Last week: 15 (--)
Can the Mississippi State Bulldogs and first-year head coach Jeff Lebby get a win in SEC play this fall, when it faces the Mizzou Tigers in Starkville this week?
Mississippi State is still searching for its first SEC win of the season. The Bulldogs have shown progress on each side of the ball at times this fall, but it would be a tough start for the Lebby regime in Starkville if they come out of 2024 without a single win in conference play.
Last week: 14 (--)
I'm not going to put much stock into the Kentucky Wildcats dismantling a bad FCS foe at home, against Murray State 48-6, last weekend. Kentucky's offense needs something short of a miracle to put up points against No. 3 Texas football in a huge matchup in Austin on Nov. 23.
Where Kentucky can make this game against the Longhorns very interesting is with its defensive prepartaion. Kentucky has been a tough out for the top teams in the SEC this season, including an upset of the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels and a near-upset of No. 1 Georgia early in conference play in September.
Last week: 13 (--)
Many are wondering whether the Auburn Tigers and head coach Hugh Freeze can play the role of spoilers to the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies and Alabama in their final two games of the regular season. If Auburn can push the Aggies at home at Jordan-Hare Stadium on The Plains this weekend, that will be a good sign of a late-season spoiler role coming to fruition for the Tigers.
Last week: 9 (-3)
In a strong performance for both teams on the defensive side of the ball, the Arkansas Razorbacks gave the rival Longhorns a tough fight in Fayetteville in an eventual 20-10 loss for head coach Sam Pittman at Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas didn't get the sustained offense it needed from quarterback Taylen Green, including two costly turnovers that led to critical game-changing drives for the Texas offense.
The Hogs should reach bowl eligibility this weekend in a contest at home against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs from the G5 conferences.