Through nine weeks of the 2015 season, 35 conference games are in the books.
And while we may have figured out which direction the SEC East is headed during the final month of the season, the SEC West still has plenty of games left to be played before a winner can be declared.
Fortunately for SEC fans, one of the biggest of those SEC West matchups takes place in Week 10, with LSU taking on Alabama in Tuscaloosa Saturday night in one of the nation’s top games.
There are seven conference games this week, with all 14 of the league’s teams in action. No bye weeks and no nonconference games, just straight SEC action.
Here are some things we can learn about the SEC championship picture from Saturday’s six games:
**Note: Since the Mississippi State at Missouri game took place on Thursday, it is not included in this analysis.**
- LSU at Alabama: This game has as much of a direct impact on which team will win the SEC West as any that will be played this season. The Tigers enter the contest with a 4-0 conference record, which puts them a half game ahead of both Alabama and Ole Miss, which each hold a 4-1 mark. If the Tigers are able to win, it would all but eliminate Alabama from earning a return trip to Atlanta this season. A win for the Tigers also sets up a huge showdown with Ole Miss later this month, which could give LSU the opportunity to pull away in the division. If Alabama wins this game, they are at least tied with Ole Miss for the conference lead at 5-1, assuming a Rebels win against Arkansas this week. The Crimson Tide would be on the wrong side of a tiebreaker with Ole Miss, and LSU would still have just one conference loss.
- Vanderbilt at Florida: This one is pretty important and it is very straightforward. If Florida wins, the Gators become the SEC East champions. If the Gators lose, they are still just a win against South Carolina away from clinching, but it does delay the celebration for at least another week. We’ve come to accept it as reality after watching the Gators dominate on the field this season, but it is still hard for many to believe that the team that was picked to finish fifth in the division is running away with things.
- Arkansas at Ole Miss: While all the talk about the SEC West is centered around LSU and Alabama, the Rebels fan base would be the first to remind you that Ole Miss controls its own destiny in the divisional race. With a win against the Crimson Tide under its belt and a game against LSU still to come, all the Rebels have to do to earn a trip to Atlanta is to take care of their own business. This week, that business involves beating a team that whipped them 30-0 last season.
- Auburn at Texas A&M: As one of the SEC West teams with just two losses, the Aggies are still alive in the divisional race, although it’s a longshot. With four conference losses already, Auburn is more concerned with how a win helps its bowl chances than it is with whether it brings them a step closer to getting out of the SEC West’s cellar.
- South Carolina at Tennessee: As far as the SEC East is concerned, there is nothing to see here. With the Vols at 4-4 and Gamecocks at 3-5, this game is more about who can find their way to the six wins necessary for a bowl game than it is about where they win land in the SEC standings behind Florida.
- Kentucky at Georgia: Much like the game above, the game has no bearing on the outcome of the SEC East race. At 5-3, Georgia is likely focused on how coach Mark Richt’s team performs down the stretch and how it pertains to the future of the program. For Kentucky, the focus is on getting rid of a three-game losing streak that has dropped the Wildcats to 4-4 and put a postseason appearance in jeopardy again this season.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
