It’s time to look at key questions across the SEC involving Saturday’s Week 13 slate of games:

Perception: Mizzou’s ‘luck’ will run out as underdog in Knoxville

There’s tons of SEC fans outside of Columbia, Mo., waiting on the Tigers to falter down the stretch, notably a few hundred thousand in the state of Georgia, and it could happen this weekend at Tennessee. Mizzou’s offense has been inconsistent before last week’s explosion at Texas A&M and the Vols are playing their best football of the Butch Jones era. With Georgia’s SEC season over, the Bulldogs will sit back and watch this one from Athens with Rocky Top blasting from the speakers. Can Joshua Dobbs and the Tennessee offense come through?

Reality: Tigers keep winning and hold the edge defensively

Mizzou doesn’t need any believers besides the coaches and players inside that locker room at Neyland Stadium Saturday night. The Tigers were in this position last season, needing wins over Ole Miss and Texas A&M, and delivered. Linebacker A.J. Johnson, Tennessee’s best player on either side of the ball, has been suspended indefinitely which is a crucial loss for the Vols. Linebacker’s often an interchangeable position, but Johnson’s skill level and knack for getting to the ball exceeds your average SEC tackler. Mizzou running back Russell Hansbrough nearly eclipsed 200 yards rushing last week and if he’s given a large chunk of the game plan, he could approach that number again.

Perception: Vanderbilt has no chance at Mississippi State

The SEC’s worst team (well, maybe Kentucky’s taken that title) is a four-touchdown underdog in Starkville this weekend, a product of six double-digit losses in conference play and the league’s 14th-rated offense. Mississippi State watched its 12-game winning streak snapped at the hands of Alabama last time out and needs to win its final two games to stay in contention for the four-team College Football Playoff.

Reality: Coined as the Commodores’ ‘Super Bowl’, tread lightly

Coming off a bye week, Derek Mason has this team prepared to play its best game of the season, but will it matter against a CFP contender? By no means are we picking the upset, but Vanderbilt’s capable of staying in the game if the Commodores can avoid turnovers and feed tailback Ralph Webb at a consistent rate. Quarterback Johnny McCrary’s also developing on the fly as Vanderbilt’s new starting quarterback. Over his last four games, the redshirt freshman’s completed 55 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. In what could be a classic look-ahead game to Ole Miss for the Bulldogs, take Vanderbilt and the points.