What To Expect From College Football Week 6: SEC

SEC
Georgia has their toughest defensive test of the season coming up this weekend when they take on Vanderbilt. Not one team has managed to stay within less than 14 points against the Bulldogs this season, and as of now, if there is one team in the nation that has displayed that they may have what it takes to beat Alabama, Georgia may be it. Vanderbilt is sliding now but still is sitting at 3-2. They need to gather up some wins still to go bowling, but that is a tall task to ask this weekend. All we can ask is that they keep it close.

Kentucky is going to be tested once again this weekend when they travel to take on Texas A&M. The Wildcats are at their highest ranking in forever at #13, and they have proven themselves in wins over Mississippi State and Florida. If the Cats can beat the Aggies on the road, you can take it to the bank that they are for real right now. The Aggies are out of the West race (as if they were ever really in it) with  a loss this week, so this is seriously a desperate time in College Station against a team that has shockingly played bone crushing defense. Look for the match between Kentucky RB Benny Snell and an Aggie defense that allows just 82 yards per game rushing.

Florida has a huge clash against LSU this week, as both teams are looking to hang in in their respective divisions and stay alive. A loss for the Gators would be a catastrophe, as they already had a loss to Kentucky, and still have Georgia coming up. For the undefeated Tigers, they can still weather a loss this week, but that would put them in must win shoes when they take on Alabama down the road, and that may not be a tenable position for them. Neither side looks like a realistic conference champ when you consider the road still ahead for both, but losing this game essentially eliminates the Gators.

South Carolina has one loss in conference and division play (Kentucky), while Missouri already has Georgia out of the way with a loss there. South Carolina also has a loss to Georgia as well, and they may already functionally be out of the conference race, and should be playing with less to lose this week. Missouri cannot play uptight this week, as that is where crucial mistakes are made, and the Gamecocks are more mistake ridden. If Missouri can win here, they can still hang around and make things interesting, but a loss takes them out of the race entirely.

Alabama has been on a trail of decimation all season long, and nobody has been able to run with the Tide. Arkansas is the next victim, and one should not expect much to change this week. Arkansas is horrible, and Alabama will crush them and move on to the next victim, which would be Missouri next week.

Auburn and Mississippi State match up this weekend in a game of two offensively struggling football teams. The Tigers are still finding ways to score, while the Bulldogs are not. MSU failed to score even 10 points in each loss to Florida and Kentucky over the last two weeks, and are now an also ran in the SEC West. Auburn needs a win badly here to stay in the race, and basically finds themselves in a win out or go home scenario in early October if they hope to steal the West in November.

Ole Miss is playing out of conference this weekend against UL-Monroe. This should be a fairly easy week for the Rebels, but we all know that ULM has a history of beating teams that do not take them seriously. Ole Miss did give up 41 points to Southern Illinois, if you will remember.

Coaches Who Need a Win This Week: Chad Morris, Arkansas; Gus Malzahn, Auburn; Derek Mason, Vanderbilt; Barry Odom, Missouri