No. 3 Alabama at No. 11 Ole Miss
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi
Saturday, 2:30 PM
CBS
This could very well be a telling sign of how things will play out in the SEC West. If Alabama wins, like most are predicting, the race to the SEC Championship game should remain between Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M. But, if the Rebels find a way to pull off what might be the biggest win in school history, it would open the door for them or Mississippi State to find a way into the conversation. The Crimson Tide continue to roll with senior quarterback Blake Sims, who has completed 73 percent of his passes for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns, while senior quarterback Bo Wallace, with 1,271 passing yards and 11 touchdowns of his own, has the Rebels on a mission. This will be Ole Miss’ best shot to beat Alabama for the first time since 2003 and shake up what many consider the best division of the best conference in the nation.
No. 14 Stanford at No. 9 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
Saturday, 2:30 PM
NBC
No, this doesn’t feel like the same Stanford team that’s played in the past two Rose Bowls, and, no, this isn’t the same Notre Dame team that played in the national title game two years ago. Nonetheless, this will have a big impact on which team will remain in contention for the College Football Playoff. The Cardinal, even with the loss to USC three weeks ago, still have a realistic shot at making the playoffs. They had a quality win at Washington last week and can potentially add a quality win at Oregon in November and against whoever they face in the Pac-12 title game. Notre Dame, playing as an independent, will likely fall out of contention with a loss but gain a lot of credibility with a win.
No. 15 LSU at No. 5 Auburn
Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
Saturday, 6:00 PM
ESPN
Similar to the Alabama-Ole Miss matchup, this battle of Tigers could determine how the SEC West will be won. LSU, having already lost to division foe Mississippi State, could play spoiler for rival Auburn and open the door to get back into the hunt for the division crown. Auburn, on the other hand, could get the inside track at the title with a big home win. The LSU Tigers aren’t exactly the same team that competed year in, year out with Alabama just a short while ago. They haven’t exactly impressed folks with a close 28-24 win over Wisconsin in week one and a 34-29 loss at home to Mississippi State. The Auburn Tigers are seeking to become the first team not named Alabama to win back-to-back SEC West titles since the division was formed in 1992.
No. 4 Oklahoma at No. 25 TCU
Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas
Saturday, 2:30 PM
FOX
Oklahoma has steamrolled its opponents with relative ease so far but will likely face a test when it travels down I-35 to Fort Worth to play TCU on Saturday. The Sooners vaulted their way back to the top of the Big 12 title discussion with big wins over an improving Tennessee team and an always difficult West Virginia squad in Morgantown. And, although the Horned Frogs aren’t the same squad that won the Rose Bowl before joining the conference, they’ll still be a challenge for the Sooners. TCU is coming off of a massive 56-0 win over SMU last Saturday and easily beat up on Minnesota earlier this year. With the quarterback issue of a year ago now solved, the Horned Frogs and their stout defense will not be a walkover for the Sooners.
