There is a weirdness to the race in the Southeastern Conference West Division this week.
One team can all but clinch a trip to the SEC championship game. Three teams could be tied for first place in the division standings. No. 14 LSU is Texas A&M’s biggest supporter.
Let me explain...
No. 8 Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) can take total control of the division with a victory over LSU (6-2, 4-1 SEC).
A win would give Alabama no less than a one-game lead over No. 10 Ole Miss. But Alabama has a tie-breaker over Ole Miss by virtue of a 24-10 victory over the Rebels back on Sept. 23.
Alabama winning over LSU essentially gives the Crimson Tide a two-game lead with two SEC games left to play. Alabama would then need to beat Kentucky or Auburn to secure the West title.
However, an LSU win could create a three-way tie for first with Alabama and Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1 SEC). LSU would then have a win over Alabama, which already has a win over Ole Miss, and Ole Miss beat LSU.
All three teams would be walking on eggshells and reviewing the SEC tie-breaking procedures for the rest of the season.
Of course, none of that is necessary if Texas A&M — LSU’s favorite team this week — can upset Ole Miss in Oxford.
An A&M victory coupled with an LSU win gives the Tigers the inside track to Atlanta.
LSU and Alabama would both be 5-1 in the race, but LSU would have the tie-breaker.
Of course, that’s only if LSU isn’t dealt another conference loss. The Tigers’ remaining SEC games are against Florida and Texas A&M.
So, LSU’s hopes of winning the West for the second consecutive year are highly dependent on A&M. That’s why LSU is a high A&M supporter.
For this week, anyway.
This week’s games: Texas A&M at No. 10 Ole Miss; UConn at No. 17 Tennessee; Arkansas at Florida; Jacksonville State at South Carolina; No. 12 Missouri at No. 2 Georgia; Auburn at Vanderbilt; Kentucky at Mississippi State; No. 14 LSU at No. 8 Alabama
Who’s hot: The Landsharks are feeding. The Ole Miss Rebels defense — aka “The Landsharks” — has limited its last three opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense. It’s been 20 years since that last happened in Oxford. Further, the Rebels' secondary has grabbed two interceptions in each of their last three games. There is an asterisk, though. Ole Miss’ last three opponents — Arkansas, Auburn and Vanderbilt — are statistically the worst offensive teams in the SEC.
Who’s not: Arkansas’ running game has hit the skids. The Razorbacks have rushed for 281 yards in their last four games combined. That’s just over 70 yards a game. Part of the futility can be blamed on injuries to running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who has missed the last two games. That doesn’t explain it all, though. The Razorbacks face Florida next, which has been inconsistent in run defense. It may be a chance for the Razorbacks’ running game to break out of its slump. Or it could be a fifth week of failure.
Keep an eye on: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is already among the top Heisman Trophy candidates. He’ll likely become the undisputed frontrunner if he can lead the Tigers past Alabama. Beating the Crimson Tide often boosts Heisman candidacies. LSU’s Joe Burrow passed for 393 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Alabama on the way to winning the 2019 Heisman. Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel had 345 yards of total offense and two touchdown passes while beating Alabama during his 2012 Heisman campaign. Auburn’s Cam Newton passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another to vanquish Alabama during his 2010 Heisman run. By the way, Daniels has had previous success against the Crimson Tide. Last season, he had 277 yards of offense, two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown on the way to beating the Tide.
The pressure is on: The Florida Gators should plan on beating Arkansas on Saturday. They better. The Gators need one more win to clinch bowl eligibility. After next weekend, their following three games will be at LSU, at Missouri and vs. Florida State. Florida can’t figure to win any of those. Stumble against the Razorbacks and a second-straight losing season is a probability. The Gators, in general, and head coach Billy Napier, in particular, badly need to beat the Razorbacks.
Best matchup: Missouri quarterback Brady Cook is third in the conference in passing, and receiver Luther Burden is fifth in the nation in receiving yardage. They highlight a passing game that averages 294 yards per game and ranks third in the SEC. However, they face Georgia this week, which is ranked second in the SEC in pass defense. No Bulldog opponent has managed 300 passing yards. Four haven’t even managed to get 200. Georgia’s secondary is, without a doubt, the best unit Missouri will have faced. By the same token, Georgia hasn’t faced a passing game nearly as productive as Missouri’s.
