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Two of the six SEC games on the slate for this week will involve ranked teams, including one top 10 matchup between No. 9 Tennessee and No. 8 Texas A&M in College Station. The other will feature the top-ranked team in the country, Alabama, traveling to Fayetteville to face Arkansas.
Let’s take a look at 10 interesting tidbits about Week 6 of the SEC schedule:
- For the first time this season, there won’t be any non-conference games played in the SEC. Instead, six conference games are on the slate, which is the most for one week thus far.
- Altogether, the SEC went 27-7 vs. non-conference competition through the first five weeks of the season. Six of those seven losses came in Week 1.
- This week will feature two conference games between ranked SEC teams (No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 Arkansas). Last week there was just one, and there were five previously this season.
- Tennessee will face off against Texas A&M for the first time since Jan. 1, 2005, where they beat the Aggies 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl. Prior to that, the two teams had met just once in 1957 — a 3-0 victory for the Vols.
- LSU has won five out of the last six meetings vs. Florida, but interim coach Ed Orgeron is 5-14 all-time on the road (and two of those wins came against Memphis). Additionally, the Tigers are 4-7 against ranked opponents away from home since 2012.
- Auburn boasts a 61-25-2 all-time record against Mississippi State but has lost three of its last four, including the last two matchups at Davis Wade Stadium. The Tigers have averaged just 13.3 points per game in their last four trips to Starkville.
- Kentucky will host Vanderbilt on Saturday in what is a must-win game for both head coaches, as both Mark Stoops and Derek Mason are on the hot seat after poor starts to the 2016 season. This series has been an even split over the last decade with the Commodores winning last year’s contest, 21-17, thanks in part to a pair of goal-line stands. The Commodores have won four of the last five.
- Since Bret Bielema took over Arkansas in 2013, the Razorbacks rank No. 7 in the SEC with a 14-6 record at home but are just 1-4 when playing as the home underdog. Alabama has won nine straight against the Hogs by an average of 23.6 points per game.
- Georgia and South Carolina have combined for 446 points over their last seven meetings, which is probably more than you thought.
- Vegas is expecting a lot of close games in the SEC this week. Texas A&M (-7), Kentucky (-3), Auburn (-2.5) and LSU (-1) are all one-score favorites, while Alabama (-14) and Texas A&M (-7.5) are getting a little more love.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
