The biggest week of the 2020 college football season to date has arrived on Saturday, with a set of four top 25 matchups, including two between SEC opponents and ACC opponents. Three of the country’s top four teams will be in those ranked matchups, which means we could see some big ranking changes by the end of the day.
Number Ge Georgia hosts the No. 14 Tennessee at the SEC in the CBS game The Week as two former assistants to Nick Soap are looking for an advantage in the SEC East. In the nightcap, Saban will lead No. 2 Alabama against another former assistant as Ole Miss and coach Lane Keefin arrive in town. (Saban is 20-0 all-time against his former assistants, so congratulations to Coach Kiffin.) The No. 3 Florida No. 21 Texas A&M is looking for both teams in the key SEC match to open this day. Key wins early in the season.
Closer to ACC, we have the second most anticipated regular-season game of its conference-only campaign, with No. 1 Clemson host No. 7 Miami. The Tigers will have a tough test until they face Notre Dame later this season, while the Hurricanes plan to make a statement after dominating their first three opponents to open the season. No. 8 North Carolina and No. 19 Virginia Tech will also take the lead in a long-running game to prove whether the UNC is a true league title contender.
There will be plenty of action to be done on this stacked Saturday. Our experts at CBS Sports are here to help you explore what sport to play with an expert straight up and against the spread. Let’s take a look at five key games this weekend.
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No. 22 Texas vs. Oklahoma (-2) – Afternoon on Fox: Both teams are ready to come out swinging in a corner, and I can bet that is reflected in a high scoring game. I think Sonners coach Lincoln Riley has sprinkled some aggression that we haven’t seen from his team. As unlikely as losing the big 12 games at the time, Oklahoma had almost never heard of dropping three in a row. Pick: Oklahoma (-2) – Ben Kerscheval
No. 4 Florida (-6.5) at No. 21 Texas A&M – Afternoon ESPN: Do not overcomplicate this matchup. There is still a lot to prove in both defenses, and so Texas is A&M’s offense. Florida crime looks like gambling, and for that reason the Gators prefer to win this by touchdown or more. Pick: Florida (-6.5) – David Cobb
No. 14 on Tennessee No. 3 Georgia (-12.5) – 3:30 p.m. on CBS: Georgia has crushed Tennessee in recent years, but this is the best team Wales team Jeremy Pruitt has achieved during his three seasons. Now, that doesn’t mean I think it’s good enough to beat Georgia, but it should be within this number. Statson Bennett felt tough last week, but he’s not a game-changer on QB status. Meanwhile, Georgia’s defense was able to end the bad ubburn offensive line. This Tennessee offensive line is much stronger than what they faced last week and will provide more resistance. Georgia wins, but Tennessee does enough to stay around and cover. Pick: Tennessee (+12.5) – Tom Fornelly
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No. 7 at Miami (FL) at No. 1 Clemson (-14) – 7:30 p.m. on ABC: Clemson’s defense may not have matured (yet) to complete the full “Big Game Left” playbook of letting the defense go, but he’s got the best backfield pair in the country that should be a patient attack. In fact, it’s an experience on big stages like this in big games that will ultimately make a difference, as Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne can lean on a variety of games and situations for a mental advantage against a Miami team that is yet to return. College football top. I expect Clemson to establish a run and lean on it to avoid mistakes and keep De Eric King off the field. Pick: Clemson (-14) – Chip Patterson
At No. 2 Alabama (-23) le le miss – 7:30 pm on ESPN: There seems to be a nationwide consensus that Nick Saban will try to run it over his former abusive coordinator because, honestly, their relationship didn’t end on a note. Still, I don’t see that happening. In fact, I see the opposite. Don’t get me wrong … this is a dial-a-score game for Crimson Tide. But there are three reasons why Ole Miss will cover: coaches, players and the weather. Saban knows that Lane Keefin has a brilliant offensive mind and has explosive players. He also knows that Hurricane Delta will present some big problems and make this a game. Translation: He will want to get out of there as quickly and safely as possible. Pick: Ole Miss (+23) – Barrett Sally
