Pick’em: Week 5

AUBURN | Each week the AuburnSports.com staff and friends make their predictions on Auburn and top college football games from around the country.

WHAT THEY THINK

Jay G. Tate (6-4, 28-12), always served with frosty tips.

Auburn 24-17

Oklahoma is somewhat reminiscent of Arkansas in that the Sooner have a good defense and a so-so offense. Yet now OU is coming to Jordan-Hare with a freshman quarterback and missing several key players on both sides of the ball. If Auburn can avoid another FIVE-TURNOVER DAY, which is a HUGE 'IF', then I think the Tigers will be able to put together a winning formula. I still think Auburn is a middle-class SEC team that makes too many careless mistakes. Get the mind right and some decent wins will follow.

Caleb Jones (7-3, 27-13), a river rat in a kayak

Oklahoma 24-19

Last week was horrendous for the Auburn offense and there's nothing that tells me this week will be any different. In the loss to Tennessee last week, Oklahoma held Nico Iamaleava to less than 200 yards passing and Dylan Sampson to less than 100 yards rushing. Auburn's offense is considerably less productive than the Vols, so it's hard for me to see Auburn finding the end zone often. Now, there's something about Jordan Hare Stadium in big games — and this is arguably the biggest home game of the year — so it also wouldn't shock me to see Auburn play its best football of the season. Regardless, the quarterbacks haven't been good and the defense has struggled to get off the field, so I'm taking the Sooners.

Bryan Matthews (7-3, 25-15), I’d like a milkshake straw with that.

Oklahoma 20-10

This is a game that 9 times out of 10, I would pick Auburn to win. Oklahoma is a dubiously-ranked team playing its first SEC road game with a true freshman quarterback making his first start and a wide receiver position group missing its top five players due to injury. This should be a game Auburn dominates defensively and on special teams in front of a fired up and noisy home crowd. I've seen a similar scenario play out time and time again at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It's just that I don't trust this coaching staff and this group of players to get it done. I don't doubt they're capable, I just haven't seen a commitment to do whatever it takes to win from either group. My biggest concern Saturday is Auburn going out and throwing a pick-6 on its first possession and Oklahoma's defense eventually out-scoring Auburn's offense. I'd stand up and cheer (not really) if AU just chose to run three times and punt on its first drive. Never has "live to punt" rang so true. I'd feel more confident in a win if Tommy Tuberville, Gene Chizik or Gus Malzahn were coaching this team. This is a win that should be grinded out by the most basic means necessary. Auburn doesn't need a proof of concept today, it needs to prove it can win.

Brian Stultz (6-4, 25-15), a lover of Murder, She Wrote and rom-coms.

Oklahoma 24-17

First, I think we can all agree that we are huge Gus Malzahn fans this weekend as UCF hosts Colorado and that clown show the Buffaloes have going on in Boulder. As for the Auburn game, I am expecting a low-scoring affair based on the fact the two offenses are mediocre at best. I want to pick the Tigers, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

WHAT THEY THINK (continued)

Henry Patton (4-6, 24-16), likes giant gas stations with beaver mascots.

Auburn 17-14

I really don’t know. I said on Monday I was going to pick Auburn but flipped that because I don’t trust Auburn’s offense to move the ball at all. I still don’t, but Oklahoma is missing its five (!!) best receivers, its best back and is starting a freshman QB on the road at Jordan-Hare. Yeesh. I don’t think Auburn is very good, but it has to be able to win *this* game to basically save the season. Surely.

Bill Cameron (6-4, 23-17), Auburn radio institution and still groovin’ to the 70’s.

Auburn 23-20

This game has become an absolute MUST win if Hugh Freeze is going to be able to show improvement on the field from last year. Another tough loss to a team the Tigers should have beaten certainly doesn't do that. Both teams have struggled offensively, Auburn primarily because of turnovers, while both defenses have played well. The Sooners are very good at forcing turnovers, so if Auburn obliges, they could be looking at a five-game losing streak before they return home. Whoever gets the start at QB for the Tigers must protect the ball for Auburn to get the much-needed win.

Hunter Adams (6-4, 23-17), your momma’s favorite football coach.

Oklahoma 27-17

Auburn’s QB struggles are magnified as Venables forces the pass-read in the RPO. Turnovers and lost possessions wear the defense down.

Dan Peck (3-7, 19-21), the other guy from The Drive and film noir aficionado.

Auburn 23-17

An offense that turns it over is like a race car driver who can’t avoid crashes; there’s no point in focusing on anything else until the big problem gets fixed. If Auburn avoids costly errors, the pressure will be on Oklahoma’s offense in unfamiliar and hostile territory.