No. 2 Auburn at No. 3 Mississippi State
Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi
Saturday, 2:30 PM
CBS
The big games just keep on coming in the SEC West. Auburn was the only one of the favorites in the conference to avoid an upset last weekend and now sit atop the conference. Senior quarterback Nick Marshall has done just enough to keep the Tigers undefeated with a 57.9 percent completion percentage and 8 passing touchdowns in addition to 392 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. But Mississippi State comes in riding the momentum of a big win over Texas A&M, thanks in large part to junior quarterback Dak Prescott. This season, Prescott has thrown for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 455 rushing yards and six touchdowns. With both teams currently undefeated, this could be the game that decides who represents the division in the SEC Championship Game.
No. 9 TCU at No. 5 Baylor
McLane Stadium, Waco, Texas
Saturday, 2:30 PM
ABC
Given how their first two seasons in the Big 12 went, it’s quite a surprise to see the Horned Frogs finally finding their sea legs. TCU put the conference on notice Saturday with a big home upset of Oklahoma, putting its name in the hat as a contender for the Big 12 title. The Horned Frogs have benefitted from a strong year so far from junior quarterback Trevone Boykin, who has thrown for 1,176 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for three more scores. But TCU is going into McLane Stadium and facing a Baylor team that’s looking to win back-to-back conference titles for the first time since 1915-16 — when it was in the Southwest Conference. While senior quarterback Bryce Petty isn’t on the same pace he was a year ago, the Bears have gotten a big help from their rushing attack — with 247.4 rushing yards per game — and their defense — allowing just 12.4 points per game. As we saw last week, no one in college football is safe and this game could go a long way in determining who wins the Big 12 this year.
No. 3 Ole Miss at No. 14 Texas A&M
Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Saturday, 8:00 PM
ESPN
Last week changed the perceptions of both teams and how people see them finishing in the SEC West. Ole Miss pulled off arguably the biggest victory in program history with a 23-17 win over Alabama at home Saturday. Senior quarterback Bo Wallace is having a strong year with 1,522 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, but the defense has been the biggest factor, holding opponents to only 10.2 points per game. Texas A&M, on the other hand, struggled on both sides of the ball in the loss to Mississippi State. Sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill threw three interceptions and the Aggie defense allowed the Bulldogs to accumulate 559 total yards. With the SEC West still wide open, this will be a pivotal game for both teams.
No. 13 Georgia at No. 23 Missouri
Farout Field, Columbia, Missouri
Saturday, 11:00 AM
CBS
For as good as the SEC West has been, the SEC East has been mediocre. Each team in the division has a loss, some of them pretty bad losses at that. But, while Georgia has a conference loss and Missouri is undefeated in SEC play, this game will likely determine the division winner. Georgia, aside from the loss to South Carolina, has been led by junior running back Todd Gurley. Gurley has put together a strong Heisman campaign so far, with 773 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. But Missouri’s sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk has proven that last year was no fluke with 1,110 passing yards and 14 touchdowns already this season. With the SEC East on the line, this will be the game to watch Saturday morning.
