Alabama and LSU need to prepare for one another, so each team received a bye this week. But in all seriousness, the Crimson Tide and Tigers is still a week away, and Arkansas and Vanderbilt also have byes. Here are this week’s 10 burning questions:

  1. Does Ole Miss have a chance to beat Auburn? At the beginning of the season, this would have been a preposterous question. Ole Miss would have been the favorite at that point, but a lot has changed since that time. Ole Miss is limping into the game with injuries and a two-game losing streak, while Auburn has won four straight. The last time Ole Miss lost three straight? In 2013, with three straight SEC losses, two on the road and one at home.
  2. Will Kerryon Johnson’s status have any bearing on the outcome? Johnson sat out the Arkansas game, partly because Auburn thoroughly dominated the Razorbacks and partly due to an ankle injury suffered three weeks ago against Mississippi State. Having Johnson back would give Auburn more of a balanced running attack, although Kamryn Pettway did fine on his own last week against Arkansas.
  3. Which former Nick Saban protégé wins a big rivalry game? The Georgia-Florida rivalry has a new wrinkle: two former Alabama coordinators are the head coaches at each school.

Florida head coach Jim McElwain helped Florida win the SEC East in his first season as an SEC head coach last year. Florida has the most difficult schedule of the East teams down the stretch (except for Vandy, according to ESPN’s FPI, but that can be debated) but UF still controls its own destiny with just one SEC loss at the moment.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile, Kirby Smart has Georgia in the midst of an up-and-down year. The team had Tennessee on the ropes before a Hail Mary left ringing in the team’s ears, but the team lost just two weeks ago to lowly Vanderbilt. However, a big upset in this game might go a long way toward salvaging the season.

  1. What will Georgia’s offensive game plan look like? Florida has one of the better defensive units in the SEC, so Georgia will need a strong outing to have any chance to win the game. Running the ball on the edges as the team tried against Vanderbilt isn’t going to work. Running the ball between the tackles mixed with intermediate throws by quarterback Jacob Eason might be the best plan. However, implementing that plan is easier said than done.
  2. Will South Carolina-Tennessee be as close as recent contests? Last season, Tennessee won by a field goal, and the exact same scoring margin occurred two years ago when the Gamecocks hosted the Vols. South Carolina has the defense to make it close, and freshman quarterback Jake Bentley appears to be the best quarterback on the roster after throwing two touchdowns in his debut last week against UMass.
  3. How badly will Tennessee miss Alvin Kamara? Kamara has been ruled out of the South Carolina game, although Tennessee head coach Butch Jones did not reveal much other than Kamara will not need surgery. The team should be able to get by with Jalen Hurd, although Kamara’s absence might make things a little more interesting.
  4. Can Kentucky get into position to hang with the East elites? The Wildcats already lost a road game to Florida, but a road win against Missouri puts the team in the conversation with Georgia and Tennessee. Also, a win at Missouri would all but assure Kentucky of qualifying for a bowl game.
  5. Since the start of the 2014 season, Kentucky has a 1-10 road record under head coach Mark Stoops. Can the Wildcats improve that mark this week in Columbia? The Wildcats are 0-2 on the road this season and 0-2 against Missouri since the school joined the SEC.
  6. Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has guided the school to six straight bowl games, but that mark is in jeopardy this season with upset losses to South Alabama and Kentucky. This week against FCS opponent Samford, the Bulldogs should pick up a win, although the question is: How does the team use this game to prepare for the rough stretch of the season (Texas A&M, at Alabama, Arkansas and at Ole Miss)?
  7. With A&M this week, it’s not a question of “if” but a question of “by how much.” A game against New Mexico State is a likely win. Again, one wonders how the Aggies will use this game to prepare for tilts later in the season.