It was statement Saturday in the SEC last weekend.
Florida clinched a spot in the SEC title game, Alabama dominated LSU at home, and Arkansas used a “Hog Mary” miracle in a 53-52 overtime win at Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide now hold a firm grasp on the SEC West.
There are still big games left in SEC play, and other teams will be playing for a potential spot in a New Year’s Day Six Bowl. This week, some big games highlight yet another Saturday of the conference grind. Here’s what to watch for around the SEC this week.
No. 2 Alabama (8-1, 5-1 SEC) at No. 17 Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2 SEC) – 2:30 pm p.m. CBS, Wade-Davis Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi
This is a bit of a trap game for Alabama. Coming off a dominating win at home against LSU last weekend, they travel to StarkVegas to take on a red-hot Bulldog squad. MSU looks nothing like the team that lost to Texas A&M back in early October, and have since reeled off four straight wins, averaging 40.7 points per game in that span. Granted, it has been against lesser talent than Alabama, but the Bulldogs seem to have righted the ship.
Derrick Henry was the definition of a superhuman last week, putting the Crimson Tide on his back in the LSU win, carrying the ball a whopping 38 times for 210 yards with three trips to the end zone. This week, he faces the 93rd ranked rushing defense in the country. He should have another solid game on the ground. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs still have star quarterback Dak Prescott, who has thrown 11 touchdowns and just one interception in the last four games, and quietly has put together another impressive season.
This game has the making to be a classic low-scoring, SEC duel. Ultimately, the Alabama defense is going to be too strong for MSU to handle. They shut down Leonard Fournette, and they did not even stack the box that heavily, which is a fairly scary thing. Prescott will find a way of putting points on the board, especially at home. But Alabama will get the stops they need to put the game away.
Arkansas (5-4, 3-2 SEC) at No. 9 LSU (7-1, 4-1 SEC) – 6:15 pm pm ESPN, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Leonard Fournette’s Heisman hopes took a bit of a hit last weekend, rushing for 31 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown in the loss at Alabama. Arkansas comes in after shocking Ole Miss on a miracle of a backward pass on fourth and 25 in overtime and converting a two-point conversion to win 53-52 in Oxford. The Razorbacks have looked much better in the second half of the season, and Brandon Allen might just be the best quarterback in the SEC right now.
LSU lost a bit of its luster after last week, but the Tigers are still a very good football team. Their only problem is throwing the football, as they average only 153 yards per game through the air. For Arkansas, Allen has been playing out of his mind recently, and threw for over 400 yards and six touchdowns last week in the win over Ole Miss.
If Arkansas’ defense, which is a bit suspect, can force LSU into third and long situations, watch out. LSU is on upset alert this weekend. They have a very good defense but they will be playing another physical team for the second straight week. Fatigue might be a factor in Baton Rouge for LSU. I say Brandon Allen takes his time in the spotlight to shine, and Arkansas takes home the “Golden Boot” these two rivals play for every year.
BYU (7-2, 0-0 Independent) at Missouri (4-5, 1-5 SEC) – 6:30 pm on SEC Network, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Amidst all the tension this week at the University of Missouri, from the football team going on strike to threats of on-campus violence, this is more than a game for the Missouri community. It is a chance to set aside the issues clouding the school, even if it is just for a few hours.