Kentucky at No. 12 Georgia – 11:00 AM on ABC
On the heels of a three-point loss to Alabama last week, Georgia has plenty of motivation for their homecoming game against Kentucky. The Bulldogs have not lost back-to-back regular-season games since 2016 and are 16-3 after a loss in the Kirby Smart era.
Kentucky is fresh off a 35-13 defeat against South Carolina that saw the Gamecocks’ defense score more touchdowns than the Wildcats’ offense.
The Wildcats will have to choose between starting seventh-year graduate Zach Calzada or redshirt freshman Cutter Boley under center. Both have two starts under their belt this season, but neither has given Kentucky much reason to start them.
Kentucky has not beaten Georgia in Athens since 2009 and oddsmakers do not expect that to change this year. Still, Kentucky played Georgia to a 13-12 finish last season and with how anemic the Bulldogs’ offense looked in the second half of their game against the Crimson Tide, anything is possible.
No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama – 2:30 PM on ABC
Last season, an unranked Vanderbilt took down No. 1 Alabama in a barn-burner that ended 40-35. It was the first time the Commodores had beaten the Tide since 1984 and only the third time they had done so since 1956.
This season, Vanderbilt is 5-0 for the first time since 2008 and has scored a combined 125 points over their last two games. Graduate quarterback Diego Pavia is coming off a five passing touchdowns performance against Utah State, which tied the school record.
The Commodores will face an equally hot Alabama that is fresh off a win at No. 5 Georgia. That win was Alabama’s third in a row after losing its season opener against Florida State. The Crimson Tide is led by redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson, who has tossed 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions so far this season.
The team that can more effectively slow down their opponent’s passer will likely be the winner in what is shaping up to be the best revenge game of the season so far.
Mississippi State at No. 6 Texas A&M – 6:30 PM on SEC Network
Texas A&M played a great game against No. 8 Notre Dame two weeks ago, before a middling performance against Auburn last week. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed had his worst game of the season, getting sacked four times against the Tigers. Texas A&M’s rushing attack, however, had one of its best games, finishing with 207 yards on an efficient 4.4 yards per carry.
Mississippi State is coming off its first loss of the season in the conference opener against No. 15 Tennessee. The Bulldogs only lost by a score and won both the turnover and time-of-possession battles, fighting hard until the very end. If they do that again, the Aggies could be in for trouble.
This Saturday will be a strength-on-strength matchup as Mississippi State’s No. 27-in-the-country passing defense faces off against Texas A&M’s No. 23-best passing attack. If the Aggies want to stay undefeated, they will need to keep Reed clean and control the ball.
