Tennessee is on a bye week, which means we all get to sit back and savor that Florida win just a little bit longer. The Volunteers are 4-0, getting set to run the SEC gauntlet. For us, all eyes will be on Oxford, where Kentucky is set to take on Ole Miss. The Wildcats are also 4-0, ranked one spot higher than the Volunteers in the AP Poll. More importantly, they’re also in the thick of the SEC East race.
Everyone is chasing Georgia, sure, but keeping up with the Bulldogs means taking care of business before those late-season showdowns. Kentucky has to go to Ole Miss this Saturday, while Tennessee will be at LSU next weekend.
Alabama at Arkansas is another key SEC game this weekend, especially after seeing how the Crimson Tide last performed on the road at Texas.
The game of the week, as voted by SBNation voters across the country, is (10) N.C. State at (5) Clemson, however. Dabo Swinney’s Tigers escaped Wake Forest in overtime last week and face another tough test here against the Wolfpack. It’s a huge matchup in the ACC, with potential College Football Playoff ramifications.
Clemson is favored by 6.5 points over NC State as of Thursday morning, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24064134/_National_2_92822.png)
In the battle for a return to relevancy, Texas won the battle of being “closer to back” over Miami. It didn’t help that this question was asked directly after the Hurricanes were thrashed by MTSU. Texas lost too last week, dropping a game to Texas Tech.
The reality is that neither are ‘back,’ but Texas does feel a whole lot closer. Despite the easy jokes.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24064133/_National_3_92822.png)
Georgia held on to the top spot in this week’s poll, keeping a commanding lead despite the sleepwalk win over Kent State. The Bulldogs looked vulnerable for the first time all season long, while Ohio State absolutely demolished Wisconsin. The Buckeyes gained some ground nationally, jumping past Alabama in this particular poll.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24064132/_National_1_92822.png)
The football weekend gets rolling later tonight with South Carolina-South Carolina State (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network) and BYU-Utah State (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
