It’s another huge weekend of college football across the country, and even though it may not be the biggest slate here in Alabama, there’s still a ton to look forward to.
The Alabama Crimson Tide will be on a bye this week and the Auburn Tigers have another wonderful opportunity against the Kentucky Wildcats at home to earn their second straight SEC win.
Beyond the Tide and Tigers though, it’s an interesting grouping of games within the SEC, and while some may not appear all that great on paper, there should be a tremendous show on Saturday.
Here are the three games in the SEC you need to have your eye on this weekend:
#9 Vanderbilt @ #20 Texas
11:00 a.m. CST
If you had told someone before the season that the Commodores would be the higher ranked team coming into this matchup, most would have looked at you like you’re crazy. But such is the case as Diego Pavia tries to make a real case to get into the Heisman race with his Vanderbilt squad going into Austin with a record of 7-1 and only a loss against Alabama.
The Longhorns on the other hand are likely going to be missing Arch Manning, however they are still favored by just over a field goal as they try to keep their season alive having taken two losses already. It should be a good one and another real test for the Commodores in a hostile Texas road environment.
#5 Georgia vs. Florida (in Jacksonville)
2:30 p.m. CST
While this may not be the best matchup on paper with the Gators having already fired their coach and enter with a record of 3-4, the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is still among the best rivalries in the sport and Florida is capable of keeping it close.
The Dawgs are only favored by roughly a touchdown, and clearly most expect it to be another challenge for a Georgia team who has been missing a step all season long. Kirby Smart’s group will have all the motivation in the world though to go out there and put together their best performance of the season.
#18 Oklahoma @ #14 Tennessee
6:30 p.m. CST
This is just about as close to an elimination game as you’ll get in October with both the Sooners and Volunteers coming into the game at 6-2 and desperate to avoid a third loss. There’s still bad blood between Josh Heupel and Oklahoma even after his team handled the Sooners in their building last year, and it’s also a battle of transfer quarterbacks trying to prove they were the top get.
It should be another tremendous week of college football in the South.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.

