Ad Disclosure
It’s “Must-See TV” on Saturday night when LSU and Alabama face off in Tuscaloosa.
Perhaps it’s fitting that the SEC’s two winningest programs over the last decade meet with the SEC West crown, and a possible berth in the College Football Playoff, in the balance. We should know a lot more about the postseason following this game and several others to be played on Saturday.
In the meantime, here are 10 burning questions as Week 10 in the SEC approaches.
1. How will stud LSU tailback Leonard Fournette fare against that fearsome Alabama front seven? Immovable object meets irresistible force when these teams meet this weekend. Fournette, who leads the nation in rushing at just better than 193 yards per game, goes up against the stiffest defense he’s seen yet. Alabama has surrendered just 16 individual 100-yard rushing games since 2005 to lead the nation. The Crimson Tide has yielded just 4 rushing touchdowns all season. Fournette has not been held under 150 yards since last season.
2. Who will Georgia coach Mark Richt start at quarterback against Kentucky this week now that his bold move to go to seldom-used Faton Bauta blew up in his face against Florida last weekend? Greyson Lambert is certainly flawed, but he’s the best the Dawgs have right now and gives them the best chance to win.
3. Has all the talk about his future in Athens been a distraction for Richt this week, and could it prove problematic against the Wildcats? Not likely as football coaches are notoriously singular in focus, all the more so when negativity has begun to surround their program. Football is an actual sanctuary of sorts from the realities around it. Georgia will easily beat Kentucky to somewhat quiet Richt’s many critics.
4. How good should Ole Miss feel about its record (7-2 overall, 4-1 SEC) going into Saturday’s date with visiting Arkansas? The Rebels are in a great spot as they still control their own destiny in the SEC West. They’re the only team to have beaten No. 7 Alabama and will host LSU on Nov. 21. Those two teams play this weekend.
5. Is Kyler Murray the answer at quarterback at Texas A&M? Murray, a five-star recruit, was brilliant in running for 156 yards a touchdown and throwing for 223 more and another score in his first start to lead the Aggies to a 35-28 win over South Carolina last weekend. The Gamecocks are hardly a defensive Mt. Everest, but it was an impressive effort by Murray and will likely keep him in the starting lineup.
6. Will the news that Maty Mauk has been suspended for the rest of the year take some of the pressure off freshman Missouri quarterback Drew Lock? Probably because he no longer has to contend with losing the starting job. Lock has struggled in his previous three starts but no longer has the shadow of Mauk looking over his shoulder. The Tigers have really struggled offensively under Lock. Anything has got to help.
7. Can things get any worse offensively for Vanderbilt? It’s hard to imagine after the Commodores managed just 185 yards of total offense in last weekend’s 34-0 drubbing at Houston. Quarterbacks Kyle Shurmur and Johnny McCrary were a combined 5 of 20 for 44 yards and 3 interceptions. Ouch.
8. How concerned should Florida fans be after watching quarterback Treon Harris struggle with his accuracy in the win over Georgia last weekend? Harris completed just 8 of his 19 pass attempts for 155 yards and a touchdown in the 27-3 win over the Bulldogs. It was hardly pretty as he missed on 9 consecutive throws at one point, but he didn’t throw any interceptions and came up with timely big plays. Harris, who has yet to throw a pick this entire season, will have to play better down the stretch, but coach Jim McElwain continues to have faith in him and the 11th-ranked Gators keep winning.
9. Will Auburn win another SEC game? It’s definitely possible. The Tigers enter as underdogs at Texas A&M this weekend, but their physicality could give the Aggies problems up front on both sides of the ball. Slowing down Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray will be the key to what figures to be a close game. Auburn looks to be overmatched when it concludes the regular season with the annual “Iron Bowl” matchup against in-state rival Alabama on Nov. 28, but the Tigers will match up favorably at home on Nov. 14 against a struggling Georgia team that is sorely lacking on offense, especially in the passing game.
10. What’s the status of Tigers tailback Peyton Barber? The sophomore is expected to play this week, but it remains unclear if he’s fully healthy just yet. Barber managed just 8 carries for a season-low 17 yards in last week’s loss to Ole Miss before an undisclosed leg injury limited him to the sidelines. Seven of his eight carries came in the first half. Jovon Robinson filled in for Barber, totaling a career-high 91 yards on 18 carries.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
