LSU has performed very well in its two previous games – convincing victories against Mississippi State and Auburn.
However, neither Mississippi State nor Auburn has a winning record. In fact, LSU has lost its two games against power-conference teams on track to win eight regular-season games – Kentucky and Ole Miss.
The Tigers will play host to Alabama, a serious College Football Playoff contender, on Saturday afternoon. A victory over the Crimson Tide will solidify LSU’s case as being one of the top four teams in the Southeastern Conference as well as being a CFP participant.
This weekend will shape the SEC rankings heading into the home stretch of the regular season. There are eight SEC teams who have lost fewer than three games in the first two months of the season. These eight teams are matched against each other Saturday.
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In the early afternoon time slot, Missouri plays host to Texas. In the mid-afternoon window, LSU plays host to Alabama. At night, Ole Miss plays host to Georgia and Tennessee plays host to Kentucky.
There could be six SEC teams with two defeats at this time next week if Georgia and Kentucky lose their road games. There could be only four SEC teams with fewer than two losses if Georgia and Kentucky win their games away from home.
The CFP picture for SEC teams will be clearer following these four games scheduled for Saturday.
Here is a breakdown of the 16 Southeastern Conference teams into four tiers heading into the tenth week of the regular season.
TIER 1
1. GEORGIA (7-1): Defeated Florida 27-8; next up – at Ole Miss
2. KENTUCKY (7-1): Open date; next up – at Tennessee
3. OLE MISS (6-2): Defeated Auburn 45-15; next up – Georgia at home
4. LSU (6-2): Open date; next up – Alabama at home
SKINNY: Georgia and Kentucky get the opportunity to prove they are the class of the SEC. Both teams face huge challenges away from home against Ole Miss and Tennessee, respectively. It will not be surprising if both home teams create a logjam at the top of the league standings with victories. LSU gets another chance to defeat a good power-conference opponent.
TIER 2
1. TENNESSEE (6-2): Open date; next up – Kentucky at home
2. ALABAMA (6-2): Open date; next up – at LSU
3. TEXAS (6-2): Defeated Mississippi State 31-3; next up – at Missouri
4. MISSOURI (6-2): Defeated Arkansas 34-10; next up – Texas at home
SKINNY: Tennessee and Missouri are home teams in this crucial weekend in the SEC. The Volunteers need to rebound from a disappointing loss at South Carolina two Saturdays ago. Missouri has no impressive victory as part of its body of work through the first two months. Criticism will be heard if either Alabama or Texas drops a third game. Avoiding that critical third setback will be challenging for both the Tide and the Longhorns, who will be on the road.
TIER 3
1. SOUTH CAROLINA (5-3): Defeated Oklahoma 42-25; next up – Texas A&M at home
2. FLORIDA (5-3): Lost to Georgia 27-8; next up – Oklahoma at home
3. OKLAHOMA (4-4): Lost to South Carolina 42-25; next up – at Florida
4. AUBURN (4-4): Lost to Ole Miss 45-15; next up – Arkansas at home
SKINNY: South Carolina is the team no one wants to play right now. After losing at home in overtime to Kentucky, the Gamecocks have put together a three-game winning streak against Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma. South Carolina coach Shane Beamer is on the way to saving his job. The opposite case is unfolding for Oklahoma coach Brent Venables. The Sooners would be hard-pressed to have a winning season if they do not win at Florida. Auburn is a team which needs a victory to become bowl eligible.
TIER 4
1. MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-4): Lost to Texas 31-3; next up – Vanderbilt at home
2. TEXAS A&M (4-4): Open date; next up – at South Carolina
3. ARKANSAS (3-5): Lost to Missouri 34-10; next up – at Auburn
4. VANDERBILT (3-5): Open date; next up – at Mississippi State
SKINNY: Texas A&M needs to put together a strong November to prevent this season from being a total disappointment. Beating a red-hot South Carolina team on its home field will be no easy task. Vanderbilt will have its final opportunity of getting a SEC victory when it plays at Mississippi State, which is riddled with injuries on offense.
