Here is a look at the biggest story line for each SEC team entering Week 11:
ALABAMA
Story line: Can the Crimson Tide keep the LSU level of intensity in Starkville?
Alabama has been playing like they were in the College Football Playoff since a Week 3 loss to Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide’s playoff life has depended on it, and they’ve responded week after week with outstanding performances. The latest of which, a 30-16 win against LSU, has put Alabama back in the driver’s seat in the SEC West. But with a hot Mississippi State team led by Dak Prescott waiting for the Crimson Tide’s arrival, Nick Saban better be able to keep the pedal to the floor.
ARKANSAS
Story line: Can the Razorbacks simply outscore LSU for a win at Tiger Stadium?
The Razorbacks have won three games in a row by scoring 54, 63 and 53 points, raising their record to 5-4. With the offense running on all cylinders, the Razorbacks have to be considered a contender in any remaining game. Arkansas isn’t likely to shut out an angry Leonard Fournette and LSU team reeling from its first loss of the season like they did last season, so can Arkansas get it done by simply outscoring the Tigers?
AUBURN
Story line: Is this the Auburn team we thought we’d see at the beginning of the season?
Jovon Robinson was hyped to be the next big thing coming out of junior college, and he finally showed some of his abilities in a 26-10 road win over Texas A&M at Kyle Field in Week 10. Jeremy Johnson received a start at quarterback with Sean White ailing, and he turned in a performance that didn’t include the mistakes that plagued his early-season struggles. The Tigers defense forced mistakes and caused turnovers. Has this team turned the corner?
FLORIDA
Story line: Can the offense get back on track against South Carolina?
The Gators clinched the SEC East division title against Vanderbilt in Week 10, but the Gators offense looked horrible during the 9-7 win on Homecoming. Vanderbilt’s defense is good and every team is going to turn in a dud performance from time to time, but it would still be nice to see QB Treon Harris and the boys get things going again against a much softer South Carolina defense.
GEORGIA
Story line: Would a road win at Auburn cheer some people up around this program?
Mark Richt stayed the course during a week filled with unpleasant rumors and led his team to a 27-3 victory against Kentucky in Week 10. This week brings one of the oldest rivalries in college football, and matches a 6-3 Bulldogs team against a similarly frustrating 5-4 Auburn squad. Would a win in this rivalry game do anything to calm the waters in Athens?
KENTUCKY
Story line: What will the Wildcats do to spark a struggling team during the final weeks of the season?
Kentucky has lost four games in a row, and the Wildcats must win two of their final three regular season games to reach the six-win plateau. With RB Boom Williams, their best offensive weapon, nursing an injury, the Wildcats must find a way to create some offensive output after scoring just three points against Georgia.
LSU
Story line: The Tigers lost the game they needed to win most, so now what?
Beating Alabama would have made things much easier for the Tigers during the final weeks of the season, but a 30-16 loss has put LSU on the wrong side of a tiebreaker for the top spot in the SEC West. How will the Tigers respond after their first loss of the season? How will Leonard Fournette bounce back from a dud performance? Arkansas is hot, so there’s little time to sit around and sulk.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Story line: A win against Alabama would transform the season.
After winning 10 games last season and reaching the No. 1 spot in the polls, almost anything short of that would seem like a letdown. But at 7-2, the Bulldogs have reemerged as a Top 20 team, and a win against Alabama would again put the Bulldogs in the discussion for a major bowl game. It would also jumble the SEC West standings heading into the final weeks of the season.
MISSOURI
Story line: What impact will all of the drama surrounding the resignation of the university president have on Saturday’s game?
It seems as though the football team will play BYU as scheduled following a short-lived “strike” in support of a movement to have the university’s president removed from his post. The Tigers did not practice on Sunday in advance of a Monday morning resignation. The loss of any preparation time during a game week would seem to be critical, especially for a team that has struggled in recent weeks. Will it show on the field?
OLE MISS
Story line: Why has this team stumbled time and time again?
Maybe the bar was set too high after beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa during Week 3, but there have been high expectations for this squad ever since, and the Rebels have now failed three times. The latest loss was a particularly painful one at home in overtime to Arkansas, but the lackluster performances against Florida and Memphis are harder to explain. The Rebels will have the bye week to make corrections in time for a meeting with LSU.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Story line: Did Vanderbilt’s defense give the Gamecocks a blueprint for a win against Florida?
At 3-6 and in the midst of a coaching search, the Gamecocks are left to try to play spoiler against two of the nation’s top teams in the final three weeks of the season. First up is Florida, and next is No. 1 Clemson in Week 13. Vanderbilt held Florida’s offense to nine points in Week 10, but the inept Commodores offense was unable to score the 10 points necessary to pull the upset. Can South Carolina use a similar blueprint, hoping that better offensive execution will result in a better outcome?
TENNESSEE
Story line: Will this team show consistent dominance against a North Texas program in turmoil?
The Vols have been as unpredictable as any team in the conference this season, but this is a game where they would be best served in showing some consistency. A methodical beatdown of a North Texas team that should be overwhelmed and overmatched on Saturday would not only secure the all-important sixth win of the season, but it would also give the Vols a chance to protect the health of a some players in need of a break.
TEXAS A&M
Story line: Just exactly what can we expect to see from the Aggies during the season’s final weeks?
The Aggies have been a tough nut to crack this season, and a final nonconference game against Western Carolina should give us time to figure out what to think about the 6-3 squad as it prepares to travel to Vanderbilt and LSU during the final two weeks of the season. The offense has not received consistent quarterback play and the defense is still a work in progress, but there is no doubt that there is a large base of talent on the roster.
VANDERBILT
Story line: Is this Vanderbilt’s last good chance for a win this season?
This seems like an odd question, given that they were a late fourth-quarter field goal away from knocking off a Top 10 team on the road last week. But the Commodores simply aren’t going to win games with their offense playing so poorly, no matter how good the defense may be. Vanderbilt will have trouble scoring with Texas A&M and Tennessee in the final two weeks, so a visit from a struggling Kentucky team may be the Commodores’ best opportunity to reach four wins 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.
