Alabama (9-1, 6-1 in SEC)
Next game: vs. Western Carolina, 12:21 p.m. Saturday
Huddle up: Alabama will win the SEC West if it defeats Auburn on Nov. 24. "Now we don't control what happens, but we can control what we do," coach Nick Saban said. … Despite the loss, Alabama leads the FBS in scoring defense (11.1 points) and pass-efficiency defense (170.3), is No. 2 in total defense (247.8 yards) and third against the run (76.2). … RB T.J. Yeldon fumbled in the second half for the second consecutive week. … Alabama's starting QBs have thrown 16 interceptions in 1,205 attempts, and the defense has intercepted 73 passes in 50 games over the past four seasons.
Tweetable fact: Texas A&M's 29 points are the most Alabama has allowed at home since 2007.
Arkansas (4-6, 2-4)
Next game: at Mississippi State, 12:21 p.m. Saturday., WPCH
Huddle up: WR Cobi Hamilton, who leads the SEC with 73 catches and 1,149 yards, is the only SEC player among the Biletnikoff Award semifinalists. He has set the single-season school record in receptions and yards. … RB Knile Davis (hamstring) and TE Chris Gragg (knee) both are still plagued by injuries and are doubtful. … TCU coach Gary Patterson denied reports of him going to Arkansas, and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy refused to comment on being linked to the job search. … WR Julian Horton (Greater Atlanta Christian) had one catch for 23 yards against South Carolina and has 12 for 158 yards and two TDs this season.
Tweetable fact: Tyler Wilson holds the school's career mark with 539 completions, breaking Clint Stoerner's previous record of 528.
Auburn (2-8, 0-7)
Next game: vs. Alabama A&M, 2 p.m. Saturday
Huddle up: Coach Gene Chizik on the poor season: "I'm just very disappointed where we are." … The Tigers rank 115th in the FBS in total offense (298.5 yards) and 116th in scoring (17.3 points). … Auburn is 89-46-2 against in-state teams, including wins over Alabama, UAB, Birmingham Southern, Camp Sheridan, Marion Institute, Maxwell Field, Montgomery, North Alabama A.C., Samford and Spring Hill. … S Demetruce McNeal (Banneker) is tied for 44th in the FBS in tackles with an average of nine per game. … LB Jake Holland (ankle) likely will start after missing the loss to Georgia. He ranks fourth on the team with 62 tackles.
Tweetable fact: Auburn sold out only one home game this season, against LSU on Sept. 22.
Florida (9-1, 7-1)
Next game: vs. Jacksonville State, 1 p.m. Saturday
Huddle up: Jacoby Brissett will start at QB with Jeff Driskel out with a sprained right ankle. Brissett, who started two games last season and this season's opener, was 6-of-8 for 64 yards and a TD in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette. … WR Andre Debose (knee) and LB Neiron Ball (Jackson), who has an ankle injury, also won't play. … The Gators are sixth in the nation in time of possession, at 33:03 per game. … Florida is 13-1 in games that RB Mike Gillislee has scored a TD, the lone loss coming against LSU in 2010.
Tweetable fact: A victory would give Florida a 7-0 home mark for the third time in school history.
Kentucky (1-9, 0-7)
Next game: vs. Samford, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, CSS
Huddle up: S Ashely Lowery (White County), who missed time with a concussion earlier this season, will miss the final two games after he broke his finger in practice Tuesday. Lowery ranks fifth on the team with 43 tackles in eight games. He has one of the Wildcats' five interceptions. … LB Avery Williamson has reached double figures in tackles in seven games and leads the SEC with 115. … Joe Mansour (LaGrange) had 10 touchbacks on 18 kickoffs this season and had a successful onside kick against Mississippi State. … Samford is coached by Pat Sullivan, who won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn in 1971.
Tweetable fact: Kentucky's opponents have combined for an 83-37 record this season.
LSU (8-2, 4-2)
Next game: vs. Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
Huddle up: G Josh Williford (concussion), who hasn't played since Oct. 6, might play next week against Arkansas. Coach Les Miles said if he can't play then, he'll definitely play in the bowl. … K Drew Alleman had one of his best games of the season, making all three field-goal attempts and going 4-of-4 on PATs. He has 16 FGs and 84 points, both second in the SEC. … S Craig Loston is the SEC's co-defensive player of the week with six tackles and 100-yard interception return for a TD. … QB Zach Mettenberger (Oconee County) has thrown for 571 yards and three TDs in the past two games.
Tweetable fact: This will be the only home game played to start during the day at LSU this season.
Mississippi State (7-3, 3-3)
Next game: vs. Arkansas, 12:21 p.m. Saturday, WPCH
Huddle up: The Bulldogs have rushed for 192 yards in the past three games combined and TB LaDarius Perkins — its top rusher — missed the loss to LSU with a quad injury. Perkins, who has 804 yards and eight TDs, is expected back this week. … QB Tyler Russell has set the school's single-season mark with 17 TD passes, and he's 173 yards from the school record for passing yards in a season. He has 2,249. … CB Johnthan Banks is a semifinalist for both the Thorpe and the Bednarik awards. … The Bulldogs fell out of the Top 25 this week.
Tweetable fact: Mississippi State has only 15 seasons of at least eight wins in 112 years of playing football.
Missouri (5-5, 2-5)
Next game: vs. Syracuse, 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU
Huddle up: Missouri needs one more win to become bowl-eligible and go to a bowl for the eighth consecutive season. "We still have a chance to accomplish one of our goals, going to a bowl game," coach Gary Pinkel said. … LT Elvis Fisher has made 47 career starts. … QB James Franklin had a career-high four TD passes in the 51-48 OT win over Tennessee. It was his third fourth-quarter comeback. … Missouri has had a takeaway in 28 consecutive games, dating to Oct. 30, 2010. The Tigers have forced 20 fumbles this season, most in the FBS.
Tweetable fact: TB Kendial Lawrence has 2,026 yards rushing, the 13th Missouri player with at least 2,000 yards.
Ole Miss (5-5, 2-4)
Next game: at LSU, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
Huddle up: The Rebels need to win one of their final two games, against either LSU or Mississippi State next week, to qualify for a bowl. … Ole Miss settled for three FGs on five trips inside Vanderbilt's 10-yard line in a 27-26 loss. … QB Bo Wallace threw for 403 yards — the fifth highest total in school history — but the Rebels ran for 55 yards on 40 carries, the third consecutive week they've averaged 2 yards or less a carry. … LB Denzel Nkemdiche (Grayson) has 66 tackles, second on the team, and leads the Rebels with 11 1/2 tackles for loss. He's also forced four fumbles.
Tweetable fact: Ole Miss still hasn't committed a turnover in the red zone, the only SEC team without one.
South Carolina (8-2, 6-2)
Next game: vs. Wofford, 1 p.m. Saturday
Huddle up: Steve Spurrier can tie Rex Enright with the most victories by a South Carolina coach, with 64. Spurrier is 63-37 in his eighth season. Enright was 64-69-7 from 1938-42 and from 1946-55. … DE Jadevon Clowney (foot) didn't practice Tuesday, but should be fine to play. … FS Kadetrix Marcus (Stephenson) has four tackles in nine games in a backup role. … The Gamecocks are 7-0 at home this season and have won 10 consecutive home games. They haven't finished with an undefeated home mark since 1987.
Tweetable fact: South Carolina has won 19 of its past 23 games and has 35 victories in the past four seasons.
Tennessee (4-6, 0-6)
Next game: at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2
Huddle up: Tennessee is 1-13 in its past 14 conference games. … The Volunteers have won six consecutive games over Vanderbilt, including a 27-21 OT victory last year. … LB A.J. Johnson (Gainesville) has reached double figures in tackles in the past eight games and leads the Volunteers with 112. He's fifth in the FBS with 11.2 per game. … Vincent Dallas (Cedar Grove) has eight catches for 131 yards after moving from DB to WR this season. … QB Tyler Bray has thrown for 1,302 yards, 13 TDs and one pick in the past three games.
Tweetable fact: Tennessee is two wins away from becoming the eighth program with 800 victories.
Texas A&M (8-2, 5-2)
Next game: vs. Sam Houston State, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Huddle up: Texas A&M and nearby Sam Houston State have played once since 1941. The Aggies won 59-6 in 1997. … The Aggies' upset of No. 1 Alabama was their second in 12 games against top-ranked teams. The other was a 30-26 win over Oklahoma in 2002. … QB Johnny Manziel needs 34 yards to break the NCAA freshman record with 3,827 yards of total offense, set by Kentucky's Jared Lorenzen in 2000. Manziel also has 1,014 yards rushing, second-most in SEC history for a QB, behind Cam Newton, who had 1,473 yards in 2010. He's No. 2 in the FBS in total offense with 379.4 yards per game.
Tweetable fact: Texas A&M went undefeated (6-0) on the road this season for the first time since 1992.
Vanderbilt (6-4, 4-3)
Next game: vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2
Huddle up: Vanderbilt is bowl-eligible for the second consecutive season for the first time in school history. … DE Walker May is the SEC's DL of the week after he set his career high with six tackles, including three for loss, a sack and a pressure in the win over Ole Miss. … Coach James Franklin doesn't talk about injuries, but mentioned RB Zac Stacy (leg) is still No. 1 on the depth chart, meaning he'll likely play against Tennessee. … The Commodores' 17-point rally was their largest in more than 30 years.
Tweetable fact: Vanderbilt hasn't had a five-game win streak since the start of 2008.
About the Author