Ranking the Best SEC Matchups of Week 11
As the SEC season unfolds and winds down, it's clear the league has lost some of its luster from years past. But don't tell that to the top half of the conference.
The SEC's best of the best is still better than the rest, and this weekend there will be plenty of clarity and separation on both sides of the division.
Though Georgia is clearly the top team in the SEC East and has already clinched the division, the Bulldogs will get a true test this weekend on the road against Auburn that should let them see how they stack up against the superior West.
Gus Malzahn's Tigers have been inconsistent this season, but when the coach's offense is clicking, the defense has been good enough to make AU one of the top teams in the league, with losses to only Clemson and LSU.
Then there's Alabama and Mississippi State in Starkville, Mississippi. You know the cow bells will be clanging at a deafening volume as the Bulldogs try to pull off an improbable win over the Crimson Tide. They're at home where they've been excellent this year.
But is MSU the same team that lost lopsided games against Auburn and Georgia earlier this year?
Other intriguing games could have ramifications on coaching tenures, such as Tennessee-Missouri, Arkansas-LSU and Texas A&M-New Mexico. But the focus will be on those two big games.
Let's take a look at the top SEC battles of Week 11.
8. Louisiana at Ole Miss
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In a wild and crazy game in Lexington, Kentucky, last weekend, Jordan Ta'amu found D.K. Metcalf in the back of the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown and a 37-34 win for Ole Miss.
The victory over the Wildcats brought the Rebels a step closer to bowl eligibility. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, it won't be going to any bowl this year thanks to the Hugh Freeze recruiting investigation. That still doesn't keep the program in Oxford, Mississippi, from trying to build toward a positive 2018.
With Shea Patterson out for the year, backup Ta'amu has been a revelation, throwing to the Rebels' corps of elite receivers and running a bit, too. Now this weekend, they'll take on a Louisiana-Lafayette team that has struggled most of the season.
It'll also be the first bunch of Ragin' Cajuns to come to Oxford since Ed Orgeron roamed the sideline.
With just 17 days left in interim coach Matt Luke's season and possible regime as the Rebels coach, he's trying to savor it all while helping his players improve. Luke told the Sun Herald's Parrish Alford he's trying not to think of the possibility he won't be Ole Miss' coach next year.
"You can't let it," Luke said. "Obviously it's been a dream of yours since you were a little kid, but you have to focus," Luke said. "My dad always said, 'You have to do the best job you can where you're at, and things will take care of themselves."
The Rebels should cruise this weekend and take a step toward making Luke's probable last few days as Ole Miss' head coach memorable.
7. New Mexico at Texas A&M
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Following back-to-back losses against Mississippi State and Auburn, it's looking like Texas A&M is in the midst of its annual end-of-the-year deflation under coach Kevin Sumlin.
Perhaps that's why so many reports this week talked about this being Sumlin's last season in College Station. Early in the year, he was on the hot seat, but that talk cooled when the Aggies heated up. Now, it's back again and all over the publications who cover A&M, such as the Star-Telegram.
"It's an emotional time," Sumlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference, according to the Houston Chronicle's Brent Zwerneman. "Even though we look like we’re (tough) people … over the last six years there's great times, and there’s not-so-great times.”
The 3-6 New Mexico Lobos will travel to College Station without a ton of hope for an upset, but with so much uncertainty and questions swarming around Sumlin, anything is possible. It's going to be interesting to see if A&M's future at quarterback is Nick Starkel or Kellen Mond.
The rest of this season may be an audition for both of them.
On paper, this game looks like it's going to be too tough for New Mexico to handle. Though the Aggies haven't lit up the scoreboard this year, they'll have a hard time matching the Aggies' speed on both sides of the ball.
While A&M fans may want the beginning of the next era, there's still a bowl game for which to play this season. If the Aggies win, they'll qualify.
6. Kentucky at Vanderbilt
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As good as this season has been for Kentucky, last week is going to hurt for a long time. The Wildcats had a big opportunity to move to 7-2 at home a week after beating the hated Tennessee Vols in Lexington.
Instead, Ole Miss got a touchdown catch from D.K. Metcalf in the final seconds to pull off a three-point upset.
Now, the Wildcats have a winnable game against Vanderbilt to reach the seven-win mark for coach Mark Stoops, who has the program heading in the right direction.
Though this is two of the historically worst programs in the SEC, they've played each other to a virtual draw over the years, with UK holding a 43-42-4 advantage over the Commodores. Vanderbilt may be 0-5 in the conference, but it's somehow a slight favorite over the Wildcats.
With the way UK running back Benny Snell Jr. has run the past two weeks, that's a surprising line. The Wildcats need to play with a chip on their shoulder because they're obviously still not getting any respect.
The sense of urgency is great for VU. The Commodores need quarterback Kyle Shurmur to continue playing at a high level, and they need two wins in their final three games to make it to a bowl. Those games are against UK, Missouri and Tennessee.
The rivalry against the Vols looks winnable, but they've got to play well to win one of the other two games. VU coach Derek Mason's name hasn't come up in any hot-seat talk, but after a hot start to the season, the 'Dores have tapered off. His stock will plummet if they fail to make a bowl.
There's a lot for both of these teams to play for in this one.
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5. Tennessee at Missouri
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After back-to-back nine-win seasons, few saw what has happened on Rocky Top this year coming. The Vols are 4-5 with rumors swirling about coach Butch Jones' future.
Now, Tennessee travels to Columbia, Missouri, to take on a Tigers team that has improved as the year progressed. After annihilating one reeling former power in Florida, 45-16 last weekend, the Tigers will get the opportunity to pummel UT as double-digit point favorites.
If that happens, the Vols will have lost the last game they played against all other 13 SEC member institutions. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Tigers quarterback Drew Lock is really coming into his own as a junior, tossing the ball all over the field to J'Mon Moore and Co. Though Mizzou's defense isn't what second-year coach and defensive-minded head man Barry Odom likes, it wasn't bad against the Gators.
Now, they'll get the opportunity to go against a UT offense that has sputtered all season. With quarterback Jarrett Guarantano a question mark with an ankle injury, it makes matters even worse for the Vols.
At this point, it's tough to see UT making a bowl game with remaining contests against Mizzou, LSU and Vanderbilt awaiting. With Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Arkansas left, the 4-5 Tigers have a much better shot.
The winner of this game may wind up making the postseason.
4. Arkansas at LSU
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How bad has it been for Arkansas this year? The Razorbacks needed to come from behind late to beat 1-7 Coastal Carolina 39-38 last weekend.
It's been a forgettable year for coach Bret Bielema and the Hogs. Now, at 4-5, they'll try to get to .500 with an improbable win over hated rival LSU. The Tigers played a commendable game against the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide a week ago but still fell short.
This hasn't been the type of season first-year LSU coach Ed Orgeron wanted, but the Tigers have been a different team since a shocking home loss to Troy earlier this season. They've played more inspired football, and that's a major boost for the Orgeron regime.
Yes, they lost 24-10 to the Tide last weekend, but the Tigers were just a couple of unmade plays away from being right in the thick of the game.
There's no question Orgeron and his staff will be able to recruit, but with the way the Tigers responded to early-season adversity, there's hope again in Baton Rouge. That can't be squelched with a loss to the Razorbacks, though.
Bielema may not be on the Hogs sideline next year, but with a huge buyout standing in the way and considering his winning history, he may have a little more rope than some of his SEC peers. That doesn't mean he can keep losing, though.
The Razorbacks need a signature win this season to keep from the late-season slump they suffered a season ago. If that happens again, they may join several other league institutions on the market.
3. Florida at South Carolina
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This has been a forgettable season for a couple of old SEC blue bloods in Tennessee and Florida. The Gators reached a new low last weekend under interim coach Randy Shannon when they traveled to Columbia, Missouri, and got run off the field by the Tigers.
The Gators, even through their struggles under Jim McElwain, were always able to rely on their defense. Mizzou shredded that group last weekend in a 45-16 laugher. Now, the Gators must travel to South Carolina to take on another team heading in the opposite direction.
You know there's nothing Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp would love to do more than repay his former team with a kick to the facemask while they're down. Last weekend, the Gamecocks hung with Georgia for a bit before the Bulldogs wiped them out. But this week will be a different story.
After the initial shock of losing receiver Deebo Samuel for the year, quarterback Jake Bentley and his offense has gotten back on track. The defense is growing and beginning to take on some of Muschamp's mentality as well.
Next year, with the Vols and Gators likely having new coaches, the Gamecocks could wind up as the Bulldogs' biggest rival in the SEC East. With the veteran bunch Muschamp will have returning, they could make things interesting.
But they've got to get these wins late in the season to grow, learn and prepare for next year. Yes, getting rival Clemson at the end of the year would be massive, but the Gamecocks need to take care of business against the Gators this weekend first.
2. Alabama at Mississippi State
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Alabama just keeps driving the Crimson tractor trailer downhill toward what appears to be a collision course with the national championship trophy.
Can anybody beat the Crimson Tide?
Everybody is waiting on what could be a rugged Iron Bowl against Auburn to end the regular season, and then there's the possibility the Tide will play undefeated Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Right now, that's the top two teams in the College Football Playoff rankings.
But the Tide can't afford to overlook a weekend trip to Starkville this weekend. Mississippi State was trounced by the two best teams it's played this year in Georgia and Auburn. Why would things be any different against perhaps the country's best team?
For one, the Bulldogs get them at home, where they've been awesome this year. Former UA quarterback and SEC Network analyst Greg McElroy said this week that MSU will be 'Bama's toughest foe so far, according to SEC Country's Andrew Astleford.
"This is the toughest game for 'Bama this year, so far. I know Florida State was good [in] Week 1, highly ranked. That team clearly wasn't as good as we thought in the preseason. LSU was good. They had a couple other matchups that were difficult. But this is by far the most difficult matchup for Alabama at this point in the season."
Alabama doesn't look invincible and has suffered a ton of defensive injuries lately. You know the Tide will have a game plan devised to slow down MSU star quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who had some early-seaosn Heisman Trophy buzz before a couple of so-so games.
If he can somehow lead the Bulldogs over UA, he'll get those whispers going again. This would be the biggest upset in the league this year.
1. Georgia at Auburn
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If there's any team in the country that can make a run at the College Football Playoff with two losses, it's Auburn.
It's not an ideal situation for the Tigers to be in, but they've got two marquee matchups ahead of them that can get them into the SEC Championship Game, and who knows where else from there. But those tests are epic showdowns.
The first of which comes this weekend at home against the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs. Of course, the other game is the Iron Bowl against Alabama, and if the Tigers run the table from here on, they'll go to the SEC Championship Game. If they win that, there's still an outside chance at a national championship run.
But you've first got to get past the Bulldogs, and that's no small feat.
Georgia is undefeated so far this season, and freshman quarterback Jake Fromm has been a revelation. Though coach Kirby Smart hasn't asked him to do too much, he's excelled. The Bulldogs have four high-caliber running backs, led by the senior tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
Then, there's the defense of Mel Tucker, who has helped transform UGA into a championship-caliber team.
On the other side of the ball, Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has the Tigers playing as well as anybody on defense, too. This has the makings of being an excellent game on the Plains this weekend. It may just be the toughest game the Dawgs have played all year, including Notre Dame.
This is the South's oldest rivalry, after all.
Unless otherwise noted, stats are courtesy of Sports Reference and CFBStats.com, and recruiting data is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Brad Shepard covers college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter at @Brad_Shepard.
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