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For nearly 12 hours every Saturday, SEC fans can plop themselves on their couches and tune into football games all day. No one wants to waste their time watching a boring game, though, so we ranked the eight games that SEC teams are playing in this weekend based on entertainment value (Kentucky, LSU and Texas A&M have byes this week). These rankings are subjective, but factor in league impact, how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-5 Georgia Dome scale (the site of the SEC Championship Game), with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least. Note: all rankings are from the College Football Playoff committee.
5 GEORGIA DOMES
None this week.
4 GEORGIA DOMES
– No. 8 Ole Miss at Arkansas (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): In one of the few exciting games on the slate, we get Arkansas, fresh off its first SEC win, taking on a rested Ole Miss team that still has an outside shot at the playoffs. The matchup of Arkansas’ run game against Ole Miss’ strong defense should be fun to watch.
– No. 20 Missouri at Tennessee (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Missouri and its SEC East title hopes roll into Knoxville to take on a rejuvenated Volunteers team. Joshua Dobbs has been tearing up the East, but now he has to contend with the best pass-rushing duo in the conference. With Tennessee missing two key defenders, will Missouri be able to mount enough offense?
3 GEORGIA DOMES
None this week.
2 GEORGIA DOMES
– Vanderbilt at No. 4 Mississippi State (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network): It’s an SEC game, but it’s not going to be especially fun. Mississippi State will be looking to make up for its first loss of the season, while Vanderbilt will have to hope they don’t get rolled over.
– Eastern Kentucky at Florida (12 p.m. ET, SEC Network): Of all the non-conference games this week (and there are plenty of them) this one has the highest intrigue level. How will the Gators respond to Will Muschamp serving out the season as a lame-duck coach?
1 GEORGIA DOME
– Charleston Southern at No. 10 Georgia (12 p.m. ET, SEC Network): The Bulldogs have proven quite adept at rolling over overmatched foes after crushing Troy earlier this year. Expect plenty of work for the Dawgs’ stable of running backs.
– South Alabama at South Carolina (12 p.m. ET, ESPN 3): The Gamecocks have a tendency to play down to competition, but South Alabama doesn’t have the offensive firepower to take advantage South Carolina’s shaky defense.
– Western Carolina at No. 1 Alabama (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network): If you want to know what oddsmakers think of this game, just know that no sports books have put out a line for it. Alabama was favored by 40 or more points against similar low-level opponents earlier this season, and it could be that ugly on Saturday.
– Samford at No. 14 Auburn (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU): Auburn gets a chance to bounce back against an FCS school. It’ll be an opportunity for the defense to string together some zeroes and the offense to get rolling after a bad week against Georgia.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.