The SEC’s Week 6 slate felt barren, didn’t it? With 7 teams on bye, there were just 5 games involving SEC squads last weekend. Only 1 matchup — Vanderbilt at Alabama — featured a pair of ranked teams. Sure, there were some compelling meetings. But the lack of quantity led to an underwhelming week overall.
Thankfully, those of us that tuned in for each game of Week 6 are getting blessed in Week 7. We have Alabama-Missouri at 12 p.m. ET, Oklahoma-Texas at 3:30 p.m. E.T. and Georgia-Auburn at 7:30 p.m. ET, all on ABC. Once you turn the TV on, you can lose the remote until Sunday.
Before we fully turn the page to Week 7, we did have a series first take place last week: every play on our list was either a turnover or a touchdown. As the number of games each week ramps up from here, this is something we may never see again in 2025. Sort of like Penn State in the College Football Playoff conversation (too soon?).
Games are listed in order of approximate start time. Plays mentioned are based on win probability added, via ESPN analytics.
Kentucky vs. No. 12 Georgia (35-14 Georgia)
Play: 12:46 Q2, 1st-and-10, Kentucky 39-yard line. Gunnar Stockton pass INTERCEPTED by Jordan Lovett, returned to Kentucky 28-yard line (+2.8% for Kentucky).
Bulldog fans probably felt a little uneasy after this turnover. The Wildcats were doing their best to hang around and deal Georgia a second-straight home loss. When Kentucky kicker Jacob Kauwe missed a 26-yard field goal (+2.4% for Georgia) right before halftime, though, they stopped holding their breath. The Bulldogs effectively ended the Wildcats’ wildest dreams when they forced Seth McGowan to fumble on the opening possession of the third quarter (also +2.4% for Georgia).
No. 9 Texas vs. Florida (29-21 Florida)
Play: 4:55 Q2, 2nd-and-10, Texas 13-yard line. DJ Lagway pass complete to Dallas Wilson for 13 yards, touchdown. 17-7 Florida (+10.9%).
The Florida Gators used their bye week to right the ship (at least temporarily). The Texas Longhorns came out of their bye week with an 0-2 record against Power 4 teams. Steve Sarkisian is adamant that Texas’s record has more to do with who it has played — and where it’s played them — than the team’s true ability. But to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. If the Longhorns go 3-1 against Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Texas A&M, things may end up being alright, alright, alright. If not… good luck.
No. 16 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Alabama (30-14 Alabama)
Play: 0:17 Q2, 1st-and-10, Vanderbilt 27-yard line. Ty Simpson pass complete to Germie Bernard for 27 yards, touchdown. Game tied 14-14 (+17.3%).
Did Kalen DeBoer have an eye on the spread of this game in the fourth quarter? We’ll never know. Regardless, it has never been clearer that Clark Lea‘s Commodores aren’t your grandfather’s Commodores. Vanderbilt fought hard in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, but its red-zone turnovers — Diego Pavia’s first half fumble (+6.7% for Alabama) and fourth quarter interception (+17.0% for Alabama) — were too much to overcome. The ‘Dores have a bye before hosting LSU on Oct. 18.
Kent State vs. No. 5 Oklahoma (44-0 Oklahoma)
Play: 9:55 Q1, 3rd-and-10, Kent State 30-yard line. Michael Hawkins Jr. pass complete to Isaiah Sategna III for 30 yards, touchdown. 7-0 Oklahoma (+0.2%).
This play was the only play of the game that impacted win probability by more than 0.1%. Safe to say something similar won’t transpire when the Oklahoma Sooners battle Texas in the Red River Rivalry in Week 7. Brent Venables and Co. have to be licking their chops at the opportunity to stick the fork in what’s left of the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff aspirations.
Mississippi State vs. No. 6 Texas A&M (31-9 Texas A&M)
Play: 1:51 Q2, 2nd-and-6, Mississippi State 34-yard line. Marcel Reed pass complete to KC Concepcion for 34 yards, touchdown. 7-3 Texas A&M (+11.8%).
Mike Elko‘s defense and offense have done abrupt about-faces following the Texas A&M‘s Week 4 bye. So, through Week 6, we’ve seen the ceiling and floor for both sides of the ball. Everything is on the table for the Aggies, who would put the country on notice again if they can build off their dominant second half versus a suddenly spry Florida team this weekend.
