Don’t let the rankings fool you: Today is a big day in and around the SEC.

No. 13 Kentucky is a road underdog at 2-loss Texas A&M. No. 5 LSU is a road favorite, but just by a field goal over an improving Florida team. I’m not sure which line is more disrepectful.

Mississippi State, with all of that returning talent, has to win an SEC game at some point, right?

South Carolina, thought to be a serious East contender, reaches a crossroads game much sooner than expected against a future NFL quarterback (Drew Lock), who still has many wondering whether he can beat a good team.

What’s going to happen? That’s why they play the games, but these are some message board headlines I think we’ll see after today’s Week 6 SEC games.

BREAKING: Arkansas forces a 3-and-out against Tua

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is putting up ridiculous numbers, but this is the most ridiculous:

He has led more 3-play (or fewer) TD drives (8) than opponents have forced him into a 3-and-out (3).

If Arkansas can force even one 3-and-out against him today, that would be newsworthy. Louisville and Ole Miss couldn’t do that.

Muschamp must go!

Expectations are great, unless you fail to reach them. The expectation was that Bryan McClendon was going to work magic with Jake Bentley, Deebo Samuel and turn the Gamecocks into a fast-break party in the end zone.

That hasn’t happened, and the masses aren’t happy.

South Carolina scored just 2 touchdowns in the competitive portions of losses to Georgia and Kentucky. And that’s being charitable. The Gamecocks’ only TD last week against Kentucky came when Bentley hit Samuel in the third quarter with the Cats leading 24-3.

Brad Crawford, who used to work for us, provided insight on part of the growing frustration with Muschamp.

Obviously Mizzou isn’t a Top 25 team, but Lock absolutely is one of the country’s best quarterbacks.

Muschamp isn’t in danger of losing his job, but the message boards will light up if Lock lights up his Gamecocks today at Williams-Brice. And with reports the Gamecocks will start Michael Scarnecchia in place of the injured Bentley (knee), the scoreboard could get ugly.

Dawg training: Georgia responds to Smart, criticism

Georgia hasn’t played particularly well the past couple of weeks. The Dawgs have taken advantage of several breaks but basically have gone through the motions en route to a 5-0 start.

It’s why some — from Paul Finebaum to myself — have said they don’t deserve to be ranked No. 2 in the country — right now.

That isn’t a long-term proclamation of doom, at least not from me. It’s certainly not an indictment against the Dawgs’ talent, either. It’s more of a want-to thing. Right now, Kirby Smart appears to want it more than his players.

They’re on cruise control.

They’ve never trailed a single second this season. They’ve won every game by double digits, four of the five by three touchdowns. They’re on island time, mon, listening to Zac Brown sing about margaritas and pretty senoritas.

Maybe instead of insisting that they’ve long since forgotten 2nd-and-26, Smart needs to make them watch it a few more times. Fuel the fire.

At any rate, as criticism builds and resumes start to be ripped apart as we creep closer toward the first Playoff ranking, I think we’ll see Georgia score early, score often and top 50 for the first time this season tonight against Vanderbilt.

A trip to LSU is looming. It’s time to flip the switch.

(Orgeron voice): “Swamp? I’m from the real swamp … Gators don’t scare me”

Ed Orgeron and the Tigers got out alive last year despite Danny Etling passing for a pedestrian 125 yards and 1 touchdown.

Returning to The Swamp for the second consecutive year isn’t going to intimidate  Orgeron or his new quarterback, Joe Burrow. Unlike Georgia, which has had much more love than challenges, LSU is fully embracing the fact nobody expected the Tigers to be good this year, and many still are just waiting for them to lose, so they can say: Told you so.

Orgeron voice again: Y’all gonna have to wait awhile longer. Go Tiguhs.

Moor Cowbell to Moor trouble for Mississippi State

Mississippi State fans aren’t real thrilled with first-year coach Joe Moorhead. Some already are wondering if he can’t win with this talent, what will the next year look like when Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat are in the NFL?

Everything always is darkest when your drives end 50 yards shy of the end zone. It’ll get better. Just not Saturday.

Auburn’s defense is built to shut down the run, and Mississippi State’s offense is only built to run.

Jarrett Stidham has yet to have a breakout game in 2018. He had one of his better games last year against the Bulldogs, repeatedly attacking the secondary.

At Alabama, 50 is the new 30

The Tide will top 50 points today for the fifth time this season — matching a program high.

Nothing personal, Arkansas. You’re just in the way today.

Ultimately, Alabama will break SEC records set by Steve Spurrier’s 1996 Gators (highest scoring average, 46.6) and Urban Meyer’s 2008 Gators (most points in a season, 611).

Admit it: Watching Tua Tagovailoa throw it to the best receiving corps in the country is more fun to watch than those 54 rushes for 338 yards, 35-14 victories of yesteryear.

Midnight Madness in Kentucky

I’ve wrestled with this game all week. Texas A&M has some explosive playmakers. Kellen Mond is dangerous. Kyle Field will be rocking. The Aggies absolutely could wreck Kentucky’s dream start.

Also … this is exactly the kind of situation Benny Snell likes to walk into and tell the folks exactly what they can do with their chants and high hopes.

Based on what it has accomplished, Kentucky already should be in the Top 10. Voters have waited because, well, it’s Kentucky and preconceived notions die hard. (Pro tip: Most AP voters are so focused on the team they cover, they only glance at highlights and box scores of other games.)

If the Cats win this one, there will be no more questions about their legitimacy.

And Lexington will get another Saturday night to celebrate a new meaning of Midnight Madness.