There are plenty of games going on around the Southeastern Conference this week. No. 5 Auburn beat No. 20 Kansas State 20-14 on Thursday. Here’s a look at the rest of the games.
**Bye Week:**
_No. 10 Ole Miss (3-0)_
The Rebels proved again why they are the dark-horse favorites for the SEC West crown, after capping off a 56-15 blowout win over Louisiana–Lafayette. Bo Wallace asserted himself as one of the conference’s best signal callers with a 316-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Ragin’ Cajuns. Ole Miss takes a break from its non-conference slate this week before welcoming Memphis to town next week.
_Kentucky (2-1)_
The game was close and left some fans disappointed, but Kentucky made an authoritative statement by pushing the Florida Gators to the brink at the Swamp. With a few more late breaks in crunch time, the Wildcats would be the talk of the college football world. But Mark Stoops’ squad flexed its muscles in front of the country and put the conference on notice: Kentucky is no longer a doormat. The Wildcats have an extra week to prepare for a date with Vanderbilt, with the possibility of ending the nation’s longest conference losing streak.
_Tennessee (2-1)_
Tennessee surprised people with near-flawless performances in its first two games of the season. But when the Volunteers left Norman, Oklahoma, bruised and battered, the grim reality of their current state showed. The Vols aren’t hapless, but there are obvious holes all along the offensive and defensive line, and senior quarterback Justin Worley didn’t stand a chance against a swarming Sooner defense. Butch Jones and company have a week to get right before back-to-back games against Georgia and Florida.
**Gambler’s Special:**
_Northern Illinois (3-0) vs. Arkansas (2-1)_
Arkansas is coming off of a huge statement win on the road against Big 12 power Texas Tech, and Northern Illinois is still undefeated. So why isn’t this game getting more hype? It’s likely because the result of this matchup probably won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. The Razorbacks could botch this one with a hungry Texas A&M team looming on the horizon, but in the end it won’t affect the conference title race. Arkansas is steadily improving, but any team that wants to compete in the SEC has to be able to surpass six completions in a game. Sorry, Hogs.
**Cupcake Central:**
_No. 6 Texas A&M (3-0) vs. SMU (0-2)_
Another nightmare week for Las Vegas bookmakers is on the way, as Texas A&M takes its weekly cupcake competition up a notch against SMU. This would be an ugly one to begin with, but after SMU’s June Jones announced his resignation earlier this week, the Mustangs are in for a real beating. There’s no telling how many points the Aggies will rack up this week; the only certainty is that it will be a blowout.
_Troy (0-3) vs. No. 13 Georgia (1-1)_
Coming off of a heartbreaking loss to a hated rival, Georgia fans can’t have a lot to be happy about this week. However, fortunately for the Bulldogs, this week brings with it the first easy game of the season against the visiting Troy Trojans. It might take a half for Mark Richt to get his players motivated for this contest, but the Trojans are still sitting 0-3 and own the reputation as one of the worst teams in college football. This is as close to a guaranteed win as you can get in the SEC.
_No. 14 South Carolina (2-1) vs. Vanderbilt (1-2)_
The Commodores finally managed to eke out a win with a come-from-behind victory against UMass. But storm clouds are on the horizon once again as the ‘Dores welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks to Nashville. The Gamecocks are fresh off a nail-biting victory over rival Georgia that keeps them in the SEC East race. These are two teams trending in totally opposite directions, and the box score will prove it on Saturday.
**Upset Alert:**
_Florida (2-0) vs. No. 3 Alabama (3-0)_
This might surprise a few people after Florida’s near faceplant against the upset-minded Kentucky Wildcats last week, but don’t discount the Gators. Alabama is the third-ranked team in the country for a reason, but the Crimson Tide hasn’t looked too impressive three weeks into the season. Sure, the Tide blew out Southern Miss a week prior, but the Golden Eagles were only trailing by 15 at the half. The Gators are due for a rebound performance, and if everything falls into place, Florida could march out of Bryant-Denny Stadium with the victory.
**Game of the Week:**
_Mississippi State (3-0) vs. No. 8 LSU (3-0)_
Some might see this as a controversial pick for Game of the Week, but no other game will affect the SEC title race more. Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott is creating a convincing case as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, and Saturday will be his opportunity to shine on a national stage. Prescott and his Bulldogs are challenged with stealing a win at night in Death Valley, but a vaunted Tigers defense and a raucous home field advantage stand in their way. LSU has looked like a legit title contender since the season’s beginning.
The loser of this game is likely out of the running to represent the division in the conference title game, so this matchup means everything for both squads. By the night’s end, though, Les Miles and the Bayou Bengals will stand victorious after a slugfest and some late-game heroics.
