All eyes are on the SEC. No, literally, check the TV ratings. Before we go to the Week 9 SEC slate, let’s take a look at last week’s ratings (courtesy of Stewart Mandel of The Athletic).
- Ole Miss vs. UGA (ABC): 9.8 Million
- Tennessee vs. Alabama (ABC): 8.0 Million
- LSU vs. Vanderbilt (ABC): 5.9 Million
- LSU vs. ND (NBC): 4.6 Million
- Washington vs. Michigan (FOX): 4.3 Million
- Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (CBS): 4 Million
These are not a Week 8 anomaly; the SEC has dominated the ratings in 2025. Just like they did in 2024. The partnership between the SEC and ESPN/ABC has been a thing of beauty. Mr. Mandel also shared that 27 games this year have gotten at least 5 million viewers. ABC and ESPN have 21 involving 32 SEC teams. The B1G is a distant second, with 12 teams participating in a game with at least 5 million viewers. A note to the SEC, with them moving to nine conference games in 2026, you may want to rework that deal. Here are three Week 9 games that may break the 5 million mark.
- Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma
- Missouri vs. Vanderbilt
- Texas A&M vs. LSU
SEC Week 9 Betting Lines: It Just Means More Eyeballs
FanDuel Week 8 SEC Betting Lines
Rankings are based on the AP media poll. Lines and game totals are courtesy of FanDuel. All games are Eastern Standard Time. Check the links for insights from your favorite Last Word on College Football writers. After the lines, we’ll take a big picture look and predict the five biggest Week 9 SEC matchups on the weekend.
Picks last week:
| Matchup | Date | Time | Channel | Line |
| No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 13 Oklahoma | 10/25 | Noon | ABC | #Sip – 5.5 |
| Auburn vs. Arkansas | 10/25 | 12:45 PM | SECN | #WooPig – 3.5 |
| No. 4 Alabama vs. South Carolina | 10/25 | 3:30 PM | ABC | #RollTide – 11.5 |
| No. 15 Missouri vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt | 10/25 | 3:30 PM | ESPN | #Vandy – 2.5 |
| No. 22 Texas vs. Mississippi State | 10/25 | 4:15 PM | SECN | #Arch – 6.5 |
| No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 20 LSU | 10/25 | 7:30 PM | ABC | #12thMan – 2.5 |
| No. 17 Tennessee vs. Kentucky | 10/25 | 7:45 PM | SECN | #Vols – 8.5 |
Week 8 Picks
Don’t let your boy get hot. A perfect 5-0 last week. That means we are going for the golden goose egg for Week 9 (hopefully not). Billy Napier is out in Florida, and an Auburn loss in Fayetteville could spell doom for Brother Hugh.
- Week 1: 5-0
- YTD: 24-16
No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 13 Oklahoma
Will Lane stay or will he go? If he stays, the SEC is in trouble. If he goes, there will be double. So you gotta let Oxford know, will Lane stay or will he go? The distraction of Lane staying or going derailed Ole Miss’s season three years ago. Lane has shown growth and maturity. The Rebels will face a challenge against Oklahoma’s defense; the question is whether the Sooner offense can help solve some of the Rebels’ ills on defense.
Pick: Ole Miss
Auburn vs. Arkansas
Auburn was favored at the start of the week. Fast forward to today, and now Bobby Petrino and the Hogs are favored in Fayetteville. Auburn is a mess, but let’s face it, so is Arkansas. This is a perfect second-screen viewing at 12:45 p.m. on SECN. Look for Brother Hugh to extend Auburn fans’ pain and find a way to beat the refs, I mean, an SEC team.
Pick: Auburn
No. 4 Alabama vs. South Carolina
South Carolina is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Gamecocks’ defeat of #1 Alabama at Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina has been less a Sandstorm and more a sh….storm in 2025, thanks, Message Board Geniuses. Alabama, on the other hand, is firing on all cylinders. This is not the time to lie down, but instead to continue to ascend to the top of CFB.
Pick: Alabama
No. 15 Missouri vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt
ABC picked the wrong game. Preseason, Alabama, and South Carolina made sense. In Week 9, Missouri and Vanderbilt are arguably the game of the week. That still seems weird typing it in 2025. Both teams have only a single loss and are on track to break the glass ceiling and earn a bid to the College Football Playoff. Diego Pavia has been electric in Year 2 in Nashville, and Eli Drinkwitz continues to show why he is rising up the coaching boards. Look for this one to go to overtime.
Pick: Vandy
No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 20 LSU
What could go wrong? This game usually is drunk, and weird things always happen, like a coach getting punched in the pacemaker or a 70-something overtime game. Add in a night game in Baton Rouge, and you have must-see TV! If Brian Kelly and LSU are going to get off that mat, this is the time to do it.
Pick: LSU
Main Photo: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
