ATHENS — SEC fans will be glued in to watching their favorite teams with plenty at steak across the league, but there games outside the South with CFP implications.
Those games start in the Big Ten, where Ohio State plays at Penn State in a matchup of Top 5 teams that could amount to a loser-out game for the Big Ten Championship.
Certainly there will be College Football Playoff implications on the line in Penn State’s so-called “Happy Valley.”
New Big Ten member Oregon is ranked No. 1 and, after Saturday’s game at unranked Michigan, coach Dan Lanning has games with Maryland (home), Wisconsin (road) and Washington (home) standing between him and an undefeated regular season.
Indiana, like the Ducks and Nittany Lions a Big Ten unbeaten, puts its perfect record (and modest No. 13 national ranking) on the line at Michigan State on Saturday.
The Hoosiers finish their season with a home game at Michigan followed by a showdown at Ohio State and a home game with woeful Purdue.
As things stand, the best guess is the Big Ten gets three teams into the College Football Playoffs, with an outside shot at four teams making it.
Notre Dame, ranked No. 8 with a 7-1 record, appears to be in control of its CFP destiny despite its terrible 16-14 home loss to Northern Illinois the second week of the season.
The Irish, whose season-opening 23-13 road win at Texas A&M looks better and better with each Aggies’ win, is idle this Saturday before finishing its season against Florida State (home), Virginia (home), Army (home) and at USC.
Speaking of Texas A&M, the Aggies are less than a touchdown favorite over Shane Beamer’s Jekyll-Hyde South Carolina Gamecocks under the lights at 7:30 p.m.
Texas A&M, winners of seven straight and unbeaten in the SEC, can’t afford to get caught looking ahead to its regular-season home finale with Texas.
Georgia, ranked No. 2 and the odds-on favorite to win the SEC despite its sporadic nature this season, faces a red-hot Florida team at 3:30 p.m. in Jacksonville.
Coach Kirby Smart has said throughout the season humility is just one week away, and with two starting defensive backs out for the first half and an electric punt returner and receiver sidelined, could face more of a challenge than some expect.
Ole Miss, with two losses, puts its postseason hopes on the line in a noon kick at Arkansas.
The Hogs, with Coach Sam Pittman and OC Bobby Petrino, have shown enough life that a win over the Rebels could secure Pittman’s future leading the program.
The ACC has some key showdowns, too, as unbeaten No. 18 Pitt brings its aggressive Pat Narduzzi-defense to Dallas for a showdown with 7-1 SMU.
The Mustangs are clinging to postseason hopes after a respectable 18-15 home loss to BYU the third week of the season.
ACC favorites Miami and Clemson will be looking to take care of business and stay in CFP form with winnable home games.
The Hurricanes have a noon home kick against Duke, while the Tigers are under the lights in Death Valley against Louisville.
Here’s a look at this week’s SEC games, and the betting line from Circa in each:
Ole Miss (-4) at Arkansas, noon, ESPN
The Rebels won last year’s game in Oxford 27-20, but that was before Petrino returned to Fayetteville.
The pick: Arkansas 27, Ole Miss 20
Vanderbilt at Auburn (-6), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
Yes, we know Vanderbilt Diego Pavio quarterbacked New Mexico State to a 31-10 win over Auburn last season and the Commodores played Texas within three points last week in Nashville.
But the Tigers have the best tailback in the league in Jarquez Hunter and Jordan-Hare Stadium has a way of coming to life.
The pick: Auburn 29, Vanderbilt 21
Georgia vs. Florida (-16.5), 3:30 p.m. ABC
For all of the reasons there are to pick the Gators in an upset, Georgia players are convinced they are destined to win, and there’s a lot to be said for confidence.
That’s especially true if Carson Beck stays more focused on football than his NIL deals.
The pick: Georgia 37, Florida 28
UMass at Mississippi State (-20), 4:15 p.m. SEC Network
The Maroon Bulldogs have had one helluva schedule, running into Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M and Arkansas in successive games.
Coach Jeff Lebby deserves a breather, and it doesn’t get much worse in the FBS ranks than UMass.
The pick: Mississippi State 41, UMass 20
Maine at Oklahoma (-34.5), 2:30 p.m. SEC Network-plus
The Sooners offense is a mess, perhaps the worst in the SEC, but what does Maine offer?
The 4-4 Black Bears are simply out of their habitat, and element, coming off a loss to (checks notes) Rhode Island.
The pick: Oklahoma 56, Maine 10
Texas A&M (-4) at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ABC
The Aggies are red-hot, the Gamecocks are unpredictable.
Maybe Shane Beamer has another Top 10 upset up his sleeve, but the bet here is the Aggies will maintain laser-focus and win this game.
The pick: Texas A&M 27, South Carolina 20
Kentucky at Tennessee (-16), 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
The Vols have had a week off to get better, while the Wildcats have had another week to contemplate their disappointing season and secure Rupp Arena basketball tickets.
The pick: Tennessee 41, Kentucky 10
Last week: 6-0 straight-up, 2-4 vs. spread
Season: 60-20 straight-up, 39-40 vs. spread
