For years, SEC football has sat on the throne of college football and has forced dominance over the other Power Five conferences — the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and ACC. Against these other conferences, the SEC, as a whole, has a record of 7-4 just three weeks into the 2022 season.
From Sept. 24 to Nov. 19, when it plays Massachusetts, Texas A&M football will be competing against conference opponents to figure out who will come out on top at the end of the year and be named SEC champions.
No. 23 A&M will be facing No. 10 Arkansas in the Southwest Classic on Saturday, Sept. 24, at AT&T Stadium for the 79th time in each program’s history, the 11th time in Arlington.
What other SEC opponents are battling it out for Week 4?
Here’s a look at the other four SEC matchups taking place this weekend:
Missouri @ Auburn
Saturday, Sept. 24 — Jordan-Hare Stadium — Auburn, Ala.
11 a.m. on ESPN
Auburn is coming off one of the most humiliating performances that Tiger fans have ever witnessed, after a 41-12 loss in their own stadium against No. 14 Penn State. Fortunately for the black and gold Tigers, Missouri is coming off a 34-17 win against Abilene Christian at Faurot Field. Both teams are entering this game 2-1 and will look to add their third win of the season in their first conference matchup.
Junior quarterback junior T.J. Finley was benched in last week’s showdown versus the Nittany Lions and has been struggling with an apparent shoulder injury throughout the week, so expect either redshirt freshman Robby Ashford or sophomore Zach Calzada to get the keys to the Auburn offense come Saturday.
Prediction: Auburn 20, Missouri 13
No. 20 Florida @ No. 11 Tennessee
Saturday, Sept. 24 — Neyland Stadium — Knoxville, Tenn.
2:30 p.m. on CBS
In a rivalry that dates back to Oct. 28, 1916, No. 11 Tennessee will be hosting No. 20 Florida for its 52nd matchup. Sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson and his Gator offense are traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., after barely scraping by South Florida with a 31-28 win.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel and his Volunteers will enter this game with a perfect 3-0 record and look to add their first conference win of the season on their home turf.
Senior quarterback Hendon Hooker has not one but two wideouts to watch out for in junior Jalin Hyatt and senior Cedric Tillman who are both top five in the SEC in receiving yards with 267 and 246, respectively. The atmosphere in Neyland Stadium will be electric and will definitely be too much for Florida coach Billy Napier and his team to process.
Prediction: Tennessee 41, Florida 27
Vanderbilt @ No. 2 Alabama
Saturday, Sept. 24 — Bryant-Denny Stadium — Tuscaloosa, Ala.
6:30 p.m. on SEC Network
In this last SEC conference game of the season, 3-1 Vanderbilt will be playing undefeated Alabama in both teams’ first conference game of the season. The Commodores are coming off a 38-28 “upset” win against Northern Illinois. As for the Crimson Tide, they are coming off a monstrous 63-7 win against Louisiana Monroe.
Not much to say about this game other than I’ll be praying for Vanderbilt’s safety until the final whistle is blown.
Prediction: Alabama 56, Vanderbilt 10
Kent State @ No. 1 Georgia
Saturday, Sept. 24 — Sanford Stadium — Athens, Ga.
11 a.m. on ESPN+
If you’re watching four games at home and need one more game for your five television set-up in your living room, I would suggest throwing on this game. Georgia coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs will be hosting Sean Lewis and his Golden Flashes, who A&M saw in Week 1 of the 2021 season.
In the small chance that Kent State’s junior quarterback Collin Schlee has a chance to get rid of the ball, this could potentially be a good game. Schlee will be coming off a game where he missed only two targets, threw for 199 yards and recorded two touchdowns against Long Island University. However, the most likely result will be another 40-point win with senior quarterback Stetson Bennett and sophomore receiver Ladd McConkey leading the Georgia offense.
Prediction: Georgia 55, Kent State 10
