I call it “Cake Week,” not “Cupcake Week.”

Why? Cupcakes have a negative association. They’re soft, they’re dainty and they’re individually wrapped. You don’t feast on a cupcake. You eat it with your eyes more than your mouth.

Cake, however, is something that everyone can feast on. You don’t have to worry about it getting all over your face. Plus, everyone likes cake.

Hence, everyone should like Cake Week because it’s a chance to feast on some dessert after the delicious main course that’s been the regular season. I suppose that makes rivalry week the after-dinner drink? Sure. Why not.

Here are some actual football thoughts on Week 12 in the SEC:

Chattanooga vs. No. 8 Alabama — Get those starters out before halftime

The worst possible development in this game would be an important player tweaking an ankle or limping to the sideline with a hamstring injury. That might seem obvious, but it’s especially true for the gauntlet that’s around the corner. Alabama has figured things out post-USF, but it doesn’t mean the margin for error is great. A key injury on the offensive line could force a shuffling of the deck just as the Tide appears to have finally figured that out. Going into Auburn with offensive line issues would be a nightmare scenario, and obviously, facing Georgia with any sort of depleted unit could be all she wrote. An early break is paramount on Saturday.

UL-Monroe vs. No. 13 Ole Miss — There’s still a New Year’s 6 Bowl up for grabs

Don’t forget that. Ole Miss is indeed competing for style points. Getting into that top 11 is the only way to ensure that Ole Miss will reach a New Year’s 6 Bowl for the second time in 3 years (the top-ranked Group of 5 champion is ensured a New Year’s 6 Bowl). Whooping Louisiana-Monroe won’t suddenly make the selection committee move Ole Miss up 5 spots, but chaos could benefit Lane Kiffin’s squad with a favorable path to 10-2. That means staying healthy in a lopsided game like this ahead of a quick turnaround in the Egg Bowl.

Southern Miss vs. Mississippi State — This shouldn’t be a “we’re all checked out” effort

I know that’s a theme this week, but for Mississippi State in the post-Zach Arnett era, there’s still technically a bowl berth on the line. Weird things happen in the Egg Bowl, so getting past a disastrous 3-7 Southern Miss team is still priority No. 1. Shoot, just scoring an offensive touchdown is priority No. 1. The Bulldogs failed to do that in November. Even if there are players on that roster who have made up their minds about transferring and they’ll take advantage of that 30-day window, this should still be considered a chance to put some quality film out there for potential suitors. That’s not what fans want to hear, but for the Bulldogs to avoid missing their first bowl game in 14 years, that mindset could be crucial in these final 2 games.

Abilene Christian vs. Texas A&M — A&M players should treat these final games like a job interview more than ever

As I just mentioned with Mississippi State, there are opportunities to be had for the Aggies. There are plenty of talented players on that roster who should be either trying to sell a new A&M coaching staff on their abilities or they should be improving their market in the transfer portal. That’s an extremely individualistic way to look at this, but let’s be honest. When a program fires a coach midseason, it’s throwing in the towel on the “we still have all of our goals in front of us” mantra. Jaylen Henderson balled out against a better-than-it-gets-credit-for Mississippi State defense. He’s one of many guys who could get new opportunities by finishing the year strong and not like a team that’s given up.

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 21 Tennessee — The Vols have a major incentive to stick to their identity

Wait, why? Didn’t the Vols just have their worst rushing day of the season in a blowout loss to Mizzou? Yes, but if I’m Josh Heupel, I’m banking on a couple of things. I’m banking on my offensive line to have a different burst at home with the top-ranked Dawgs in town. I’m also forcing Georgia to play a 60-minute game at the tail end of a challenging 4-game stretch that included Florida, Mizzou and Ole Miss. Tennessee is the third consecutive ranked foe for Georgia. Doing that in September is tough enough. Doing that in November can test the depth of even the mightiest programs.

If I’m Heupel, I’d rather roll the dice on that than have Joe Milton throw to a depleted group of receivers against that loaded Georgia secondary.

New Mexico State vs. Auburn — Payton Thorne’s legs are why Robby Ashford became obsolete in this offense

In 2 years as the starter at Michigan State, Thorne had 223 rushing yards, and he recorded 3 rushing plays of 20 yards. In 10 games as the starter at Auburn, Thorne is No. 16 in the SEC with 425 rushing yards and he recorded 3 rushing plays of 20 yards. His legs have given Hugh Freeze’s offense the mobility needed at quarterback, which is why the 2-quarterback system needed to disappear much earlier. And remember, those rushing numbers also factor in the 20 times that Thorne’s been sacked.

What does that have to do with Jerry Kill-led New Mexico State? Nothing. I just found that interesting.

Florida vs. No. 11 Mizzou — How much gas does Cody Schrader have left in the tank?

I’m not in the business of doubting Schrader. After watching him have one of the great individual efforts we’ve seen of any player in the sport this season, only a fool would do that. I am, however, wondering what his workload looks like after Tennessee. He had career-highs in snaps (73), scrimmage touches (40) and scrimmage yards (326). The guy was out-of-this-world good. Can he be out of this world against a Florida defense that’s been out-of-this-world bad for the last month? The Gators are dead last in Power 5 with 6.57 yards/play allowed and haven’t shown any signs of turning things around without Shemar James. As long as Schrader’s tank isn’t on “E,” Mizzou could run all over Florida.

FIU vs. Arkansas — I worry about the fan apathy

I’ve been doing a regular, year-round segment on “Hit That Line” in Arkansas since the Chad Morris days. Why? Because even when it’s a disaster, Hog fans want to talk ball. So when I say I worry about how sad the vibes will be on Saturday, it’s not a knock on the loyalty of Arkansas fans. It’s a reality that 99% of teams face when they aren’t competing for a bowl game haven’t watched their free-falling team win a home game since early September. This matchup should end that home losing streak, but the optics likely won’t favor Sam Pittman. It might be awfully difficult for Hunter Yurachek to be optimistic about the future if he sees another lackluster home atmosphere as the byproduct of a disappointing team.

(For what it’s worth, I’m saying the play on the field was entirely responsible for Arkansas fans clearing out early in both a 7-3 loss to Mississippi State and a blowout loss to Auburn.)

Kentucky vs. South Carolina — Williams-Brice Stadium in November has been a different beast

Since Shane Beamer arrived, the Gamecocks are 5-1 in November home games with the lone loss coming to a 2021 Clemson team that won 10 games. South Carolina won as an underdog against the likes of Florida, Auburn and Tennessee, and all but 1 of those 5 victories were by double digits. That’s why a 2-6 record heading into November didn’t necessarily mean that the Gamecocks’ bowl hopes were dashed, especially with nothing but 4-loss teams coming to Williams-Brice. Against a Kentucky team that has become Beamer’s top unofficial SEC rival, I’d expect there to be plenty of juice in Columbia on Saturday night.

Georgia State vs. LSU — The Jayden Daniels Heisman Trophy campaign needs _______.

“Sixty minutes with one of the worst passing defenses in America.”

Of course, it’d be stunning to see Daniels play 60 minutes against a 6-4 Sun Belt team that can’t defend the pass. Then again, Brian Kelly clearly is banging the drum for Daniels to win the Heisman. In addition to his comments praising Daniels as the best player in America, we saw a quarterback-friendly pop pass to Brian Thomas Jr. that padded his stats in the final minutes of the Florida game. I don’t blame Kelly one bit. LSU is a 3-loss team that isn’t playing for a division title. Gaudy stats like a 50-touchdown season (pre-Heisman voting) are the best way for a quarterback of a 3-loss team to get there. Could we see Daniels get an extra possession or 2 to get him closer to that? Absolutely.