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The initial month of college football is finally over. September provided more than its fair share of great moments and marquee match ups, but as you can see from just its first week of games, the month of October means business in SEC football.
There’s only six SEC games this week, but they are all games featuring both SEC teams. Which match ups are the most interesting of Week 6?
Florida vs Tennessee (Saturday on SEC Network – 12 p.m.)
The lowdown: What used to be arguably the premier rivalry in SEC football in 1990s and 2000s has turned into a 12 p.m. matchup this year. It’s no secret the Gators and Vols have fallen on some rough times, but both teams are still in position to make some noise within the wide open SEC East this season.
Neyland Stadium will be checkered out in orange and white and the atmosphere should be rockin’. Tennessee may not be an SEC East contender this season, but this is definitely one of those games the Vols have had circled on their calendar for quite some time. Not only is it a key game for reaching a bowl game this year, but Tennessee has visions of ending a horrendous losing streak to the Gators after haven’t not won a game against Florida since 2004.
The talent may not be as great as in the past, but the emotion and hatred between these two teams is still very much apparent.
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Beware though. If you watch this game, chances are Rocky Top and Turn Down for What will be in your head all day.
Texas A&M vs Mississippi State (Saturday on ESPN – 12 p.m.)
The lowdown: Two high-powered offenses take center stage in the noon SEC games. In a game featuring two of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, Texas A&M and Mississippi State should give fans a good show in Starkville. With Mississippi State’s vulnerable secondary, this may be a matchup that comes down to who can score the most points. Dak Prescott and Kenny Hill will be the players to watch in this game, but defensive lineman Preston Smith (MSU) and Myles Garrett (A&M) should be just as an intriguing matchup on the defensive side of the ball.
You can bet Mississippi State will be ready to take on the No. 6 Aggies. After a statement win on the road against LSU and a bye week to prepare for Texas A&M, the Bulldogs are ready to show the rest of the SEC world that they are finally serious contenders in the division.
Alabama vs Ole Miss (Saturday on CBS – 3:30 p.m.)
The lowdown: Talk about a game that a fan base has been looking toward! With a relatively easy first four games of the season, the Ole Miss faithful knew this Oct. 4 matchup against Alabama could potentially be between two undefeated teams. And they got their wish.
It’s a top-12 showdown in arguably one of the biggest games in Ole Miss history. ESPN College GameDay will be live from The Grove for the first time in show history as it should be one of the better atmospheres in all of college football. The Rebels are largely untested this season, but their defense is for real. The question of if they can win will just come down to how Bo Wallace will perform against a vaunted Alabama defense. Either way, this weekend’s game for Ole Miss provides the ultimate measuring stick for a program looking to prove they belong with the big boys of the SEC West.
LSU vs Auburn (Saturday on ESPN – 7 p.m.)
The lowdown: This weekend’s matchup for Auburn is a revenge game as the Tigers are hoping to knock off LSU, the one SEC team who defeated them last season. They get LSU at home this year, giving Auburn a strong home field advantaged.
However, much of the attention will be focused on the LSU sidelines as true freshman quarterback Brandon Harris finally makes his first start for Les Miles’ squad. After a back-and-forth split in snaps, Harris has finally been named the starter over struggling sophomore Anthony Jennings. For the most part under Jennings, the LSU offense has been lifeless and uninspired, but with Harris under center, it’s a unit that has been given a big spark. No one quite knows how Harris will handle the pressure of playing a night game in Jordan-Hare, but he seems to be the central focus of this game.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.