Last week marked the halfway point of the 2026 regular season in our fictional bucket list road trip for this year. Now we barrel full steam ahead with two stops to close out Spooky Season. So, where are we heading for weeks 8 and 9? Buckle up.
Week 8: Ole Miss at Texas
Get your best button down and jeans packed and drink every time you hear “Manning” mentioned on the broadcast. The two best quarterbacks in the SEC, and maybe the country, will be on display in what should be a primetime Saturday night matchup.
This is an absolutely loaded day of games in the conference. LSU and Auburn kickoff at 11 a.m. Alabama hosts Texas A&M in what will most likely be the 2:30 p.m. game and South Carolina hosts Tennessee in a massive game with tons on the line, as well. We’re heading to Austin, though, for what could be one of the most exciting games of the year.
The defenses for these teams aren’t weak by any means. There’s talent everywhere for both teams on that side of the ball. The offense, however, will steal the spotlight.
Trinidad Chambliss and Arch Manning will face off in what could be a swing vote game for some Heisman voters before we head into November. In a week full of great games, the very best one will be in Austin, Texas.
Week 9: Florida-Georgia
It isn’t in Jacksonville, but few things will ever beat the tailgates at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
This year, the rivalry will temporarily leave its traditional home while the stadium undergoes construction. The 2026 matchup will move 79 miles from Georgia’s campus to Atlanta, where the game will also be played next season.
There are a lot of great rivalries in the SEC. This isn’t on par with the Egg Bowl or Iron Bowl, but the pure hatred that these two fanbases have for each other is on par with any in the country.
This will be Jon Sumrall’s first experience with the rivalry, and he’ll have to do it in basically the backyard of the overwhelming favorite. Georgia has gone 7-2 in this rivalry under Kirby Smart, and they should once again be at least a touchdown favorite over the Gators.
Most of the matchups we’ve talked about seeing this year feature teams with a ton of similarities. That’s not the case on Halloween weekend in Atlanta.
Florida will be breaking in a new head coach, and Georgia has the most tenured head coach in the SEC. The Gators will be breaking in a new starting quarterback, as well. Georgia has a second year starter in year four of the program manning their offense.
Few coaches hate other teams in this league as much as Kirby Smart hates Florida. This should be another great edition in one of the staple annual games in the SEC.
