It’s finally here. Eight SEC-on-SEC games make up the Week 8 SEC schedule.
And if you’re trying to decide which games you can’t miss, we’re here to help.
These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.
(And since it’s an all-SEC slate, there are no 1-star games.)
5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The games worth cancelling your plans, shutting off your phone, and to quote the legend, Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready for:
No. 10 LSU vs. No. 17 Vanderbilt (Noon ET, ABC)
What kind of a world are we living in when Vanderbilt is must-see TV? The kind where this battle is between 2 fringe CFP-level teams and one of them is about to get a bump up. Pavia and Vandy are home favorites, thus raising the question of when did we expect to see Vandy favored against a top-10 team? Given how inconsistent the LSU offense has been, the time is now. Just 2 top-20 5-1 SEC foes duking it out.
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
The marquee game of the week, although there are a couple of factors that tilt Georgia‘s direction. This is the first road start for Trinidad Chambliss in Division I football. The Ole Miss Rebels have snuck out 4 1-score wins in their 6-0 start, while Georgia has to play better early than it did in an ugly 20-10 slugfest with Auburn. These 2 teams are both prime CFP contenders and figure to have a say in the SEC title picture as well.
No. 11 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Saw what you will about ABC, they found the 6 top-17 SEC teams facing each other and decided to broadcast all 3 games. Tennessee has had recent success in the series, but not in Tuscaloosa. Both of these teams have had 2 1-score wins within their last 3 games. Tennessee’s defense is a bit of a question, but then, so is Alabama‘s pass protection. This one could be epic, although it does lose points for a -8.5 line for the Tide.
4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.
No. 10 Missouri vs. Auburn (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
The 5-1 Mizzou Tigers never quite put it all together and lost by 3 to Alabama. They’re now a 1.5-point underdog to an abysmally unlucky 3-3 Auburn team. Auburn has had more than its fair share of officiating issues, but is clearly better than the record indicates. This is Mizzou’s chance to get back in the thick of the SEC CFP hunt and Auburn’s chance to protect Hugh Freeze‘s job a bit.
No. 14 Oklahoma vs. South Carolina (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
This game somewhat mirrors Missouri/Auburn. The Sooners are coming off a tough loss that broke their perfect season, while South Carolina is 3-3 and stuck with one of the most brutal schedules in college football. OU and John Mateer need a positive statement to avoid falling off the edge of the CFP picture entirely and Carolina’s shot at a winning season would be greatly helped by a win here.
3 stars ⭐⭐⭐
A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.
No. 4 Texas A&M at Arkansas (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
While Bobby Petrino taking over did give Arkansas a bit of momentum, it wasn’t enough to get past Tennessee and it’s likely not enough to outlast a still-underrated No. 4 Texas A&M squad. Arkansas has given up 32 or more points in every game of its four game losing streak. Granted, the Hogs have scored 31 or more points 3 times in that run. But the Aggies are probably good enough to out-fire them in a shootout.
Mississippi State vs. Florida (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
This is the only SEC game not featuring a ranked team, but it’s still got some intrigue. A 4-2 Mississippi State squad would greatly improve its chances at bowl eligibility with a win in Gainesville. Many are indicating that Billy Napier‘s fate is probably sealed regardless of 2-4 Florida‘s performance, but until the ink is dry on the press release saying otherwise, he’s still looking for a win to help ease tension around his job.
2 stars ⭐⭐
Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups.
No. 21 Texas at Kentucky (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This is the lone game of the weekend with a double-figure point spread, but even an awful 2-3 Kentucky team is within 2 scores of 4-2 Texas. As much as the Longhorns have underachieved, this isn’t a sure thing. But as bad as Kentucky has been offensively, it’s still pretty close to a sure thing.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
