Alabama (9-0, 6-0 in SEC)
Next game: vs. Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
Huddle up: RB Eddie Lacy and WR Amari Cooper suffered ankle injuries last week, but coach Nick Saban said he thinks both will play Saturday. … LB Adrian Hubbard (Norcross) is the SEC defensive player of the week after he tied his career high with 12 tackles, including a stop on LSU's fourth-down try in the fourth quarter. He also had 2 1/2 tackles for loss, including a sack. … K Jeremy Shelley is a semifinalist for the Groza Award. He's hit all nine of his field-goal attempts and all 43 of his PATs.
Tweetable fact: Alabama gave up 435 yards of offense against LSU, the most since 2007.
Arkansas (4-5, 2-3)
Next game: at South Carolina, noon Saturday, CBS
Huddle up: Arkansas and Michigan have agreed to a home-and-home series to be played in Ann Arbor in 2018 and in Fayetteville in 2019. … LB Terrell Williams has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. He will miss Saturday's game and is the eighth Razorback to be arrested since March. Otha Peters will take Williams' place. … WR Cobi Hamilton, who had 11 catches for 177 yards last week, ranks fourth in the FBS in receiving yards (119.7 a game) and seventh in receptions (7.7). … QB Tyler Wilson holds 26 school records.
Tweetable fact: Arkansas has won eight consecutive games against teams from the SEC East.
Auburn (2-7, 0-6)
Next game: vs. Georgia, 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2
Huddle up: RG Chad Slade had this to say about Georgia LB Jarvis Jones: "You've got to be able to get your hands on him, block him. He's a good player, but you can stop him. It's not that hard." … Auburn has five starters from Georgia: WR Quan Bray (Troup), long snapper Forrest Hill (Morrow), DT Gabe Wright (Carver-Columbus), CB Joshua Holsey (Creekside) and FS Demetruce McNeal (Banneker). … Freshman Jonathan Wallace is expected to start at QB after throwing for 164 yards in his first start.
Tweetable fact: Onterio McCalebb is the second player in SEC history with more than 2,000 yards rushing (2,469), 1,000 yards in returns (1,246) and 500 receiving yards (528).
Florida (8-1, 7-1)
Next game: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 12:21 p.m. Saturday
Huddle up: The Gators will play in the SEC Championship game if Georgia loses at Auburn on Saturday. … Coach Will Muschamp said RB Mack Brown (M.L. King), who has an ankle injury, WR/KR Andre Debose (knee) and DT Leon Orr (illness) won't play. … Offensive coordinator Brent Pease said he's not a candidate for the Kentucky job. "I wouldn't do that. I'm focused on here," Pease told the Orlando Sentinel. He was a Kentucky assistant in 2001 and '02. … The Gators opened as a 26-point favorite over Louisiana-Lafayette. They will play Jacksonville State, an FCS school, on Nov. 17, before finishing against Florida State on Nov. 24.
Tweetable fact: Florida has rushed for 1,130 yards in the second half of games (125.6 a game), No. 1 in the SEC.
Kentucky (1-9, 0-7)
Next game: vs. Samford, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17
Huddle up: Kentucky's seniors helped persuade coach Joker Phillips to finish the season after he was fired Sunday. He had worried about being a distraction to the team if he stayed. "I don't want an open casket. I don't want to be somebody's centerpiece," Phillips told the Lexington Herald-Leader. … LB Avery Williamson had 20 tackles against Vanderbilt, becoming the first Kentucky player with that many in a game since Chad Anderson had 21 against Georgia in 2003. … DB Ashely Lowery (White County) had his first career interception. … WR Demarco Robinson (M.L. King) had a career-long 35-yard catch.
Tweetable fact: Kentucky has played 14 freshmen and 12 redshirt freshmen this season.
LSU (7-2, 3-2)
Next game: vs. Mississippi State, 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Huddle up: FB J.C. Copeland (Troup) has been penalized in four consecutive games, including three personal-foul penalties. His penalty against Alabama negated a portion of a 19-yard run against Alabama. "That was a costly penalty," coach Les Miles said. Copeland also had a 42-yard catch in the loss. … QB Zach Mettenberger (Oconee County) had his best game at LSU by completing 24 of his 35 passes for 298 yards and a TD and no interceptions. … LSU has lost consecutive games just once in Miles' eight seasons. … S Eric Reid, who was injured against Alabama, is questionable.
Tweetable fact: LSU will face a team ranked in the top 25 for the fifth consecutive week.
Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2)
Next game: at LSU, 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Huddle up: Mississippi State has given up scores on eight of its opponents' 11 trips to the red zone the past two games and has scored on three of its six trips. "To me, it's a lack of consistency," coach Dan Mullen said. "… We have got to be more consistent." … WR Chad Bumphis holds the school record with 19 TD receptions, ranks fourth with 131 career catches and fifth with 1,884 career yards. … The Bulldogs have forced 21 turnovers, 19th in the FBS.
Tweetable fact: Mississippi State has scored 277 points through nine games, its most since scoring 307 in the first nine games of 2000.
Missouri (4-5, 1-5)
Next game: at Tennessee, 12:21 p.m. Saturday, WPCH
Huddle up: Teammates and coaches aren't giving up on QB James Franklin, who threw four interceptions at Florida. He's playing with injuries. "You don't have to convince me about James Franklin. That guy's a warrior," co-offensive line coach Bruce Walker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. … LG Evan Boehm is the only offensive lineman who has started every game this season. OT Justin Britt, who started every game last year, is out of the season after injuring his ACL against Florida. … DT Sheldon Richardson had six tackles, 1 1/2 for loss, recovered a fumble and blocked a field-goal attempt.
Tweetable fact: Missouri's QBs have combined for 11 interceptions, tied for second worst in the SEC behind Auburn's 12.
Ole Miss (5-4, 2-3)
Next game: vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. Saturday ESPNU
Huddle up: Ole Miss, which has surpassed last season's number of wins, points, TDs and yards, will become bowl-eligible with a win. … The Rebels have scored on 28 of their 30 red-zone trips (93.3 percent), second in the SEC and tied for fourth in the nation. They are the only SEC team without a turnover in the red zone. … P Jim Broadway (Roswell) averaged 45.6 yards against Georgia and ranks 20th in the FBS, at 42.9 yards per game. … CBs Wesley Pendleton (ankle) and Senquez Golson (concussion) missed the Georgia game and are questionable this week.
Tweetable fact: Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and tied for 11th in the nation with three sacks per game.
South Carolina (7-2, 5-2)
Next game: vs. Arkansas, noon Saturday, CBS
Huddle up: Coach Steve Spurrier said QB Connor Shaw (Flowery Branch), who has a foot injury, is close to full speed and should be 100 percent by Saturday. … When asked Tuesday if he would give time for his players to vote, Spurrier responded: "Our guys that are 21?" … RB Marcus Lattimore (leg) had surgery last Friday. The Gamecocks will go with Kenny Miles (Brookwood) and Mike Davis (Stephenson). Spurrier still hopes to redshirt Brandon Wilds and called Miles "a super Gamecock." … South Carolina leads the SEC in sacks — 11th nationally — with 3.3 per game and 30 total.
Tweetable fact: South Carolina has lost three consecutive games and five of the past six to Arkansas.
Tennessee (4-5, 0-5)
Next game: vs. Missouri, 12:21 p.m. Saturday, WPCH
Huddle up: Tennessee ranks last in the SEC in scoring defense (35.4 points), total defense (483.1 yards) and pass defense (296.8), and is 13th in rush defense (186.3). "We're not playing as good as we need to play on defense. I'm responsible. I'm the guy that's calling it," coordinator Sal Sunseri told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. … Coach Derek Dooley said CB Deion Bonner (Carver-Columbus) will continue to play even though he is a suspect in a cell phone theft. … Tennessee has won eight straight November home games, dating to 2008. … Tyler Bray broke Peyton Manning's single-game passing record with 530 yards last week.
Tweetable fact: This will be the first game between Tennessee and Missouri.
Texas A&M (7-2, 4-2)
Next game: at Alabama, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
Huddle up: Texas A&M has one win in 11 games against No. 1 teams, defeating top-ranked Oklahoma 30-26 on Nov. 9, 2002. Coach Kevin Sumlin was the offensive coordinator for that team. … The Aggies have had 18 scoring drives of five plays or less and have had three one-play scoring drives. … QB Johnny Manziel leads the SEC and is second in the nation with 383.2 yards of total offense. He has been the SEC's freshman of the week six times and twice been offensive player of the week. … WR Uzoma Nwachukwu needs 9 receiving yards to reach 2,000 for his career.
Tweetable fact: The Aggies have scored first in every game this season and in 14 consecutive games.
Vanderbilt (5-4, 3-3)
Next game: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU
Huddle up: Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze called to congratulate James Franklin on Monday. "It was a little bit of a surprise. I've never had that happen to me before." … The Commodores rank 19th in the FBS in total defense (316.2), 14th in scoring defense (17.1), seventh in pass-efficiency defense (99.6) and third against the pass (151.9). … OT Wesley Johnson is the co-offensive lineman in the SEC with eight knockdown blocks, and Carey Spear is the special-teams player of the week with two field goals, including a career-long 48-yarder, and three PATs.
Tweetable fact: Another win would send the Commodores to a second consecutive bowl game for the first time.
About the Author
