SEC Week-by-Week Preview - October 10

Check out the other weeks here:  Sep 5 - Sep 12 - Sep 19 - Sep 26 - Oct 3

It's Armageddon Week in the SEC on October 10:  three of the biggest conference games of the year all fall on the same day.  Two marquee divisional matchups will merely set the stage for a potential SEC Championship Game Preview...which is oh-by-the-way a meeting between the last three National Champions...all this means a CBS doubleheader and ESPN picking up the slack (it's a nice thought that we don't have to worry about one of these games being on JP/LF/Raycom this year).  Take a look:

GAME OF THE WEEK

Florida at LSU

The last time this game was in Baton Rouge, the two teams turned in a classic with LSU winning thanks to five fourth down conversions en route to their National Championship.  The Gators got theirs last year, and while other teams in big games on this day may have something else to say about it, these may be the two best teams in the SEC again this year.  The Gators will be the favorites on paper even on the road, but if LSU - who will be coming back from a trip to Athens the previous week - can hold serve at home, they'll find themselves in the National Championship picture again.  It's one last chance for John Chavis to get the best of Tim Tebow.

OTHER MUST SEE GAMES

Alabama at Ole Miss

The Tide have the opener with Virginia Tech, but in terms of the SEC schedule both teams will build to this date.  With LSU playing Georgia and Florida and thus having a chance to get two in the loss column, this could be the default SEC West Championship Game.  If Ole Miss isn't just the preseason media darling, they'll beat the Tide in Oxford - and if they do, they could be 9-0 when they face the Vols (and thus 10-0 when they play LSU the following week).  But for Alabama, going on the road and taking care of the Rebels would prove that last year was no fluke.  Neither team plays Florida or Georgia this season, which should mean fewer losses for the Western Division winner and fewer opportunities for the loser of this game to get back in the race.  Florida/LSU will get the attention, but this is the most important game of the day.

Georgia at Tennessee

The six-week gauntlet comes to an end for Georgia, who could have the most difficult schedule in the nation.  One week after hosting LSU, the Dawgs come to Knoxville.  Even if everyone is giving the Vols no chance against Florida, if Tennessee can win home games against UCLA and Auburn, the Vols will be 4-1 coming to this date, meaning that this could be a huge swing game for the entire season.  If Georgia wins, Tennessee would fall back to the pack where everyone assumed they would be, and with Alabama and Ole Miss still on the schedule an 8-4 finish would seem probable.  But if the Vols win, that's a 5-1 start and an off week to follow before heading to Tuscaloosa...and Kiffin would have incredible support and a chance for a really special season.  Of coure, we don't know how all of this is going to play out, nor do we know how Georgia's offense will look without Stafford and Moreno.  But this one's going to be important for both teams who have split their last six meetings.

OTHER GAMES OF INTEREST

Auburn at Arkansas

Kentucky at South Carolina

Four teams with plenty of questions surrounding them in games with more of the same themes of bowl eligibility and movement up the ladder.  When Auburn chose not to show up, they often did show against Arkansas, which has produced some big upsets in the past.  Meanwhile, it's games like this for Kentucky that they need to keep winning to stay relevant in SEC Football, which they've been able to do for the last three seasons.

THE REST OF THE SCHEDULE

Houston at Mississippi State

Vanderbilt at Army