Saturday is the largest weekend of the yr in SEC Country by a long way. The panorama of the convention will be formed by what we see between the hours of 3:30 p.m. ET and nighttime. Will there be clarity? Will there be chaos? Will there be each? Every choice is at the desk, and it must make for the most productive 8 ½ hours of school soccer this season.
No. 12 Missouri and No. 2 Georgia will tee it up at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday afternoon within the first part of the SEC on CBS doubleheader. A win by the Tigers, who’re 15.5-point underdogs, would convey them even with the Bulldogs within the convention standings and supply an inside of observe within the SEC East race with Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas left at the time table. If the Bulldogs hang house courtroom, it might vault them right into a two-game lead at the box with two convention video games left (Ole Miss and Tennessee). It would not clinch the department, however the probability of the Dawgs lacking the SEC Championship Game would be as most probably as children voluntarily giving up their Halloween sweet.
Meanwhile, No. 14 LSU appears to be like to make it two in a row over No. 8 Alabama after remaining season’s extra time mystery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Tigers, who’re 3-point underdogs, will be within the motive force’s seat within the SEC West if they may be able to spring the disenchanted with Florida and Texas A&M left at the slate. The Crimson Tide can clinch the department with a win and an Ole Miss loss to Texas A&M previous within the day. Even if the latter does not occur, the trail remains to be rather transparent for trainer Nick Saban’s squad with Kentucky and Auburn left to play.
With a defining weekend on faucet, let’s dive into the 2 greatest SEC video games of the weekend.
Cinderella tale in Athens?
In one nook, we now have a Missouri workforce that got here out of nowhere however unearths itself enjoying its greatest sport for the reason that 2014 SEC Championship Game.
The Tigers, picked to complete 6th within the East at SEC Media Days, have shocked the college football international with a wildly balanced offense led by quarterback Brady Cook, large receiver Luther Burden III and working again Cody Schrader. Cook was once in fact booed all over the workforce’s Week 3 sport vs. Kansas State, however a 356-yard efficiency that ended in Harrison Mevis’ 61-yard walk-off box purpose kick-started 4 immediately video games of no less than 300 yards passing video games for the signal-caller. Missouri is not a one-trick pony, despite the fact that. Its crimson zone protection ranks 3rd within the convention, which turns out to be useful all over high-scoring affairs.
Coach Eli Drinkwitz has remodeled this workforce right into a pressure in spite of coming into this season on a seat that wasn’t essentially smoking sizzling … however was once hotter than he would have favored.
In the opposite nook, we discover the two-time reigning nationwide champion Bulldogs. Coach Kirby Smart all the time tries to seek out an edge to stay his workforce from being complacent. Last yr, it was once construction off the inducement that any person, someplace, it appears picked his workforce to head 7-5. This week, the College Football Playoff variety committee ranked Georgia at No. 2 even though the undefeated Dawgs were ranked No. 1 in each main polls all season.
The offense hasn’t neglected a beat with out famous person tight finish Brock Bowers, who exited the Bulldogs’ sport vs. Vanderbilt on October 14 with an ankle damage. Quarterback Carson Beck has grow to be a valid famous person after topping the 300-yard mark in 3 of his remaining 4 video games, which incorporated a 315-yard, two-touchdown efficiency remaining week towards rival Florida. Plus, the protection has stuck fireplace due largely to its skill to create havoc within the backfield. It hadn’t generated a lot force in any respect previous to remaining week when it sacked Gators quarterback Graham Mertz 4 occasions within the first part.
Can Mizzou spring the disenchanted and slip its foot into Cinderella’s slipper, or will Georgia’s trail to Atlanta filter in a large method? We’ll to find out because the solar units within the Classic City.
Heavyweight battle
The nightcap will function a standard SEC West contention with sufficient storylines to fill Bryant-Denny Stadium. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels leads one of essentially the most feared offenses within the country, and a street win over the Crimson Tide would nearly indubitably vault him over Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and into the motive force’s seat for the Heisman Trophy. With a win, Daniels would grow to be the primary beginning quarterback to overcome a Saban-coached Alabama workforce in consecutive years.
What’s in reality attention-grabbing about this one, despite the fact that, is the Tigers protection. It has been the punchline to a foul funny story for almost all of the season, however it is held combatants to beneath 300 general yards and 5.0 yards in step with play in each and every of the remaining two video games. However, defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo and defensive again Zy Alexander will leave out the competition with accidents. Defensive backs Denver Harris and Duce Chestnut will additionally leave out the sport for undisclosed causes.
The Crimson Tide, that have an unblemished mark in convention play, have had a roller-coaster season that features a nonconference loss to Texas, quarterback uncertainty and a number of other sloppy wins. Keeping them at the fringe of the CFP race is a stout protection, led by famous person linebacker Dallas Turner and freshman defensive again Caleb Downs.
The Tide’s offensive line has struggled all season, which has ended in the inconsistency at quarterback. However, Jalen Milroe has settled in because the starter, and in spite of making some deficient selections beneath force, he ranks 3rd nationally with a 60% finishing touch charge for passes touring 20 or extra air yards. That’s one thing that he has constructed off of right through the season.
Consider this one a grudge fit for the basis of the long run. LSU crowned the Tide and performed in Atlanta remaining yr. Another win would solidify Brian Kelly’s squad as the category of the department as Nick Saban’s profession starts to wind down. If the Tide live on, it might verify that remaining yr was once an aberration and Saban nonetheless has his fastball.
Buckle up. Saturday goes to be a wild journey.