The first College Football Playoff Rankings are just a few days away. With The Playoff Committee set to release the first of six rankings on Tuesday, November 1st, each game matters that much more. How you win and who you won against will be looked at just as much as straight wins and losses. Before the rankings come out, we have some football to play on Saturday that will have an impact on how the chips fall Tuesday night. Here are the top five matchups in The SEC.
#5. Arkansas at Auburn
11:00 CT, October 29th, 2022, on SEC Network
Arkansas is only a 3.5-point favorite against a not-very-impressive Auburn team. Even though Auburn is the home team, that small spread is crazy to think about considering how highly thought of this team was entering the season. Coming off a huge win at BYU, The Razorbacks will try to take that momentum and parlay it into a win on the plains, as Bryan Harsin continues to coach for his job.
#4. Missouri at South Carolina 25
3:00 CT, October 29th, 2022, on SEC Network
Missouri is a 3.5-point underdog on the road against the 25th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. I have no doubt that they will be ready for this game. In Missouri’s last 4 games they are 1-3 and those three losses have been by a combined 14 points. They played all three losses really tough, and had the ball bounced the other way once or twice you could be looking at a 5-2 Tigers team. So, are The Tigers bad, unlucky, or somewhere in the middle? I know what Missouri would tell you, and they have a chance to prove it Saturday against a ranked South Carolina. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, are the hot team in college football and are on a four-game winning streak. This game could surprise some folks and be a close one into the fourth quarter.
#3. Ole Miss 15 at Texas A&M
6:30 CT, October 29th, 2022, on SEC Network
Lane Kiffin said in his press conference that Ole Miss is “about to play one of the top five rosters in the country in one of the top five hardest places to play.” Yet, his Rebels are a two-point favorite in this game on the road. A&M is looking to right the ship after a three-game losing skid, all on the road. They are finally back at home this week and will have to stop the number three rushing attack in the country. Not usually what you’d expect from a Kiffin-coached team but it’s what this Ole Miss team does, and they do it well.
#2. Florida vs Georgia 1
2:30 CT, October 29th, 2022, on CBS
It’s time for the annual “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” This game means a lot to a lot of people, and you cannot ever predict anything 100% in a classic rivalry like this one. Which is why it’s so surprising that Georgia is a 22.5-point favorite in this one at a neutral site in Jacksonville. Is Vegas sleeping on Florida, overvaluing Georgia, or is that line just right? If you asked that in Jacksonville this weekend you’d almost certainly have the answers split 50/50.
#1. Kentucky 19 at Tennessee 3
6:00 CT, October 29th, 2022, on ESPN
Josh Heupel and his Volunteers will be looking for their 5th-ranked win in his second season in a game against Kentucky where both teams have not been ranked coming into this matchup since 1951. I think the impressiveness of that stat is lost on people because of just how good this Tennessee team has been this season. This is a program that when Heupel took over, had just gone 3-7 and lost 28 players via the transfer portal. Adding to the already stellar season this offense is having, star wideout Cedric Tillman is expected to make his return to the field alongside Hyatt, McCoy, and Keyton. Kentucky has a solid team themselves, built from the ground up by Mark Stoops. Coming off a bye week with everyone, including star Quarterback Will Levis, healthy, they will be looking for a season-defining win in Knoxville. Look for the Wildcats to lean on running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. to try and shorten the game and control the ball.
