of Quinshon Judkins TD runs in the game that really turns up the heat on Jimbo Fisher, 31-17.

Kentucky has a great half, Vols overtake it late in pass-heavy matchup

Tennessee is flying high, and Kentucky has little to lose Saturday night in Knoxville. With a bye week, look for Will Levis and the Wildcats to start strong, and deliver a mild shock to the UT nervous system with a halftime lead. But a late-half clock mismanagement issue will leave UT wiggle room to get back in the game, which the Vols will do in the 3rd quarter. The game is competitive into the 4th quarter, but UT’s passing game outshines Kentucky’s, although each team passes for 300 yards. Cedric Tillman does play, and he gives UT its 1st lead late in the 3rd quarter with a big-play score. A late UK turnover seals the Wildcats’ fate as UT wins, 38-24.