It’s the biggest week of the year. That isn’t meant with any embellishment or sarcasm, either. This is an apocalyptic-level Saturday in college football and for the SEC. For the first time all year, every team in the conference is playing a conference game. And, for the second time this season (and in college football history), the conference will feature four top-25 matchups.
Here’s one thing we want to see in every SEC game this weekend.
Alabama (at LSU): A reason for the No. 5 ranking
It was a shock to everyone that Alabama was ranked No. 5 in the CFP rankings that came out Tuesday. They have not looked anything close to a top-five team in their last three games. They did, however, appear to be just that in their first five to six weeks of the season, and that sentiment was echoed by Hunter Yurachek and the committee on Tuesday.
Okay. Then go prove everyone wrong. A win over LSU would certainly be a fantastic start.
Arkansas (at Auburn): A reason for John Nabors to smile
I have nothing but negative things to say about Arkansas. I do, however, love my good buddy John Nabors, and this man deserves to smile once more before basketball season. If Arkansas can’t win this weekend, I’m not sure that’ll happen.
Auburn: A reason not to fire DJ Durkin into the sun
What happened to this defense? Coming into the season, everyone assumed that retaining Durkin would be a great move, especially when combining him with Alex Golesh’s offense. It has been a disaster for the most part. Auburn ranks dead last in yards allowed this season with 408.1 per game, and the Tigers rank 12th in scoring defense, giving up 26.8 points per game.
Florida (vs. Oklahoma): A reason to believe they can go 9-3
The schedule is really favorable for Florida to close out this season. The Gators get Oklahoma at home and then Vanderbilt and Florida State in their final two games of the regular season. In between, they have to visit Kentucky. But 9-3 is not off the table, and that starts this weekend.
Georgia (at Ole Miss): Revenge for January
Don’t give Kirby Smart a chip on his shoulder. If you do, I will take that bet every single time I can get it. Georgia hasn’t forgotten about what happened in the Sugar Bowl, and you better believe that loss will be on their minds Saturday.
Kentucky (at Tennessee): Proving everyone wrong for the millionth time
The Cats are No. 6 in the CFP rankings. They’re tied for first in the SEC standings. And they are once again a huge underdog on the road against a lower-ranked team. This is nothing new for this year’s Kentucky team, and something tells me that silencing the doubters in Neyland would be even more enjoyable than when they did it in College Station or Columbia.
LSU (vs. Alabama): A win over Alabama without a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback
LSU has beaten Alabama two times in its last 14 games. Both of those have been with a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. As of right now, there doesn’t appear to be one of those on the roster for the Tigers. The good news for LSU? I’m not sure they actually need one this year to beat this year’s Alabama team, and the one they do have is playing at a pretty close level to that regardless.
Mississippi State (vs. Vanderbilt): An offense not solely dependent on Kamario
Jeff Lebby is an offensive guru. Or so we have been led to believe. The offense shouldn’t look anywhere near as good without Kamario Taylor as it does with him, but there’s no excuse for this level of drop-off. The Bulldogs are favored at home. Go beat lowly Vanderbilt and get yourself to bowl eligibility in two weeks against Tennessee Tech.
Missouri (vs. Texas): Ruin Texas’ season now
Eli Drinkwitz only has one win over a ranked opponent in his last 11 games dating back to 2024. If he can pick up his second ranked win in that stretch on Saturday, it would shake up the entire college football world. It would also make next week’s game against Georgia a prime-time matchup in Athens.
Oklahoma (at Florida): The defense gets its mojo back
Listen, the offense is clearly a much bigger issue for the Sooners and has been all year. But if we are being honest, I have already given up on that side of the ball. Maybe they look a little more cohesive after firing their offensive coordinator, but I doubt it. They need the defense to look like it did prior to their loss against South Carolina, because that was downright embarrassing.
Ole Miss (vs. Georgia): Sugar Bowl Trinidad
The Trinidad Chambliss national coming-out party happened in front of a national television audience during last year’s Sugar Bowl. Georgia already knew just how good he was after facing the Rebels earlier in the season. But some of the plays he was able to make last year in New Orleans were nothing short of spectacular. The best home team in the SEC is a 3.5-point underdog this Saturday.
South Carolina (vs. Texas A&M): Cocktober turns into Crowvember
Feels like 2024 all over again. South Carolina dug itself into a hole to start the season and is once again one of the hottest teams, with one of the hottest quarterbacks in the country coming down the stretch. The Gamecocks have one of the most manageable schedules in the SEC to close out the year. That starts with a must-win at home against a team that gave them the most heartbreaking loss in quite some time a season ago.
Tennessee (vs. Kentucky): No turnovers
Kentucky is +13 in turnovers this season. That leads the SEC and is No. 4 in all of FBS. Tennessee doesn’t rank far behind, and its 11 turnovers are the fourth fewest in the SEC. However, eight of those 11 have come in the last four games, including a very costly one in the loss to South Carolina. If the Vols can protect the football, they should win. Just protect the football.
Texas (at Missouri): The offense to carry its weight
The defense has done its job. The defense has more than done its job.
The offense needs to get its (blank) together. That won’t be easy against Missouri. Not because Missouri has an elite defense, either, but simply because this game is being played on the road. Over the last three years, Texas has averaged 38.1 points per game at home. That number falls off a cliff to 20.5 when it’s away from home.
Texas A&M (at South Carolina): Improvement off the bye
That’s not asking for much at this point. It would be foolish to ask for more because the bar is on the floor for the Aggies right now. This is a game that Texas A&M stole last year from South Carolina, and for the first time in over a month, the Gamecocks are the ones having to play with expectations. Texas A&M should be able to come out and cut it loose.
Vanderbilt (at Mississippi State): Winning a winnable game
This is a winnable game for Vanderbilt. State is down to its third-string running back, and the Bulldogs have looked like a shell of themselves since losing Kamario Taylor. This is why you paid $2 million for a player like Jared Curtis. That talent needs to go win this type of game.
