Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference:
No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC) at No. 6 Alabama (5-0, 3-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Two of the SEC’s three remaining unbeaten teams meet in a matchup that historically carries title implications, either in the SEC or the national version.
Georgia’s biggest challenge of the early season came in the form of a 38-14 win against Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs snapped a first quarter tie and scored 17
unanswered points in the second half. A Georgia offense led by Gunner Stockton has outscored its five opponents by a combined 190 points.
Alabama has found its spark under sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell, who has the third-best quarterback rating in the Bowl Subdivision while throwing for 1,414 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushing 184 yards and three scores.
Alabama comes off its biggest test of the season so far against Mississippi State – which it passed with flying colors — and a 56-23 win.
A battle between the SEC’s two highest-scoring teams could be a rainy affair depending on the path of Tropical Storm Isaias. Alabama was a 1 1/2-point favorite at midweek.
No. 1 Texas (4-0, 1-0) vs. Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Oklahoma hasn’t lived up to expectations this season, but the Red River Rivalry remains worth the watch.
The Sooners and quarterback John Mateer will look to get back on track after a 41-13 loss to Georgia in Week 4. Texas is coming off a 20-17 win at Tennessee followed by a bye week of its own.
Texas thumped Oklahoma last year 23-6 and is favored in this one. Neither offense is firing on all cylinders and the Sooners will need to protect Mateer from Texas pass-rusher extraordinaire Colin Simmons.
— Austin Simmons: The Missouri quarterback led the Tigers to a 45-17 win over Florida with a 340-yard, two-touchdown performance. He averaged 11.3 yards per pass while completing 76.7 percent of his throws and extended drives by converting 7-of-13 third-down attempts.
–- Jamal Roberts: The Missouri running back also played a large role in the statement-making win over the Gators with 24 carries for 211 yards and three scores. The Tigers were the biggest riser in this week’s AP Top 25, moving up 11 spots and knocking Florida down eight spots to No. 16.
—- Dejuan Lane: The Tennessee safety had a team-high 9 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, two sacks and a critical third-quarter interception that led to a touchdown drive, helping the Vols to a 24-14 win against Auburn.
Three unbeaten SEC teams remain: Alabama, Georgia and Texas. ... Georgia’s average of 51.4 points per game tops the SEC. … Texas has held its opponents to a conference-low 13.3 points per game, while Georgia closely follows (13.4). … LSU’s Princewill Umanmielen passed Colin Simmons on the leaderboard during the Longhorns’ week off, reclaiming the FBS lead with eight sacks. ...Kamario Taylor tops the SEC in passing yards (1,450) and ranks sixth nationally. … Taylor also leads the FBS in passing touchdowns with 17. ... Florida’s Jadan Baugh boasts an FBS-high 66 points this season.
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