Next week might be “Cupcake Week,” but then we get to Rivalry Week, where the 2 spots in the SEC Championship Game will be decided.

As usual, here’s our weekly look at where the teams of the SEC current stand and where we still them each finishing the regular season. It’s go time.

Alabama (8-2, 10-2)

Alabama took a rare home loss to Oklahoma, but should have more than enough gas still in the tank to outlast FCS Eastern Illinois and then defeat Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The CFP path is still very much a secure one for the Tide.

Arkansas (2-8, 2-10)

Arkansas had another close, but not quite, moment in Week 12. The Razorbacks have been phenomenally unlucky and there’s no reason to expect that to change with Texas away and Missouri at home still left on the schedule.

Auburn (4-6, 5-7)

Auburn was off this week, but nothing changes in the big picture. Mercer should be a win and Alabama seems just about impossible. The Tigers will take their Iron Bowl shot, but barring an upset, it’s time to talk about a new coach for the Tigers.

Florida (3-7, 4-8)

Florida keeps competing, even if the end result isn’t what it’d like. After being dreadful against Kentucky, Florida pushed Ole Miss well into the fourth quarter before falling. Based on that, we’ll see a UF win in the annual game with Florida State. But that’s about the only good news to be had.

Georgia (9-1, 11-1)

Georgia had a second straight very complete performance. Charlotte will be an easy win and while Georgia Tech is tenacious, they very nearly lost to a Boston College team that has just one win on the season. The Bulldogs’ 7-1 league mark leaves them having already finished conference play in the thick of the SEC title game hunt.

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Kentucky (5-5, 6-6)

Kentucky won its third game in a row and will get the tentative nod to a bowl in our projections. Vandy is beatable, but it’s a suddenly mediocre Louisville team that’s the more likely shot for Kentucky to grab a sixth win. Mark Stoops has seemingly come back from the dead after turning a 2-5 start into a position of some reasonable postseason hope.

LSU (6-4, 7-5)

LSU could still surprise, but as it stands, we see a win over WKU and a loss on the road at Oklahoma. Much as with Florida, the sooner it all ends, the sooner it is on to a new coaching era.

Ole Miss (10-1, 11-1)

Ole Miss is down to a week off and then the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss has allowed some mediocre teams to hang around, but surely the Rebels will be alert for this big battle.

Mississippi State (5-6, 5-7)

Mississippi State also gets a week off. With postseason play on the line, State will have motivation, but its defense was pretty awful against Missouri. Accordingly, we’ve got to stick with 5 wins for the Bulldogs.

Missouri (7-3, 8-4)

Mizzou is another team that we’re sticking at our previous prediction. The Tigers are unlikely to win on the road at Oklahoma, but should be fine at Arkansas to close the regular season.

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Oklahoma (8-2, 10-2)

Oklahoma gets a nice boost with the upset of Alabama. While both teams have the talent, it’s unlikely that either Missouri or LSU (both playing at Oklahoma) have a stout enough team to challenge the Sooners, in which case a 10-2 mark probably leaves Oklahoma in the CFP.

South Carolina (3-7, 4-8)

South Carolina had a great half and an awful half. The end result takes the Gamecocks out of bowl contention. A team that blows a 27-point lead hasn’t done enough to merit a win over Clemson. That game feels like a rock fight, but even if Carolina outlasts Coastal Carolina, there’s no shot at postseason play.

Tennessee (7-3, 9-3)

Tennessee got an easy win, but now has to replicate it against Florida and Vanderbilt. It really is wild to think a CFP spot might be on the line for the Tennessee/Vanderbilt matchup, but that’s probably the world we are living in.

Texas (7-3, 8-4)

Texas was in the spotlight against Georgia and the Horns missed the chance to shore up their fading CFP prospects. They’ll probably best Arkansas, but A&M looks worlds better than UT.

Texas A&M (10-0, 12-0)

The Aggies didn’t quit and, after falling down 30-3, stormed back for a memorable win. Texas A&M should certainly take care of Samford and seems like a solid favorite over Texas to complete a perfect season.

Vanderbilt (8-2, 9-3)

Vanderbilt had a week off, but our prediction won’t change. The 8-2 Commodores will be a solid favorite over Kentucky, but then will have to win in Knoxville to make a final CFP claim. The first is certainly doable, but the second feels very, very difficult.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There’s a pair of outstanding ranked-on-ranked CFP-relevant battles this weekend. But what else is on, and which games are the most worth watching?

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be.

Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

5 stars

The games worth cancelling your plans, shutting off your phone, and to quote Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready for on Saturday:

No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 4 Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

No need to duck the obvious on this one. The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners, Ty Simpson and John Mateer, the early-season darling vs. the consistent riser of the SEC slate — it’s a must-see. Alabama is in good shape and Oklahoma is probably on the outside of the CFP looking in. But that could change in a hurry. It’s certainly a game not to miss.

No. 10 Texas at No. 5 Georgia (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

More of the same. Two top 10 teams, a Georgia squad that is sitting in great shape and a Texas one that is much less so. But if Arch Manning wants to craft some sort of redemption arc in a difficult season, this game is probably the one to make it happen. Georgia is coming off a shockingly complete game, but has otherwise been pretty vulnerable. Could be down to the wire in this one.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.

Florida at No. 7 Ole Miss (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

This isn’t the most competitive game and Florida is playing awful football. But the whole “poaching Lane Kiffin” circus seems like a must-see storyline. How will Oxford and Ole Miss treat the Gators? Will Lane run the score up on the team that’s rumored to be in the process of writing him a massive check? Even if the game isn’t competitive, the subplots seem excellent.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

South Carolina at No. 3 Texas A&M (Noon ET, ESPN)

If this game was likely to be competitive, it would rank much higher. But the Aggies alone justify it as an interesting game. With Texas A&M having a seemingly direct path to the CFP, it’s going to be under the microscope.

Mississippi State at Missouri (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

With Missouri pretty much out of the CFP picture, this game becomes pivotal as perhaps the best shot at 5-5 Mississippi State playing its way into the bowl picture. It’s not the most electric of matchups, but it’s 2 competent teams with plenty left to play for in 2025.

Arkansas at LSU (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

A battle of coachless teams should be interesting. LSU is fading fast, but likely still has an advantage over the defensively struggling Razorbacks. This one might feel a bit morbid, but there should be some excellent competition here.

2 stars

Mostly reserved for bad matchups or bad teams.

Tennessee Tech at Kentucky (1:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)

Kentucky was in the midst of a horrible season and now, at 4-5, has a shot to reach a bowl. But the Wildcats can’t overlook a 10-0 Tennessee Tech team. The fact that this game should actually be competitive is what keeps it out of the SEC basement.

1 star

Good background noise for a nap.

New Mexico State at No. 23 Tennessee (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Tennessee is fine, but this game won’t show much of anything about a 39.5-point favorite. Even most hardcore Vols fans won’t need to see more than a quarter or 2.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 12 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Just a note here– the entries include the current records and then the projected records of each team (every year, there are a few people who think it’s the SEC record and predicted record, but it isn’t).

Let’s get started, shall we?

Alabama (8-1, 11-1)

Alabama ground out a taking-care-of-business win over the slumping LSU Tigers. Alabama might need to be a little punchier on offense to outlast Oklahoma, but it’s a home game and still represents the last real challenge of the regular season for the Tide.

Arkansas (2-7, 2-10)

Arkansas had the week off, but it doesn’t help the long-term projection here. LSU and Texas on the road seem like big asks, and while Missouri is a home game, the Tigers will certainly have more on the line than the Hogs.

Auburn (4-6, 5-7)

Auburn had one last crack at bowl eligibility, but the Tigers found a way to lose. That’s 5 one-score losses on the year. Mercer should be an easy win, but Alabama won’t be. After the tough loss to Vandy, it’s really on to contemplating who’s next up on the Plains as head coach.

Florida (3-6, 3-9)

Florida certainly had a shift here. If you lose by 31 points to Kentucky, you’re not going to beat Ole Miss or Tennessee. The Florida State game should be competitive, but will the Gators be mentally checked out by then? Frankly, they might already be there.

Georgia (8-1, 11-1)

Georgia put together a complete win, taking State’s opening TD drive and then responding with the next 38 points. The Dawgs remain solid favorites for the remainder of the regular season. Texas or Tech are certainly capable of putting up a fight, but Georgia seems to be rounding into form at the right time.

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Kentucky (4-5, 5-7)

Kentucky has the path now to salvage the season. Take care of business against FCS Tennessee Tech and then steal a road game at 2 remarkably geographically close foes in Vandy and Louisville. Both are better than Kentucky, but either is capable of an ugly loss, particularly if Kentucky’s defense continues to be this stout. It’s not quite likely enough to forecast it, but the Wildcats have gone from a team with no hope to having a legitimate postseason path.

LSU (5-4, 7-5)

LSU basically is who we thought it was — a massive disappointment on offense. The Tigers will take care of Arkansas and WKU, and take a loss at Oklahoma to end up 7-5 and in some lower-tier bowl that many of their best players will skip. Brutal season.

Ole Miss (9-1, 11-1)

Ole Miss has a very simple path ahead. Florida and Mississippi State probably couldn’t put together a combined squad that would give the Rebels much trouble. Will the late slump in competition hurt Ole Miss heading into the postseason? It’s a good problem to have.

Mississippi State (5-5, 5-7)

Mississippi State basically seems to have its postseason hopes come down to a game at Missouri. That’s winnable, but State is very much in line with Kentucky here — a team that has a viable postseason path, but not one that’s so comfortable as to make predicting its fulfillment any sort of good idea.

Missouri (6-3, 8-4)

Mizzou definitely felt the loss of Beau Pribula and never really had a shot at the Aggies. Oklahoma looks like a loss, but State and Arkansas are both beatable. Of the 3, the Mississippi State game is the closest to being a toss up, but we’ll stick with 8-4 for Mizzou.

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Oklahoma (7-2, 9-3)

Oklahoma had a week off. The Sooners’ battle with Alabama is a potentially season-defining moment. With A&M, Georgia, Alabama, and Ole Miss all pretty safe to lock in for the CFP, the question becomes whether there’s room for a fifth SEC team. If so, the Sooners, Texas, and Vandy have the best claims on it. Take of business against Missouri and LSU in home games and there’s still a reason to hope.

South Carolina (3-6, 5-7)

South Carolina had a week off, but still seems unlikely to find the offensive firepower to outlast Texas A&M. In fact, given the Aggies’ pass rush, it could get brutal. Coastal Carolina and Clemson are still plausible enough wins, but Carolina has to grab all 3 games to reach a bowl.

Tennessee (6-3, 9-3)

Tennessee has a faint CFP path. Take care of business against New Mexico State and Florida and then take down Vandy in the season finale. The problem is that still leaves Tennessee potentially behind Texas and or Oklahoma in the pecking order. The loss to Oklahoma head-to-head is hard to overcome.

Texas (7-2, 8-4)

Texas had a week off, but nothing changes the schedule ahead with Georgia away and A&M at home. Assuming a win over Arkansas, those 2 games tell the tale, and at this point, losses in both remains the most likely path.

Texas A&M (9-0, 12-0)

Texas A&M blasted Missouri on the road and shouldn’t have any issues at home against South Carolina or Samford. That leaves only Texas on the road standing in the way of a perfect SEC slate. A&M would still make the Playoff regardless, but at the moment, it seems likely to run the table heading into the SEC title game.

Vanderbilt (8-2, 9-3)

Vanderbilt served notice of how narrow its margin is in this season. Sure, Vandy is 8-2 and will be a solid favorite at home against Kentucky… and Tennessee on the road isn’t exactly unbeatable. But both games could also become losses. We’ll split the difference for now, and a loss to Tennessee would probably knock Vandy out of the CFP.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 11 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Now, there are only 6 games this week, as the last big bye week across the conference takes place. But here’s the rundown on the action that’s upcoming.

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least. (Hint: there are no 1-star games.)

5 stars

The games worth cancelling your plans, shutting off your phone, and to quote Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready for:

No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 22 Missouri (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The lone ranked-on-ranked battle, this is a matchup of an SEC team that’s all but wrapped up a CFP bid (Texas A&M) and one that’s on the outside of the picture, but still far from finished (Mizzou). The loss of Beau Pribula could be big here for the Tigers, but if Ahmad Hardy has a big game, this could be an epic battle. It’s certainly the game to watch.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.

No. 5 Georgia at Mississippi State (Noon ET, ESPN)

The Georgia Bulldogs have gotten by on the basis of comebacks and some defensive smoke and mirrors (UGA is last in the SEC in sacks, tackles for loss, and tied for last in takeaways). The Mississippi State Bulldogs are much more competitive than expected and are playing for their postseason lives. Georgia is a solid favorite, but this could get interesting.

LSU at No. 4 Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

This game isn’t the epic it seemed likely to be at, say, the end of September, but it could still get interesting. LSU enters the post-Brian Kelly era with a massive chip on the team’s collective shoulder. But Alabama has been adept at taking care of business since that Week 1 disappointment. Like Georgia, the Tide seem like a safe favorite, but depending on how LSU channels its motivation (or whether it does), this could be a wild one.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

Auburn at No. 16 Vanderbilt (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

The fighting Diego Pavias really need to win out to keep those CFP hopes going. Auburn is talented, but unless the departure of Hugh Freeze inspired the Tigers to develop a new offensive identity, Vanderbilt should be in good shape. Not unlike LSU/Bama, this game might have seemed more interesting had Auburn not fallen off the Earth and fired its coach. As it is, this matchup stands as merely intriguing.

Florida at Kentucky (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Well, this is the most competitive matchup of Week 11 (Florida is -3.5 on the road), but will anybody care? It’s a battle of 2 3-5 teams, one of which has already fired its coach and the other being strongly rumored to be considering the same situation. Competitiveness gets this game above our lone 2-star game, but the lack of an intriguing team definitely hurts.

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups, in this case, it’s for four deeply mediocre teams in fairly competitive matchups.

The Citadel at No. 6 Ole Miss (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)

No offense to the Rebels or the Bulldogs, but Ole Miss‘s scout team could probably sleepwalk through this game. This game won’t tell anyone much of anything.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 11 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Plenty of teams played their way onto the CFP bubble (Texas, Oklahoma), some played their way temporarily off (Tennessee, maybe Vanderbilt). Auburn got its coach fired.

As we try to unpack it all, here’s how we see the SEC shaping up after Week 10.

Note that below entries include the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (7-1, 11-1)

Alabama was off in Week 10, but there’s nothing to change the big picture with the Tide. Oklahoma now looks like the biggest challenge, but that game will be at home and the Tide have an excellent shot to go on and run the table.

Arkansas (2-7, 2-10)

Arkansas looks unlikely to pick up another win. The Hogs seemed to have Mississippi State beaten, but road trips to LSU and Texas aren’t too cheery, and Mizzou will certainly have more to play for in the finale than Arkansas will.

Auburn (4-5, 5-7)

Auburn found a way to lose at home to Kentucky. That pretty much pulls the plug on the season and it does the same on the Tiger tenure of Hugh Freeze. Mercer will be a win, but Vandy and Alabama won’t be.

Florida (3-5, 5-7)

Florida had a heartbreaker of a loss against Georgia. While the Gators are still probable to beat Kentucky and maybe Florida State, it’s hard to envision a world where they win at Ole Miss or beat Tennessee. Florida certainly demonstrated that it hasn’t quit, but the Gators just weren’t quite strong enough offensively to have a credible season.

Georgia (7-1, 11-1)

Georgia hung in and gutted out an ugly win. There’s not another major threat left on the schedule. Texas is surging, but that game is in Athens. Georgia Tech had looked dangerous, but that defense certainly had some issues in Week 10. The smart pick is still Georgia winning out the rest of the way through the regular season.

Kentucky (3-5, 4-8)

Kentucky finally got off the SEC losing streak, but it’s still hard to see this season ending well. Florida has its issues, but Kentucky would still have to pull that one out, outlast Tennessee Tech, and then beat either Vandy or Louisville on the road to reach 6-6. Florida could be beatable, but the third leg of that trifecta would make even a longshot horse backer uneasy.

LSU (5-3, 7-5)

LSU didn’t do anything to change its prognosis with a week off. Arkansas and WKU at home should be wins. Alabama and Oklahoma on the road should be losses. If LSU won out, it’s not impossible to have a Playoff conversation, but that just doesn’t seem realistic after the last 2 weeks.

Ole Miss (8-1, 11-1)

Ole Miss took care of business in Week 10 and then should have an easy run through the remainder of the regular season. The Citadel, Florida, and Mississippi State shouldn’t present any sort of threat to an 11-win season… which is certainly far from the norm in Oxford in the pre-Lane Kiffin era.

Mississippi State (5-4, 5-7)

Mississippi State did a phenomenal job of pulling out a fourth-quarter comeback at Arkansas. The remaining schedule is simply not kind. Georgia and Ole Miss are almost outside the realm of possibility, and at Missouri is the most winnable of the three games, but it’s the one on the road. State certainly has a shot, but they seem likely to end up just short of a .500 season and bowl eligibility.

Missouri (6-2, 8-4)

Mizzou got a welcome week off, but with Beau Pribula apparently out, it has a tough path ahead of it. It’s tough to see a situation in which the Tigers win at Oklahoma or against Texas A&M. That said, Mississippi State and Arkansas certainly seem beatable, which is why their prediction sits at 8-4.

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Oklahoma (7-2, 9-3)

Oklahoma picked up a crucial win in Knoxville, but now has a week off ahead of a trip to Alabama. The Sooners will likely take down Mizzou and LSU at home, but will 9-3 be enough to claim a CFP spot? The verdict is most certainly still out, but it’s worth watching down the season’s stretch run.

South Carolina (3-6, 5-7)

South Carolina fought gamely, but just couldn’t come up with a win. After a week off, a road trip to Texas A&M will likely end any shot at a winning season or a bowl bid. Coastal and Clemson are certainly beatable, but it’s also fair to wonder if motivation will drift for the Gamecocks with another likely loss ahead.

Tennessee (6-3, 9-3)

Tennessee still likely has a battle in the finale against Vanderbilt, but even with likely wins over New Mexico State and Florida, the loss to Oklahoma hurts because it’s another 9-3 team with CFP ambitions that now owns the head-to-head matchup with the Vols. In short, it now becomes a pretty tangled path for Tennessee to play its way into the Playoff.

Texas (7-2, 8-4)

Texas certainly showed signs of life in taking down Vandy, but they’ve still got to play Georgia on the road and A&M at home. A split of the 2 (with a win over Arkansas in between) would put Texas at 9-3 and give it a plausible CFP path. The problem is that both games still look like potential losses for the Longhorns.

Texas A&M (8-0, 12-0)

A&M had a week off, but given how well the Aggies played, after what should be a fairly easy path at Missouri and at home against South Carolina and Samford, the Aggies look like a slight favorite to win the finale at Texas and wrap up a perfect SEC season. It’s been an impressive run and A&M has quietly been as good as any team not named Ohio State.

Vanderbilt (7-2, 9-3)

Vanderbilt still very much has a CFP shot. Even with the loss to Texas, the Commodores get home games against Auburn and Kentucky and then go to Knoxville for a massive game. Vandy seems to control its own CFP fate, while Tennessee probably needs that game to work back into the conversation. For the moment, Vandy seems likely to take the loss on the road, but it’s certainly a situation worth watching.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 10 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

As usual, it’s time for the weekly breakdown of what games you have to see and what games to maybe catch a few highlights of (if there are many) later.

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least. (Hint: there are no 1-star games.)

5 stars

The games worth cancelling your plans, shutting off your phone, and to quote the legend, Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready for:

No. 9 Vanderbilt at No. 20 Texas (Noon ET, ABC)

Had someone said before the season that this game would see one team in the thick of the CFP hunt and the other trying to hang on to a fringe spot, Vanderbilt fans would have been thrilled. They also probably would have assumed they were the hanger on and not the team in great shape. But here they are, even as a very mild road underdog, with another chance to beat a team with superior talent but inferior execution. And that’s basically Texas defined in 2025. One of the most exciting surprises of the 2025 season will face one of the most disappointing teams of the season.

No. 18 Oklahoma at No. 14 Tennessee (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

There are 3 ranked-on-ranked games this week: this one, the one above, and Utah vs. Cincinnati. A pair of dangerous 2-loss teams will try to scrap out of a third loss, which could be fatal to CFP hopes. Oklahoma has the hardest schedule down the stretch, but Tennessee does still have to face Vanderbilt. This might be the best game of the week and should be solid Playoff training for the winner.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.

No. 5 Georgia vs. Florida (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The game once known as World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is surprisingly a step below Vandy/Texas. Florida did somehow manage to beat Texas, but that’s about the only thing that can be said for the Gators’ season. But the 1-score underdogs in Jacksonville have the chance to shift the entire narrative of 2025 in 60 minutes. But this is an awfully solid Georgia team. Still, in this rivalry, the unexpected is not the impossible.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

South Carolina at No. 7 Ole Miss (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

A week after South Carolina nearly knocked off Alabama, the Gamecocks get a shot at Ole Miss. The Rebels are a relatively comfortable home favorite against a 3-5 USC team that sees its bowl hopes on their last gasp. This one has the largest point spread of the Week (-12.5) or it might rank higher. Does Carolina still have one more big game in the tank? Is all the Lane Kiffin job-hopping talk seeping into Ole Miss’s collective psyche?

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups, in this case, it’s for four deeply mediocre teams in fairly competitive matchups.

Kentucky at Auburn (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Two offenses that can bog down in almost any situation are likely to bring about a 13-10 type of game. Auburn has had buzzard’s luck and is probably better than its 4-4 record. Kentucky is probably worse than its 2-5 mark. One national columnist put Mark Stoops and Hugh Freeze as the top 2 coaches on the hot seat. It’s the only way you’ll see No. 1 and No. 2 in anything in this game. The first team to double figures might lock up a win.

Mississippi State at Arkansas (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

A slightly more competitive game is expected here, but 4-4 Mississippi State is still a slight road underdog to 2-6 Arkansas. The biggest story here is probably State trying to hang onto bowl hopes, but hopefully a close game will ensue. Bobby Petrino’s self-promotion for the Arkansas job should help keep this one competitive.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 10 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

But we’re doing what we always do — trying to determine how the latest developments shift the way we see the SEC shaping up at the end of the regular season.

Note that below entries include the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (7-1, 11-1)

Alabama didn’t win any beauty prizes, but avoided a costly stumble against South Carolina. After a week off, LSU and Oklahoma could potentially be challenges, but with both games in Tuscaloosa, we’re sticking at seeing the Tide run the SEC table.

Arkansas (2-6, 3-9)

Arkansas had a shot at Auburn, but lost the lead and the game. We’re downgrading even the already modest projection for the Hogs. Either Mississippi State or Missouri (pending more information on the extent of Beau Pribula’s injury) could be beatable at home, but we can’t go above going for one or the other as a victory.

Auburn (4-4, 6-6)

The Auburn Tigers got a win they couldn’t go without. Unfortunately, the rest of the season looks fairly predictable. Kentucky and Mercer will be wins, but Vandy and Bama look like very likely losses. Three straight non-winning regular season marks is probably the end of the line for Hugh Freeze.

Florida (3-4, 5-7)

Florida had its second off week, and now gets ready for a closing juggernaut. Kentucky and Florida State are certainly beatable, but a third win would have to come from one of Georgia, at Ole Miss, and home against Tennessee. While some of the SEC’s suspected powers had a bad week, none of the teams ahead on the schedule for the Gators had one.

Georgia (6-1, 11-1)

Georgia looks to get its toughest test in the regular season finale against Georgia Tech. A 10-1 Georgia team against an 11-0 Tech team could be an epic way to wind up the regular season. Nobody else on the Georgia schedule is likely to even provide a genuine challenge. The only road game is at Mississippi State and neither Texas or Florida looks as serious as they did in the preseason.

Kentucky (2-5, 3-9)

Kentucky may be in jeopardy of losing to Tennessee Tech. While Auburn and Florida aren’t exactly top SEC squads, Kentucky has been incapable of having all 3 units show up for any game this season. The Mark Stoops era looks to be creeping toward an ugly finish.

LSU (5-3, 7-5)

LSU could be on the way to an ugly slide for the rest of the season. Trips to Alabama and Oklahoma are likely to end in losses, which leaves Arkansas and Western Kentucky at home as likely victories. The Playoff issue is officially dead now, and after a week off, a trip to Alabama is unlikely to see an immediate improvement in the fortunes of the Tigers.

Ole Miss (7-1, 11-1)

The Rebels had a big “taking care of business” win over Oklahoma and have a very clean path to the CFP now. South Carolina and Florida at home don’t look scary and while State is solid, the Egg Bowl should be another easy win. Ole Miss should be in good shape for the rest of the year.

Mississippi State (4-4, 5-7)

Mississippi State frittered away a fourth quarter lead to Texas and probably lost any real hopes at bowl eligibility. Arkansas is still the most winnable game left, but even if that works out, it’ll take a win at Missouri to pull out bowl eligibility.

Missouri (6-2, 8-4)

Between the tough loss and the apparent loss of Beau Pribula, it’s probably fair to write Mizzou  out of the CFP scenarios now. A&M and Oklahoma both look to be likely losses now, particularly if Pribula is out, while Mississippi State and Arkansas are plausibly still potential victories even for the likely Pribula-less Tigers.

RELATED: Missouri online sports betting is set to launch legally in the Show-Me State in just a few weeks, launching on Dec. 1, 2025. Stay in the loop over the next couple of months with all the latest info about the upcoming DraftKings Missouri promo from us here at Saturday Down South.

Oklahoma (6-2, 8-4)

Oklahoma had a rough loss that makes a CFP run a near-impossibility. It looks like a third regular-season loss would be almost impossible to overcome. With a trip to Tennessee and then, after a week off, another to Alabama, Oklahoma has significant work to do. Home games with Mizzou and LSU aren’t exactly layups, but those look substantially more winnable than the next 2 matchups.

South Carolina (3-5, 5-7)

South Carolina came close, but couldn’t quite trip up Alabama. That leaves road trips to Ole Miss or A&M as necessary upsets to nab 6 wins. While Coastal Carolina and Clemson remain very much winnable, it’s hard to see USC pulling off either of the other 2 games, particularly on the road.

Tennessee (6-2, 10-2)

Tennessee now sees the CFP path that has looked plausible for a few weeks now. Take care of business at home against Oklahoma next week and the finale with Vandy looks increasingly likely to be a CFP play-in game.

Texas (6-2, 8-4)

Texas snuck out an ugly win again. The Longhorns don’t seem likely to handle Georgia well on the road, and at the moment, home games with Vandy and Texas A&M might produce a split. It’s going to shape up as a disappointing end to a promising season.

Texas A&M (8-0, 11-1)

A&M just keeps on delivering wins. After an off week, road trips to Mizzou and Texas are the biggest remaining challenges. Even if A&M slips up and drops 1 game, they’re still where they want to be with a potential 11-1 finish.

Vanderbilt (7-1, 10-2)

Vanderbilt the CFP candidate? Yes. Kentucky and Auburn don’t seem likely to make much trouble. That would leave road games at Texas and Tennessee. Given the level of Vandy’s recent play, a split of the 2 games is completely plausible and leaves Vandy right in the midst of the CFP picture. That sentence still feels really odd… but it’s true.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 9 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

No point spreads over -11.5. The Big Ten has its 2 best teams favored by 25.5 and 31.5, respectively.

The most competitive game in their league is Rutgers at Purdue. Enough said. But in an SEC week to watch, what should you watch?

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least. (Hint: there are no 1-star games. Or 2-star games.)

5 stars

The games worth cancelling your plans, shutting off your phone, and to quote the legend, Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready for:

No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 13 Oklahoma (Noon ET, ABC)

Might as well start with the popcorn-readying legend himself. ESPN’s FPI places these teams fourth and fifth in the SEC race for CFP spots. The league, funny enough, is likely to have 4 or 5 Playoff teams. So needless to say, the Rebels’ get-right game vs. John Mateer’s chance to jump back into the Heisman race is must-see viewing. Frankly, it’s probably the top game of the day. Are the Rebels tough enough? Do the Sooners have enough big-play offense to hang in the SEC race? Time to find out.

No. 15 Missouri vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

There’s a similar dynamic for Mizzou and Vanderbilt, but this one feels closer to a CFP elimination game. The winner gets a leg up in the competition, but the loser has a tough path to stay in the playoff hunt. But Diego Pavia vs. Ahmad Hardy is also fairly fascinating. This feels like an epic battle that could end up as the most watchable game of the day. In a league full of high-wattage super programs, this battle is the antidote.

No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 20 LSU (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Wild energy on this one, as all the momentum seems to be with Texas A&M, but nobody wants to drive the final nail into the LSU coffin. Brian Kelly‘s job could actually be on the line and winning games at LSU at night is no small order of business. In any other conference, this would be the easy game of the week. It’s still one nobody wants to miss.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.

No. 22 Texas vs. Mississippi State (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

The Longhorns were incredibly lucky to pull out last week’s game with Kentucky, while the Bulldogs have faded against a brutal schedule. In what world was it possible that Blake Shapen would be outplaying Arch Manning? This game could eliminate Texas from CFP contention and boost State into potential bowl eligibility. Or Arch could start playing better.

No. 17 Tennessee vs. Kentucky (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Tennessee‘s defense has had real struggles, but the Vols could still pull back into the CFP hunt. The good news is that they face a Kentucky offense which has been basically punchless for the last 2 seasons. Given its schedule, Tennessee could play their way into a CFP showdown with (gulp) Vanderbilt. But it starts with handling Kentucky. This could be the last gasp of the Mark Stoops era.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

No. 4 Alabama vs. South Carolina (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Speaking of punchless offenses, take South Carolina‘s. Alabama is on a roll and should be good to continue. This is most lopsided point spread in the league this week and if it were a more evenly matched game, it would draw a higher watchability rating. As it is, it feels almost inevitable… but then, Shane Beamer is always up for confounding expectations.

Auburn vs. Arkansas (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

A battle of 3-4 Auburn and 2-5 Arkansas should be competitive, but not necessarily the most compelling. It’ll get tougher on Hugh Freeze to keep his job if the Tigers lose this one. Meanwhile, Bobby Petrino is trying out his extended audition, but it hasn’t led to wins yet.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 9 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It was a great week for Alabama and Georgia, and not so much for LSU or Auburn, among others.

We’ll review it in the usual fashion — by projecting where the teams of the SEC will finish the regular season.

Note that below are the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (6-1, 11-1)

Alabama gets a jump here. The complete all-around effort makes it fairly clear that nobody down the season’s stretch will outlast Bama. The toughest game remaining is Oklahoma and it’s at home. Accordingly, the projection jumps to 11-1. How on Earth did Week 1 happen? In terms of both teams’ subsequent performances, it was clearly one whale of an outlier for both squads.

Arkansas (2-5, 4-8)

Arkansas scratched and clawed and stayed competitive, but the defense won’t give the Hogs a ton of chances. The 2 upcoming home games against Auburn and Mississippi State are both plausible win chances, but even a 4-8 projection is pretty optimistic. The schedule is unforgiving and the Hogs already have a season-worth of frustrating losses.

Auburn (3-4, 6-6)

The Auburn Tigers still have a path to bowl eligibility, but it all but requires a win at Arkansas next week. Kentucky and Mercer would make it a 6-win season, but that’s the outer limit. Of course, with Hugh Freeze‘s fate dangling in the wind, another close loss might seal his AU tenure.

Florida (3-4, 5-7)

Florida kept the vaguest of bowl hopes still alive. After a bye week, Georgia is a tough ask. But Kentucky and Florida State are still ahead. The bad news is even winning both of those, a win over Ole Miss or Tennessee would be required to reach bowl eligibility.

Georgia (6-1, 11-1)

Georgia looked sharper offensively than it had since the Tennessee game. The rest of the schedule doesn’t look too tough. Texas won’t beat UGA in Athens and Georgia Tech is valiant, but fits the profile of lucky more than the profile of good. After an off week, UGA is likely to get down to the business of slamming some mediocre competition.

Kentucky (2-4, 3-9)

Kentucky finds new and inventive ways to lose. The Wildcats out-gained Texas 395-179 and still lost. Even a perfect storm game at home ends up getting frittered away.

LSU (5-2, 8-4)

Kick LSU out of serious CFP contention. With remaining games against A&M at home and Alabama and Oklahoma on the road, that looks like a 1-2 run in those games. WKU and Arkansas won’t be much trouble, but even 9-3 would make a CFP sell tough. A win over the Aggies would resurrect hopes, but if that game is a loss, things are getting serious in a hurry for Brian Kelly.

Ole Miss (6-1, 11-1)

The bad news is that the secondary got picked on. The good news is with the possible exception of Oklahoma next week, Ole Miss’s remaining opponents won’t have the personnel to outscore them like Georgia did.

Mississippi State (4-3, 5-7)

Mississippi State took a tough road loss at Florida. The good news is that Texas at home has some potential and could place the Bulldogs in a situation where a win at Arkansas could get them bowl eligibility. But there’s a ton riding on the next 2 games and right now, a split looks like the probable outcome.

Missouri (6-1, 9-3)

Somebody tell Eli Drinkwitz that he actually can celebrate now. Mizzou gutted out an ugly road win, but will need to do the same thing next week at Vandy to keep its CFP path alive. Matchups with A&M and at Oklahoma are still ahead and at the moment, that looks more like a 1-2 run than a 2-1 or 3-0 run. This is bad news, because a 9-3 mark might not be enough to get the Tigers into the CFP.

RELATED: Missouri online sports betting is set to launch legally in the Show-Me State in just a couple of short months, launching on Dec. 1, 2025. Stay in the loop over the next few weeks with all the latest info about the upcoming DraftKings Missouri promo from us here at Saturday Down South.

Oklahoma (6-1, 8-4)

The Oklahoma Sooners got a solid win but still have a tough path ahead. Facing Ole Miss and then going to Tennessee and Alabama in the next 2 games after that could be humbling. It’s a non-zero chance of a drop to 6-4. With Mizzou and LSU after that, it’s not like things get much easier. We’ll call for 8 wins, which isn’t quite enough for the CFP, but is enough to demonstrate a step forward this year for OU.

South Carolina (3-4, 5-7)

The good news is that Coastal Carolina and Clemson are still out there. But South Carolina still has to scare up a league win over Alabama at home or Ole Miss or A&M on the road. None of those look very likely with this offensively-challenged squad.

Tennessee (5-2, 10-2)

Tennessee still has to play Oklahoma and Vandy, but both of those games are at home. Speaking of which, who on Earth had Vandy and UT as a potential CFP play-in game to end the regular season?

Texas (5-2, 8-4)

Texas found a way to win despite gaining under 200 total yards. Arch Manning was awful and calling for even 8 wins feels optimistic. Mississippi State and Arkansas are certainly beatable, but that leaves Vandy, Georgia, and A&M as 3 potential targets for an eighth win. There’s certainly not a ninth one to grab based on Week 8.

Texas A&M (7-0, 11-1)

The Aggies weren’t brilliant, but they have kept it up. Home games at South Carolina and Samford look easy and leave A&M probably needing just 1 of 3 at LSU, at Mizzou, or at Texas to claim a CFP spot. For the moment, we’ll say it’s 2-1 in those 3 and could leave A&M playing in the SEC title game with a little luck.

Vanderbilt (6-1, 9-3)

Vanderbilt grabbed a big win that puts them in position to go to the CFP wire. Auburn and Kentucky at home both look like solid wins. That leaves a home game with Mizzou and trips to Texas and Tennessee to do the heavy lifting. At this point, a 1-2 mark in those 3 seems the most likely, but it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility for Vandy to go 10-2.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 8 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

And if you’re trying to decide which games you can’t miss, we’re here to help.

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

(And since it’s an all-SEC slate, there are no 1-star games.)

5 stars

The games worth cancelling your plans, shutting off your phone, and to quote the legend, Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready for:

No. 10 LSU vs. No. 17 Vanderbilt (Noon ET, ABC)

What kind of a world are we living in when Vanderbilt is must-see TV? The kind where this battle is between 2 fringe CFP-level teams and one of them is about to get a bump up. Pavia and Vandy are home favorites, thus raising the question of when did we expect to see Vandy favored against a top-10 team? Given how inconsistent the LSU offense has been, the time is now. Just 2 top-20 5-1 SEC foes duking it out.

No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The marquee game of the week, although there are a couple of factors that tilt Georgia‘s direction. This is the first road start for Trinidad Chambliss in Division I football. The Ole Miss Rebels have snuck out 4 1-score wins in their 6-0 start, while Georgia has to play better early than it did in an ugly 20-10 slugfest with Auburn. These 2 teams are both prime CFP contenders and figure to have a say in the SEC title picture as well.

No. 11 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Alabama (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Saw what you will about ABC, they found the 6 top-17 SEC teams facing each other and decided to broadcast all 3 games. Tennessee has had recent success in the series, but not in Tuscaloosa. Both of these teams have had 2 1-score wins within their last 3 games. Tennessee’s defense is a bit of a question, but then, so is Alabama‘s pass protection. This one could be epic, although it does lose points for a -8.5 line for the Tide.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.

No. 10 Missouri vs. Auburn (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

The 5-1 Mizzou Tigers never quite put it all together and lost by 3 to Alabama. They’re now a 1.5-point underdog to an abysmally unlucky 3-3 Auburn team. Auburn has had more than its fair share of officiating issues, but is clearly better than the record indicates. This is Mizzou’s chance to get back in the thick of the SEC CFP hunt and Auburn’s chance to protect Hugh Freeze‘s job a bit.

No. 14 Oklahoma vs. South Carolina (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

This game somewhat mirrors Missouri/Auburn. The Sooners are coming off a tough loss that broke their perfect season, while South Carolina is 3-3 and stuck with one of the most brutal schedules in college football. OU and John Mateer need a positive statement to avoid falling off the edge of the CFP picture entirely and Carolina’s shot at a winning season would be greatly helped by a win here.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

No. 4 Texas A&M at Arkansas (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

While Bobby Petrino taking over did give Arkansas a bit of momentum, it wasn’t enough to get past Tennessee and it’s likely not enough to outlast a still-underrated No. 4 Texas A&M squad. Arkansas has given up 32 or more points in every game of its four game losing streak. Granted, the Hogs have scored 31 or more points 3 times in that run. But the Aggies are probably good enough to out-fire them in a shootout.

Mississippi State vs. Florida (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

This is the only SEC game not featuring a ranked team, but it’s still got some intrigue. A 4-2 Mississippi State squad would greatly improve its chances at bowl eligibility with a win in Gainesville. Many are indicating that Billy Napier‘s fate is probably sealed regardless of 2-4 Florida‘s performance, but until the ink is dry on the press release saying otherwise, he’s still looking for a win to help ease tension around his job.

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups.

No. 21 Texas at Kentucky (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

This is the lone game of the weekend with a double-figure point spread, but even an awful 2-3 Kentucky team is within 2 scores of 4-2 Texas. As much as the Longhorns have underachieved, this isn’t a sure thing. But as bad as Kentucky has been offensively, it’s still pretty close to a sure thing.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 8 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Week 7 was definitely a big one around the SEC, with some big-time results and some separation from some of the top teams.

Here’s our weekly check of where we see the squads of the SEC ending up in regards to their final regular-season records.

Note that below are the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (5-1, 10-2)

Alabama again leaned on Ty Simpson and took care of a feisty Missouri team. The Tide are entirely capable of going 11-1, but let’s see how the Tennessee game goes before we jump on that situation. The remaining road trips to South Carolina and Auburn don’t really look too tough, so the Vols and LSU are probably the 2 remaining major threats.

Arkansas (2-4, 4-8)

Arkansas had a bit more life against Tennessee than expected, but the schedule ahead is still rough. Auburn and Mississippi State remain the best chances at wins, particularly with both games being at home, but that’s about the best shot the Hogs have. There just aren’t 6 wins here for the taking.

Auburn (3-3, 7-5)

The Auburn Tigers had an absolutely cursed loss, with officiating really damaging their chances for the second time this season. The risk here lies with the Tigers just giving up on the season. Missouri next figures to be another tall task, but Arkansas and Kentucky both follow and Vandy might be reeling by the time Auburn faces it on Nov. 8. We’ll stick with 7 wins, but there might be a 6-6 team here ultimately.

Florida (2-4, 4-8)

Billy Napier didn’t have another miracle, which hurts the slim remaining chance at a decent season that Florida had. Mississippi State and Kentucky are winnable and if UF could sneak another win, Florida State seems to be folding down the season’s stretch run. But picking the Gators to beat Georgia, Ole Miss, or Tennessee is more than can be reasonably expected. Accordingly, we’ll hang at 4-8 for another week.

Georgia (5-1, 10-2)

Georgia won, but its offense continues to be pretty sluggish. The defense is legitimate. Beat Ole Miss and we’re probably calling for 11-1 for the Bulldogs. That said, Georgia was lucky to escape with a win over Tennessee and had it properly been down 17-0 to Auburn, this game might not have been a win either. UGA is a massive piece of luck and a horrible blown call from possibly being 3-3.

Kentucky (2-3, 3-9)

Kentucky was off and dropped a heartbreaker to “Bye,” 17-14. Just kidding… maybe.

LSU (5-1, 9-3)

A solid taking care of business win for the Tigers, who did a nice job containing LaNorris Sellers. The passing game isn’t where LSU needs it to be, but defense and a ground game could carry this team a long way. Arkansas and WKU should be easy wins and, regarding road trips to Vandy and Oklahoma, we’ll call for a split there and then a split of the tough games at home against Texas A&M and at Alabama. That yields a 9-3 finish that leaves LSU hanging on the edge of the CFP.

Ole Miss (6-0, 11-1)

Georgia looks increasingly like the biggest stumbling block between Ole Miss and potentially going 12-0. For the moment, we’ll still call for a Rebel loss… but a win next week probably changes that prognosis.

Mississippi State (4-2, 6-6)

Mississippi State was off, but at the moment, Florida and Arkansas on the road are the path to bowl eligibility. Both of those teams look like squads that the Bulldogs could indeed beat.

Missouri (5-1, 10-2)

It was a frustrating Week 7 loss for Mizzou, as Eli Drinkwitz seemed to alternate calling a fairly conservative game with a wild late fake punt call that critically failed. But the good news it that even in defeat, Mizzou looked good enough that Texas A&M now looks like the only remaining loss on the schedule ahead. A 10-win season would likely put Missouri in the CFP, although the lack of a marquee win would be at least a little bit concerning.

RELATED: Missouri online sports betting is set to go live in the Show-Me State in just a couple of short months, launching on Dec. 1, 2025. Stay in the know with all the latest info about the upcoming DraftKings Missouri promo from us here at Saturday Down South.

Oklahoma (5-1, 7-5)

The Oklahoma Sooners were humbled in Week 7. John Mateer did play, but clearly wasn’t his best self. How many games can the Sooners win if that continues to be the case? South Carolina looks winnable, but after that, it’s Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri, and LSU. Calling for even 1 win in that batch feels a bit optimistic, but that’s where we stand.

South Carolina (3-3, 5-7)

If South Carolina wants to save the season, next week’s home game against Oklahoma looks suddenly pivotal. Win that one, and closing victories over Coastal Carolina and Clemson could mean 6 wins. Lose that one and Alabama, at Ole Miss, and at A&M will likely bury Carolina’s season.

Tennessee (5-1, 10-2)

Tennessee didn’t drop the metaphorical ball, which is 2 straight games of basically doing just that. At Alabama still looks awfully challenging, but after that, Tennessee is equipped to sweep the remaining slate and grab that CFP bid.

Texas (4-2, 9-3)

Texas virtually had to win and did manage to best OU, largely with defense and special teams. But it’s hard to see the 2025 version of Arch Manning taking down both Georgia and Texas A&M in November and that might be the only path to the CFP. The next 3 games should be pretty easy and put the Horns in position for one final shot.

Texas A&M (6-0, 11-1)

The Aggies were the better team against Florida and keep rolling on. Games at LSU, Missouri, and Texas likely present a loss or maybe even 2, but for the moment, we’ll stay at 11-1, because A&M has been pretty darn impressive.

Vanderbilt (5-1, 8-4)

Vanderbilt was off in Week 7, but still has some heavy lifting to do. Kentucky and Auburn are probably the 2 easiest games ahead, but if Vandy wants to seriously entertain CFP hopes, at home against LSU next week is almost a must-win. Mizzou, Texas, and Tennessee all remain, so an LSU loss makes 7-5 pretty plausible.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 7 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Other than Ole Miss’s easy nonconference game with Washington State, Saturday features all league action, with nobody a bigger underdog than +11.5 or so.

This is the college football that fans wait for during the spring and summer. So what’s worth watching? That’s our department. These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be.

Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

Note that the entire league schedule is on Saturday, so no days will be listed below.

5 stars

The games worth cancelling your plans, shutting off your phone, and to quote the legend, Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready:

No. 8 Alabama at No. 14 Missouri (Noon ET, ABC)

A strengthening Alabama team against an underrated Missouri team? Arguably the SEC’s top passer (Ty Simpson) against the SEC’s top rusher (Ahmad Hardy)? Alabama going on the road in a competitive environment? Missouri finally having its (sorry, no pun intended) “show me” game? This is must-see stuff. It’s not a game that’s determinative for either team in the CFP, but the winner gets a significant boost and the loser will have to be careful the rest of the way.

No. 6 Oklahoma vs. Texas (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The big network picked the right games this week. Before the season, if the narrative had been that when this game happened, a 5-0 top-10 team with a Heisman candidate QB would battle a 3-2 team with an underwhelming QB, everybody would have assumed that the teams were the opposite of who they are. There’s plenty on the line here — the health of John Mateer versus the legacy of Arch Manning. Oklahoma‘s solid Playoff chance vs. Texas‘s fading shot (a third loss could be fatal). But despite everything above, the Horns are a slim favorite at the Cotton Bowl. Did we mention that it’s a rivalry game?

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.

No. 10 Georgia at Auburn (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry comes at a time when there are questions about both teams. Georgia seems to have recovered from its loss to Alabama, but still seems to be grinding out the season like a fancy European sportscar being forced to go 25 mph on a country lane. Auburn started strong, but a third loss would ruin the energy around the program and would put Hugh Freeze squarely on the hot seat. Georgia is a very mild road favorite, which feels about right. Somebody’s season could get derailed here, and if that’s not quite as exciting as the season-making games above, it’s still plenty to watch.

Florida at No. 5 Texas A&M (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

This would be a 3-star game except for last week. Florida, under Billy Napier, has a remarkable talent for emerging from its coffin and dragging down another quality foe. The Gators did it to Texas a week ago and a 2-game sweep of the Texas schools would give a new narrative to Florida’s troubled season. That said, the Texas A&M Aggies have seemed generally immune to bad luck or boogeymen. They’re favored by a score, but Florida’s annual resurrection narrative adds intrigue.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

South Carolina vs. No. 11 LSU (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

LSU, much like Georgia, has seemed to sort of putter through its season. Garrett Nussmeier hasn’t quite been on the Manning level of disappointment, but it’s safe to assume LSU folks aren’t thrilled either. South Carolina has that brutal schedule that could grind the team down… unless it starts upsetting superior teams. LSU is favored by 9.5, so the upset isn’t super likely here, but there’s enough of a possibility of another Nussmeier struggle to watch. Bonus for LaNorris Sellers continuing to make his case as one of the top NFL Draft QB prospects here.

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups.

Arkansas vs. No. 12 Tennessee (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Bobby Petrino is back running things in Fayetteville, but unless he’s walking on water, Tennessee will likely gash a mediocre Arkansas defense. The possibility for a Taylen Green/Joey Aguilar shootout is there, but Arkansas is seemingly outmanned here, which is why the Hogs are the SEC’s biggest underdog this week at +11.5. The guess here is that this feels like a motorcycle wreck gone wrong for Petrino.

1 star

Only for the diehards:

Washington State vs. No. 4 Ole Miss (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Not much to learn here. The Ole Miss Rebels are a 31.5-point favorite and don’t seem prone to struggle in these sorts of games. The continued performance of Trinidad Chambliss is worth watching, but the first quarter will probably be enough to get the picture on that front.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 7 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Here’s our usual rundown of where the teams of the SEC now look to finish the regular season.

Note that below are the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (4-1, 10-2)

Alabama took care of business and remains likely to keep taking care of business. Ty Simpson continues to impress and the remaining schedule is actually pretty light. 11-1 is far from outside the realm of possibility, but let’s see how Alabama handles road trips to Georgia and South Carolina before we take that plunge.

Arkansas (2-3, 4-8)

The week caused us to soften a bit on Arkansas, although things still figure to be far from easy. Off this week off, the Hogs go to Knoxville and then host Texas A&M. After a 2-5 start, there’s room for a little more optimism, as Auburn and Mississippi State at home could both be winnable. There’s still not a clear path to 6 wins here, though.

Auburn (3-2, 7-5)

The Auburn Tigers are talking QB change. This still looks like a potential 7-win team with basically whoever it uses at quarterback. Kentucky and Arkansas are certainly beatable, Mercer is an easy win and Vandy or Mizzou could be the seventh victory.

Florida (2-3, 4-8)

Nobody stabbed Billy Napier through the heart, so he’s looking to come back from the coaching dead once again after beating Texas. The problem in the long haul is still the schedule. Mississippi State and Kentucky look winnable, but beyond that, it gets dicey. On the road at A&M or Ole Miss look tough, as does Tennessee or Florida State at home. For the moment, we’ll stick at 4-8, although there’s a glimmer of a possibility of bowl eligibility again.

Georgia (4-1, 10-2)

Georgia basically was exactly who it looked to be against Kentucky. 11-1 could be in the cards, but this team still is capable of some relatively silly mistakes that make another loss seem more likely. The fighting Lane Kiffins have to be the most likely suspect after Texas’s nosedive.

Kentucky (2-3, 3-9)

Kentucky remains cooked. Cutter Boley was probably a little better than expected, but the talent gap between the Wildcats and the rest of the teams on their schedule is not insubstantial.

LSU (4-1, 9-3)

This LSU team still looks likely to be right on the edge of the CFP picture. The Tigers should take care of Carolina, Arkansas, and WKU easily enough. They seem likely to drop 2 from the ranks of A&M, Bama, and Oklahoma. That leaves Vandy as the potential swing game between 8-4 and 9-3.

Ole Miss (5-0, 11-1)

Nothing changed our mind here. The road trips back to back at Georgia and at Oklahoma will tell the tale, but it’s hard to imagine this team fading below 10-2 with its schedule. Ole Miss is for real.

Mississippi State (4-2, 5-7)

The path to bowl eligibility remains clear. Florida and Arkansas, both on the road, are the best bets. At the moment, we’re dropping to calling for only 1 win of those 2, but the Mississippi State Bulldogs are definitely still in that bowl eligibility hunt.

Missouri (5-0, 9-3)

The next 3 games will tell the tale for Mizzou. Alabama at home looks like a loss. But if the Tigers can best Auburn and Vandy on the road and start 7-1, they have every legitimate shot at the CFP. Texas A&M and at Oklahoma will remain ahead on the schedule, but Missouri can definitely win 10 games, even if we’ll stay with picking 9 for the moment.

RELATED: Missouri online sports betting is set to go live in the Show-Me State on Dec. 1, 2025. Stay in the know with all the latest up-to-date info about the upcoming DraftKings Missouri promo.

Oklahoma (5-0, 8-4)

The Oklahoma Sooners are still undefeated, but we’ll have to wait another week to get a little more idea for how things will go with Michael Hawkins at QB. A motivated Texas team and Ole Miss 2 weeks later should give us a little better idea of how high OU’s upside remains. For the moment, we’re sticking here.

South Carolina (3-2, 5-7)

The next 4 games will determine South Carolina‘s season. Road trips to LSU and Ole Miss are brutal, but home games with Alabama and Oklahoma are also challenging. A 1-3 run would be most likely, and with Coastal Carolina ahead, that would leave Carolina’s battle with Clemson determining bowl eligibility.

Tennessee (4-1, 10-2)

Tennessee remains above the fray. At Alabama is the biggest remaining schedule challenge and the Vols settle in comfortably at 10-2 even without that upset. Vanderbilt might be the biggest non-Bama issue remaining for the Vols, which is another one of those things that feels insane but is probably true.

Texas (3-2, 8-4)

Wow. Pencil Texas out of the Playoff. Georgia and A&M are both probably losses and a fifth loss isn’t out of the question if UT’s offense doesn’t get more focused.

Texas A&M (5-0, 11-1)

Nice taking care of business win for the Aggies. They still go to LSU, Missouri, and Texas, but at the moment, that looks like a reasonable road run. We’re bumping the Aggies up with Ole Miss to the top of the league.

Vanderbilt (5-1, 8-4)

The clock hits midnight and the coach turns back to a pumpkin. This is a tough schedule still ahead, and if Vanderbilt doesn’t come off its off week sharp against LSU, the Commodores could be in freefall in a hurry. Auburn and Kentucky will help the floor from falling too far, but 7-5 is possible. So is 9-3 and a potential CFP argument, but that LSU game is key.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 6 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

Note that the entire league schedule is on Saturday, so no days will be listed below.

5 stars

The game worth cancelling your plans, faking a cold, and to quote the iconic Lane Kiffin, the one’s worth getting your popcorn ready:

No. 16 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Must-see Vanderbilt football? That’s the world we live in. A season ago, Diego Pavia first put Vanderbilt on the nation map with a gutsy upset of Alabama. Can lightning strike twice? Or is Kalen DeBoer‘s second Alabama team significantly more consistent than his first? Either way, this is absolutely must-see stuff. Vanderbilt a legitimate CFP contender? Simpson a legitimate Heisman contender? There’s so much on the line.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still great quality college football.

No. 9 Texas at Florida (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Florida has been absolutely awful… and yet finds its 1-3 self as a 4.5-point underdog against a top-10 opponent. Texas has been everything but impressive so far, but Arch Manning still has the majority of the season to rehabilitate his lagging reputation. Texas has more to lose here, but then, Billy Napier‘s job is hanging by a thin thread, so there’s plenty on the line for everyone.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

Mississippi State at No. 6 Texas A&M (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

A week ago, Mississippi State just missed a season-shifting upset against Tennessee. Texas A&M will be a road opponent and is seemingly a step or 2 ahead of Tennessee in the SEC pecking order. Meanwhile, the Aggies are probably looking to be a bit more consistent and stay undefeated and thus in the thick of the SEC title race. With A&M around a 16.5-point favorite, there’s not quite enough intrigue here to rank this game higher, but it should be worth watching.

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups.

Kentucky at No. 12 Georgia (Noon ET, ABC)

This one fits the profile. Georgia, loss to Alabama aside, remains a quality team and a likely CFP participant. Kentucky would probably consider mediocrity an improvement. The Wildcats last bested Georgia in 2009, and 2025 doesn’t look like the year that the run will be stopped. Georgia is nearly a 3-touchdown favorite and an angry Georgia team may well use this as a game to prove something.

1 star

Only for the diehards:

Kent State at No. 5 Oklahoma (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

OU is a 45.5-point favorite. The only reason this game is interesting is to see how Michael Hawkins Jr. fits in at QB in relief of the injured John Mateer. Oklahoma will roll, but might provide some clues as to how imperative it is to get John Mateer back in a hurry. For OU, that’s the story here — how much of a decline is Hawkins at QB?

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 6 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The list of College Football Playoff contenders and pretenders has had some shifts, and there are plenty of changes to make since last week’s column.

Time for the weekly deep dive into how we see the SEC’s regular season shaping up. Note that below are the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (3-1, 10-2)

Alabama, we are back in the boat. A gutsy 24-21 win at Georgia brings us back to the point of suggesting that maybe Week 1 was just an awkward misstep, and the real Alabama looks more or less as expected. There are still a bevy of challenges ahead — for one, Vandy. But Alabama stepping up combines with a few other teams looking very mortal (Oklahoma potentially without Mateer, LSU, etc.). Here we are now. Entertain us.

Arkansas (2-3, 3-9)

There’s nobody left on the schedule who Arkansas should be able to beat given the new post-Sam Pittman culture. Mississippi State would be the most likely suspect, but the Bulldogs will definitely have superior motivation as Arkansas will be sliding out of bowl contention by then. Arkansas went from a gallant team fighting a tough schedule to a hopeless case in 4 quarters against Notre Dame. We’re calling for 1 random win ahead, but that’s it.

Auburn (3-2, 7-5)

The Auburn Tigers stumbled through a hopeless offensive performance and gave us all room to wonder if they’ll make bowl eligibility. Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mercer make that a yes. But at this point, 1 more win might be about the size of things. Missouri or Vandy would be the most likely seventh win suspects.

Florida (1-3, 3-9)

The Gators were off, which is probably the best possible news. A pair of likely thumpings against Texas and Texas A&M won’t leave a lot of hope moving forward. Kentucky looks like a win, and we’re guessing for 1 more, but it’s unclear who that could even be. Mississippi State is the most likely candidate, but that’s far from certain. The Billy Napier grim reaper watch is ongoing.

Georgia (3-1, 10-2)

Did the loss to Alabama change anything? Not really. Georgia has some room to improve, but most of the teams on the remaining schedule won’t be able to capitalize on mistakes. Ole Miss and Texas look like the toughest remaining games and both are at home. A loss in either of those doesn’t deflect overall from Georgia’s path to the CFP.

Kentucky (2-2, 3-9)

A 22-point loss to South Carolina makes a pretty good case that Kentucky is effectively finished for the 2025 season. FCS Tennessee Tech is the only likely win left on the schedule.

LSU (4-1, 9-3)

The offensive concerns were real after all. The schedule isn’t too bad down the stretch, although road trips to Bama and Oklahoma are concerning, as is a home game with Texas A&M. The LSU Tigers probably could stand to impress a little more in the eye test if they want one of those final CFP spots.

Ole Miss (5-0, 11-1)

Yes, this is quite a jump. But the Ole Miss Rebels took care of LSU and the back half of their schedule has softened a bit. Those road trips to Georgia and Oklahoma are still concerning, but even a split there leaves the Rebels poised for the SEC title game and a safe CFP destination.

Mississippi State (4-1, 6-6)

The Mississippi State Bulldogs couldn’t quite take down Tennessee, but that level of play convinced us that there’s a second win still ahead for the Bulldogs. With Florida and Arkansas still ahead, there are probably 6 wins there. Yes, those are both road games, but with both teams in mid-meltdown, we’ll take State to reach a bowl in 2025.

Missouri (5-0, 9-3)

The Mizzou Tigers beat a bad team and don’t really change the overall prognosis here. Road trips to Auburn, Vandy, and Oklahoma all look potentially competitive and Alabama and Texas A&M at home will be tough to pull out. We’ll say the Tigers lose both of those home games and win 2 of the 3 road games to end up with 9 wins.

RELATED: Missouri online sports betting is set to go live and legal on Dec. 1, 2025. Stay in the know with all the latest info about the upcoming DraftKings Missouri promo.

Oklahoma (4-0, 8-4)

The Oklahoma Sooners stay here for the moment because the bye week means we haven’t really gauged their situation without John Mateer — or figured out how long Mateer is out. Kent State should be an easy win anyway, but 5-0 will fade in a hurry if the Sooners don’t get QB1 going again.

South Carolina (3-2, 5-7)

South Carolina did blast Kentucky, but its next 5 games are now against teams in the top 13 of the AP Poll, and 3 of the 5 are on the road. Oklahoma on October 18 might hold the key to bowl eligibility, potentially depending on whether John Mateer is back by then.

Tennessee (4-1, 10-2)

It’s an easy, easy CFP path now for the Vols. Arkansas and Florida are sleepwalking. Oklahoma may or may not have John Mateer and Alabama and Vandy are thus basically the biggest threats on this schedule. The game with Mississippi State wasn’t anything brilliant, but the Vols avoided a potentially costly loss, which is the big deal.

Texas (3-1, 9-3)

The Texas Longhorns were off this week. Their October road run of Florida, Kentucky, and Mississippi State doesn’t look that bad now. Georgia and A&M both remain and, at the moment, we’d likely go against Texas in both games. Otherwise, things are going well.

Texas A&M (4-0, 10-2)

The only really tough matchups ahead now are road trips to LSU, Missouri, and Texas. Texas A&M at 11-1 might be more likely than the 9-3 potential. By playing Florida and Arkansas in October and South Carolina when their season will likely be flagging, A&M ended up with a solid schedule draw.

Vanderbilt (5-0, 8-4)

The Vanderbilt Commodores are one of college football’s darlings, but Alabama could bring things back to reality. LSU, Texas, and Tennessee still remain. It’s not an easy run ahead for Vandy, but this team seems to be playing with house money anyway.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 5 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The slate is short but meaningful. These are almost all big games.  

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

Note that the entire league schedule is on Saturday, so no days will be listed below.

5 stars

The game worth cancelling your plans, faking a cold, and to quote the legendary Lane Kiffin, the ones worth getting your popcorn ready:

No. 17 Alabama at No. 5 Georgia (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

It should be a fineable offense to have an evening wedding scheduled for Saturday, September 27. That’s how good this will be. Alabama will be playing for something perhaps approaching Kalen DeBoer‘s coaching life. Georgia is looking to make a statement after a relatively quiet offseason. Ty Simpson and Gunner Stockton really go under the microscope for the second time for each. Should be epic.

No. 4 LSU at No. 13 Ole Miss (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Any other week, this would be the national game to watch. LSU has the superior ranking and ceiling, but has been a bit underwhelming. Ole Miss has style points aplenty, but seems to always struggle against the very top teams. And who’s the Rebel QB? They might need both to hang on as the slimmest of home favorites. But who’s not watching this one?

Auburn vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Just in case anybody wanted an alternative in the midday slot, here’s this one. Auburn took the loss in the Jackson Arnold return game, but gained valuable experience. A&M might be a touch overrated — it’ll be hard to lean into that Notre Dame win if Arkansas upsets the Irish this weekend. This is a game to determine the ceiling for 2 teams still in the CFP discussion.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still excellent quality college football.

No. 22 Notre Dame at Arkansas (Noon ET, ABC)

Arkansas has suffered a season’s worth of near-misses already. Is college football cruel enough to drop a third in its lap? So far, Notre Dame is underachieving its way to a sluggish season. Taylen Green is going to throw for about a bajillion yards, and either the Hogs win and Sam Pittman can exhale or Notre Dame is back in the Playoff mix.

No. 15 Tennessee at Mississippi State (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

This has some sneaky potential to be a great game. Starkville is a hard place to play well, and Tennessee generally has that 1 game every year where it just doesn’t quite show up. The Vols will have to be disciplined and might have some genuine issues getting Blake Shapen off the field. UT is the talent favorite, but talent might not mean as much in front of 50,000 cowbells.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

Kentucky at South Carolina (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

I attended my first college football game around this time of year 31 years ago and these same 2 teams played. And the story is basically the same then and now. The winner will probably sneak into a lower-tier bowl. The loser will not. If that story (and a -5.5 line) doesn’t make for a 3-star game, then not much else can. (For the curious: Carolina won 23-9 in 1994.)

One thing is for sure, though — the Gamecock fans will be loud.

Check out our Columbia episode that kicks off the second season of College Town!

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups.

Utah State at No. 18 Vanderbilt (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

The good news here is obvious. Vandy used to be in the Utah State role here, the 23.5-point underdog to a top 20 opponent. The 3-1 Aggies lost by 22 to Texas A&M in Week 2, so the Commodores should be fine, albeit likely not with epic viewing.

1 star

Only for the diehards.

UMass vs. No. 20 Missouri (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

Just to prove that not everybody is moving on to competitive football, Mizzou takes on an 0-3 team that lost to an FCS team in Week 2 and is a 43.5-point favorite.

RELATED: Sports betting will be live in Missouri before you know it. Stay up to date with the latest info regarding the upcoming bet365 Missouri bonus.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 5 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It wasn’t a week full of unexpected results (unlike the ACC, for instance), but with a little more information comes a little more clarity on the league’s situation. Here’s where we see the squads of the SEC ending the regular season.

Note that below are the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (2-1, 8-4)

We’ll stay put on Alabama. As things stand, Georgia and Missouri are the toughest road challenges, with Tennessee, LSU, and Oklahoma all having to play at Alabama. That feels like a 2-3 slate right now, which is no offense to the Tide. It probably takes a 3-2 run in those games to be in the CFP discussion and if I’m Kalen DeBoer, I’d take that in a New York minute.

Arkansas (2-2, 4-8)

We didn’t have Arkansas Razorbacks reaching 6 wins even before they lost to Memphis. After that loss, finding 4 more wins here takes some hardcore optimism. Notre Dame next week could change everything just as suddenly as this ugly Memphis loss. But until that happens, we’re downgrading even the humble landing where we had Arkansas.

Auburn (3-1, 8-4)

Losing to Oklahoma wasn’t exactly shocking, but it was a bit disappointing for Auburn, In the big picture, the Tigers remain who we thought they were — a team that’ll pick up some solid wins and end up probably a game shy of being in the CFP discussion. That’s a definite improvement from a year ago, even if it’s not quite where Auburn wants to be.  

Florida (1-3, 4-8)

Billy Napier seems to have finally run out of miracles. Will he survive Florida’s week off? DJ Lagway has to be one of the most historically misused QBs ever. Between his career and Anthony Richardson’s, can we call Napier the anti-QB whisperer? The QB screamer maybe? In any case, it hasn’t worked and off week followed by playing a solidifying Texas squad is not good.

Georgia (3-0, 10-2)

Georgia had the week off and we won’t move them from there. The Alabama game feels much more significant for the Tide than it does for the Bulldogs. Georgia’s remaining schedule sets up pretty well for what starts to feel like an inevitable CFP run.

Kentucky (2-1, 4-8)

Kentucky was off, which probably makes for one of the happier weeks of the season for Big Blue Nation. Any chance at a positive outcome for the season needs a road win at South Carolina this coming week. Otherwise, it gets rough to find more than 2 wins on the remaining slate for the Wildcats (and 2 might get difficult).

LSU (4-0, 9-3)

LSU looks to be pulling things together. There’s still a tough road slate ahead with Ole Miss, Vandy, Alabama, and Oklahoma. If the Tigers handle Ole Miss next week in Oxford, they probably go up to a 10-2 prediction. Either way, they look likely to end up where they need to be for the CFP, which is all we’re really thinking about these days.

Ole Miss (4-0, 9-3)

Ole Miss finally opened up a gallon drum of beatdown on a decent team and the fighting Lane Kiffins seem to be living up to the FPI numbers that ESPN’s computers have been spitting. LSU ends September in Oxford and then road games at Georgia and Oklahoma come up next month. Whoever wins this weekend is getting the bump to 10-2. But whoever loses still looks a lot like a CFP team.

Mississippi State (4-0, 5-7)

Mississippi State took care of business and finished the nonconference slate well. The games just don’t stack up well in conference play. For the moment, we’ll hold at 5 wins, but maybe the struggles of Arkansas make that game on Nov. 1 one to watch for a possible victory to nab.

Missouri (4-0, 9-3)

Mizzou has played a soft schedule and doesn’t leave home until the back half of October. But the Tigers are a heck of a football team. Running the ball down the throat of South Carolina to seal the win was certainly exactly what the Tigers needed to show. We’ll stick at 9-3 because we still haven’t seen Missouri on the road, and games at Auburn, Vandy, and Oklahoma all figure to be tough, and that final game against Arkansas is eternally unpredictable.

RELATED: Missouri online sports betting will go live on Dec. 1, 2025. Stay in the know with all the latest information about the upcoming DraftKings Missouri promo.

Oklahoma (4-0, 8-4)

Oklahoma is off to an amazing start, but the prediction isn’t going to move quite yet. Road games at Tennessee and Alabama will be tough and Oklahoma wasn’t lucky enough to draw Kentucky, Mississippi State, or Arkansas on the schedule. A bye week and an easy win over Kent State will keep momentum high, but that Texas game on Oct. 11 looks enormous for both teams.

South Carolina (2-2, 6-6)

South Carolina really didn’t need 2 September losses with road games at LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M still upcoming. Add in home games with Oklahoma and Alabama and 6-6 feels pretty charitable. Carolina absolutely cannot lose to Kentucky on Saturday and hope to have any kind of season.

Tennessee (3-1, 10-2)

Tennessee dominated easily over UAB, as was expected and all but guaranteed. Expectations remain high for the Vols, with home games with Alabama and Oklahoma probably the toughest tasks left. We’re sticking at 10-2 for UT.

Texas (3-1, 9-3)

Texas had a taking care of business game that doesn’t really substantively change much of anything. The looming challenges of Georgia, A&M and Oklahoma are all key. It’ll be tough for the loser of the Oklahoma/Texas game to mount a successful CFP run, and it’s the first real chance for the Longhorns to show that they are who we thought they were.

Texas A&M (3-0, 10-2)

Texas A&M was off, and our prediction here doesn’t change. There are a few challenges late at LSU and Texas, and Missouri could be a stumbling-block road game, but otherwise, the Aggies look to be set on a CFP course.

Vanderbilt (4-0, 7-5)

Vanderbilt is playing wonderful football and deserves to be considered as a CFP longshot. Unfortunately, the schedule will catch up soon. October has a trip to Alabama and home games with LSU and Missouri. Even getting through that at 1-2 would leave Vandy at 6-2 with a good shot at 8 wins and maybe even 9. But for the momentum, we’ll stay cautious on the ‘Dores.

The post Predicting every SEC team’s final record after Week 4 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

Note that the entire league schedule is on Saturday, so no days will be listed below.

5 stars

The game worth cancelling your plans, faking a cold, and to quote the legendary Lane Kiffin, getting your popcorn ready.

No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

What’s not to love? Auburn has the chance make a massive statement, particularly QB Jackson Arnold, who ended up on the Plains because of his struggles at Oklahoma. Yes, the fighting John Mateers are still making their case as a potential Playoff team and he’s a plausible Heisman Trophy winner. It’s the lone ranked showdown of the day and the whole Jackson Arnold subplot is irresistible.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star game, but still excellent quality college football.

Arkansas at Memphis (Noon ET, ABC)

Taylen Green has been absolutely electric for the Razorbacks and came an untimely fumble from leading Arkansas to a massive upset last week. But the Hogs are just 7.5-point favorites over Memphis, who is 3-0 and has the highest FPI ranking of any Group of 5 team. The SEC story is only a part of what’s going on here, but it’s all adding up to a potentially consequential and deeply competitive game.

Tulane at No. 13 Ole Miss (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Much like the last game, it’s a battle between a hard-to-figure but offensively explosive SEC squad, this time Lane Kiffin’s Rebels and Tulane, where Jon Sumrall has made the Green Wave a legitimate G5 contender. The Rebels are a 13.5-point favorite and seeing who is at QB for the Rebels alone is a big subplot. The Green Wave will have their hands full to win, but Kentucky and Arkansas both played 1-score games with the Rebels.

Florida at No. 4 Miami (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

Here Florida is again, with Billy Napier clinging to his job. The Gators are just a 9.5-point dog at Miami, which suggests that maybe Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes aren’t getting a ton of respect. Surely, DJ Lagway will have a bounce-back game from the 5-pick fiesta of last week, right? Last season should have shown us all that one thing we know about the Gators is generally that we know absolutely nothing about the Gators.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

South Carolina at No. 23 Missouri

With LaNorris Sellers now apparently playing, South Carolina really needs to avoid a second September loss. The home Tigers are a 9.5-point favorite and seeing how Beau Pribula does against an SEC defense is a major Mizzou storyline to watch. If Carolina had looked less hopeless last week, this could well be a 4-star game. As it is, the Tigers seem to come in looking pretty good.

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in deeply mediocre matchups.

UAB at No. 15 Tennessee (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Not a ton to see here, except how Tennessee bounces back from a heart-breaking loss. The Vols are 38.5-point favorites, so it’s not like UAB can do much damage even if the Vols are pretty dozy.

Northern Illinois at Mississippi State (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

The other SEC Network game of the day is a tick above completely snooze-worthy. The Bulldogs are 21.5-point favorites, but need to make sure to catch every win possible ahead of the SEC run. The MAC has laid better teams to waste.

1 star

Only for the diehards.

Georgia State at No. 20 Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

The fighting Diego Pavias basically get a glorified week off as a 28.5-point favorite over a 1-2 Georgia State team. Expect revenge from last year’s inexplicable loss. A 4-0 Vanderbilt is soon to be a thing.

SE Louisiana at No. 3 LSU (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

The Tigers didn’t even play an FBS team. This might be worth a look to see if Garrett Nussmeier can get a hot start and break out of his passing slump.

Sam Houston at No. 8 Texas (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Likewise for Manning and Texas. The Horns are favored by 39.5 points, so winning and losing are basically outside of contemplation on this one.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 4 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

With nearly a month of SEC action to judge, the league’s big picture is starting to make sense. Here’s where we see the squads of the SEC ending the regular season.

Note that below are the current records and then the projected records of each team.

Alabama (2-1, 8-4)

Are we climbing back into the boat on the Tide? Well, at least a little bit. Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, and Oklahoma all look genuinely challenging, but if the Alabama offense truly is as smoothed out as it seemed against Wisconsin, 9 wins isn’t out of the question. Yes, the last 2 weeks consisted of Alabama beating bad teams like a matter of routine, but that did show some focus and consistency.

Arkansas (2-1, 5-7)

The Arkansas Razorbacks were closing in on a massive upset at Ole Miss. The problem is finding a ton more wins on the Arkansas schedule. At Memphis will be a challenge, but even with that win, the Hogs need Mississippi State and probably Auburn and Mizzou at home to reach 6 wins. At this point, that still looks a bit beyond the Razorbacks’ means.

Auburn (3-0, 8-4)

Auburn remains a team that has taken care of early business. That said, those next 2 road games at Oklahoma and Texas A&M could bring things back to Earth in a hurry. The Jackson Arnold revenge tour next week will be a massive story. But if Auburn can hold things together, a 4-game run of Arkansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Mercer late will help things out. An 8-4 record still looks like the most likely outcome.

Florida (1-2, 4-8)

Billy Napier pulled a season out of the fire in 2024, but 2025 just looks different. Florida can’t get things moving with DJ Lagway chucking interceptions like they count for Florida touchdowns. A road game at Miami and a home game with Texas leaves Florida very likely to be 1-4 and Napier’s Florida situation to be the worst-kept secret in college football. LSU represented a chance to save the season and Florida didn’t deliver.

Georgia (3-0, 10-2)

Georgia‘s execution wasn’t always great, but the Bulldogs found a way to win. Alabama’s shot at rebirth in 2 weeks could leave this secondary with its hands full. Tennessee essentially provided a blueprint to beat the Bulldogs, with the exception of some execution errors. There aren’t many teams on Georgia’s schedule that can bring the personnel to trouble the Dawgs. Bear in mind that Auburn and Mississippi State are the 2 road trips left in Georgia’s season.

Kentucky (2-1, 4-8)

Kentucky struggled at times with one of the worst FBS teams in the nation. Three wins looks more likely than 5 for the Wildcats. After FCS Tennessee Tech, where are the other wins here? A dispirited Florida team or Vanderbilt overlooking the Wildcats are the most plausible possibilities.

LSU (3-0, 9-3)

The LSU offense has been surprisingly mediocre. But the good news it that the defense has made major strides. LSU drew a decent schedule, but all of the road games (Ole Miss, Vandy, Alabama, and Oklahoma) could be challenging. In fact, based on the performance of those teams, we’ll project a potential third loss for the Tigers. If the LSU offense perks up, we’ll jump them back to 10-2.

Ole Miss (3-0, 9-3)

Ole Miss seems to be living dangerously and squeaked out wins in the last 2 weeks. But tougher challenges lie ahead. Tulane next week won’t be easy and games against LSU and at Georgia and Oklahoma leave the Rebels with a couple of likely losses coming out of October. That said, November looks much easier with fades by South Carolina and Florida, so we’ll jump the Rebs to 9-3 and right in the thick of the CFP conversation.

Mississippi State (3-0, 5-7)

Mississippi State continues to be dominant and should move to 4-0 next week. This brutal SEC schedule just doesn’t offer many good chances at wins. State’s home schedule in the conference is Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, and Ole Miss. Two road upsets is probably State’s best chance to get to 6 wins and that feels a bit optimistic.

Missouri (3-0, 9-3)

Mizzou has been fine but a conference road slate of Auburn, Vandy, Oklahoma, and Arkansas didn’t look too imposing going into the season. It looks a good bit tougher after 3 weeks of games. Getting to 4-0 via a home win over South Carolina next weekend would support those CFP dreams for the Tigers.

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Oklahoma (3-0, 8-4)

Like Mizzou, getting off to a 5-0 jump is key for Oklahoma, and Auburn at home in the return of Jackson Arnold offers a solid chance at keeping that hope rolling. It would be great to jump OU higher in the predictions, but the Sooners just nabbed a brutally tough schedule. There’s no Kentucky or Mississippi State to project out for an easy win for the Sooners.

South Carolina (2-1, 7-5)

If LaNorris Sellers is okay, South Carolina is still competitive. If not, a 6-6 season would probably be about as good as can be expected. At Missouri and Kentucky next should set USC’s overall progress. Split them and 6-7 wins is still plausible. Lose both and the Gamecocks have a losing season. Win both and we’ll start thinking about 8 wins again.

Tennessee (2-1, 10-2)

The loss to Georgia really doesn’t impact our thoughts on the Vols. In fact, it was basically expected, and if anything, it’s impressive that Tennessee was one fundamental mistake from a victory. The 2 toughest games left are probably still at home against Oklahoma and at Alabama and UT is probably good enough to split the 2. The random upset loss from left field is the only real possible problem for the Vols.

Texas (2-1, 9-3)

Texas hasn’t been very impressive at all, particularly on offense. The Longhorns have enough talent to beat some of the weaker teams on the schedule, but at this point, at Georgia, a home game with A&M, and a neutral-site game with Oklahoma all look tough. We’ll say Texas picks up 1 of the 3, but the Longhorns seem to be a bubble CFP team at this point.

Texas A&M (3-0, 10-2)

Texas A&M could legitimately open 7-0. After a week off, Auburn next is probably the toughest game on the slate until an Oct. 25 trip to LSU. Mizzou and Texas are both road opponents that could be dangerous, but at this point, if the Aggies can take care of business against Auburn, a 10-win regular season looks pretty plausible.

Vanderbilt (3-0, 7-5)

Vanderbilt will now likely finish September at 5-0. Road trips to Bama, Texas, and Tennessee are all awful, but Kentucky and another minor upset (Mizzou, maybe Auburn) will clear another winning season for the Commodores.

The post Predicting the Final Records of every SEC team after Week 3 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

Note that the entire league schedule is on Saturday, so no days will be listed below.

5 stars

The games worth cancelling your plans, faking a cold, and to quote the legendary Lane Kiffin, getting your popcorn ready.

No. 6 Georgia at No. 15 Tennessee (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The game of Week 3 has Tennessee with a lot more reason to feel viable than in prior seasons. Georgia has won 8 in a row, but it is a largely untested UGA team that is running around 3.5-point favorites in Knoxville. There are plenty of unknowns in this game, but it’s an exciting matchup of a pair of quality teams, both of which have legitimate CFP ambitions.

Florida at No. 3 LSU (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

ABC’s nightcap will keep the excitement level high. Florida badly needs an upset win at the LSU Tigers. The underdog has won in 4 of the last 5 games, including last season, when UF started a run of events that saved Billy Napier‘s job. Do they have another run in them as a 7.5-point underdog or does LSU burnish its CFP plans and put a little oomph into Garrett Nussmeier’s potential Heisman bid?

No. 16 Texas A&M at No. 8 Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)

A trio of 5-star games? There could be 4 or 5, but the 3 we’ve given the nod to are the best of the best. Texas A&M is a mostly untested 2-0 squad while Notre Dame is trying desperately to avoid starting 0-2. The Irish are favored at home by just under a touchdown, but Marcel Reed gives A&M a legitimate chance at pulling this one out.

4 stars

Not quite as electric as the 5-star games, but still excellent quality college football.

Vanderbilt at No. 11 South Carolina (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

A pair of 2-0 teams and many think Vanderbilt might be better than expected. How many? Well, South Carolina is a 3.5-point home favorite, which tells you that the game would essentially be a pick ’em on a neutral field. Vandy just dropped a much more thorough beating on Virginia Tech in Week 2 than South Carolina did in Week 1. USC’s offensive line has struggled, as the Gamecocks have allowed 6 sacks already, tied for worst in the SEC. Can Vandy create enough havoc on LaNorris Sellers to pull off the upset?

Arkansas at No. 17 Ole Miss (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

A pair of 2-0 teams, with Austin Simmons showing big-play capability but also having 5 turnovers in 2 games. Arkansas badly needs this win to have a bowl-eligible season, and the Hogs are only a 6.5-point dog in Oxford. Taylen Green has big play ability , so the question is whether Arkansas’s offensive line can give him time against the Rebel defense.

3 stars

A game with some intriguing aspects, but generally not as competitive or interesting as those above.

Wisconsin at No. 19 Alabama (Noon ET, ABC)

Alabama pulled out a Week 2 beatdown on poor UL-Monroe, but a big win would mean more over Wisconsin. This Badger squad isn’t one of the Big Ten’s best, but there’s enough talent here to make things interesting.

2 stars

Mostly reserved for quality teams in bad matchups.

No. 13 Oklahoma at Temple (Noon ET, ESPN2)

Yes, Oklahoma follows a massive win over Michigan by heading to Philadelphia. Temple is 2-0, but it’s a 23.5-point home underdog in this one. Still, a chance to see John Mateer do his thing.

South Alabama at No. 24 Auburn (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

South Alabama has a relatively powerful offense, but probably not enough defense to outlast Auburn. Still, this one might stay close for a quarter or 2 before Jackson Arnold makes enough plays for the 24.5-point favorite to pull away.

Louisiana at No. 25 Missouri (1 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

There’s not even a mainstream telecast for this one, as Mizzou is a 27.5-point favorite. Beau Pribula has been one of the more impressive surprises of the SEC slate so far and he’s the most watchable player here.

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UTEP at No. 7 Texas (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Texas gets a nice 2-week break from SEC reality that starts here as a 40.5-point favorite. Arch Manning will get another chance to be impressive, although the one-time favorite in the Heisman race has definitely faded back a step.

1 star

Only for the diehards.

Eastern Michigan at Kentucky (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

Eastern Michigan is 0-2 and must be genuinely awful to be a 25.5-point underdog to a Kentucky team that seems incapable of scoring 26 points in a vacant stadium.

Alcorn State at Mississippi State (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

The Bulldogs followed a meaningful win over Arizona State by playing an 0-2 FCS team.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 3 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

There are still a handful of teams that haven’t seen real competition. But regardless, we won’t wait. Here’s a rundown of where the teams of the SEC now stand record-wise and where we project them to finish the regular season.

This is where the SEC stands… at least until we see them all again.

(Note: The first record is the current mark and the second record is our projected final record.)

Alabama (1-1, 7-5)

Beating a miserable lower-tier opponent was a step forward, but not a terribly meaningful step. It’s still hard to imagine Alabama getting past Georgia and  LSU. At this point, it’s safe to wonder whether Alabama can hang around against teams like Tennessee or South Carolina. Oklahoma and Auburn both seem capable of grinding out wins. There’s still some room for optimism here, but how Alabama handles game pressure the next time around will be telling. That’s probably the final game of September against Georgia.

Arkansas (2-0, 5-7)

The road game next week against Ole Miss should be telling. Yes, Arkansas has been fine, but the final week of September on is pretty rough. Picking up Notre Dame out of conference was probably not great. With a trio of awful road games with Tennessee, LSU, and Texas, Arkansas may have to pull some magic in a home upset or 2. Meanwhile, Memphis on the road in Week 4 is a potential stumbling block.

Auburn (2-0, 8-4)

Auburn remains up high. The passing game seemed to make strides, although admittedly, what to be learned from Ball State is a debatable matter. The back to back road games with Oklahoma and Texas A&M both look like significant challenges. Split the pair and 9 wins looks entirely plausible. For now, we’ll stick at 8-4.

Florida (1-1, 5-7)

USF wasn’t Long Island. Florida has plenty of talent, but things are about to get ugly. The next 3 games are at LSU, at Miami and then at home against Texas. The Gators are highly likely to start out 1-4 and if they do that, the flaming hot seat under Billy Napier might interfere with the ability to even reach 6 wins. If South Florida is a home loss, there’s not many (any?) more games on the schedule that look terribly certain.

Georgia (2-0, 10-2)

We still know basically nothing about Georgia. Road games at Auburn and Mississippi State both look tougher than they did, but Georgia still seems like a team that doesn’t drop more than a pair of regular season games. A season ago, Alabama gave is best regular-season effort to take down Georgia. Short of a Tennessee upset, a repeat performance of that might be the biggest early danger to this team.

Kentucky (1-1, 4-8)

Kentucky continues to set back offensive football. Two weak nonconference games and then a mild surprise win over Florida, Vanderbilt, or Louisville looks like the predictable outcome. How much buyout money can AD Mitch Barnhart raise?

LSU (2-0, 10-2)

LSU had a dozy victory over Louisiana Tech, but the defense still worked hard, holding Tech to just 154 total yards. That might be the story here. ESPN’s FPI ratings love Ole Miss much more than the Tigers, but the 3 teams from the SEC that likely project best into the College Football Playoff have to be Texas, Georgia, and LSU. The Tigers are the only SEC team lucky enough to not face any of those 3 (as they can’t play themselves).

Ole Miss (2-0, 8-4)

The Rebels struggled with a punchless Kentucky, but did avoid a damaging upset. It should be a 4-0 start for the Rebels, but a 4-game run that includes LSU, at Georgia, and at Oklahoma looks challenging. The Egg Bowl suddenly doesn’t look like a chippy, but Florida at home might be by mid-November (as Billy Napier will likely be fired). We’ll stick with the Rebs at 8-4, but not quite stout enough for the CFP.

Mississippi State (2-0, 5-7)

The Bulldogs managed a great win over Arizona State and should now start 4-0. But the SEC slate is tough– no Kentucky or Vandy to be found. Florida and Arkansas look like winnable road games, and that is the most likely path to 6 wins, although for the moment that still seems a little optimistic.

At home against Alcorn State, Northern Illinois, and perhaps Mizzou looks like the rundown here. There are a few SEC games that even look worthy of hopes of an upset for Mississippi State — at Arkansas might be the best shot.

Missouri (2-0, 9-3)

It was an ugly start, but Mizzou woke up and picked off Kansas. The impressiveness of the Tiger offense convinced us to bump them up a victory. Mizzou could well start 5-0 with a win over South Carolina in 2 weeks. Get that one and 9-3 is entirely plausible. That would put the Tigers probably just outside the range of the CFP’s reach.

Oklahoma (2-0, 8-4)

In no reasonable world is Missouri actually better than Oklahoma. But the Sooners still face a tougher schedule. If they can handle Auburn at home, they’ll start 5-0. But that late-season run is brutal, as Texas, LSU, at Bama, at Tennessee, at South Carolina, and home against Ole Miss and Mizzou will leave even a quality team gasping for air. OU is still upwardly mobile, but it’s a tough back end of the schedule.

South Carolina (2-0, 8-4)

Carolina is still flexible and could surprise here. If they can outlast Missouri on the road, Carolina shapes up as likely to open 5-0. There’s no Texas or Georgia on the schedule, but with Clemson still a non-league game, 8 wins feels pretty ambitious. 9 is certainly not outside the realm of possibility, but given the schedule, neither is 7 wins.

Tennessee (2-0, 10-2)

Tennessee shapes up even better than expected. Yes, this coming weekend against Georgia is a likely loss. But after that, there’s not a ton of problems — at Bama and at home against Oklahoma look like the toughest games. Tennessee looks like they’d split the 2 and if the Vols can avoid the occasional ugly and inexplicable loss (see Arkansas a year ago), they’re in great CFP shape.

Texas (1-1, 10-2)

Get Ohio State out of the picture and it turns out that Texas can score points. Two easy weeks should set the Horns up to fare well. Georgia awaits a November game on the road but A&M at home and Oklahoma in Dallas are the 2 toughest remaining games otherwise. A split there lands Texas at 10 wins, which feels about right.

Texas A&M (2-0, 8-4)

A&M’s offense has been impressive. If the Aggies upset Notre Dame, the CFP talk has some real legs. There are still road trips to LSU and Texas ahead, so this factors out as a likely 8-4 team that could indeed be dangerous. A&M looks more like a CFP spoiler than contender, but beat the Irish next week and the conversation gets much more interesting.

Vanderbilt (2-0, 5-7)

Vandy should finish September at 4-1. That leaves Kentucky and hope for a bowl bid. Missouri or Auburn at home look like the best chances, but for the moment, we’ll keep the ‘Dores just outside the bowl reach.

The post Predicting the final records of every SEC team after Week 2 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This is a rundown on the SEC slate and which games are the ones to plan you weekend around and which might be the ones to snooze during the second half.

These rankings are subjective, but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

Note that the entire league schedule is on Saturday, so no days will be listed below.

5 stars

There only one game in the top echelon this week, but it’s a keeper.

Oklahoma vs. Michigan (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

A top-20 showdown in prime time pits a couple of teams that still have plenty to prove. Neither Oklahoma nor Michigan played real competition in Week 1 and both have questions about their relative bona fides. John Mateer and Bryce Underwood are 2 of the most intriguing QBs in the nation, and seeing which one gets the upper hand will be must-see TV.

4 stars

That said, there are some very nice games on tap that are just a tick shy of the 5-star competitiveness. Here’s the meat of the schedule.

Missouri vs. Kansas (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

It’s an old rivalry and a chance for Mizzou to make a statement against a team with an impressive dual-threat QB in Jalon Daniels. It’s worth noting that Kansas has given up just 7 points each week, so the Tiger offense is apparently stepping up a notch in competition.

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Ole Miss vs. Kentucky (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

It’s the first SEC game of the season. There are plenty of questions around this game. Is Austin Simmons the big-play threat that he looked like in Week 1? Is Kentucky‘s offense as devoid of creativity and production as it looked? The Ole Miss Rebels feel like much more than a 9.5-point favorite, but this is the kind of game that Mark Stoops has pulled off in his better seasons (although those better seasons may well be past).

Vanderbilt vs. Virginia Tech (7:30 ET, ACC Network)

Not long ago, the idea that this would be a competitive game would have been shocking. In fact, it’s arguable that Vanderbilt should be the favorite here, even on the road. Brent Pry’s job security is less than ideal and Vandy can continue the Diego Pavia run of mildly surprising excellence.

3 stars

These games still have some intrigue, just not at the same level as the ones above:

Mississippi State vs. Arizona State (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

With one of the top teams in the Big 12 heading to one of the worst in the SEC, this is a nice opportunity for the league to make a flex. Meanwhile, Kenny Dillingham’s trash talk promises to have the cowbells ringing extra hard. If Mississippi State seemed a little more up for the challenge, this could have been a 4-star game.

Florida vs. South Florida (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

This one could get interesting, as South Florida looked brilliant in taking down Boise State to open their season. Florida is probably safe here, but it’s also an opportunity to hopefully see a few more snaps for DJ Lagway than in Week 1.

2 stars

Can Alabama and Texas bounce back from Week 1 losses?

Texas vs. San Jose State (Noon ET, ABC)

The story here isn’t competition — Texas is a 36.5-point favorite. It’s how the Longhorns bounce back from their Week 1 loss. It’s safe to expect a much sharper performance from Arch Manning in Week 2 as well.

Arkansas vs. Arkansas State (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

The Arkansas Razorbacks probably don’t get much of a test here, but it’s a chance to gain a little more depth of knowledge of Sam Pittman‘s squad. An in-state FBS team is better than an FCS foe for watchability and for Arkansas’s development.

Alabama vs. UL-Monroe (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

As with Texas above, the story here isn’t this particular battle (Bama, just like Texas, is a 36.5-point favorite), but the chance to see how Alabama bounces back. Given the scorn the Tide got from Week 1, this one feels a little heavier than the Texas game above.

1 star

And finally, here are the lowest-rated games of the weekend:

Texas A&M vs. Utah State (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

The Texas A&M Aggies are a 31.5-point favorite against another batch of Aggies. The dual names might be the most exciting thing here.

Georgia vs. Austin Peay (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Here’s an exhibit as to why top 10 teams don’t need to play FCS teams.

Tennessee vs. East Tennessee State (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Tennessee at least chose an in-state opponent for its FCS game. That’s about the only thing to recommend here.

South Carolina vs. South Carolina State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

More of the same, with another highly-ranked SEC team playing an FCS squad that couldn’t beat them in 20 years.

LSU vs. Louisiana Tech (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Well, LSU chose to play an FBS team, although as a 37.5-point favorite, the most interesting thing here is probably seeing some of LSU’s bench players get some snaps.

Auburn vs. Ball State (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

The Auburn Tigers are 43.5-point favorites. Seeing how the passing game develops from Week 1 is probably the story to watch here.

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 2 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Contrast the expectations today with those for, say, Alabama or Auburn a week ago. We learned a few things. There’s plenty still to be unearthed, of course, but on the basis of Week 1, here’s a rundown on where the teams of the SEC stand to finish the regular season.

Each entry lists the regular-season mark, and then the projected final regular-season mark for every SEC squad.

Let’s start with the aforementioned Alabama Crimson Tide:

Alabama (0-1, 7-5)

First, that wasn’t the real Alabama. Second, even the real Alabama, based on what we saw, is likely to lose to Georgia and LSU and probably then 2 of the 4 of Tennessee, Auburn, South Carolina, and Oklahoma. Overall, 9-3 looks like the ceiling here, with 5-7 as the floor. And 7-5 seems like the ultimate destination, and that’ll grease the skids for Kalen DeBoer.

Arkansas (1-0, 5-7)

Home games with Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Auburn all look beyond the Hogs. On the road, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas add up to 7 defeats in total. It probably wasn’t the ideal season for Arkansas to play Notre Dame in nonconference play.

Auburn (1-0, 8-4)

The Tigers ahead of the Tide? Looks that way from here. Road games at Oklahoma and A&M are the toughest such contests. The home schedule does include Georgia and Alabama, but even if those are both losses (and the latter looks far from certain), a split of the tough road games and another random stumble would still leave the Tigers at 8-4.

Florida (1-0, 7-5)

The Florida Gators looked good, but there’s trouble ahead. USF in Week 2 now looks tough and road trips to LSU and Miami could leave the Gators 1-3 leaving the month of September. A 2-2 mark is more likely, but with Texas, Georgia, at Ole Miss, and Florida State still on the schedule, 7 wins will take some serious work.

Georgia (1-0, 10-2)

The Bulldogs are the team closest to getting an 11-1 forecast. As things stand, they seem like a plausible favorite in every game. The road trips to Tennessee and Auburn could be competitive and the home battles with Alabama and Texas could be tough. Without seeing enough to yet know, 10-2 is the safe pick, but a good game in Knoxville in 2 weeks could jump us to 11-1 easily.

Kentucky (1-0, 4-8)

Eastern Michigan, Tennessee Tech and either Vanderbilt or Louisville on the road look like Kentucky‘s best hopes. A miracle against Ole Miss in Week 2 could revive hopes here.

LSU (1-0, 10-2)

The Tigers’ path to the College Football Playoff is suddenly wide open. Alabama is the toughest road game here, although Ole Miss or Oklahoma could be interesting. They avoid Georgia or Texas, so this lays out pretty well for a nice season for the Tigers thanks to the Week 1 road win.

Ole Miss (1-0, 8-4)

The Rebels get some love from FPI, but the schedule has plenty of challenges. LSU and a road game at Georgia likely spell a pair of losses. The trip to Oklahoma and home games with South Carolina and Florida figure to offer stiff competition. The guess here is that Ole Miss loses 2 of those last 3 to fall outside the CFP.

Mississippi State (1-0, 4-8)

At home against Alcorn State, Northern Illinois, and perhaps Arizona State looks like the rundown here. There are a few SEC games that even look worthy of hopes of an upset for Mississippi State — at Arkansas might be the best shot.

Missouri (1-0, 8-4)

The Tigers have a fairly soft schedule that should help out a lot. Road trips to Auburn and Oklahoma both look challenging, but hardly impossible. At home, Alabama, South Carolina, and A&M could all punch up. The guess here is that Mizzou picks off one of that batch, but not a second, which could place it in the periphery of the CFP conversation.

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Oklahoma (1-0, 7-5)

Week 2 could be the proving ground. Beat Michigan and there are some more possibilities that open up. As it stands, Texas, LSU, and at Alabama and Tennessee each look tough. OU will probably be better than its record, but with this schedule, there’s not much wiggle room.

South Carolina (1-0, 8-4)

The Gamecocks shape up to fall just off last season’s pace. Road games at LSU, Ole Miss, and A&M each offer legitimate difficulty. At home, Alabama and Clemson await. The thought here is that the Gamecocks pick up 1 win against that bunch, but fall in the other 4 to end up with 8 wins.

Tennessee (1-0, 9-3)

The Vols definitely have CFP life after the opening week. Georgia and at Alabama both loom large on the remaining schedule. Otherwise at Florida is probably the biggest challenge here. UT might be fine there, but the pick is for another surprise loss somewhere along the line (Oklahoma maybe?).

Texas (0-1, 9-3)

The Longhorns took a tough loss, but there’s probably not a ton more that will go against them. The trip to Georgia on Nov. 15 is daunting, and beyond that, we’ll possibly see another loss somewhere out there. At Florida, or in Dallas with Oklahoma or even against A&M to close the regular season look plausible. It’s a CFP-quality team, but the Horns might need a lucky break or 2 to get there.

Texas A&M (1-0, 8-4)

The Aggies have a tough schedule with trips to Notre Dame, LSU and Texas all but guaranteeing 3 losses. Home games with Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina could also make things tough. It’s hard to see a scenario in which A&M wins more than 8 games in the regular season.

Vanderbilt (1-0, 5-7)

The road schedule includes Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee. That’s a very plausible 0-5 run right there. Add in LSU and Auburn at home and that looks like a losing season for the fighting Diego Pavias.

The post Predicting the final records of every SEC team after Week 1 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Now that fall camp is over, we’ve learned a few things about each conference team, and now we’ve rated all 16 games in terms of watchability.

These rankings are subjective but also account for league and national impact along with how exciting and how close the games will be. Games are ranked on a 1-to-5 star scale, with 5 being the most watchable game and 1 being the least.

5 stars

These games are the cream of the crop for a loaded Week 1 slate:

Texas at Ohio State (Saturday, Noon ET, FOX)

While every Week 1 has some big games, few rate as high as this one — No. 1 vs. No. 3, defending national champ versus favorite to be this year’s national champ. This feels like a CFP preview. Texas QB Arch Manning and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin have their chance to claim an early Heisman Trophy lead, the nation’s two top conferences vie for superiority, it’s all here. This is a close the blind, lock the door, pretend nobody’s home kind of game.

LSU at Clemson (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

In any normal week, this would be the must-see game and it’s still got a chance to be the best action in Week 1. While 2 more or less unknown QBs battle in Texas-OSU, this Garrett Nussmeier vs. Cade Klubnik battle is the real deal. This could be an absolute shootout and feels almost certain to be a “last team that has the ball” kind of game.

Auburn at Baylor (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FOX)

While each of the 2 games above are fascinating, this one is probably more important. It’s hard to imagine Hugh Freeze and Auburn having a good season in the SEC after losing to Baylor. But Sawyer Robertson and the Bears present a substantial challenge. For a nonconference game, this one is about as big as it gets for the Tigers.

4 stars

This game is just a notch below the 5-star matchups:

South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN)

South Carolina tends to be more aggressive in early scheduling than most SEC teams and this is no exception. Conventional wisdom is that the Gamecocks take a step back this season. Tech hasn’t been explosive under Brent Pry, but it did reach a bowl a season ago and gave Miami a great battle. The LaNorris Sellers Heisman hype could either get a big boost or get throttled down.

3 stars

These matchups are firmly middle-of-the-road this weekend:

Tennessee vs. Syracuse (Saturday, Noon ET, ABC)

The Tennessee opener could be more interesting than it’d like. Syracuse does have to more or less start over at QB in the post-Kyle McCord era, but this team was a handful a season ago. Meanwhile, they Joey Aguilar era will be one that the rest of the SEC will keep an eye on. Does Josh Heupel‘s QB whisperer touch help finish him or will the Vols fade? The first clues will likely come against the Orange.

Alabama at Florida State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

The Tide have big expectations for Year 2 of the Kalen DeBoer era and justifiably so. Ryan Grubb will upgrade the offense for Ty Simpson and Year 2 of Ryan Williams should be epic. Meanwhile, Florida State is off a miserable season and has plenty to prove. There’s more talent on that team than a year ago, but it still doesn’t seem like it’ll prove too difficult for Alabama.

Kentucky vs. Toledo (Saturday, 12:45 p.m. ET, SECN)

Kentucky is coming off a miserable 2024 season and is breaking in 7th year QB Zach Calzada. But Toledo was 8-5 a year ago and MAC teams can hang around and make things ugly. Ask Mississippi State or Pitt last year as the Rockets beat both of those teams. QB Tucker Gleason was solid a year ago and RB Chip Trayanum was on Kentucky’s roster a year ago. The Wildcats’ 2025 hopes could get buried early.

2 stars

Mississippi State at Southern Mississippi (Saturday, Noon ET, ESPN)

The Bulldogs come off a brutal season in 2024, but the road trip to face a Southern Miss team with a new coach and a 1-11 mark last year shouldn’t be too difficult. The Golden Eagle program has been strong, but not on the basis of this squad. Like Kentucky, State’s season probably can’t survive a loss, but this shouldn’t be much of a matchup.

Georgia vs. Marshall (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The Bulldogs start the Stockton era, but they do so against a Marshall team that had its roster gutted from last year’s SBC title. The 10-3 team lost its coach, its 3 QBs who played last year, and its top 5 rushers and receivers, as well as its top 9 tacklers. If this was last year’s Marshall team, it’d be a much better game. As it is, Stockton and Georgia will get some work throwing against air.

Texas A&M vs. UTSA (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The Texas A&M quest to rise up the SEC ladder opens against a decent UTSA squad. A season ago, the Roadrunners won 7 games and they return most of their offensive playmakers. Defensively, though, this team has been stripped of most returnees and Marcel Reed’s season should get off to a good start. A&M’s defense might be bit more tested by QB Owen McCown (3,424 yards and 25 TDs last year).

Ole Miss vs. Georgia State (Saturday, 7:45 p.m. ET, SECN)

The Rebels open the Austin Simmons era and will show the first clues as to their viability as a CFP squad. Georgia State was 3-9 a year ago, but it is worth noting that one of those wins came over Vanderbilt. Ole Miss is a markedly superior team, but Simmons and the Rebels’ CFP potential raise this game a notch in the watchability scale.

1 star

And finally, here are the 1-star games for this weekend’s slate:

Missouri vs. Central Arkansas (Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SECN)

The Tigers’ quest for a third straight 10-win season opens against an FCS team that went 6-5 a season ago. Suffice it to say that unless your focus of Week 1 is seeing how Mizzou‘s new offensive players wear their uniforms, there’s not going to be much to learn here. The Beau Pribula vs. Sam Horn battle is about the only story to watch here.

RELATED: Sports betting will launch in Missouri on Dec. 1. Get all the information about the Underdog Sportsbook Missouri promo from Saturday Down South.

Arkansas vs. Alabama A&M (Saturday, 4:15 p.m. ET, SECN)

Arkansas opens up against an Alabama A&M team that opened last season with a 73-3 loss to a 5-7 Auburn squad. Taylen Green should have a very, very good day, but it won’t prove much.

Oklahoma vs. Illinois State (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Oklahoma opens up with an Illinois State team that won 10 games and reached the FCS playoffs a year ago, but also lost 40-0 to Iowa. The John Mateer experience will be a story to watch, but there’s not much to learn with this matchup.

Florida vs. Long Island (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

DJ Lagway’s health will get a confirmation in an easy one against a 4-8 FCS squad. A season ago, the Sharks fell to TCU 45-0 in Week 2. Should be plenty of snaps for the Florida reserves in this one.

Vanderbilt vs. Charleston Southern (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

The second year of Diego Pavia opens against a 1-11 FCS team. As bad as Florida State was, it blasted Charleston Southern 41-7 to end the 2024 CSU season. This one will be a snoozer for Vanderbilt.

Looking to watch this weekend’s SEC football action? Click here to use a Fubo TV promo that gives you a 30-day free trial!

The post SEC Watchability Rankings: Week 1 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Week 0 includes no SEC action and features only 5 FBS games, one of which is against an FCS opponent. But despair not– for the discerning SEC fan, Week 0 carries a fair amount of intrigue.

Let us help you find the stories to watch in the games of Week 0. Those games aren’t just 2 random teams squaring off — they’re 2 random teams in games with storylines that involve the SEC.

Top 5 Storylines for SEC fans in Week 0

Here’s the rundown of 5 storylines SEC fans should be watching in Week 0:

1. Iowa State-Kansas State and the battle for the Big 12

There’s no doubt where the most intriguing game of Week 0 lies — it’s the ranked showdown of Iowa State and Kansas State. The No. 17 Wildcats and No. 22 Cyclones each have outstanding veteran QBs who would make excellent dark horse Heisman candidates if either of their respective schools makes a CFP run. But what does it have to do with the SEC? Well, that CFP run.

Yes, the SEC can safely claim 3 CFP teams. The Big Ten will likely also claim 3. Add Notre Dame and the champions of the ACC, Big 12, and the top Group of 5 team. That leaves 2 spots open. Well, maybe it leaves 2 spots. A season ago, the Big 12 had 4 teams with 7-2 marks in league play. Arizona State outlasted Iowa State and grabbed the lone CFP spot. But that left Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado each a hair away from the CFP.

What would help the SEC? Dominance. If Clemson rolls through the ACC and is the clear sole top team, that helps the SEC. If somebody — frankly anybody — takes control of the Big 12 and eliminates the competition, that also helps the SEC. Who’s that team? Even for SEC fans who don’t care whether it’s a Cyclone or a Wildcat, pick your Big 12 favorite and hope they rock the league… for the SEC’s sake.

2. The return of Dan Mullen

Former Mississippi State and Florida boss Dan Mullen will be back in the head coaching ranks as UNLV faces FCS Idaho State. But what does that matter for folks who aren’t, say, Gator fans holding a grudge? Potentially plenty. Given the number of SEC head coaches on the hot seat (Oklahoma, Auburn, and potentially several others), if Mullen has a 10-win season with UNLV, he’s suddenly a very attractive head coaching candidate. An experienced head coach with plenty of SEC chops? If you’re a fan of a team that could make a coaching shake-up, a half eye on Mullen’s return to the coaching ranks is worth your while.

3. The Kansas game has major Missouri implications

Kansas takes on Fresno State in one of the lesser games of Week 0. The Jayhawks can probably be safely ruled out of the potential cluster that will be atop the Big 12. But where Kansas does have the potential to make things interesting is the tune-up for a Week 2 game (September 6) at Missouri. The Jayhawks aren’t an elite team, but dual-threat QB Jalon Daniels is an interesting playmaker. Seeing how Mizzou handles him should give a good read for how the Tigers will deal with a bevy of SEC passers who are similarly dual-threat standouts. The Tigers play South Carolina and LaNorris Sellers 2 weeks after the Kansas game. They’ll face Diego Pavia, Taylen Green and Marcel Reed.

Missouri is something of an unknown this year and how well the Tigers do or don’t handle Jalon Daniels should be an outstanding read for how they might fare in the SEC. Tiger fans (or fans of those teams with dual-threat QBs on Missouri’s SEC slate) should keep an eye on Kansas.

RELATED: Underdog Sportsbook is coming to Missouri this December! Here’s the latest info about the Underdog Sportsbook Missouri promo you should keep an eye out for.

4. The high-powered Hilltoppers

Western Kentucky and Sam Houston has a couple of reasons for SEC interest. Most directly, SHSU will play Texas on September 20 and WKU plays LSU on November 22. But it would be bizarre to consider the Bearkats as having an actual shot against the Longhorns or the Hilltoppers against the Tigers. The more immediate issue here is that Western Kentucky could be that Group of 5 surprise. The Hilltoppers and coach Tyson Helton eternally have a potent passing game with passers from Bailey Zappe to Austin Reed to last year with Caden Veltkamp. The new passer, Maverick McIvor, starred at Abilene Christian. His old offensive coordinator has come to WKU with him and the Hilltoppers have a puncher’s chance at that Group of 5 CFP bid.

5. Stanford and the bottom of the ACC

Lastly and most tenously, Stanford’s game with Hawaii could matter to the SEC. While the top of the ACC looks potentially competitive, with Clemson, Miami, and SMU, the prestige of the league as a whole could be better. A nonconference loss to Hawaii wouldn’t help the conference’s prestige and that could end up being a factor in, say, a fourth SEC team making the CFP instead of a third ACC team.

The post 5 things SEC fans should watch for in Week 0 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Nine innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts in a 1-0 win. Yes, LSU delivered a single run in the 1st inning and then its own bats went into the deep freeze. Didn’t matter. Anderson’s 130th pitch of the night ended an absolute gem and delivered the pivotal first game of the Finals to the Tigers.

What could follow? Only one of the most bizarre Game 2 situations ever to lead to a 5-3 Sunday win and a title for LSU.

Some unclear beef between the involved parties led home plate umpire Angel Campos to eject Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall. First-base coach Matt Schilling also got the boot during the ensuing discussion. LSU shook off distraction and fought to a 5-3 win to wrap up the CWS title, the school’s 8th ever (made even more impressive since they’ve all been in the last 35 years). A masterpiece and a what the %^& ended LSU’s triumphant run.

Anderson’s Game 1 masterwork

Yes, Arkansas’s Gage Wood delivered a 19-strikeout no-hitter earlier in the College World Series that seemed to be the last word on pitching efforts in Omaha.

It might be that Anderson’s Game 1 performance was better. Aided with that solitary run of a Steven Milam 1st-inning single, Anderson pitched into and out of trouble all night. Two runners left on base in the 1st inning, 1 in the second, 1 caught stealing to end the 3rd with another runner left on, a leadoff double allowed to open the 4th before Anderson struck out the side. Another runner left on base in the 5th, another in the 7th, with 1 more in the 8th and in the 9th innings.

Anderson clung to a 1-0 lead for 8 innings and had just a single 1-2-3 inning in the process. Coastal Carolina was seemingly always 1 base hit away, but that was just an optical illusion of a master pitcher throwing his best baseball. This far, Anderson seemed to say, but no farther. And by “this far,” he meant third base apparently.

Let’s talk about 130 pitches. Is it wrong if that’s a point of rejoicing? Even in Major League Baseball, pitchers are often pulled from potential no-hitters due to pitch counts approaching or reaching 100 pitches. MLB has had 10 total complete games in 2025, with no pitcher throwing more than 117 pitches in one of those games. Anderson’s left arm didn’t fly off his body on pitch 118. In fact, he might have been good for another inning or 2 had LSU needed it.

Ejection madness soils LSU triumph

Game 2 was 0-0 in the 1st inning when Campos ejected Schnall after the CCU skipper held up 3 fingers in regard to some apparently missed ball-strike calls. By rule, Schnall can’t actively argue balls and strikes. But by unwritten rule, his ejection was horrific.

Campos might be Doug Harvey and Al Barlick and Bill Klem all rolled into one. But the bare facts of the ejection are clear. This was the ultimate game of a championship finals. Fans do not buy tickets to see Angel Campos umpire. Maybe Schnall did go too far. But in the 1st inning, apparently apropos of nothing, no umpire should make the game so about him that he loses track of the situation and his role. Warn Schnall. Whip your mask off and stalk over to the CCU dugout in angry outreach. But don’t eject a head coach in the 1st inning of a game unless he absolutely leaves you no choice. Schnall did not objectively seem near that point.

The second-worst part of the fiasco (the worst being that Schnall and Schilling couldn’t finish the game) is that it detracts from LSU’s accomplishment. Campos managed to make himself more famous that the winning team as well as the deposed coaches. The head honchos of NCAA baseball would do well to keep Campos as far away from Omaha next spring as is humanly possible.

LSU broke through on a 4-run fourth inning. The game was tied at 1, but LSU’s Chris Stanfield singled in 2 runs and Derek Curiel singled in 2 more. CCU pulled within 5-3 in the 7th on a 2-run blast from Wells Sykes, but that was as close as it got.

Anthony Eyanson had a solid start, leaving LSU’s 2 aces with a combined 15 1/3 innings, 3 runs allowed and 19 strikeouts. Curiel’s game-winning RBI cap a phenomenal season that leaves him arguably the top player in the sport heading into his sophomore season in 2026. If MLB allowed one-and-done, Curiel would be about to get paid in a significant way.

As it is, the Tigers won their second title in 3 years. Jay Johnson is perhaps the top coach in the sport. Curiel will be back with a bright LSU future pending. In their triumph, the Tigers put aside the long ball and won with pitching and big innings keyed by singles and doubles. In the Finals, Anderson’s brilliance and Campos’s chaos will always be remembered. So, hopefully, will LSU’s grit.

The post College World Series Notebook: Kade Anderson’s masterpiece and a bizarre 1st inning send LSU to the title appeared first on Saturday Down South.

That’s baseball.

A team gets lucky and a squirrel becomes somehow the de facto cause of a World Series title. The Rally Squirrel is on those Cardinal World Series rings. It’s all good fun… until you’re on the other side.

Wednesday evening, Arkansas baseball stumbled under another ladder. Walked across the path of another black cat. Found a way to finish its 12th trip to Omaha still on 0 College World Series titles.

Baseball curses are like unholy ghosts. Some claim they don’t exist at all. Some seek to explain the apparitions as some sort of logical trick — sort of the opposite of the rally squirrel. Something unusual happens and Arkansas ends up on the other side of it. Purely a statistical coincidence.

People with 2 eyes, a brain and a heart probably know better. Arkansas baseball is (still) cursed.

The Curse on Wednesday

In an elimination battle with LSU, Arkansas found a way to lose. The Hogs first had to find a way to win multiple times, which they did with their stereotypical clutch play and iron nerves.

Arkansas jumped to a 1-0 lead, rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to claim a 3-2 lead, and then rallied against from a 3-3 tie in the top of the 9th inning to take a 5-3 lead into the fateful bottom of the 9th inning. Runners at first and second, 1 out. And that’s when chaos struck on 3 consecutive defensive plays.

Here’s the kicker. None of these plays were scored as errors. All were plays that Arkansas makes relatively routinely. This just happened to be the exception… on 3 plays in a row.

On the first play, LSU’s Steven Milam ripped a hard ground ball to shortstop Wehiwa Aloy. Aloy did move a step or 2 into the shortstop-third base hole as he fielded the ball. But he grabbed it cleanly and off the bat, Arkansas fans everywhere had to think “double play.”

Aloy grabbed it and instead of turning to throw to second to start the double play, fired in front of him to third base for a force play on the lead runner.

Aloy has been arguably the best player in the nation. He’s made a million plays. But it’s the one that he didn’t try to make that begins the nightmare. At the time, it seemed like a relatively heads up play. Two out, still 2 on. Aloy made the safe play, pushed Arkansas one step closer to a Thursday rematch. Except that since that rematch will never happen, it looks dicey in the rearview mirror.

But Aloy’s decision to take 1 out instead of seeking 2 wouldn’t be talked about today, had play 2 not occurred.

Luis Hernandez smacked a line drive to left field. Hit hard, but essentially straight at Arkansas left fielder Charles Davalan. If there’s one play that’s evidence of a curse, this was it. This is a play that Davalan makes probably not 99 times out of 100. More like 999 times out of 1,000 or 9,999 times out of 10,000. On Wednesday night, the Omaha turf monster got him.

Davalan broke back, as outfielders are routinely taught. But this wasn’t a fly ball, it was a line drive a step or 2 to his left. As he switched directions, he slipped. Or was tripped by the LSU ghost. Or something.

Falling to the ground, he realized that the ball was still close enough to be catchable even from the ground. He thrust his glove at it, only for the ball to slide above his glove and plunk him somewhere in the vicinity of the right shoulder. And LSU had tied the game at 5.

Hernandez’s hit was scored a double, but Davalan’s misplay is the one that will go in the Hall of Horrors at Arkansas alongside the pop-up that no one claimed in 2018.

But fate wasn’t done. Arkansas had rallied twice in this game. Even after all this, a third rally in extra inning was still plausible. Enter play 3.

LSU’s Jared Jones lined a ball toward center field. Last line of defense — Cam Kozeal. Kozeal timed his jump, leaped him in the air… and saw Jones’s liner trickle off the top of his glove and into center field. Of the 3 plays, this was the toughest to make. Kozeal would have robbed Jones had he caught the ball. But he missed by a literal inch. LSU celebrated and Arkansas wondered how on Earth, because who wouldn’t wonder.

Explanations and Second Guesses

The skeptic can explain. LSU didn’t give in. Their runners sold Aloy out of the double play. The ball that Hernandez hit screwballed away from Davalan, and then Jones dumped a line drive into center field. That’s savvy baseball and it’s why the Tigers are in the CWS Finals.

The scientist can explain. Dave Van Horn might have waited a batter too late to make a pitching change, leaving a lefty in to face Hernandez. Or maybe Davalan should have been positioned another step to the left, where he wouldn’t have stumbled. Or Kozeal might have been a step shallow on Jones’s ball. Defense is the hardest thing to fit in a stat sheet, but it reared its head.

But the realist knows better. The curse is alive… and will be alive until Arkansas strangles it to death some sweet day in Fayetteville. Until then, Aloy, Davalan, Kozeal and Van Horn dutifully raged against the end of hope. It’s the opposite of the Rally Squirrel. And if there aren’t museums for that sort of thing, there probably should be.

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Arkansas/LSU is the most predictable, but almost certainly best, battle in Omaha. LSU rolled its way in and Arkansas pitched its way in and here we go with one final epic SEC battle on tap.

How did LSU get here?

First, LSU. After all, the Tigers only have to win once over Arkansas to punch their ticket into the College World Series Finals. This is such a different LSU team than Paul Skenes and the big boppers of 2023. Tommy Tanks isn’t strolling up to pulverize baseballs into outer space.

In a pair of impressive wins over Arkansas and UCLA, the Tigers did nice offensive work, putting up 13 runs. But they hit singles. One double, 1 homer and plenty of singles.

This LSU team is one that can hit-and-run, go first-to-third on a single, take advantage of — and even create — small defensive mistakes that keep innings alive. The Tigers aren’t exactly against home runs. They’ve just found a way to win without them.

Kade Anderson was an absolute ace in the first battle with Arkansas. Anthony Eyanson was so-so against UCLA. The Tigers made sure it didn’t really matter. But then, against Arkansas, LSU might have to find yet another way to relish every 0 on the scoreboard.

How did Arkansas get here?

Arkansas, the unlikely sole top 5-seed to make Omaha, took that tough 4-1 loss to LSU to open the CWS. But the Hogs bounced back. Gage Wood certainly made enough noise in a 19-strikeout no-hitter over Murray State. Put Wood in the CWS record books with the first no-hitter in over 60 years.

But also put him into the legion of brilliant pitching performances at any level. If he didn’t conjure up Nolan Ryan or Sandy Koufax or Kerry Wood or Roger Clemens, then you’re too young to know those names and will have to wait for another performance to remember Wood. Let’s hope we all are blessed enough to see another domination like that one. They don’t grow on trees (and neither do 119-pitch games, for that matter).

Arkansas’s pitching obviously learned a lesson from that initial 4-1 CWS loss. If you don’t give up runs, it’s hard to lose. Following the Murray State game, Arkansas dropped another 8 scoreless innings on UCLA. Just when it started to seem like the Razorbacks wouldn’t ever allow another run, they dozed home with a 7-0 lead that became a 7-3 win via the 9th inning.

So here we are, 2 teams left from a mammoth season in the biggest conference that college baseball has ever known. What’s the final SEC-on-SEC chapter?

Does Arkansas finally have the courage to batter through the Razorback Omaha jinx? Will LSU’s well of singles and baserunning keep from running dry? Can Wehiwa Aloy put up enough runs to win two games? Is it crazy to not want it all to end?

Somebody’s going to win and go on to probably play Coastal Carolina and look to put up runs on another strong pitching staff. Frankly, if this series goes until Thursday, the winner might be at a massive disadvantage if the Chanticleers take care of Louisville.

But those are weekend questions. We’re looking at Wednesday questions now. Hogs and Tigers one more time (maybe 2 more times). Feels like Christmas morning for somebody’s championship dreams.

Wednesday night’s game starts at 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN. Sign up for FuboTV today and get a 30-day free trial so you don’t miss a pitch from Omaha.

The post College World Series Notebook: The rematch the SEC deserved appeared first on Saturday Down South.

First, for LSU — what this means is fairly self-evident. Kade Anderson was absolutely dominant against Arkansas on Saturday, working 7 brilliant innings allowing a solo homer and not much of anything else. Anthony Eyanson will look to finish off UCLA on Tuesday and place the Tigers into the semifinals of the College World Series.

After coming with Paul Skenes and crew and still relying heavily on the biggest bats in the nation back in 2023, the Tigers this year aren’t as fearsome at the plate. But if Eyanson is nearly as sharp as Anderson was, a few singles and doubles will take care of business.

Arkansas Battles a Jinx

For Arkansas, there’s so much more on the table. Is Dave Van Horn cursed? The venerable Arkansas boss has done virtually everything in college baseball, has won every accolade and honor… well, except win the NCAA Tournament. With 12 trips to Omaha and, as of yet, 0 titles, Arkansas could reasonably be said to be cursed. (Admittedly, Florida State fans read that sentence and started laughing. FSU is 0-for-24 in Omaha runs.)

Arkansas’s 2018 team was a dropped pop-up away from a title. In 2023 and 2024, Arkansas didn’t make it out of their own hosted regional battles. Dave Van Horn has won 930 games at Arkansas, but hasn’t quite managed to finish off a title. Plenty of wins, never the biggest win. Does it mean anything?

First, yes, the most obvious point is this. Baseball jinxes are absolutely real. Ask fans of the Boston Red Sox or the Chicago Cubs. Repeated failure leads to overthinking. A ground ball goes through your first baseman’s legs when you need a big out. Your left fielder throws a conniption fit when a fan doesn’t leap out of his way on a tough play reaching into the stands. The fans know it, the coach (or manager, in MLB terms) knows it, and most of all, the players on the field know it.

Is that ridiculous? After all, this group of current players were mostly in elementary or middle school when that infamous 2018 pop-up found a stretch of grass among 3 would-be Arkansas heroes. No, it’s not at all ridiculous. Bill Buckner didn’t sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Moises Alou didn’t choke away the 1969 NL pennant to the New York Mets. But at some point, a streak of bad luck becomes a slump. And a slump becomes a jinx. And a jinx can become a disease.

No, Zach Root didn’t take the mound on Saturday thinking about ghosts of Arkansas failures past. But in that second inning from hell, if a cue shot single down the line to take a lead didn’t spook him, a hit by pitch for another run and an infield ground ball for a third run certainly didn’t help. It wasn’t the 2018 team or the 2023 or 2024 teams that chased Root from the bump in the second inning. But he was aware of all of it while being part of none of it.

So is that it? Are we writing off the Hogs? Hardly.

The Comeback Path?

The good news, as both Red Sox Nation and the Wrigleyville faithful can attest, is that jinxes can be ended. It’s not pleasant and it’s not easy, but whether it’s battling back from a 3-0 deficit for an unprecedented best-of-7 win or rallying after coughing up a 3-run lead in the 8th inning of the decisive game, the best path out of jinx isn’t around it. It’s through it.

Arkansas takes the field Monday with its season on the line. The foe, of course, is lightly regarded Murray State. Lose to the Racers and the Razorback jinx suddenly has legs.

But chop down Murray, win again and force a potential showdown with LSU… and suddenly things are getting interesting.

Arkansas is still the best team in this tournament, if the ghosts of failures past don’t down the Hogs in their tracks. Monday afternoon could be another soul-crushing final chapter… or it could be the first step in a comeback from the cusp of another heartbreak. Arkansas is down and possibly cursed. But out? Not hardly.

Want to watch all of Monday’s College World Series action? Take advantage of a 30-day free trial of FuboTV by clicking here.

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When the 64 teams had been pared to 16, only 4 survived, 2 of which will play each other in the super regionals, so no more than 3 SEC teams will end up in Omaha.

For an SEC that looked like arguably the toughest conference in the history of college baseball, the opening NCAA weekend was a massive slice of humble pie. Vanderbilt? Texas? Georgia? Not so fast. The fighting Racers of Murray State are going to the super regionals, while the host Ole Miss Rebels lost to them twice.

This was a week slotted for pondering just how many SEC members would end up in Omaha. Instead, we’re pondering which league members have the most disappointed fan base. Welcome to the SEC baseball disappointment meter. Let’s hope we don’t need to bust it out again soon.

Preemptive Disappointment Club

Texas A&M obviously didn’t have to actually make the NCAA Tournament to deliver a horrifically disappointing season. South Carolina and Missouri are also exempted from the weekend’s disappointment because they’d already disappointed enough fans to miss the NCAA Tournament.

Definitely not a disappointment

LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas and Auburn are now excused from class. They can go watch their highlight films while the ugly grades get handed out… well, that and prepare for the super regionals.

Typically Disappointing

For Mississippi State and Kentucky, their disappointments fold neatly into disappointing seasons.

Mississippi State fired Chris Lemonis in mid-season and then limped to a No. 3 seed in the Tallahassee Regional. The Bulldogs took care of No. 2 seed Northeastern twice, but couldn’t outlast Florida State. No particular shame there, and the Bulldogs were probably well prepared to get on to the offseason and the next phase of Mississippi State baseball as the Brian O’Connor era begins.

Kentucky went a 180-degree turn from being one of the best small-ball/fundamentals and details teams in the nation in last year’s trip to Omaha to one of the worst this season. This Kentucky team hemorrhaged leads left and right and ran its way out of a fair number of games. Kentucky had already lost 10 games on the year by 1 run. Losing 2 more to West Virginia finished off an ugly season.

Not Altogether Unexpected Disappointing

Oklahoma and Florida both rest here — teams that had some ups, but also some downs that made this fate plausible.

Start with the Sooners. Their NCAA situation kind of mirrored their season. They beat up on bad teams and couldn’t overcome good ones. OU took down No. 3 seed Nebraska twice, but lost 2 of 3 to top ACC seed North Carolina. The Tar Heels are legitimate and taking them to a third game before losing isn’t exactly underachieving, even if it was a bit disappointing.

Florida looked to have found its mojo after a 1-11 start in SEC play, but in the end, the pitching issues that throttled the Gators early resurfaced late and doomed the regional. Losing 11-6 and 11-4 to East Carolina left the Gators not even playing regional winner Coastal Carolina. The UF experience will probably be more remembered for Kevin O’Sullivan’s profane tirade before Saturday’s game. At least Sully showed more fire than his players.

More than Mildly Disappointing

Alabama gets a special category, because as a No. 2 seed, losing isn’t exactly a shocking situation. But seeing a potent offensive team — one that scored 10 runs in defeat in Hoover — struggle to put up runs was a bit baffling. Losing to Miami and Southern Miss isn’t one of the most shocking outcomes of the SECs week. But those 5-3 and 6-5 scores raised more than a few eyebrows.

“What the %^& Was That?” Disappointment

There are your seats, Vanderbilt, Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss. Let’s have a nice long chat.

Georgia is probably the least shocking of the shocking. Duke was a quality opponent, and Georgia fell into the age-old trap of having a great offensive game right out of the chute. Scoring 20 runs in Game 1 is a sure way to get out-pitched in Game 2. Why baseball functions this way is a question without a reasonable answer, but it is indeed so and the 6-3 loss to Duke after the 20-4 win proved it again. The pitching staff sloughed away an 11-9 loss to Oklahoma State to end the season. Georgia sits at 13th in the SEC in ERA. When most of the homers that UGA hits are solo homers, that won’t get by against good competition. It didn’t for Georgia.

Vandy, Texas, Ole Miss, wow.

Vanderbilt was lucky to be losing to Wright State on Sunday at all. It took a fairly shaky on-field umpire reversal to get through a first 4-3 win over Wright State on Friday. The Commodore bats went utterly silent, putting up 10 runs in 3 games. The last 2 games yielded a double and a solo homer combined. Pitching and a few timely hits can work great, but only as long as the timely hits actually come. Vanderbilt had lost 3 1-run games all year and then lost 2 in a weekend.

Texas has the whole regional disappointment thing. If everything is bigger in Texas, so is the rupturing of a thousand egos after those plucky UT-San Antonio Road Runners proved themselves the best team in the state. Texas blew a 6-1 lead and then put itself in a 7-0 hole against UTSA in its 2 upset losses. Suffice it to say that the Texas squad that went 6-9 in May didn’t look much like the one that played the rest of the season. But in-state shame is a nasty sting atop blowing the No. 2 overall seed.

Ole Miss is in a class of its own. Not only did the Rebels lose twice to the No. 4 seed in their region, but in doing so, they allowed their opponent to actually outflank its entire NCAA Tournament history of wins (Murray State had won 2 NCAA Tournament games ever coming in, both in 1979). Beating Murray 19-8 on Sunday only demonstrated how easy this series probably should have been. But in true tortoise and hare fashion, the Rebels fell down 12-3 in the decisive game only to rally to within 12-11. And to lose 12-11. Hunter Elliott standing on the field crying after the loss reminded fans that, yes, he actually is on Ole Miss’s team. Watching him blow through Murray’s lineup in a random ninth inning cameo only confirmed how underused he was in his 7 innings of 1-run pitching.

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Yes, there are 13 SEC teams in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

Other than Kentucky, nobody else is even getting a second look on the “Were they really deserving” factor? So Friday starts the wildest run of the season and 64 teams will become 16 by Monday.

Of the 13 SEC teams, which have the easiest paths through to the Super-Regional round? Here’s our rundown on which SEC teams can move on: all 13 NCAA SEC squads’ regional paths, ranked from the toughest to the easiest.

SEC teams’ paths to the Super-Regional round ranked (toughest to easiest)

We’ll start at No. 13 (the toughest path) and work our way to No. 1 (the easiest path):

13. Kentucky

It’s not shocking that Kentucky would get a tough path and Clemson is a legitimate regional host, with a stronger lineup and better top-of-the-rotation pitching than Kentucky. West Virginia looked tough for much of the season, but fell off late. That could mean that they’re terrible and Kentucky has a nice path to Clemson… or that the Mountaineers decide to wake up and play. WVU doesn’t hit a ton of homers, but has a lineup of solid bats. In any case, Kentucky comes in having lost its last 4 games with some heavy lifting to do.

12. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs head to Tallahassee as substantial underdogs. For that matter, Friday opponent Northeastern’s 2.92 ERA is tops in the field. State’s 97 home runs could be their hidden key in this talent-rich region. Anybody could come out of this one, but Mississippi State needs to be find the fuel to win some 12-11 games to have a shot here. Against 2 excellent pitching staffs, that’s probably too much to ask.

11. Oklahoma

The “Can you get to Kyson Witherspoon?” series. Oklahoma got a rough draw with North Carolina. And yet, if the Sooners can win on Friday and get to UNC with Kyson Witherspoon on the bump, they’ve got a puncher’s chance at a solid upset. That said, North Carolina has a deep and talented team with no real weakness. Against a lesser foe, Witherspoon could make the Sooners a favorite. As it is, they figure to have to do some late scratching against a tough UNC bullpen to have a shot.

10. Alabama

Southern Miss is a perennial here and is a team with both serious bats and a solid pitching staff, led by ace JB Middleton. Alabama has to stay far away from Middleton, but also has to play Miami to open, which is no favor. The Tide really got a brutal draw here. Anybody could emerge from Hattiesburg, but Alabama can be forgiven for wishing it was enjoying some nice home cooking.

9. Florida

The Gators are getting plenty of respect as a No. 2 seed, but much of it is from fans unfamiliar with Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers have a top-of-the-SEC level starting rotation. Florida has looked like a new team since that brutal 1-11 SEC start. But CCU is going to present a massive challenge for the Gators. Scoring runs off the starting rotation will be a staggering task, which puts a lot of pressure on a UF pitching staff that might not be up for it. Florida could use catcher Luke Heyman for sure, but without him, this is a big ask.

8. Ole Miss

The Rebels got a brutal draw. Georgia Tech is a strong offensive team that could easily have won hosting honors. Western Kentucky has one of the toughest pitching staffs in the tournament, so the schedule makers did not favors for the Rebels. Ole Miss feels almost like it has to navigate game by game because either opponent could be their potential undoing. This is as tough of a draw as a No. 1 seed could get.

7. Tennessee

This setup certainly wasn’t doing the Vols any favors. Nearly annual nemesis Wake Forest is back again and Cincinnati could mount a threat to a UT team that has struggled to control the opposing running game. The key to this region will be Tennessee‘s pitching. If Liam Doyle and crew throw the ball they way they can, all is well. If not, either the Deacons or the Bearcats could stroll out of Knoxville with the regional win.

6. Auburn

NC State is one of those teams that’s a perennial here, but the Wolfpack had trouble down the stretch of their season. State doesn’t have a power hitting punch and honestly, Stetson could upset NC State on Friday and make this one more interesting. Auburn is too good of an offensive team to stumble here, which leaves the only way out of the region to be winning 12-11 slugfests. NC State just isn’t that team this year, which means, again, Stetson might be the more viable threat, but the Tigers should be good.

5. LSU

Dallas Baptist is the big foe here, and that’s a program that seems to always have a lineup full of big bats. DBU hit .304 as a team and slugged 97 homers, so that’s in keeping with tradition. LSU’s pitching staff should still be the game changer here. LSU’s team ERA of 3.81 is miles ahead of the other regional squads’ team ERAs of 4.98, 6.21 and 6.38. Home field advantage and that legitimately terrifying 1-2 punch atop the rotation give LSU a pretty easy run.

4. Georgia

The Bulldogs have Duke as the big foe in their region, which is plausible, but not exactly a team likely to pull the upset. The Blue Devils are like a light version of Georgia, not quite as good as UGA at anything that makes the teams go. Oklahoma State could actually give Georgia a tougher battle, and that may be the direction. Still, it’s a solid draw.

3. Texas

The Longhorns have had some late struggles, but have been a strong team all season. Texas-San Antonio hit 63 homers all season while Kansas State has a 5.78 team ERA. Texas needs to get the bats booming again this weekend, but that’s probably a more immediate goal than having to worry about winning this region. It’s a pretty soft landing for a squad that admittedly, could use one right now.

2. Vanderbilt

Getting the No. 1 overall seed should carry some privileges and it did. Louisville struggled down the stretch of the ACC season and, with a 5.76 ERA, isn’t much of a threat at all. Honestly, East Tennessee State is the more intriguing team, although its fair to wonder how much competition they faced (though that win over Tennessee does jog a memory or two). The only way Louisville can make something happen is with its base-running, which is impressive (146 steals). But Vanderbilt is too talented to beat itself defensively, and should sail on past.

1. Arkansas

This is a favorable set-up for the Hogs. Kansas is a tough team, but also one with a 5.02 ERA and not a ton of strikeout potential. Creighton is a nice group of young men who hit 47 homers all season. Probably the only danger here for the Hogs is getting outscored by Kansas, but this Arkansas team feels like one that could win a series of 12-11 games if it needed to. It probably won’t.

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The final line on the Vandy staff at the SEC Tournament? 25 innings pitched, 10 hits allowed, 3 runs, all earned, 15 walks and 38 strikeouts. Those 10 hits were 8 singles, a double, and the lone home run in the last inning in Hoover.

Yes, the Commodores emerge from Hoover as the SEC Tournament champions. They’ve also won their last 8 games heading into NCAA Tournament play. That’s wins over Ole Miss, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kentucky (3 times) and Tennessee (2 more times).

Needless to say, Vandy more than locked down a spot as a potential super regional host. They look like a potential College World Series favorite.

Who else won in Hoover?

Obviously, the Ole Miss Rebels and Tennessee Volunteers were big winners. Both were announced Sunday evening as NCAA regional hosts. Although neither will have dibs on a super regional absent an upset, it’s still a big deal to play games at home in the NCAA Tournament. Both teams were outside of that realm heading into Hoover. Ole Miss certainly made a case as a legitimate NCAA contender and Tennessee erased some of the bad mojo of 5-straight SEC series losses.

Overall, SEC pitchers won. The tournament included 3 shutouts, 4 games in which the losing team scored 1 run, and 4 games in which the losing team scored 2 runs. That’s 11 of 15 games featuring a pitching staff holding the loser to 2 or fewer runs. Two of the other 4 games ended with the losing team scoring 3 runs. Tennessee’s 15-10 game over Alabama was the week’s only slugfest.

It’s a perennial, but Hoover is a winner. Small-town enough to be cozy, but professional in approach, this year, a few games got moved around due to weather, but the tiny Alabama town remains a wonderful destination for the SEC Tournament.

Who lost in Hoover?

Kentucky has a pressure packed Selection Monday ahead. The Wildcats came to Hoover having been swept by Vandy and promptly fell to Oklahoma in an ugly first-round loss. Kentucky went 13-17 in league play and finished the year with 4-straight league losses. Even a single win in Hoover would’ve been huge. Instead, the Wildcats will sweat out likely one of the last spots in the NCAA field, if that even works out. If not, Kentucky has nobody to blame but itself.

Texas’s utter lack of momentum is concerning. For a team that looked in control of the sport’s best league 3 weeks ago, finishing the season 4-7 in its last 11 games is not promising.

It seems like nobody fell off the NCAA super regional line, with 6 SEC teams still likely sitting pretty. Obviously, if anyone did fall off the line, that’s a big deal. But it seems pretty safe at the moment.

Texas A&M was the only team that really could have played its way into the NCAAs, but it didn’t quite do that. Frankly, it was always going to be hard countenancing a team that was swept by 3-27 Missouri in the NCAA Tournament.

The SEC’s bats could use a strong statement next week, but against non-SEC pitching staffs, that seems like a probable outcome.

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If anything, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt might have suggested that 75% was a low estimate. In laying waste to Tennessee (by blowout) and LSU (by nail-biter), the Rebel and Commodore pitching staffs pretty much took care of business.

Score a run for them and stay out of their way was a formula that worked as well in Hoover in 2025 as it may have for Mack’s ace, Rube Waddell, more than a century ago.

What Did We Learn

Again, even in a sport where almost every advantage goes to the hitter, when pitchers are on, nothing else matters.

Vanderbilt’s pitchers had a fairly easy Saturday. Even if they had been ho-hum, the 10 runs (on 13 singles and 0 extra-base hits) that Vanderbilt manufactured in 6 times at bat pretty much set the tone for the day. That said, Cody Bowker and Conner Ferrell didn’t mess around. Bowker whiffed 9 Tennessee hitters in his 4-inning start, allowing 3 hits. Ferrell fanned 2 more batters while allowing just 1 more hit in his 3 innings.

In the fourth inning, Dean Curley was thrown out trying to score on a double by Reese Chapman. That and a pair of walks issued in the first inning were the only moments of peril for Vandy’s pitchers. A team that batted .307 and hit 122 homers went silently into the Hoover night. Vandy is the only team to shut out Tennessee in 2025, and was the last team to shut Tennessee out back in 2024.

Just in case Vandy’s single-heavy offensive outburst diluted the message, Ole Miss’s pitchers repeated the message in the second semifinal.

LSU managed back-to-back singles in the third inning, but a strikeout and a routine fly ball ended the inning without incident. That was the sum total of LSU’s offense on the day.

Ole Miss had only 3 hits itself, but Will Furniss’s first inning home run proved to be all the help the Rebel hurlers needed. Ole Miss tacked on another run in the fourth, but as that was after the final LSU hit of the day, it was essentially academic.

In the final 6 2/3 innings of Saturday’s game, Ole Miss starter Cade Townsend and relievers Gunnar Dennis, Will McCausland and Connor Spencer gave up 0 hits, 4 walks, and no real threats.

And an LSU team that batted .301 and hit 90 homers on the season spent Saturday afternoon hitting into a bunch of routine outs.

What to Watch for Tomorrow

In a normal world, a Sunday game, particularly with one team having to win a fourth game, would be a battle of pitching attrition. Somebody would score 12 runs and somebody else would put up 11 and it would be a back-and-forth smash-fest. After Saturday, the first thing to look for will be a run. Yes, these teams will be going deep into the bullpens. But Vandy has surrendered 1 run in 2 games. Ole Miss has allowed 3 runs in 3 games.

Can anybody score? Or might we have an epic extra-inning battle with each team struggling to push a single run across the plate? Back in 2014, LSU beat Florida 2-0 for the title. That feels in line with this tournament.

What Does It All Mean?

Tennessee is probably right on the fence for regional hosting after not just a semifinal loss, but a brutal one. Ole Miss is likely a regional host now. There’s been a little talk about a super-regional hosting gig with a win over Vandy. It feels unlikely that even the SEC would get 7 super regional hosts out of 8, so somebody else would have to fall. Auburn perhaps?

There’s no real in-or-out movement from Saturday’s games, which isn’t surprising. The teams left in Hoover to play in the semifinals will all be solid suspects for a deep NCAA run, and perhaps even an Omaha meeting.

A sixth Ole Miss SEC Tournament title would tie the Rebels with Mississippi State for the all-time lead in that category. Vandy has only won 2 titles, but both have come since Ole Miss’s last championship win in 2018.

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No, the top-4 seeding advantage in the new format doesn’t seem to have amounted to much as the top 4 went 2-2 in their first action. Accordingly, there are 2 mild surprise teams battling for regional hosting privileges. But Friday will go down in collective SEC memory as a day of a horrific collision and a Lazarus-like return to action. The second was probably more amazing, but the first did come with an insane visual.

In any case, yes, in the SEC, there was flesh and blood (and bone) evidence that it really does mean more.

What We Learned

Firstly, Jace LaViolette is one tough son of a gun. A day after apparently breaking his hand in Texas A&M’s second-round win, the last thing most people expected was to see LaViolette playing baseball again. Coach Michael Earley confirmed last night that LaViolette had broken his hand and would be out for the tournament. But between then and first pitch, something happened.

LaViolette, an almost certain first-round MLB Draft pick who has absolutely nothing to prove, basically played one-handed for a lame-duck A&M team that began the season as the universal No. 1 ranked team and would still need 2 wins after an upset today to make the NCAA Tournament. A young man who had literally every reason to sit, who would have caught no flack at all for not playing, wrapped/taped/whatevered an obliterated hand into action.

It’s a great story that LaViolette played. It’s a better one that he knocked in 2 of A&M’s 3 RBIs in the game, singling in a run in the fourth inning and knocking a sacrifice fly in the sixth to pull A&M within 4-3. LaViolette got one more at-bat in the ninth inning. Down a run, he worked a full count. If deserving the moment had meant anything, LaViolette would’ve hit the next pitch to Louisiana and led a shocking A&M rally to the title. He struck out and one last Aggie rally ended up coming up short.

LSU had raced to a 4-0 lead and had to play a little hang-on baseball. The 2 pitchers who worked the game, starter Kade Anderson and reliever Anthony Eyanson, combined for 16 strikeouts, which certainly doesn’t hurt.

Second, we learned that all inside-the-park home runs aren’t the same. Trailing 5-1 to Ole Miss in the early game, Arkansas’s Cam Koziel slugged a fly ball to right-center field. Off the bat, it looked like a mildly challenging but not difficult play for either Ole Miss center fielder Isaac Humphrey or right fielder Ryan Moorman. Instead, they collided when chasing the ball, looking for all the world like a middle linebacker and a wide receiver seeking a third down catch. Koziel might have even looked a little guilty as he circled the bases, but the immediate question was whether either outfielder would be okay. Humphrey not only made it to his feet, but played the rest of the game. Moorman departed, but without evidence of any long-running injury.

Aside from the near-kamikaze duel in the Rebel outfield, the other story of this game was the Rebel pitching staff. Starter Riley Maddox worked 5 2/3 solid innings, fanning 7, and gave way to a trio of relievers who allowed just 2 hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings to nail down a 5-2 win.

Arkansas simply lacked the offensive chops to rebound from a 5-0 first inning deficit. On to the NCAA Tournament.

What to watch for tomorrow

First, watch for an early wake-up call. Due to impending weather concerns, Vanderbilt and Tennessee were moved up from noon to 10 a.m. CT, with Ole Miss and LSU to follow that game. So yes, 4 of the last 5 College World Series champions will meet to decide the SEC Tournament. It’s hard to call it too much of an upset when that’s the situation.

The story for NCAA Tournament purposes is probably still Ole Miss and Tennessee seeking regional hosting nods. Baseball America moved Tennessee into a hosting spot and Ole Miss was one spot back of a hosting spot. Needless to say, tomorrow’s results are pretty pivotal. Would a UT win over Vandy lock down a hosting spot? That seems plausible. For the Rebels, would a win over LSU jump them into that situation? Very plausibly. So an Ole Miss/UT final would probably lock down two regional spots. It’s possible that a Vandy/LSU final would leave both UT and Ole Miss out in the cold. That’s the big story.

What does it mean?

It’s fair to consider Friday as a statement day for this question. Armchair head coaches around sometimes maintain that the best practice for the conference tournament is taking a quick loss and a few extra days in the whirlpool ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Suffice it to say that people who thought that way weren’t playing or coaching on Friday. The day certainly provided a couple of pretty good graphics to remind everyone watching that the SEC Tournament means plenty.

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Texas A&M had a tremendous win and a tremendous loss. Tennessee outlasted the top seed with a memorable relief effort. And then Vanderbilt’s pitching staff decided to get filthy.

Six teams are still fighting in Hoover, and here’s a rundown on what happened and what it all means:

What We Learned

First, Texas A&M seems serious about this not ending the season business. The Aggies managed just 4 hits in a well-pitched game by Auburn, but thanks to a 3-run homer from Kaeden Kent, made those 4 hits stand up. A&M is still outside the NCAA bracket, but could be getting within reach.

But the big story here is Jace LaViolette getting hit and coming out of the game with an apparent hand injury. LaViolette apparently broke his hand, which will likely finish his season and his Aggie career. In many ways, today was emblematic of the season for A&M. Even when something goes right, something else goes catastrophically wrong.

Auburn didn’t do anything to help its top-8 situation, but should still be secure.

Tennessee again showed serious intestinal fortitude, this time via the bullpen. Liam Doyle was ho-hum and Texas took a big early lead, but while Tennessee came roaring back, the Vols gave the ball to a reliever whose longest outing was 2 1/3 innings. Brandon Arvidson went 5 1/3 innings and gave up just a single unearned run. Needless to say, his 9 strikeouts were a career high.

Gavin Kilen twice gave the Vols an extra-inning lead, with the second one holding up. Tennessee is starting to look like the SEC’s best hope at a regional but not super-regional hosting squad (those #9 to #16 teams). Ole Miss could still be in that conversation as well, but tomorrow may change that narrative.

For Texas, this is just another disappointment. Three weeks ago, Texas was in great position. But down the stretch of the season, the bats haven’t held up their end of things. There’s reason to fear a lack of momentum in Texas’s situation.

Vanderbilt, meanwhile, looked absolutely untouchable. Holding Oklahoma to 2 singles was impressive. But racking up 17 strikeouts is just making it personal. Every Oklahoma starter had at least 1 strikeout. JD Thompson was outstanding, with 11 whiffs in 5 innings of his start. But by the 9th inning, Vandy could have laid the ball up there on a tee and Oklahoma night not have managed a hard foul ball.

The Sooners are in the field, but certainly aren’t going to be hosting. That’s not a surprise.

What to Watch on Friday

Only a pair of games, but both have some real intrigue. Ole Miss, like Tennessee, hasn’t given up on the possibility of hosting a regional, but it’ll depend on how sharp Arkansas is. The top 4 seeds are 1-1 so far, with Vanderbilt winning and Texas losing. It’s too early to say if the top seed helps or hurts, but the Rebels will have to win 3 more games in 3 days to pick up the league crown.

Meanwhile, Arkasnas feels like the best team nobody is talking about. Vandy’s pitching staff is going full Sandy Koufax and LSU is making noise. Every year seems to beg the question of whether this is going to finally be Dave Van Horn’s year. Maybe it is.

Texas A&M is seeking a third win so far in a battle with LSU. It’s a must-win for the Aggies to even entertain NCAA hopes. The Tigers are in good position to continue on their solid work to end the regular season. A&M held LSU to 7 runs over 3 games earlier this month, so that’s one thing LSU will certainly look to change.

What Does it All Mean?

UT and Ole Miss have those regional hosting dreams still alive. A&M had the most A&M day of the season, as even if the Aggies made the SEC Tournament final, a LaViolette-less Aggie team is even less intriguing to the NCAA. There are still 6 super regional teams here, and there might be a seventh SEC team ending up in that top 16.

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As if the last long fly ball that can be tracked down for a team of arm-dragging pitchers facing softball scores will control the day. Wednesday flew in the face of that thinking. More specifically, Day 2 in Hoover was “Bring Your Ace to Work” day, and Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Ole Miss obliged.

Then Tennessee dropped in a 15-10 slugfest to remind us that the world hadn’t turned entirely upside down. Here’s the latest on the hardball.

What We Learned

Suffice it to say that the SEC’s pitching masters showed up on Wednesday. The challenge is deciding whose game was best. Here are the options:

Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma hurler was masterful. He worked into the 8th inning and held the potent Georgia offense to a sacrifice fly and a solo shot. Witherspoon looked like the high MLB Draft pick he’s about to be. Witherspoon made Skip Johnson look like a genius for not burning him against Kentucky, but instead saving him to stifle the SEC’s top power offense.

Final line: 7 2/3 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts (W)

Ryan Prager, Texas A&M

A preseason All-American candidate, Prager has been up and down, but lately mostly down. Maybe he’s just ready to make a meaningful statement on behalf of a woefully underachieving team. Or maybe a 6-run 2nd inning left him relax and pitch with no worries. Prager had been historically bad in his last start, giving up 7 earned runs to Georgia in 2 2/3 innings a week ago. It looked like ancient history on Wednesday, as he rolled over Mississippi State.

Final line: 5 1/3 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts (W)

Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss

Elliott faced one of the hottest teams in college baseball and looked extremely unconcerned. He worked around 3 Rebels errors and looked supremely confident even with runners on base. Florida had a chance in nearly every inning to put up a crooked number of runs, but Elliott held the Gators to a single unearned tally.

Final line: 5 1/3 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts (W)

Obviously, the only correct answer for who was best is (D) all of the above.

Meanwhile, Tennessee looked primed to fall on its face in the manner most consistent with recent Tennessee. The Vols have lost 5-straight SEC series matchups, and being dead last in the league in defense and in stolen bases allowed plays a not small part. The Vols have been shooting themselves in the foot consistently. Wednesday, they had a 5-1 lead on Alabama into the fifth inning. Then, a painfully Tennessee inning. A couple walks, a passed ball, a horrific error on defense, and Alabama led 6-5.

But a funny thing happened on the way to writing off Tennessee. The Vols blasted their way to a 15-10 victory. That might be what it takes for UT. The small ball mistakes suggest a team not prepared to squeak out a 3-1 win or a 3-2 win as 2 of the other SEC victors did on Wednesday. And of course, Texas is the best pitching team in the league… so Thursday will present a test.

What to watch for on Thursday

First, we get 3 games due to the late rainout on Tuesday. The game which would have been Wednesday’s finale, Texas A&M vs. Auburn, will open up Thursday. Mercifully, no 9:30 a.m. start time will be needed. The Aggies get another shot at rebirth. Jace LaViolette socked a homer and Ryan Prager looked like his old self on Wednesday. But Auburn on Thursday doesn’t look like a particularly favorable matchup. Given the way Auburn swings the bat, another shutout is certainly unlikely.

Then, Tennessee and Texas renew the rivalry for the color orange and the UT initials. Tennessee’s 15 runs on Wednesday were certainly interesting, but the Texas pitching staff is likely to bring the Vols back to Earth. That said, under the new format, it’s time to decide if the top-4 seeds have an advantage on Thursday. The guess here is “not really.” The high seeds probably have more depth issues and fatigues issues in games 4 or 5 than in game 3. Whatever edge the best seeds have would seem to kick in later, once a team like, say, Oklahoma for example, has burned through most of its pitching staff. But Tennessee should still have some fuel in the tank for Texas.

Oklahoma will move on to play Vandy. Unless the Aggies pull another upset, OU will be the last double-digit seed remaining. Should be plenty of small ball in this one and could be a fun finish to another day in Hoover.

What did it all mean?

Alabama and Florida are more or less officially out of the regional hosting discussion. In theory, Tennessee and Ole Miss are still alive on that front, but they both probably have significantly more work to do. A&M’s upset was impressive, but it would take a run to the SEC title game to even need to start talking about NCAA Tournament possibilities for the Aggies.

On the other hand, the loss doesn’t hurt UGA, which will still be in line for a super regional hosting setup. Auburn is the SEC squad on the list of 6 such teams (the others being Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, LSU, Vandy) that could be a bit vulnerable, but the Tigers are pretty well locked in and can basically cinch it by taking care of business against the Aggies.

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But even with just 3 games, Tuesday didn’t lack for issues to ponder or Wednesday for games to consider. Here’s a few thoughts from SEC Tournament Day 1.

What We Learned

Frankly, what we learned was that the 3 lowest-seeded teams to play basically all just left the bats at home and sleepwalked through Hoover. If there’s a team that doesn’t actually deserve that knock, it was Missouri. The Tigers looked miles more competitive than they did for most of the year and held Alabama to a mere 4 runs. Missouri left 7 runners on base in the last 3 innings, which means its 4-1 loss was in question until the final pitch. If there’s a moral victory from Tuesday, it really does go to the Tigers.

On the other hand, Paul Mainieri and South Carolina finished the season as the SEC’s worst team. It wasn’t the 5-25 SEC mark or the 8-run first-round knockout. It’s just a deep chasm of execution between the Gamecocks and everybody else. And while sane people don’t advocate for a firing after 1 year except for coaches who’ve gone felony offender, it’s not hard to see why there are already some cranky noises coming from USC. The Year of our Lord 2025 was not a time to hire a coach who is essentially unfamiliar with NIL and modern-day portal recruiting. It seems premature to say Mainieri can’t bring USC back, but it looks like a tall job.

Kentucky had a chance to get off the NCAA Tournament bubble and instead looked completely offensively asleep at the wheel in a 5-1 loss to an Oklahoma team that it swept 2 weeks ago. Every small ball trick that worked a year ago seems to blow up with this team. At 13-17 and with a first-round exit, if Kentucky gets left out of the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats have nobody but themselves to blame.

For that matter, it’s unclear that Kentucky really deserves an NCAA berth. To analogize to college hoops, while SEC backers might be somewhat pleased about a 13th SEC team in the NCAA Tournament, it follows that most non-SEC fans would prefer to see a random mid-major team with a sparkling record and a subpar RPI claim a spot ahead of the Wildcats. Yes, 5 different 13-17 teams made the NCAA Tournament last year. But Kentucky has folded like a paper airplane since the impressive series with Oklahoma 2 weeks ago.

Oklahoma probably was the big winner of Day 1, because it grabbed a win without burning through Kyson Witherspoon. Do we see him Wednesday against Georgia? Or does Skip Johnson hang onto him for another day? Alabama looked competent and Florida continues to look like the team that awoke after that miserable 1-11 start. The Gators probably can’t get a hosting spot, but they’ll be a tough road out for some higher-seeded team.

What to Watch for Tomorrow

First, we’ll see whether Texas A&M summons up one last measure of gumption and survives. The guess here would be no. Even if they do, what would it take to reach the NCAA Tournament for A&M? Maybe a trip to the championship? But that maybe is a long ways away from here.

Tennessee and Alabama shapes up to be perhaps the most competitive game of the day. Alabama’s hosting dreams aren’t completely dead and Tennessee needs to find some positive mojo. Did we mention that those teams/schools/states don’t seem to like each other very much? Should be fun.

If OU does go to Witherspoon against Georgia, then the Bulldogs better be on full upset alert. Considering that Witherspoon blew through the Georgia lineup in the regular season, that’s the big story here. Homer-heavy offense can carry a team over some pitching depth issues, but Oklahoma could spoil that plan for Georgia right away.

Florida’s impressive run collides with an up and down Ole Miss team in the new Wednesday finale. Bobby Boser hit a 3-run homer on Tuesday and he might end up being the difference on Wednesday.

Auburn’s matchup gets put off until Thursday due to weather, but the Tigers remain one of the best-situated teams outside the big 4 that don’t have to play until Friday. They can wait and watch for another day.

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In player and coach world… well, for some people, that sentence ends with an exclamation mark. For others, it’s more like a groan. Some people criticize the SEC Tournament as an irrelevant trophy chase. That said, while every year, there seems to be an SEC team that stumbles around dazed in Hoover only to awaken in the NCAA Tournament, there’s almost always another team that emerges from both clueless and confused.

Also, the SEC probably did a good thing in ditching the double-elimination bracket of the past in favor of a completely single-elimination battle that rewards the top seeds by making them play fewer games.

A top-4 seeded team will only have to win 3 games in 3 days, much like a typical weekend of SEC baseball. Yes, those teams seeded fifth through eighth do have to add an extra game to the weekend, but only the bottom half of the league, playing on Tuesday, has to win 5 games to claim the crown. A year ago, both LSU and Tennessee had to play 5 games when they met in the final. The chance to win with a relatively normal schedule is probably a major point in favor of the SEC Tournament.

But at the end of the day, the fans who make the trek to Hoover make it special. Even for the vast majority of teams, who aren’t seeing any difference in regional hosting status or making the NCAA field, the chance to reward the traveling faithful is a pretty big deal. And after all, playing a few extra games doesn’t have to hurt. Just ask Tennessee.

So what’s worth thinking about on Tuesday?

Here’s a primer on the SEC Tournament:

Who has the most to gain or lose?

Kentucky sitting at 13-17 has a particularly significant game on Tuesday with Oklahoma. Sure, the Wildcats could still make the NCAA Tournament (5 different 13-17 teams did a year ago), but a win over the Sooners would lock it down. That said, the Wildcats will face Kyson Witherspoon and may well be in for a nervous Selection Sunday.

Alabama and Tennessee are the 2 teams most likely to be able to make the jump into regional hosting. Both teams are 16-14 in SEC play. Alabama seems to have the much better case for hosting. The Tide’s RPI ranking is 9th, while Tennessee’s is 16th. Additionally, Alabama won 2 of its last 4 SEC series matchups, while Tennessee has lost its last 5. Accordingly, Alabama could punch a hosting gig even by besting Tennessee in a second-round game on Wednesday (assuming the Tide outlast Missouri).

Texas has had a few bobbles down the stretch, going 3-6 in its final 3 SEC series matchups. Getting back on the right foot could be a powerful motive for the Longhorns.

And it’s a random point, but Georgia has never won an SEC Tournament (joining Kentucky, Missouri, and the new SEC schools on that short list). The regional hosting setup is locked in, but a first title would be a nice grab for the Bulldogs.

Who has the best chance to win?

Arkansas is the betting favorite and its explosive offense (along with having a top-4 seed) gives the Hogs a great shot at winning the SEC Tournament.

Texas is certainly getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment at the moment, but a bracket that likely requires wins over Tennessee or Alabama, then Georgia or Vanderbilt and then LSU or Arkansas isn’t exactly impossible.

Auburn might be the relative longshot with the best situation. The Tigers won 7 of their 10 SEC series matchups on the season. The Tigers have also scored 10 or more runs in 6 of their last 10 SEC games heading into Hoover.

Which 6 players deserve the closest scrutiny?

If Tennessee is going to awaken from a late-season slumber, Liam Doyle on the mound gives the Vols the best chance to rediscover their mojo. For Texas to start winning close games again, Dylan Volantis will be key. The issue more immediately is whether the Horns can score enough runs to get him the ball in save situations.

At the plate, reigning SEC Player of the Year Wehiwa Aloy will be the straw the stirs the Arkansas drink. Speaking of which, if the Auburn surprise comes to pass, Ike Irish’s slugging will be at the middle of any relevant upsets. Vandy has probably been underrepresented here, but RJ Austin is 8-for-21 coming into the Tournament and his league-leading 21 stolen bases could prove pivotal.

Florida, after resurrecting itself from a 1-11 league start, also should be watched. Bobby Boser’s power game can play well if he can avoid too many strikeouts.

Where did the power rankings go?

OK, extra innings power rankings. Texas A&M, South Carolina and Missouri are out of the NCAA Tournament running, with Kentucky barely ahead of them. In the NCAA, but on the outside of the hosting realm (in addition to Kentucky) are Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Alabama (with the latter teams still have a long shot at claiming a regional hosting gig). Not only hosting but in line for super-regional hosting are Auburn, LSU, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Arkansas and Texas.

The post SEC Baseball Tournament Preview (or why Hoover matters) appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It also would be a tremendous lie.

But entering the final league play of the regular season, here’s a look around the SEC at where things stand — and a few thoughts on where they might be going.

Boyz II Men Teams (The End of the Road)

It’s all over for these squads:

16. South Carolina (27-26, 5-22)

The Gamecocks have lost their last 7 league games and will host LSU to end the regular season. Yes, it’s been a brutal season, but Carolina would be 15th… if not for the weirdest series in the SEC season.

15. Texas A&M (27-23, 10-17)

Fresh off a series win over LSU that seemed to give Texas A&M very solid postseason standing, the Aggies promptly hosted Missouri and not only lost a game, not only lost the series, but were swept by a combined 23-8 margin. In theory, a sweep of Georgia could edge A&M back into the realm of NCAA possibility, but that just doesn’t seem plausible.

14. Missouri (16-35, 3-24)

Break up the Tigers! Yes, a 2-spot jump for a 3-24 team might seem ridiculous, but it would equally have been silly to put the Tigers below a team they just swept on the road. Missouri’s pitching staff still has a horrible ERA over 10 in SEC play, but a few weeks ago, it was over 13 in SEC play.

Willie Nelson Teams (On the Road Again)

This is the ranking section for the teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament, but won’t be hosting, barring something insane:

13. Mississippi State (31-20, 12-15)

Since the firing of Chris Lemonis, Mississippi State has gone 5-1 in league play. Accordingly, they’re turned a shaky NCAA situation into a solid one. Granted, Missouri played the series of its dreams last week, but the Tigers should be a team that State can best to reach 14 or 15 league wins.

12. Oklahoma (32-17, 13-14)

Oklahoma could have been in hosting shape, but they were swept last week by Kentucky and now have to finish the regular season with a Texas team trying to lock down the league crown. Oklahoma should be in the NCAA field even if Texas sweeps, but would probably need a series win over the Horns to get a hosting nod.

11. Kentucky (29-20, 13-14)

On the other hand, Kentucky seemed likely to need wins over Vanderbilt to reach the NCAA field, but a sweep over Oklahoma all but locks down an NCAA bid. A win over Vandy would absolutely lock the NCAA situation down, but Kentucky would need a sweep and/or something wild in Hoover to have a real hosting shot.

10. Ole Miss (35-17, 14-13)

The Rebels have lost their last 2 series matchups which probably knocks them out of hosting range. They host Auburn and a series win could jump them back into regional hosting conversations, but that seems unlikely.

9. Florida (35-18, 13-14)

Florida’s rebound from 1-11 to 13-14 is nothing shy of amazing. A home series with Alabama does give the Gators an outside shot at a hosting nod. It probably would take a sweep, but the possibility of a winning SEC season after a 1-11 start is almost impossible to believe.

John Denver Teams (Country Roads, Take Me Home)

These are teams looking at a hosting set-up, but not lined up for a top 8 super regional spot:

8. Tennessee (40-13, 15-12)

Tennessee has lost its last 4 SEC series matchups heading into this weekend’s series at Arkansas. The Vols are vulnerable to a slide below Florida and/or Ole Miss and possibly losing a regional nod. The immediate question is why. Vanderbilt’s series win and emotional outburst afterword showcased some tough truths. Tennessee is no longer scary, and a big part of the reason is that the Vols are awful at little things. They’re last in the SEC in errors and teams steal bases on the Vols like it’s going out of style. If Tennessee doesn’t clean it up, it’s going to take a lot of homers to overcome bad fundamental baseball.

7. Alabama (39-13, 15-12)

The Tide’s series win over Georgia has them solidly in the regional hosting world. A series win over Florida could still jump Alabama into super regional range. They are an upwardly mobile squad and could still control their own destiny.

Shania Twain Teams (Come on Over, Come on In)

The group for teams with the super regional set-up locked in or within immediate range:

6. Auburn (37-15, 16-11)

Auburn is 7-2 over its past 3 SEC weekends. The Tigers finish up at Ole Miss. Unless they’re swept, they should be good for a top 8 finish. Auburn’s No. 2 RPI certainly doesn’t hurt. Watch Ike Irish and revel at the impressive season these Tigers have stitched together.

5. Georgia (40-13, 16-11)

Georgia comes off a series loss to Alabama and would be vulnerable were it not facing a Texas A&M team that just got steamrolled by the worst team in the SEC. The Bulldogs have the top RPI ranking in the nation and barring a sweep, should also be locked in for a top 8 finish.

4. Vanderbilt (36-16, 16-11)

Fresh off a series win over Tennessee, Vandy finishes the regular season at home against Kentucky. The Commodores are No. 3 in the RPI rankings. The other big story here will be which of the Vandy/UGA/Auburn trio wraps up a No. 4 seed for Hoover. Only having to play potentially 3 games in Hoover would be a define advantage over having to play four as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed.

3. Texas (40-10, 20-7)

Texas went 1-5 in the last 2 SEC matchups. So what’s wrong with the Longhorns? The issue is one of style. Texas is a team built to win professional-looking games. Running through their schedule shows plenty of 6-5 and 3-2 type games. But down the stretch, college baseball doesn’t usually run that way. Teams run deep into pitching staffs and need to put together high-scoring beatdowns. Can Texas be successful down the stretch? It probably depends on whether they can adapt, because 4-3 and 3-2 games probably won’t win in Omaha.

2. Arkansas (41-11, 18-9)

Arkansas has lost 4 of its last 5 series matchups, but that’s a function of a brutal schedule more than issues with their team. A final matchup with Tennessee matches 2 relatively ice-cold teams, but the Hogs seem to be in a better situation heading into postseason.

1. LSU (40-12, 17-10)

LSU meanwhile has won 3 of its last 4 series battles. The Tigers close out at South Carolina and should be able to lock door a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in Hoover and are probably already set for a super regional hosting nod.

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At this point, virtually every team has been up and down at some point. Texas had been an exception, but even the Longhorns were proven human. With 6 league games left, the current gap between the SEC’s No. 3 team and No. 10 team is 2 games. Almost everything is still up for grabs, and here’s a look at where the SEC stands.

Just a note, we’re going to 5 categories because it’s no longer as simple as who’s in the NCAA Tournament or not — it’s time to start honing in on whose résumé is regional-hosting ready and who’s hosting a super-regional, versus who’s just getting in.

SEC Power Rankings of Week 13

As always, we start with the struggling programs that will likely be watching the postseason at home on TV:

No Hopers

16. Missouri (13-35, 0-24)

The pitching wasn’t bad, holding Georgia to 18 runs over 3 games. So the bats went to sleep, scoring just 2 runs in each game. With Texas A&M and Mississippi State ahead, there’s a very real shot at an 0-30 league record.

15. South Carolina (26-23, 5-19)

South Carolina was swept by Florida and allowed 39 runs over the 3 games. Paul Mainieri’s squad has been a significant disappointment all season.

Just Trying To Get In

These teams still have some work to do to make the tournament:

14. Kentucky (25-20, 10-14)

Kentucky is now on the outside looking in after getting swept by Mississippi State. An at-large spot probably takes 13 wins, although the Wildcats might need 14, given a disappointing nonconference performance. Kentucky hosts Oklahoma and goes to Vanderbilt. The Wildcats really have to win the series with Oklahoma to have a decent shot.

13. Mississippi State (29-19, 10-14)

Ditch Chris Lemonis and the Bulldogs are 4-2 over the past 2 weekends. With Missouri lurking, a single win at home against Ole Miss this weekend probably gets the Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament.

12. Florida (33-17, 11-13)

At 10-2 in the last 4 SEC series matchups, the Gators have been impressive. But bear in mind, the remaining matchups are at Texas and at home against Alabama. If the Gators can grab even a single win at Texas, that final weekend series becomes much more manageable. But get swept by the Longhorns and the Gators would have some big last-weekend work to do.

11. Texas A&M (27-20, 10-14)

A home series with Mizzou this weekend helps the Aggies climb back. Sweep that series and any single win in the final series against Georgia would make a tourney berth safe. Holding LSU to just 7 runs was impressive, and puts the Aggies in position to all but guarantee their NCAA Tourney status.

Safely in, hoping to host

These teams are in. We just need to see what the committee thinks of them:

10. Ole Miss (33-15, 13-11)

With 13 league wins, the Rebels are probably already safe in the Tournament. But it probably takes 16-ish wins to get a hosting bid. That would call for a 3-3 or so run at Mississippi State and at home against Auburn. Only 10 runs in 3 games against Oklahoma puts the Rebels needing some legitimate offensive improvement.

9. Oklahoma (32-14, 13-11)

Thirteen league wins is nice, but the Sooners are just No. 22 in the RPI standings. A series at Kentucky is a chance to gain some ground, which is good because Texas figures to be a tough battle to finish the regular season.

Likely hosting, but angling for a super regional hosting spot

These teams are probably hosting their regionals and could position themselves for even more:

8. Alabama (37-12, 13-11)

Alabama’s sitting at No. 13 in the RPI standings. The path to a top-8 spot isn’t easy. A home series with Georgia will be followed by a trip to Florida. A 4-2 run would probably get the Tide legitimately into the super-regional conversation.

7. Tennessee (38-11, 14-10)

A No. 14 RPI ranking puts the Vols in a similar position. On paper, home against Vanderbilt and at Arkansas seems like a tough, but competitive, pair of matchups. But the Vols have lost 4 of their last 5 weekend series battles. If they lose both of those matchups ahead, even regional hosting gets dicey.

Safe or Likely for the Super Regionals

These teams are some of the best in the nation and will likely get the chance to host Super Regionals:

6. Auburn (33-15, 13-11)

Yes, they’re only 13-11 in the league, but a No. 4 national RPI tells the story. A home series with South Carolina sets up the Tigers to lock down a super regional. Sweep the Gamecocks and another win in the season-ending series at Ole Miss should lock it down. Or 2-1 in each would work, as an alternative.

5. Vanderbilt (34-15, 14-10)

No. 3 national RPI should lift the Commodores. A road set at Tennessee and a home set at Kentucky shape up pretty well. A 3-3 run would probably lock the ‘Dores in.

4. LSU (38-11, 15-9)

LSU’s RPI ranking is No. 9, but a home set with Arkansas and a road series at South Carolina shapes up well. A .500 run would get the Tigers to 18 conference wins, which should suffice for super-regional hosting. That said, LSU has lost 2 of its last 4 weekend series matchups.

3. Georgia (39-11, 15-9)

The current RPI leaders, Georgia also has won 3 of its last 4 series battles, setting up well for postseason play. Three games at Alabama are ahead of a home battle with Texas A&M. Three wins would lock down the super-regional hosting and 2-4 might get it done.

2. Arkansas (40-9, 17-7)

Back off the mat, a brutal schedule down the stretch seemed concerning. It shouldn’t have. The Hogs are set for the Super Regional hosting nod. They’re No. 5 in RPI and as long as it’s not an 0-6 run at LSU and at home against Tennessee, all should be well for the Razorbacks. Putting up 28 runs against Texas’s pitching staff should make a statement about those Arkansas bats.

1. Texas (39-8, 19-5)

It turns out that even Texas is human. The Horns could have locked down the top seed in Hoover, but now, it’s still at least theoretically open. A home set with Florida and a trip to Oklahoma are ahead. With 19 league wins and a No. 2 RPI standing, Texas’s super regional slot is locked down.

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The Longhorns swept the Jim Schlossnagle return series over Texas A&M and have pulled miles ahead of the SEC field. After the Longhorns, it’s been a stew of inconsistency.

The gap between No. 2 Arkansas or LSU and No. 10 Auburn or Oklahoma is just 3 games. In SEC parlance, that’s one weekend series. So with that constant up and down in mind, here’s a rundown on the SEC’s squads with just 3 weeks left in the regular season.

The No-Hopers

These teams are floundering entering the final month of the regular season:

16. Missouri (13-31, 0-21)

It’s hard to say what’s more astonishing: A 13.05 ERA in SEC play or a .220 batting average and 17 homers in those games. Add those up and that’s the path to 0-21.

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15. South Carolina (26-20, 5-16)

The loss of standout slugger Ethan Petry for the season just underlines a brutal year for the Gamecocks. Paul Mainieri didn’t come back to coaching for seasons like this. The 7.98 ERA in league play has played a major role in dooming the Gamecocks.

14. Mississippi State (26-19, 7-14)

The firing of Chris Lemonis demonstrates as clearly as anything the “What have you done for me lately?” nature of college baseball. The Bulldogs clearly aren’t happy with where things stand. Defense was a hidden key to this disappointing season. The Bulldogs are tied for last in the league in errors in conference play and opposing base stealers have succeeded on 84% of their attempts.

13. Florida (30-16, 8-13)

The Gators won their series with Arkansas, so is it worth buying it? Probably still not. The series at South Carolina should keep the ball rolling, but the Gators badly need a sweep. It’s followed with a trip to Texas and then a season-ending series with Alabama. The Gators still have plenty of work to do, although coming of a 1-11 start, they have at least made it interesting.

12. Texas A&M (25-19, 8-13)

The Aggies had impressive momentum, but the series with Texas was a shot of reality. This weekend’s set with LSU could be huge. If A&M finds a way to win, they jump up a notch. But even a 1-2 weekend would leave them at 9-15 with a final series at Georgia likely deciding their fate.

Work to Do

These teams still don’t have their NCAA Tournament slots locked up:

11. Kentucky (25-17, 10-11)

The Wildcats seem to be in good shape, although another midweek loss (to Western Kentucky) won’t help things. Kentucky could stand to win its series at Mississippi State, because not doing so would leave UK likely needing at least a 3-3 finish against Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. The Wildcats have generally been on the safe side of the ledger, but it could slide in a hurry.

10. Auburn (31-14, 11-10)

The Tigers did win their series at Mississippi State and are in better shape than Kentucky, but they need some heavy lifting to think about hosting in the NCAA Tournament. Road matchups at Tennessee this weekend and Ole Miss in the finale are bookended by hosting South Carolina. Sweep the Gamecocks and win a game from each of the other 2 and Auburn finishes 16-14 in the league.

9. Oklahoma (30-13, 11-10)

The Sooners are similarly likely in the NCAA field, but have a tough row to think about hosting. The series with Texas is certainly not a welcome sight on the schedule. This weekend’s home series with Ole Miss probably governs whether OU could reach 16 or 17 wins, but it looks unlikely.

8. Alabama (35-10, 12-9)

The Tide had their beatdown series with Missouri and thus find themselves up a notch. Somebody from the Alabama/Georgia/Vandy/Ole Miss quartet is probably going to be in line to host a super-regional. The Tide don’t have an easy path, with series matchups with Vandy and Florida on the road and Georgia in between. Alabama has a good shot at the regional hosting nod, but a top 8 spot and super-regional is a tough ask.

7. Ole Miss (32-13, 12-9)

A series win against Vanderbilt was a positive step. The Rebels still have to play at Oklahoma and Mississippi State and then host Auburn. Ole Miss has done plenty of damage at the plate, standing third in the SEC in batting average in league play (.276) and third in homers (41).

6. Vanderbilt (32-13, 12-9)

The Commodores have had to be efficient with pitching. They’re 14th in the SEC in batting average in league play, but need to up it a step at the plate. Series matchups with Alabama, at Tennessee and then home against Kentucky remain. If the season ended today, Vandy might get the No. 8 spot nationally. But of course, it doesn’t.

Super-Regional Hosts

These squads are trending toward hosting their super regionals:

5. Georgia (36-11, 12-9)

The Bulldogs have had some struggles, but the back end of the schedule is on their side. A trip to Mizzou this weekend and a home series with A&M to end the year should stack up to a solid 5-1 mark. The leaves the 3-game set at Alabama being pivotal. One win there would probably get the Bulldogs a top 8 spot.

4. Arkansas (37-9, 14-7)

The Hogs have had a remarkable season, led mostly at the plate. Arkansas’s .313 batting average in league play isn’t just the best in the league, it’s the best by 29 points. But the bats have gone quiet for the Hogs, just ahead of a brutal schedule run. Arkansas finishes against Texas, at LSU, and home against Tennessee. Even a 4-5 mark will get Arkansas a top 8 spot.

3. Tennessee (36-9, 13-8)

The Vols have lost 3 of their last 4 SEC series matchups. The schedule remains challenging and UT still will get its shot to make a postseason statement. Home matchups with Auburn and Vandy will be followed by a trip to Arkansas. A5-4 mark will be needed for UT to be safe in the top 8, but that feels plausible.

2. LSU (37-9, 14-7)

With A&M and South Carolina still ahead on the schedule, the Tigers can likely make it to 20 league victories. Between position and schedule, LSU is the team to watch in the SEC. Aside from Texas, nobody is better situated.

1. Texas (38-5, 19-2)

This weekend should clinch the top spot for the Horns. Texas has been so good in close games. Thirteen of the Horns’ 19 league wins had saves by the Texas bullpen. The Longhorns certainly have a target on their back as the top team in the nation.

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But as usual, outside of a settled first and last place, there’s plenty of competition within the SEC. Second through eighth places are separated by just 3 games– a weekend series worth.

Here’s our rundown of SEC baseball squads. Again, we’re working with 3 major categories, although there’s been plenty of movement within those categories.

The No-Hopers

Forget about the NCAA Tournament for these teams:

16. Missouri (13-27, 0-18)

At this point, the question is will Missouri go winless? Hard to bet against a team with an ERA of over 13 in SEC play not losing a bunch more games. Brutal.

15. South Carolina (24-18, 4-14)

A series win over Ole Miss is a rare highlight for USC. Still, given the slate to come, an NCAA Tournament appearance still projects to be out of the realm of possibility.

14. Mississippi State (24-17, 6-12)

A series loss to Florida demonstrates how mediocre this team is. State does still have Missouri ahead on the schedule, so a 13-17 mark (likely projection for what will be required to make the NCAA Tourney) could still be an outside possibility.

13. Florida (28-15, 6-12)

Off a series win, is Florida an NCAA hopeful? Frankly, no. Series matchups with Arkansas and Texas remain ahead on the schedule. Even winning a game from each set would leave Florida with plenty of work to do otherwise.

The Hopefuls

These are the teams that look solid for the NCAA Tournament, but are still either trying to solidify that standing or to move to the realm of NCAA Regional Host and perhaps even Super-Regional Host.

12. Texas A&M (24-16, 8-10)

On the other hand, unlike Florida, Texas A&M might be for real. The qualifier here is might — the next 2 weekends match up A&M with Texas and LSU. The Aggies will stack up as an NCAA Tournament team, but those weekends could be tough and hurt the overall chances of postseason play.

11. Kentucky (23-15, 8-10)

After Kentucky was dropped to the no-hope category, the Wildcats won a series at Tennessee and bested a ranked Louisville team easily. Maybe the big offensive output is a needed sign. If nothing else, big hitting might slow down gadget plays that had hurt Kentucky early in the season. Upcoming series matchups with South Carolina and Mississippi State could enhance this upward bump.

10. Auburn (28-13, 9-9)

Fresh off a sweep of LSU, Auburn came back to the ground in getting swept by Texas. Mississippi State and South Carolina remain ahead on the schedule, so the Tigers are likely to right the ship in a hurry.

9. Alabama (32-10, 9-9)

Alabama lost its series with LSU, but now gets to play Missouri, which should jump-start momentum around the program. Bama’s regular-season finale against Florida could be simultaneously pivotal for Florida’s postseason hopes and Bama’s chances at a super regional hosting gig.

8. Oklahoma (29-11, 10-8)

Oklahoma has a fairly rough schedule after the mandated beatdown of Missouri. There are no light foes left for the Sooners, who figure to hang around .500 when all is said and done.

7. Ole Miss (29-12, 10-8)

Losing a series to South Carolina was brutal, but the Rebels are still in decent shape, albeit less so for Super Regional hosting. The guess here is that an 18-12 record would get Super hosting. That’s in reach for the Rebels by winning 2 of 3 from every remaining series. Next up is Vanderbilt at home.

The Likely Super-Regional Hosts

This one means what it says. These are teams that are tracking to potentially host NCAA Super Regional matchups.

6. Georgia (33-10, 10-8)

Georgia seems about to slip out of this group. The Bulldogs have been swept twice in the last 2 weeks and the homer-ball of the early season seems a bit broken. But Mizzou remains ahead on the schedule so the 18-win conference mark still feels within reach.

5. Vanderbilt (30-11, 11-7)

Not only did Vandy sweep Georgia, it allowed only 10 total runs. The offense isn’t glamorous, but its good enough to keep things moving when the Commodores get the type of pitching improvement the program has experienced. Looking good.

4. Tennessee (34-7, 12-6)

After a brilliant start, UT is 4-5 in its last 3 SEC series matchups. That includes series losses to Kentucky and Texas A&M, each at home. It’s certainly still far from a bad team, but the murder-them-all-let-God-sort-it-out Vols of 2024 are feeling a long way away.

3. LSU (34-8, 12-6)

After getting swept by Auburn, the Tigers rebounded with a series win over Alabama. Tennessee and Arkansas still remain ahead on the schedule, but this is a very solid team that’s as well positioned as anyone not named “Texas.”

2. Arkansas (35-7, 13-5)

A series loss to A&M was surprising. The remaining sets are tough — a fighting-for-life Florida, Texas and at LSU are all coming up soon. But Arkansas’s .330 batting average in league play is 45 points higher than second-place Mississippi State. The Hogs will be ready for postseason play.

1. Texas (34-5, 16-2)

The Longhorns have been incredible in basically all phases of the game. The Jim Schlossnagle battle with A&M this weekend is a must-watch series.

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The Alabama/Auburn flip-flop happened thanks to that Auburn sweep of LSU. Texas A&M officially jumped out of the realm of the hopeless and Kentucky fell in (despite nearly upsetting Texas).

After Week 10, there’s just a month of weekends left before postseason play arrives. Here’s where the SEC stacks up.

The no-hopers

These are the teams that should just phone it in the rest of the year:

16. Missouri (13-23, 0-15)

Nothing new to say.

15. South Carolina (21-17, 2-13)

Giving up 40 runs to Texas A&M and blowing a 10-run lead in the series finale? The Gamecocks are lucky Missouri’s in the league.

14. Florida (25-14, 4-11)

Yes, Florida climbed off the mat and did something positive after a 1-11 league start. Then again, they beat Missouri, so let’s not start handing out NCAA Tournament bids or anything. Sweep Mississippi State this weekend and we’ll have something to think about.

13. Mississippi State (23-14, 5-10)

Mississippi State delivered a surprising series win over Alabama. Holding the Tide to 9 runs in the series was a major step. More likely than Florida coming back into the race is Mississippi State winning this weekend’s series with the Gators and getting a long look at moving up into the hopefuls category.

12. Kentucky (20-14, 6-9)

Kentucky almost bested Texas, but at the same time, that’s been the problem with this Kentucky team. Nick Mingione’s small ball keeps Kentucky in games, but this year’s squad doesn’t seem to have the big-play acumen of last year’s squad. Five non-conference losses isn’t a good sign and this week’s series with Tennessee could be definitive.

The hopefuls

These teams still have hope of accomplishing something big in 2025:

11. Texas A&M (21-15, 6-9)

Well, hello, Texas A&M. Glad you decided to show up. Winning a series is one thing, sweeping a series is another thing, but winning a game with a rally from a 12-2 deficit (even against South Carolina) felt like a major shift in the season. It’s far from too late for A&M to make this season meaningful. A .500ish record in this year’s SEC is nothing to sneeze at, and if A&M rounds into offensive form, they’re capable of even more than that.

10. Vanderbilt (27-10, 8-7)

Coming off a sweep of Florida, Vandy dropped its first 2 games at Oklahoma and had to grab the finale to avoid falling below .500. It’s a competent Vandy team, but hardly a scary one. A series against Georgia might imperil even a spot among the hopefuls for the Commodores.

9. Oklahoma (26-10, 7-8)

OU won 2 of 3 but would have jumped higher with a sweep and a winning league record. This weekend’s series at Missouri certainly won’t do the Sooners any harm. A sweep would give the Sooners 10 league wins in a year where 12 or maybe 13 would wrap up an NCAA Tournament slot.

8. Alabama (30-8, 8-7)

Alabama’s upset series loss to Mississippi State was fairly shocking, particularly at home. The Tide seemed to be beyond those sorts of disappointments, but not so fast. That moves them back a category in our power rankings.

The best of the SEC

These are the teams that continue to be the cream of the crop in the SEC:

7. Auburn (27-10, 9-6)

A sweep of LSU jumps the Tigers into the top of the league. Somehow giving up just 8 runs in 3 games was amazing. But no overreaction here- – Texas on the road is a brutal next test for the Tigers.

6. Ole Miss (27-10, 9-6)

A series loss to Tennessee wasn’t shocking, and a series at South Carolina will give the Rebels a quick chance to right things. Nobody left on the SEC schedule is ranked higher than the Rebels here, so 18 or so league wins is far from out of the question. If that happens, the Rebels probably jump up a slot or two and Oxford would be in line for a super regional hosting bid.

5. LSU (32-6, 10-5)

Off a brutal offensive week that resulted in a sweep from Auburn, the Tigers now face a hungry Alabama team that could well flip spots with LSU with a series win this week. A key could be walks– the only four teams with more walks than the Tigers are the bottom four ERA-ranked pitching staffs in the SEC. Alabama would love a nice, patient weekend.

4. Georgia (33-6, 10-5)

A series win over Arkansas should probably jump Georgia up even higher… but it’s hard to argue against the top 3 teams. Georgia’s offense could have a field day at Vanderbilt and might inspire a jump next week.

3. Arkansas (33-5, 12-3)

Arkansas took the aforementioned series loss to Georgia, but it’s hard to drop a team with the second-best record in the league as far as fourth. A pair of 1-run losses is a bit of bad mojo… but it also could be essentially a fluke. Arkansas’s bats still are a good bet down the SEC stretch.

2. Tennessee (32-5, 11-4)

The Vols did get off the series-losing streak and it seems that dropping a series to A&M might not be shameful after all. The Vols host Kentucky and can keep positive momentum rolling.

1.Texas (30-5, 13-2)

This has been a slow climb and Texas barely squeaked out a series win against Kentucky. But with a talented and deep pitching staff, Texas is squeaking out a bunch of wins. Note 15 saves among the 30 victories, which is telling. Only 3 SEC pitching staffs have fewer strikeouts than Texas, but the Longhorns have given up the fewest home runs in the SEC. That’s a recipe for close games and as long as Texas keeps winning, here they are.

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For those who don’t remember the 1980s, the significance is that, as the secondary New Jersey bard noted, “Whoa, we’re halfway there.” It has been a surprising run in the SEC, but a week in which Tennessee stumbles was a surprising one indeed.

We’ll stick with the 3-tier mode of the SEC in our rankings. Here’s the rundown on SEC baseball’s current stack-up:

SEC Power Rankings for Week 9

Let’s start with the teams with no hope left whatsoever:

The no-hopers

16. Missouri (12-20, 0-12)

It’s not that getting swept at Arkansas was surprising. But getting run-ruled in all 3 games and outscored 51-9 really isn’t the statement the poor Tigers needed to make. The good news is that this week’s series with Florida has to get somebody an SEC win or 2.

15. Florida (21-14, 1-11)

It’s time. Sure, Florida was a top preseason team. But after getting swept at home by Vanderbilt (and outscored 20-5), it’s hard to not conclude that the last dregs of hope ran out on the Gators. There are still a few light weekends coming up, but Florida has put itself in a position where multiple sweeps are the only prayer of digging out of this massive hole.

14. South Carolina (20-14, 2-10)

The Gamecocks did double their SEC win total by taking the opener of the series against Mississippi State, but still lost the series to one of the league’s other struggling teams while getting outscored 20-11. South Carolina’s pitching, while not great, has been competitive, but the Gamecocks bats have been strangely silent. USC is hitting just .278 and their 36 homers rank among the SEC’s non-slugging squads.

13. Mississippi State (20-13, 3-9)

An SEC series win keeps the Bulldogs among the (2) lower-tier teams that still have a slight chance to fight out of the cellar area. Florida and Missouri are still ahead on the schedule, so if State sneaks a series win over Alabama, it could be upwardly mobile in a hurry. Credit to MSU’s pitching staff, with 379 strikeouts, just 4 off the pace of SEC leader LSU.

12. Texas A&M (17-15, 3-9)

After getting run-ruled by Tennessee, the Aggies awoke and won the series. Is this the sign of something legitimate growing or just a glorified fluke? Watch for the South Carolina series this weekend. With road trips to Arkansas and Texas and a series with LSU upcoming, A&M needs a sweep to have a real shot at climbing up the SEC ladder to possible NCAA Tournament play.

The hopefuls

These are the teams that still have hope when it comes to postseason play:

11. Kentucky (18-12, 5-7)

Kentucky played a tough series with Ole Miss and had 3 super-competitive games… but only won 1. This Kentucky team doesn’t have the attention to detail of last year’s squad and with a series at Texas looming is the team most likely to fall back if either Mississippi State or A&M put on a late run.

10. Oklahoma (22-9, 5-7)

Yes, Oklahoma is still very good… and pitched well enough to make 2 of the 3 losses LSU very much in doubt. But scoring 4 runs in 3 games left the Sooners outside looking in. And given the punch in the rest of the SEC, it’s a problem Oklahoma has to fix promptly. Top 25 rankings are fine and well, but at 5-7, the Sooners need to win their series with Vandy or the doubt about this team will start to get much louder.

9. Vanderbilt (25-8, 7-5)

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt probably isn’t as good as it looked in blasting Florida. Even with a winning mark, the Commodores have a tough back end of their SEC schedule. This Vandy team feels like one that ends up going 13-17 or so in SEC play. If the bats come around (15th in SEC in batting average at .277, 16th in home runs at 28), Vandy is legit. If not, back to that 13-17 kind of year.

8. Auburn (23-10, 6-6)

Winning a big home-state series with the Crimson Tide gets the Tigers a jump this week. There’s an argument to be made that Auburn deserves to leap Alabama into the top tier. Let’s see what the next 2 weekends with LSU and Texas yield before we get too quick to jump the Tigers up the ladder.

The best of the SEC

These teams are the cream of the crop in a loaded SEC:

7. Alabama (28-6, 7-5)

The Tide dropped a tough series to Auburn, which makes for losses in 2 of Bama’s last 3 SEC series matchups. Sweep Mississippi State and get to 10-5 and all is fine. Lose this series and Alabama is probably downwardly mobile into the second tier of the SEC. Pitching depth is looking like a concern.

6. Ole Miss (26-7, 8-4)

Ole Miss squeaked through a series with Kentucky, which didn’t really hurt or help the Rebels any. They narrowly avoided an ugly loss, but there’s a survive and advance moment or 2 in most 10-week SEC jaunts. Hosting a riled-up Tennessee in Oxford this week should provide a little more detail on direction.

5. Georgia (30-5, 8-4)

So the jump of Georgia last week seems a bit premature. With a better pitching staff, Texas not only swept Georgia, but held the dangerous Bulldog offense to just 8 runs in 3 games. For the team that leads the SEC in homers (92), the weekend felt like a fluke. But a home series against Arkansas will bring another outstanding pitching staff… so either Georgia slides back to the middle of the league or has a big weekend to remember. Either way, must-watch stuff here.

4. Tennessee (29-4, 9-3)

Did Tennessee wake up Texas A&M? Off of 23 runs in the last 2 games, the Aggies might indeed have sprung to life. The Vols still have some intriguing road trips ahead and this weekend at Ole Miss gives a ready chance to reclaim a bit of the Vol mojo.

3. Texas (27-4, 11-1)

There’s been an element of waiting on the other shoe to drop on the Longhorns. But after shutting down the Georgia offense, it’s time to accept the Texas pitching staff as brilliant. The Longhorns don’t strike out a ton of people (just 282 in 270 2/3 IP), but they don’t give up homers (17, which is 4 less than second-place LSU). Texas goes to Kentucky this week and is likely to continue an 8-game SEC winning streak.

2. LSU (31-3, 10-2)

An impressive sweep of Oklahoma in which the Sooners scored just 4 runs? That’ll do. LSU isn’t the behemoth of the past, with “just” 53 homers so far. But the Tigers lead the SEC in doubles (82) and have the third fewest strikeouts at the plate. Add that to a pitching staff that holds opponents to a .207 average and has the SEC’s top strikeout total (383), and being second is no fluke. This week finds the Tigers at Auburn.

1. Arkansas (31-3, 11-1)

The thought coming into the year was that Arkansas would have an elite pitching staff but be okay at the plate. The pitching has been mostly as advertised. But hitting .335 as a team and being third in the SEC with 74 homers (behind only Georgia and UT)? That’s why they’re tops in the SEC. Arkansas, much like LSU, has been impressive for balance. Both look like teams that can win slugfests or pitchers’ duels. This week at Georgia should be a nice test for the Hogs.

The post SEC Baseball Power Rankings, Week 9: Tennessee stumbles, Arkansas shines and more appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Then, there are the hopefuls. Four teams are either 5-4 or 4-5 in SEC play. Solid, but not great.

Finally, there are the 7 potential super-regional hosts. That’s the top 8 teams in the country and while 7 SEC teams probably won’t make up that top 8, these 7 teams have legitimate shots.

So here’s a rundown on the power rankings, broken down by group. Also this time, there’s a note on how many home series battles remain of the 7 SEC weeks left and how many are against the no-hopers.

The No-Hopers

Here are the teams at the bottom of the SEC totem pole:

16. Missouri (10-17, 0-9)

The Tigers remain winless in league play and don’t show any signs of moving up. They’ve lost more games by 7 or more runs than they have by 3 or fewer runs in SEC play. Mizzou has 3 home weeks left and 3 battles with the no-hopers (including Texas A&M and Mississippi State in the season’s last 2 weeks).

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15. Texas A&M (14-14, 1-8)

The good news is A&M won its first SEC game. The bad news is that the Aggies lost a home series to Kentucky, which should give an idea of where they stand. A&M has just 3 home series weekends left in the SEC and only 2 series against no-hopers left on the slate (Missouri and South Carolina).

14. South Carolina (18-12, 1-8)

Carolina got swept at home by Tennessee and has played a tough schedule (as each of the 3 highest ranked no-hopers have). But the Gamecocks have just 3 home weekends left. Carolina does have 3 no-hopers left, with the next 2 weekends being against Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Both are on the road, so South Carolina has work ahead.

13. Mississippi State (17-12, 1-8)

The Bulldogs were swept at LSU, which can happen. State’s chances are a bit better to climb out of a hole because the Bulldogs have 4 home series weeks left. There are 3 weekends against fellow no-hopers including the finale against Missouri.

12. Florida (20-11, 1-8)

The Gators did win a league game, but lost a series at Ole Miss. That said, UF still has 4 home weeks left. There are 3 matchups with no-hopers ahead of the season’s final 2 weeks. Picking up a 7-2 or 8-1 run in those games could lift UF out of the no-hoper division.

The Hopefuls

These are the teams still hoping for more from the 2025 season:

11. Kentucky (17-9, 4-5)

Kentucky did win a series against A&M, but could be the downwardly mobile team in this group. The Wildcats do have 4 more home SEC weekends, but only have 2 of the no-hopers ahead. The last 2 weeks, at home against Oklahoma and at Vandy, could end up deciding Kentucky’s postseason fate.

10. Vanderbilt (21-8, 4-5)

Vandy took a tough home sweep from Arkansas and now is in a fairly difficult spot. There are only 3 home series weekends left in SEC play and only the next series (Florida) comes against one of the no-hopers.

9. Auburn (20-9, 4-5)

The Tigers were swept at Georgia, which isn’t encouraging, but the games were more competitive than the results would suggest. Auburn also has 4 home series weekends remaining and will face 2 of the no-hopers in upcoming action. That’s a decent recipe for a .500ish season and an NCAA Tournament bid.

8. Oklahoma (22-5, 5-4)

This one might be controversial. Oklahoma is a top-10 team in every major poll. But the Sooners come off a series loss to Alabama and have only one of the no-hopers left on the schedule. OU does have 4 home weekends and could well jump into the next tier. But as we stand, here they are.

Potential Super Regional Hosts

These teams are the cream of the crop in a loaded SEC:

7. Ole Miss (22-6, 6-3)

The Rebels come off a series win over Florida. There are only 3 home weekends left, but 2 of the no-hopers remain ahead on Ole Miss’s schedule and only 1 of the other potential super regional hosts is on there. The series at Oklahoma in early May could be key to staying here or falling back a slot.

6. Alabama (26-4, 6-3)

Fresh off a series win over Oklahoma, Alabama also has 3 series matchups ahead with the no-hopers. Go 6-3 in those and a finish in the top handful of SEC teams is imminently reachable. A down note is that only 3 home weekends remain in league play.

5. Texas (23-4, 8-1)

With series wins over Mizzou and Mississippi State, it’s fair to wonder if Texas can live up to its current record. There are 4 home weekends left, which is helpful. Only 2 no-hopers are ahead on the schedule, although both matchups are at home, which positions the Horns well for a nice SEC Tournament seed (and that super regional hosting gig).

4. LSU (27-3, 7-2)

A nice sweep over Mississippi State was welcome. There are only 3 home weekends left in the league and the 2 no-hopers on the schedule fall in the last 3 weeks. If LSU can get there in good shape, the Tigers will do well.

3. Arkansas (27-3, 8-1)

A sweep at Vandy was impressive. So is a slate with 4 more weeks of home league play and matchups with Mizzou and Texas A&M coming within the next 3 weeks. There’s a Florida series after that, which could leave Arkansas well positioned to win the league regular-season title.

2. Georgia (29-2, 8-1)

A sweep of Auburn earns Georgia additional respect. There are only 3 weeks of home league play remaining for the Bulldogs, but Georgia will get Texas A&M and Missouri in the last 3 weeks of the season. Upcoming weekends against Texas and Arkansas will either earn this spot or push the Bulldogs down.

1. Tennessee (27-2, 8-1)

A sweep against South Carolina keeps the UT train rolling. The Vols will be at home in 4 more weekend slates. The only concern here is that Texas A&M this weekend is the only one of the no-hopers ahead on the slate. The Vols have road matchups ahead against Ole Miss, LSU and Arkansas. If the Vols win the regular-season crown, nobody can say they didn’t earn it.

The post SEC Baseball Power Rankings, Week 8: Breaking down the league’s 3 tiers appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Obviously, those teams would like to fix those win-loss records, but as we do our weekly round-up of SEC baseball, here’s the rundown on ranking the SEC and a team stat that each squad would like to fix this week.

SEC Baseball Power Rankings Week 7

We’ll start with 16 in our weekly rankings and work our way up to the No. 1 spot:

16. Missouri (9-14, 0-6)

The Tigers remain consistent, but unfortunately, they’re consistent in the wrong direction. The Tigers were swept by a combined 18 runs by a middle of the pack Ole Miss team. The 7.68 team ERA (more than 2.3 runs worse than the 15th team) is one thing that has to be fixed. If not, Missouri will have plenty more 17-10 type games.

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15. Texas A&M (12-12, 0-6)

Yes, we’ve tried to be patient after a slow start. But there’s slow starts and then there’s this. A&M has scored 15 runs in 6 SEC games against a pair of decent, but not overwhelming opponents. A .258 team batting average is the top number to solve. The 15th ranked SEC team is hitting .280. The individual players have plenty of talent, but this offense is just unwatchable right now.

14. South Carolina (17-9, 1-5)

There’s no shame in getting swept at Arkansas. But losing by 10, 9 and 7 runs in the 3 games isn’t a good sign. A .435 team slugging percentage is barely ahead of A&M. Carolina’s the team that’s 15th in batting average too, but the Gamecocks could use more power for certain (25 homers is 14th in the SEC).

13. Mississippi State (16-9, 1-5)

State did pick up a win at Oklahoma and was competitive in all 3 games. A stat for State to fix is the 20 unearned runs that have scored off Bulldog pitchers — that’s second worst in the SEC ahead of only Ole Miss. Mississippi State’s 26 errors are third most in the SEC.

12. Kentucky (15-8, 2-4)

Kentucky has won a game in each of its 2 series, but has also struggled mightily in nonconference play. Kentucky’s 23 homers (15th in the SEC) is a number to fix. Yes, the Wildcats were successful a year ago with small ball. But the pitching and defense isn’t on that level, so the power bats have to come alive.

11. Florida (18-9, 0-6)

Yes, they’re 0-6. But having opened with Tennessee and Georgia, we’ll avoid another A&M style drop for at least one more week. After giving up 40 runs in 3 games against Georgia, pitching is the immediate problem. A 5.36 team ERA is 15th in the league and has to improve.

10. Ole Miss (19-5, 4-2)

The Rebels picked up a sweep of Missouri and are playing relatively well. One thing to fix is better contact hitting. The Rebels are have struck out 214 times, which is 15th in the SEC. With Florida on deck next, the contact hitting gets a shot to improve.

9. Vanderbilt (20-5, 4-2)

The Commodores swept A&M, so their pitching might not be quite as strong as it seemed against the sleepy Aggie bats. Vandy has its own offensive issues. They’re dead last in the SEC in homers, but given their speed, improving on a .284 team batting average (14th in the SEC) is the most immediate need.

8. Auburn (20-5, 4-2)

Auburn took a series win over Kentucky and has quietly kept itself in the upper echelon of SEC standings. For a team with as many close wins as Auburn has, the Tigers need to improve on just 7 saves so far. They’ve won 5 1-run games, if that gives any indication of the way the bullpen flirts with disaster.

7. Oklahoma (20-3, 4-2)

Oklahoma swept Mississippi State to raise above the .500 mark. The Sooners are playing well overall, but could stand to up their power numbers. Oklahoma has just 28 homers this year, which is 13th in the SEC.

6. Alabama (23-3, 4-2)

Yes, Alabama lost a series to Tennessee, so they do drop back into the realm of normal teams. The Tide have had an impressive early season. One of few areas for improvement is control — Alabama’s pitchers have allowed 100 walks, which is third worst in the SEC.

5. LSU (23-3, 4-2)

The Tigers dropped 2 of 3 to Texas. This ranking is less an overreaction to losing a competitive series than highlighting the 4 teams ranked above the Tigers, who have all been amazingly solid. An area to fix is being more efficient in the running game. LSU has been caught stealing 10 times in 31 attempts, so a 67% stole base success rate is the worst in the SEC.

4. Texas (20-3, 5-1)

Texas gets a leap from outlasting LSU for an impressive series win. What could the Horns improve? Patience at the plate, as their 110 walks is next to last in the SEC. A .399 on base percentage ranks 13th.

3. Georgia (25-2, 5-1)

A 40-13 cumulative series win over Florida does nothing to hurt the Bulldogs’ mojo. What can they fix? Consider 123 walks allowed by Georgia pitchers, which is worst in the SEC.

2. Arkansas (23-3, 5-1)

A 35-9 cumulative sweep of South Carolina might not be quite as impressive as Georgia, but it’s a pretty similar statement. There’s not much to fix, but 19 stolen bases ties for last in the SEC. The Hogs don’t have to turn into the 1980s St. Louis Cardinals, but a little more competence in swiping a base wouldn’t hurt.

1. Tennessee (23-2, 5-1)

Tennessee did take a loss at Alabama, but won the series on the road and looked rock steady in doing so. What’s not to like? Tennessee does give up a ton of stolen bases, with 35 successful thefts from opponents being the most in the SEC.

The post SEC Baseball Power Rankings Week 7: A stat to change for each team appeared first on Saturday Down South.

In all fairness, there’s a lot more going on here. Yes, Kentucky has hit heights under Pope which would have seemed nearly unimaginable when he was called on to gather an impromptu roster as the replacement to John Calipari. Wins over Duke, Gonzaga, two victories over Tennessee, a win over Florida, and a 5-0 record against the teams that met for the SEC and ACC Tournament titles.

Then again, Kentucky also lost to Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas. The Wildcats dropped a 29-point loss to Alabama in the second-worst postseason loss in the history of Kentucky basketball.

It’s a 22-11 Kentucky team off a 10-8 record in the SEC. But the SEC never looked like this version of the SEC (did we mention 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament?).

But even then, there are extenuating circumstances upon extenuating circumstances. Pope’s constructed roster was a bit short on depth. Literally losing every scholarship player from a 23-10 team that lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament will do that. Of Pope’s initial rotation of 9 players, 2 (Kerr Kriisa, Jaxson Robinson) have now been lost to season-ending injury. Another (Lamont Butler) has missed 9 games and is just now trying to return to the lineup again. A fourth (Andrew Carr) has battled a back injury all season that saw him miss just 1 game, but be visibly limited in another half dozen or more games.

But at the end of the day, good, bad, and unexpected matters all being considered, Pope could really use a couple of NCAA Tournament wins this weekend.

Why This Weekend Matters So Much (And Could Be Scary)

After all, John Calipari was all but run out of town for his failure to produce anything of meaning in March. After 31 NCAA Tournament wins for Calipari in his first decade at Kentucky (that works out to an average of an Elite Eight finish per year), the ensuing 5 years included exactly 1 NCAA Tournament win. They also included embarrassing first-round losses to Saint Peter’s and Oakland. Sure, there was more to it than that. Calipari’s lack of accountability, his struggles in adjusting his tactics, and the general trend of college basketball away from high school recruiting to transfer portal juggling all figured in. But make no mistake, Big Blue Nation ran out of tolerance for a lack of March productivity.

Enter Pope, who has generally exceeded reasonable expectations in Year 1. But the rub on Pope, the biggest strike against him as a candidate for the Kentucky job was a total of zero NCAA Tournament coaching wins. Granted, Pope was coaching at Utah Valley and BYU. Those zero wins also included just 2 losses. Both losses came in 6 vs. 11 games, which are essentially Tournament coin flips.

For everything Pope got right — and his “aw shucks, just a common man of the people” is amazing for a nearly 7-foot former NBA player who was also a Rhodes Scholar candidate — make no mistake: this is his proving ground. With Kentucky as a No. 3 seed, a first-round humiliation would be particularly painful. But at the same time, taking an injury-riddled team to a pair of NCAA Tournament wins would essentially leave Pope entering Year 2 playing with house money.

For Kentucky fans, that seems like a reasonable proposition. But here’s the thing — for a Kentucky team that had previously avoided embarrassing NCAA Tournament upset losses, suddenly even mild success looks much more daunting. Forgive Big Blue Nation if it seems like there’s a Doug Edert or a Jack Gohlke lurking around every corner. Forgive Kentucky fans if the Troy Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference seem an awful lot like John Wooden’s 1960s and 1970s UCLA Bruins.

For a program that has spent most of its time being the hunted and not the hunter, Kentucky finds itself — and its coach — in something of a weird position this weekend. Kentucky has both reason for optimism and for a surprising amount of fear. It promises to be a significant weekend.

The post Kentucky basketball: Wildcats face a scary weekend under new coach Mark Pope appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Here are the weekly power rankings and 1 player from each team that’s worth watching this weekend (in between NCAA Tournament games).

SEC Baseball Power Rankings, Week 6 edition

Here’s how we have every SEC team stacking up from 16-1:

16. Missouri (8-11, 0-3)

The Missouri Tigers were unsurprisingly swept by LSU. The pitching is saw fairly putrid. Offensively, keep an eye out for Jackson Lovitch. He’s hitting .324 with 3 homers and 12 RBIs.

15. Mississippi State (14-7, 0-3)

Mississippi State was swept at home by Texas, which doesn’t bode well for the season. The good news, such as it is, was that all 3 games were close, with the Bulldogs losing by a total of 6 runs. Still, getting swept at home to one of the more average teams in the SEC is brutal. Pico Kohn remains one of the most interesting pitchers in the league. He’s 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting .157 against him.

14. South Carolina (17-5, 1-2)

The Gamecocks lost a tough series to Oklahoma. Much as with Mississippi State, the losses were competitive. On the upside, South Carolina did win a game, but it was a home series that ended up as a loss. The guy to watch remains Ethan Petry. He’s hitting .377 with 5 homers and 22 RBIs.

13. Texas A&M (11-9, 0-3)

Texas A&M getting swept by Alabama would have been inconceivable a month ago. The pitching has been more or less what it was supposed to be. It’s the absolutely awful work at the plate that has doomed the Aggies so far. Ryan Prager, the pitching ace, remains the player to watch. He’s 2-0 with a 1.48 ERA and is holding opponents to a .155 batting average.

12. Kentucky (14-5, 1-2)

Kentucky won a game at Georgia, but the Wildcats’ pitching got absolutely lit up. The defense has been surprisingly mediocre, too. Guy to watch? Cole Hage is hitting .424 with 6 homers, 18 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. If he could pitch, he might be perfect.

11. Vanderbilt (16-5, 1-2)

The Commodores dropped their first series to Auburn, in part due to genuine bullpen issues. Cody Bowker is perhaps the most interesting guy to see so far for Vanderbilt. Bowker is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA. With 32 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched, he’s holding opponents to a .143 mark.

10. Oklahoma (18-2, 2-1)

Oklahoma nabbed a road series win over South Carolina. In another week, that might get the Sooners up to fifth or sixth. For a player to watch, how about bullpen ace Dylan Crooks. He’s 1-0 with 6 saves in 8 appearances. Crooks has an 0.68 ERA and opponents are hitting just .188 against him.

9. Auburn (17-4, 2-1)

Auburn got some clutch hits to take down Vanderbilt in the first SEC action. In honor of his series-winning grand slam, consider Cade Belyeu the player to watch. He’s at .300 with 3 homers. He’s also stolen 10 bases, which might be a little more typical of his game than his big slam.

8. Ole Miss (15-5, 1-2)

Ole Miss took a tough series loss to Arkansas. The pitching staff had a rough series. Hunter Elliott has bounced back to nearly 100% and looks very sharp. Elliott is 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA. Elliott has 33 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .198 and have only a single homer off him.

7. Florida (18-5, 0-3)

Yes, the Gators were swept. But they were swept by the Vols. It’s going to happen to plenty of other teams and shouldn’t be room to panic. The Florida player to watch is Brody Donay, who is hitting .373 with 8 homers and 20 RBIs.

6. Texas (17-2, 3-0)

The Horns grabbed an impressive series sweep at Mississippi State. It’s a tough call to pick one Texas ace to watch, but Jared Spencer gets the nod. Spencer is 2-0 with a 2.36 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings pitched. Batters are hitting just .214 against Spencer. Honorable mention to Luke Harrison, whose numbers are basically equally brilliant.

5. Georgia (21-2, 2-1)

Georgia blasted its way to a series win over Kentucky. The Bulldogs look like they’ll battle Tennessee to have the best hitting team in the SEC. One player to see? The must-see star is transfer Ryland Zaborowski, who leads the SEC at .444 and has 12 homers and 40 RBIs.

4. Alabama (21-1, 3-0)

The Tide might be the surprise of the SEC after a sweep over Texas A&M. One thing not surprising is how great Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron has been. He’s hitting .360 with 12 homers, 45 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. He’s the early leader in the clubhouse for SEC Player of the Year.

3. Arkansas (20-2, 2-1)

The series win over Ole Miss was impressive, particularly after dropping the opener. Everybody knew Arkansas had pitching and it’d be easy to list a pitcher. But we’re doubling down on the Aloy brothers. Kuhio is at .419 with 8 homers and 35 RBIs, while Wehiwa is at .402 with 9 homers and 28 RBIs. Is it wrong to pick 2 guys? It’d be too hard to choose one.

2. LSU (21-1, 3-0)

LSU just keeps doing what it does. The Tigers remain one of the most balanced teams of the league, but admittedly, the series at Texas should be a better test than facing Mizzou was last week. Make sure to watch Derek Curiel, the freshman who looks like an absolute natural. His .434 average is second-best in the SEC. It’s worth noting that he also has taken 23 walks vs. 12 strikeouts.

1. Tennessee (20-1, 3-0)

Tennessee did lose, but not in the SEC. Who knew that East Tennessee would be the giant slayer? That’s a midweek non-league game, even if it was a surprising one. Anyway, they’re still the Vols. Who’s the top Vol? How about Louisville transfer Gavin Kilen. He’s hitting .431 with 3 homers and 5 stolen bases.

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Let’s see a ranking of the initial SEC series matchups. All 16 SEC teams open league play and here’s a ranking of those initial series matchups — with the teams listed 1-16 as you’ve come to expect at the end.

Here’s the rundown on 8 SEC weekend opener matchups.

SEC Week 5 Power Rankings: Matchups Edition

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8. LSU/Missouri

No disrespect to the Tigers, who remain one of the most interesting and capable teams in the SEC. That almost works against them in the most uneven battle possible. Missouri is 8-8 and just split 4 games with Binghamton. LSU is a single run away from being 17-1. It’s hard to gauge much from either of these teams in this weekend. It’ll be fun for LSU alums and backers, but there’s not much to learn here.

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7. South Carolina/Oklahoma

Other than Mizzou, Carolina is the only other SEC team not ranked in (at least) one of the major college baseball polls. The Gamecocks are 15-3, but did get swept by Clemson in the only significant games they played. Kyson Witherspoon on the hill makes Oklahoma a bit more interesting. The Sooners are also a big base-stealing team and that’s fun to watch. Still, it’s an uneven matchup involving 1 of the league’s 2 completely unranked teams.

Call in sick and stream it

6. Kentucky/Georgia

Georgia has been one of the most impressive surprises of the season. Ryland Zaborowski has murdered the baseball (.447 average, leads the SEC in slugging percentage) but Georgia’s pitching (4.28 team ERA) has been a bit suspect. Kentucky took 2 pre-conference losses, but leads the SEC in stolen bases and seems determined to run back its small ball and clutch pitching plan of a year ago. This series does have some intrigue (Is UGA elite? Is Kentucky an SEC competitor?).

5. Texas/Mississippi State

The 14-1 Longhorns are a 1-run loss from being 15-0. Jared Spencer has been elite on the mound (sub-1.00 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 21 innings) and Texas has been solid at the plate. Pico Kohn’s 37 strikeouts highlights Mississippi State‘s better than expected pitching. State has had some buzzard’s luck early (losing by 1, 1, 2, and 3 runs), but this is a chance to shift that narrative.

4. Vanderbilt/Auburn

Vanderbilt is still possessed of a punch-and-judy style offense with just 11 homers on the season. But the Commodores’ pitching has taken a step forward. Cody Bowker has been even better than his 1.89 ERA — opponents are hitting .125 against him. Meanwhile, Auburn looks to be fairly offense driven. But Ike Irish, one of our favorite players in the league, is still hitting below .300. That won’t last long.

Get to the ballpark

3. Alabama/Texas A&M

The league’s surprise versus the league’s underachiever? The league’s top hitter (Justin Labron with 11 homers) against the top pitcher (A&M’s Ryan Prager and his 0.38 ERA)? Sounds like must-see stuff. If anybody had bet that Texas A&M would enter this series with 6 times more losses than Alabama, well, that person would’ve made a hefty profit. There’s plenty at stake here. How strong is Bama? How broken is A&M? This is probably Week 5’s most educational matchup.

2. Arkansas/Ole Miss

This is the series for pitching battles. Zach Root on one side, Hunter Elliott on the other. Arkansas remains the quiet threat to the SEC, and seeing a weekend of strong pitching would boost their CWS hopes. On the other hand, Ole Miss might be right there with Alabama for a pleasant surprise. Alabama’s done most of its damage at the plate, but the Rebels seem to be cobbling together a top pitching staff. Sounds like an outstanding matchup.

1.Tennessee/Florida

This feels like a May series and not a March one. Florida used to be big brother, but Tennessee, the last unbeaten team in the SEC, recognizes no other powers in this era. Meanwhile, Florida can lean on Liam Peterson, whose sub 1.00 ERA will get put to the test. Brody Donay and Bobby Boser are two of the SEC’s top sluggers. Tennessee is fearsome. Levi Clark rolls into the series hitting (gulp) .513 and Gavin Kilen is fourth in the SEC in batting average and second in slugging percentage. The Vols also boast the SEC’s top ERA. This is the league’s best matchup for Week 5.

SEC Baseball Power Rankings

16. Missouri

15. South Carolina

14. Texas A&M

13. Mississippi State

12. Auburn

11. Kentucky

10. Ole Miss

9. Vanderbilt

8. Oklahoma

7. Alabama

6. Florida

5. Texas

4. Georgia

3. Arkansas

2. LSU

1.Tennessee

The post SEC Week 5 Baseball Power Rankings: Ranking the initial SEC series matchups appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Our SEC Baseball Week 4 Power Rankings:

16. Missouri (6-6)

That 6.88 team ERA will keep the Tigers near the bottom of the SEC. A four game-split with Evansville doesn’t exactly make the Tigers look particularly imposing. Missouri also has the second-most errors in the SEC, so a bad pitching staff being supported by bad defense isn’t exactly a promising recipe.

15. Mississippi State (8-4)

This probably isn’t entirely fair to the Bulldogs. Three of their 4 losses came to ranked teams. But somebody has to be No. 15. State came into Wednesday sitting at 17 for 17 in stolen bases. Their pitching staff has gotten a ton of swings and misses (136 strikeouts in 91 innings). But State hasn’t been good in close games, and that hurts them here.

14. South Carolina (11-3)

Yes, Clemson is good. But getting South Carolina swept while scoring just 6 runs in a 3-game series is a bad sign. A .268 team batting average and just 14 homers seems to indicate a lack of punch that could get significant in SEC play if not addressed before then.

13. Auburn (11-2)

Auburn has taken its 2 losses by a total of just 3 runs. Freshman Chase Fralick is hitting .474, which should supplement Ike Irish’s production pretty effectively. The Tigers could work out fine, but it’s hard to tell yet just how high their ceiling actually is.

12. Kentucky (10-1)

Kentucky has 9 straight wins and is playing fine. The Wildcats do have a relatively low number of games, as weather has been a concern at the most northern school in the SEC. The Wildcats’ 1.80 ERA leads the SEC and if that holds, UK has the potential to be very, very good.

11. Ole Miss (11-1)

It took a walkoff over Murray State for Ole Miss’s active win streak to reach 10 in a row. The Rebels trailed 7-4 in the eighth inning, but tied it up on a Will Furness single in the ninth. Meanwhile, Hunter Elliott has 3 wins and a 0.00 ERA. Don’t sleep on the Rebels.

10. Vanderbilt (10-3)

The Commodores have had plenty of up and down in the young season. Surprisingly, Vandy is somehow 15th in the SEC in ERA with a 3.88 mark. With just 7 homers and the leagues’ 13th ranked batting average, Vandy needs to figure out what to hang its collective, metaphorical hat on in 2025… and preferably quickly.

9. Texas A&M (7-5)

Yes, so we weren’t overreacting… but maybe we are now. This is starting to feel like the 2021 Florida team that was a preseason favorite and quickly tumbled to mediocrity. A&M seems well on that way. The Aggies have the worst defense in the league, racking up a ton of errors. Add that to a (gulp) .245 team batting average and Aggie fans have the making of some genuine trouble.

8. Alabama (14-0)

Still undefeated? Yep. An 11-1 win over Jacksonville State follows a 3-1 win over Troy. Justin Lebron’s 8 homers and 32 RBIs point out his capability as a run producer. Alabama has the SEC’s top batting average (.351) and second-leading home run attack (29 bombs). If the pitching can hold up (and their 3.88 ERA is 15th in the SEC), they could be in Omaha.

7. Oklahoma (11-1)

OU has done plenty to like. But losing 11-0 to Dallas Baptist and getting 2 hits does give them a bit of a prestige drop. Kyson Witherspoon is 3-0 and has whiffed 28 batters in 18 innings. OU lacks power (just 11 homers), but ties for most stolen bases in the SEC (37).

6. Texas (10-1)

The Longhorns have now won 10 in a row since losing their opener to Louisville by a run. Texas has been solid all around with a .320 team batting average and a 2.98 ERA, which ranks third best in the SEC. Max Belyeu has been tremendous, hitting .468 with 6 doubles.

5. Florida (12-2)

All is not necessarily well with the Gators. A pair of ugly losses (13-8 to Miami, 13-3 to UCF) suggest some potential issues. Notably, those 13 runs per game allowed. Florida’s pitching numbers had been among the best in the league, but they took a significant slide. Could pitching depth undermine UF? Brody Donay and Bobby Boser have been a great 1-2 power punch, but UF has to work out the pitching issues.

4. Georgia (15-1)

Georgia’s hitting continues to impress. Zabronski got a mention last week, and he’s still at .452. But Slate Alford’s 23 RBIs ranks second in the SEC. Georgia is tied for second in the SEC in homers (29). The Bulldogs have won a dozen in a row and if the pitching holds up, this could be a team to watch for in Omaha.

3. Arkansas (12-1)

On the other hand, pitching has always been the story for Arkansas. Ohio State transfer Landon Beidelschies continues to shine with a 2-0 mark and a 1.29 ERA. Zach Root has 26 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings. If not for a 1-run loss to Kansas State, Arkansas would still have a perfect record.

2. LSU (13-1)

Some have jumped LSU to No. 1 and there’s reason for that optimism. On the hill, Chase Shores (3-0, 3.00 ERA), Kade Anderson (2-0, 2.30), and Anthony Eyanson (2-0, 3.18) have looked rock steady as starters. LSU’s infield has been the story on offense. Second baseman Daniel Dickenson has 23 RBIs to go with his .400 average. First baseman Jared Jones is hitting .413 and shortstop Steven Milam is hitting .373. LSU has enough weapons to be near the top all year long.

1.Tennessee (13-0)

Still undefeated, still our No. 1. What doesn’t UT have? Louisville transfer Gavin Kilen is hitting .488 with 7 homers. Freshman Levi Clark is hitting .500 with 5 homers. Starting pitchers Marcus Phillips and Liam Doyle each have sub-1.00 ERAs. To say that it’s impressive to see UT reconstruct a national champion into another national contender would be an understatement.

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