Week 5 Record: (7-1)
Overall: (40-12)
Tennessee and Georgia provided all the drama Saturday with two lead changes in the final ten seconds. The Volunteers Hail Mary keeps them undefeated entering the toughest part of their schedule, which includes matchups against top-10 ranked teams in Texas A&M and Alabama. Either of those matchups could be a preview of the SEC Championship Game in December.
Teams with a bye week: Missouri, Ole Miss.
Postponed Matchup: LSU at Florida.
Auburn at Mississippi State (12 p.m., SEC Network)
Auburn hasn’t played on the road yet this season and will get their first test at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. How the Tigers handle the rowdy crowd and its cowbells will likely determine their success on offense.
Running back Kerryon Johnson is the heart of Auburn’s offense that will look to keep up a fast tempo and wear out the Mississippi State defense. Quarterback Sean White has played his role well on an offense that uses the run game to set up the pass. White will need to continue to be efficient for the offense to maintain its success.
The Tigers' defense has been much better than expected, only giving up 16.4 points per game, placing them fourth in the SEC West and 15th in the FBS. Defensive lineman Carl Lawson must continue to lead the pass rush and put pressure on Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
Establishing a running game has been a problem for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs hope their previous bye week has given them enough time to resolve those issues, if not they will struggle against Lawson and Auburn’s defense.
The Pick: Auburn 24, Mississippi State 18
Auburn’s relentless running attack will eventually be too much for the Mississippi State defense in the second half. The Bulldogs lack of a running game will doom them against the Tigers' improved defense.
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas A&M (3:30 p.m., CBS)
In the game of the week in the SEC, Tennessee and Texas A&M are both looking to avoid their first loss of the season.
The Volunteers' Hail Mary prayer was answered against Georgia and has them sitting comfortably atop the SEC East. Joshua Dobbs has thrown the ball with more conviction the last two weeks, and the results have shown it.
The Vols defense will need to prevent lapses like the one they suffered to Georgia, when the Bulldogs connected on a deep touchdown pass with just ten seconds left a week ago. The Aggies will attack the Tennessee secondary and target Christian Kirk and Josh Reynolds frequently.
Trayveon Williams was slowed by South Carolina but is still in the top five in rushing in the SEC. Williams and Knight will need to have big days on the ground to beat Tennessee.
Myles Garrett is slated to return to action, which is a huge boost for the Aggies defense. Garrett’s presence on the defensive line will help the A&M pass rush by creating opportunities for other guys to make an impact in one-on-one matchups.
The Pick: Texas A&M 38, Tennessee 28
The run of destiny will finally come to an end for the Volunteers. The 12th Man will be loud behind the Aggies and Garrett will disrupt the Tennessee offense.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky (4 p.m., SEC Network)
It’s really the same thing with Vanderbilt every week: They have no offense outside of Ralph Webb. Quarterback Kyle Shurmur has been both inefficient and ineffective.
The Commodores failed to find the end zone against Florida and rank last in the SEC with just 154.6 passing yards per game. The coaching staff has to find a way to increase the passing offense even slightly. Webb has been a solid force in the backfield and could be even better if opposing defenses weren’t able to load the box every week to limit his production.
Vandy’s defense has been able to keep them in most games and revolves around star linebacker Zach Cunningham, who leads the SEC with 52 tackles.
Cunningham will be crucial in stopping Kentucky running back Stanley “Boom” Williams, who will look to get going again after a slow week against Alabama. Stephen Johnson will continue to play quarterback for the Wildcats in Drew Barker’s absence and needs to be more efficient and avoid throwing interceptions.
The defense has struggled all season and will face a tough challenge against Webb. Limiting his success on the ground will determine the outcome for the Wildcats.
The Pick: Kentucky 20, Vanderbilt 14
In another offensive struggle, Williams and the Wildcats will overcome the one-dimensional Commodores. Webb will likely have another good day but it won’t be enough to carry Vandy to a win.
No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 Arkansas (7 p.m., ESPN)
Alabama has been in a class by themselves this season but can’t sleep on Arkansas, which has the talent to pull off an upset.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has played exactly as the Tide needed him to this season. The expected return of wide receiver ArDarius Stewart gives Hurts another weapon alongside of Calvin Ridley. Running backs Bo Scarbrough and Joshua Jacobs anchor the Alabama backfield and along with Hurts will be tough for Arkansas to stop.
If the Crimson Tide defense is going to shut down the Hogs, they will need to stop running back Rawleigh Williams III from breaking loose. The Tide will also look to keep their scoring streak going, having scored a non-offensive touchdown in every game this season.
For Arkansas to end this streak, they will need good play from their special teams and quarterback Austin Allen to protect the football. So far this season, Allen has done a good job of that. To contend for the win, both Williams III and Allen must have big games.
The Arkansas defense will need to focus on winning the battle at the line of scrimmage and preventing Hurts from picking up yards on the ground.
The Pick: Alabama 31, Arkansas 17
Alabama is the most well rounded team in the SEC, and their defense should hold the Razorbacks in check. The dual-threat Hurts provides will burn Arkansas.
Georgia at South Carolina (2:30 p.m. Sunday, SEC Network)
After a week of uncertainty surrounding the status of this game, the two teams settled on moving the game to Sunday in compliance with the SEC and the city of Columbia.
Georgia must find a way to recover from a heartbreaking loss to Tennessee against rival South Carolina. Jacob Eason played well against the Vols and will look to find holes in the Gamecock secondary. Nick Chubb’s will return for the game and provide a huge boost for the Bulldogs offense.
The defense has certainly been reminded of the final play against Tennessee several times this week. The humiliation from that play may be the inspiration they need to put a full game together. The group appears to have made several improvements since being gashed by Chad Kelly and Ole Miss. The sputtering South Carolina offense provides the Bulldogs with an opportunity to produce their best performance of the season.
For South Carolina the quarterback situation is once again an unknown. Perry Orth replaced true-freshman Brandon McIlwain in the fourth quarter against Texas A&M, and both will likely see time on the field this week. Running back Rico Dowdle turned a few heads in a solid performance in his debut against the Aggies, and should see his share of carries.
The South Carolina defense has played much better recently and will focus on putting pressure on Eason. Darius English leads the Gamecocks pass rush with five sacks, placing him in a tie for second in the SEC in that category.
The Pick: Georgia 28, South Carolina 17
Eason is improving on a weekly basis and will make a living on short passes and screens against South Carolina. Nick Chubb’s return would make the Bulldogs offense even more difficult for the Gamecocks to stop.