College Football 2011: The 10 Games That Will Decide SEC Championship Matchup
The 2011 college football season is still more than six months away.
We'll have to sit through the NBA Finals, the majority of the MLB season and (hopefully) preseason NFL games before anything college football-related graces our TV screens on Saturday mornings.
Ah, there's nothing better than a Saturday in the fall.
But just because we're forced to wait for what seems like an eternity until we can see come college football action, it doesn't mean we can't talk about it.
In fact, that's exactly what we're here to do today.
Let's take a look at the 10 games that will decide who will be vying for the SEC Championship come December.
10. Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators (Oct. 29)
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If you look at the recent history between these two teams, you'll wonder why it's even considered a rivalry.
In the last 21 meetings between Georgia and Florida, the Gators have feasted on the Bulldogs, going 18-3 in that span.
However, this should still be a key game in the SEC East, which could be a wide open race between Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and even Tennessee.
Every game will count in that division, including this one.
9. Auburn Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks (Oct. 8)
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As we all know, Auburn went undefeated in the SEC last season (and all season for that matter).
But the second-best team in the SEC West wasn't LSU or Alabama. It was Arkansas.
The Razorbacks finished 6-2 in the conference, and combined with Auburn to score 108 points when they played the Tigers at home in 2010.
Could we see another explosion of offensive fireworks? It's possible.
At the very least, though, the outcome of this game could set the framework for the SEC West picture.
8. Florida Gators at LSU Tigers (Oct. 8)
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After an extremely disappointing season in 2010, Florida will be a much different team in 2011, with Will Muschamp taking over for Urban Meyer as the Gators head coach.
But it remains to be seen how Muschamp's players will adjust to a new scheme and whether or not it will take some time for Florida to get back to the top of the SEC.
Either way, this will be a tough game for Florida.
LSU will be coming off a home game against Kentucky, while Florida will be coming off a home game against Alabama.
If the Gators are dismantled in that one, will LSU simply pick up the remaining scraps?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. South Carolina Gamecocks at Mississippi State Bulldogs (Oct. 15)
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The matchup between South Carolina and Mississippi State will be an incredibly interesting one, as it features the likely SEC East favorite (South Carolina) and an up-and-coming SEC West team that's looking to take that leap to the next level (Mississippi State).
The game between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs doesn't have the appeal as a matchup like, say, Alabama vs. South Carolina would. But it's one that'll play a pivotal role in the outcome of the SEC season nonetheless.
Mississippi State returns nine offensive starters, one of the SEC's top defenses and one of the nation's best rushing attacks, while South Carolina is stacked on the offensive side and has one heck of a recruiting class coming in.
6. Auburn Tigers at LSU Tigers (Oct. 22)
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The SEC West is stacked again in 2011, and probably five of the six teams have a realistic shot at winning the division, including Auburn and LSU.
Auburn is obviously the defending SEC Champion, while LSU will enter the season with a whole lot of hype.
Arguably the biggest difference between these two teams in last season's meeting, however, was quarterback play, as Cam Newton tore it up while Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee stunk it up.
But in December LSU did sign highly-touted junior college quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who just may be the answer to the team's quarterback woes.
If he is, then LSU should win this one inside Death Valley. If not, then the game's certainly up for grabs.
5. Arkansas Razorbacks at Alabama Crimson Tide (Sept. 24)
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In what tends to be a huge game in the SEC West, Arkansas will head to Tuscaloosa in the fourth week of the season to take on Alabama.
Both teams will be replacing a ton of talent, as Tyler Wilson will be taking over for Ryan Mallett and the Crimson Tide will be looking to fill the gaps left by the departures of several key players like Julio Jones, Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram and Marcell Dareus.
But it's Alabama. The Tide won't be rebuilding, they'll be reloading.
And the Crimson Tide have gone 20-1 in their last 21 games at home, while Nick Saban is 3-0 against Bobby Petrino since both head coaches took over at their current schools.
4. Auburn Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks (Oct. 1)
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Regardless of how good you think Auburn will be (or won't be) in 2011, it's hard to deny that the Tigers' game against South Carolina is huge.
It's a rematch of the 2010 SEC Championship Game, one that was lopsided, sure, but still one that featured the SEC's top two teams from last season.
Auburn will be entering this matchup with a new look though, as the Tigers are hoping their top-notch recruiting classes can make up for the loss of 24 seniors from their national title team.
Meanwhile, South Carolina brings back Stephen Garcia, Alshon Jeffery and Marcus Lattimore on an offense that may indeed be the best in the SEC in 2011.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers (Nov. 26)
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In 2010, Auburn rallied from a huge deficit to take down Alabama in Tuscaloosa on its way to a National Championship.
But those Tigers had Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. And this year's Tigers, well, don't.
Even though Auburn has gotten some stellar recruiting classes over the past couple of seasons, it'd be a huge shocker to see the Tigers compete for another national title.
Still, it would also be surprising to see them wilt away and fall to the bottom of the SEC.
This will be the final marquee SEC game of the season, and if the Tigers can find any way to replace Newton's production, then this matchup could very well determine who'll be playing in the SEC title game.
2. Florida Gators at South Carolina Gamecocks (Nov. 12)
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Who remembers what happened between Florida and South Carolina in 2010?
Well, let me refresh your memory. The Gamecocks went into the Swamp and put a 22-point beatdown (36-14) on the Gators in a game that surely made Steve Spurrier smile.
And that outcome was the difference between an Auburn vs. South Carolina SEC Championship Game and an Auburn vs. Florida conference title game.
So there's no doubt that the Gators will be looking for a little revenge after finishing second in the SEC East last season thanks to the Gamecocks.
1. LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide (Nov. 5)
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We all know the history between LSU and Nick Saban, who is public enemy No. 1 in Baton Rouge.
Also, the matchups between Saban's Alabama squads and Les Miles' Tigers have been nothing short of instant classics.
Since taking over at Alabama, Saban has gone 2-2 against his former school, with the two defeats coming by an average of five points and the two victories by an average of 7.5 points (including an overtime thriller in 2008).
This year shouldn't be any different, as both LSU and Alabama are expected to start the season in the top five. The bad blood between the two top-tier SEC programs will be at an all-time high as long as Saban is patrolling the sidelines for Alabama.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
