AUBURN | There are just four games this week as six conference teams are taking their bye week. The matchups include a Top 10 clash with SEC and national championship implications and a couple of road favorites that could be on upset alert.
Here’s a look at the full SEC slate for Week 7…
PREMIER MATCHUP
It’ll always be the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party to me as Georgia and Florida meet in Jacksonville, Fla., for one of the SEC’s best rivalries. The Top 10 matchup features two teams hit hard by injures and suspensions the last week. The Bulldogs will be without starting safety Richard LeCounte, who was injured in a motorcycle accident, and starting defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Julian Rochester, who were injured last week. The Gators will be without linebacker Antwaun Powell and defensive end Zachary Carter for the first half of the UGA game after they were suspended for fighting against Missouri last week. The matchup to watch will be quarterback Kyle Trask, who is having an All-American season, against a Georgia defense, that is ranked among the nation’s best.
UNDER THE RADAR
There’s not a lot riding on Tennessee’s visit to Arkansas, but it could be an entertaining game. Both teams are 2-3 and have the ability to put a lot of points on the board. The Vols started the season aspiring to challenge at the top of the SEC East while the Razorbacks were just hoping to win a conference game or two. UT quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has been wildly erratic throughout his career while UA quarterback Feleipe Franks, a Florida transfer, had two of his best starts at UF against Tennessee.
UPSET SPECIAL
South Carolina’s had two weeks to prepare for a Texas A&M team that’s ranked in the Top 10 and coming off a 42-31 win against Arkansas. The Aggies enter the game a 9.5-point favorite. The last time the Gamecocks hosted a Top 25 team at home, they beat No. 15 Auburn 30-22. TAMU has reeled off three consecutive wins since its only loss at No. 2 Alabama in Week 2. USC followed up its upset of AU with a poor 52-24 loss at LSU. At 2-3, USC is fighting to get back to .500 and make a push to finish with a winning record. TAMU already has a Top 5 win over Florida and is making a case to be the SEC’s second-best team.
FULL WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
No. 8 Florida vs. No. 5 Georgia, 2:30 p.m. CT, CBS
Vanderbilt at Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m., SECN
No. 7 Texas A&M at South Carolina, 6 p.m., ESPN
Tennessee at Arkansas, 6:30 p.m., SECN
LOOKING AHEAD
All 14 SEC schools will be back in action to being the homestretch. There aren’t any Top 25 matchups but there should be some interesting games including Texas A&M at Tennessee, Alabama at LSU and South Carolina at Ole Miss. Coming off a bye week, Auburn plays at Mississippi State.
