There’s a lot of debate this week about when it is acceptable to have Christmas decorations up and when it is OK to start listening to Christmas music.

I don’t have any decorations up, and I haven’t started listening to holiday music yet, but it is my favorite holiday, so I’m excited for the season.

I honestly haven’t given this topic much thought, so I’m going to need y’all to weigh in for me. When is it OK to decorate and start listening to Christmas music? Is now OK? Do I have to wait until after Thanksgiving? Or all the way to Dec. 1? I genuinely want to know!

Anyway, here are your questions for this week’s Mailbag:

@RickDanese:

Who is under more pressure to win this week’s game, Kirby Smart or Dan Mullen?

This is a tough question. The real answer is that they’re both under tremendous pressure to win. Mullen needs to snap Florida’s 3-year losing streak to the Bulldogs and get the Gators back to Atlanta for the SEC title game.

But, Smart needs to win because if he doesn’t, people are going to start becoming even angrier about the way he’s handled the quarterback situation at Georgia. Justin Fields is playing like a Heisman Trophy candidate right now. The Bulldogs are starting a QB in Stetson Bennett IV who has thrown 5 interceptions in his past 2 games.

I’m not in the business of dodging questions though, so I’ll say Smart is under more pressure. The Bulldogs have a championship-level defense. They have national title aspirations. A loss to the Gators would crush those hopes.

Either way, though, both coaches are feeling the heat in this game. We’ll see if that has an impact on how they coach this weekend.

@WillyV3:

What should we really take from the Auburn/LSU/SouthCarolina game triangle? My mind just can’t explain how USC beat Auburn, then got demolished by LSU, and how AU got crushed by USC, then demolished LSU?

It’s tough to rationalize, for sure, but I’d like to point out that the home team won all 3 of those games. No, fans aren’t having as much of an impact in limited-capacity stadiums this season, but travel is certainly more stressful in 2020.

Also, Auburn QB Bo Nix is 2 different players. You can’t convince me that the guy we saw struggle at South Carolina is the same guy who dominated LSU at home. Nix hasn’t thrown a pick at home and he’s thrown 10 on the road. That’s insane. It’s that Jordan-Hare magic.

I just think this year is going to continue to be crazy. Heck, Mississippi State beat LSU in Week 1 and hasn’t scored that many points in the 4 games since.

Expect the unexpected and don’t try to make too much sense of crazy results like this Auburn/LSU/South Carolina triangle you mentioned. None of it will have satisfying answers.

@MattyMok:

Which SEC teams benefit the most from the extra year of eligibility? Teams like Texas A&M, Auburn and Ole Miss come to mind. Good college players that are fringe NFL guys or have the ability to improve their draft stock.

A&M is an interesting one there, because QB Kellen Mond faces a huge decision. This QB draft class is loaded with Trevor Lawrence, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Kyle Trask, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and others, assuming they all declare.

Next year’s class probably won’t be as loaded, but you never know which guys are going to come from nowhere. No one really expected the last 3 No. 1 overall picks — Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow — to rise all the way to the top pick.

Mond isn’t getting much draft buzz now, but there’s still a lot of football left. If the Aggies finish the year as a fringe Playoff contender, then Mond might make the jump. Right now, I’d say Ole Miss benefits the most. Matt Corral probably won’t leave and Elijah Moore will have a tough decision to make, but that offense should have plenty of returning talent.

Of teams you didn’t mention, though, how about Arkansas? If I’m not mistaken, Feleipe Franks can stay. I haven’t heard much buzz from NFL Draft scouts about him. He could be a guy who comes back and makes a name for himself as a 2022 prospect. Sam Pittman would definitely love that.

@BoysTennisCoach:

As a Mississippi State fan, should I be happier if State beats Vandy 3-0 in overtime or if they lose 48-47?

I know the goal of football is to win, no matter what. That said, honestly, if I were a Mississippi State fan, I’d be more encouraged by a 48-47 loss. No, Vanderbilt’s defense isn’t great, and yes, it would be an awful sign for the Bulldogs’ defense to give up 48 points to a struggling Commodore offense.

But, this year is already sort of shot. That’s the story with Mike Leach. He comes in and craters a program, then rebuilds it the way he wants it. The results will be there … eventually. No, State won’t compete for SEC West titles as long as Nick Saban is at Alabama, but Leach will have this program back to being competitive by 2022.

So, this weekend, if I were rooting for the Bulldogs, I’d want to see an offense that shows it can hang with Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. That’s the Super Bowl for Mississippi State this year (as it is for both teams most years). Beat the Rebels, and you can consider this season a mild success.

But, to be able to do that, they’re going to need to be able to put points on the board. We’ll see if they show that capability on Saturday.

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.