Vanderbilt vs Florida
Florida may have one of the most talented defensive back corps in the nation, but Vanderbilt’s wide receiver corps is not to be taken with a grain of salt. Jordan Matthews is a future NFL player that may find himself in the first round of next year’s NFL draft. Opposite of him is Jonathan Krause. On just 32 receptions, Krause has 608 yards; a 19 yards per reception average. The duo has combined for eight of the team’s receiving touchdowns.
With both teams coming off of losses in their most recent performances, it is an absolute must win for each program in order to save their season from being a complete embarrassment. That is especially more true for the Florida Gators considering Florida State and South Carolina remain on their schedule.
The underrated game changer is this matchup is Florida’s Kelvin Taylor. As a freshman, he’s already flashed phenomenal ability, but saw his first start just last week and still ended up splitting carries. If Brent Pease decides to free him from his cage, Vanderbilt will be in for a rude awakening.
(9) Auburn vs Tennessee
Quietly, Auburn has been having a dominant force, taking only one loss to the prestigious program of LSU. Even in that loss, Auburn played a strong game. They are a team that relies favorably on their rushing attack and it opens up their passing game, a passing attack that is otherwise average. Tre Mason is the key to their dominance through the ground. Nine games into the season, Mason has ran for 921 yards as well as 13 touchdowns.
Neither team has a game breaking quarterback, but both teams have underrated receiving threats that have the ability to dominate opposing cornerbacks. Tennessee’s Marquez North has only accounted for one touchdown, but has proven he is strong at the catch point and has 436 receiving yards as a freshman this year. Auburn’s Sammie Coates is a more explosive playmaker. He has a miniscule 24 receptions, but they have gone for a whopping 638 yards; a 26.6 yards per reception average.
(8) Missouri vs Kentucky
Despite the recent tough loss to South Carolina, Missouri is still a competitive team that will continue their reign of power over Kentucky. Even Kentucky’s best aspect, their pass rushing, is not on the level of that of Missouri’s. ZaDarius Smith and Bud Dupree are talented edge rushers, but Kony Ealy, Michael Sam, and Shane Ray make for a deadly trio of a pass rushing rotation.
Maty Mauk, who is only a freshman, has proved that he is good enough at this stage in his career to win games for Missouri or keep them alive, at the very least. Although, the heart of Missouri’s offense is their running back corps. Henry Josey and Russell Hansbrough have combined for over 1,100 rushing yards this year. Also, Josey and Hansbrough have scored eight touchdowns and four touchdowns, respectively.
Kentucky’s 93rd ranked scoring offense will not be able to keep up with the copious amount of points their defense will give up to Missouri. Kentucky is quite clearly unmatched and the game should be in favor of Missouri for the entire duration.
Arkansas vs Ole Miss
The two team’s offensive attacks are quite opposite of each others. Despite middling quarterback play from Bo Wallace, Ole Miss has a receiving group that is feared by the nation. Donte Moncrief and Laquon Treadwell are both tall, daunting receivers that every quarterback wishes they had at their disposal. Running back Jeff Scott is used as more of a weapon and change of pace than a true running back. In eight games, he has only been granted 56 carries, but has been an occasional mismatch out of the backfield as he has 13 receptions.
On the other hand, Arkansas depends solely on the rushing efforts of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams. The duo have ran for a collective 1,600-plus yards on the year, as well as four touchdowns each. If quarterback Brandon Allen was not so sub-par, Arkansas’ offense would be a feared, but their one dimensionalism makes them too predictable to be truly amazing.
Appalachian State vs Georgia
Just as he has been doing so all season long, Georgia running back and superstar Todd Gurley will slam and slash through the defense of his opponent. It will be even more of a dismantling considering he is running behind an SEC offensive line into an FCS defense. To this point, Gurley has been given a scarce 88 carries, but he has been quite effective on them. Gurley has ran for five touchdowns and 550 yards; good for a 6.3 yards per carry average.
Aaron Murray has been on pace to have a less impressive statistical season than last year, but on film, he’s improved. He’s finally come into his own and has had to deal with an injury riddled receiving corps.
Georgia’s young defense has struggled all year long and this game will be a much needed experience for the young squad. While Appalachian State is not an elite program, they are a perfect team for Georgia’s young team to toss around and get much needed field experience.
Mississippi State vs (15) Texas A&M
To no surprise, Johnny Manziel is following up his record breaking Heisman season with yet another mesmerizing campaign. He has totaled 34 touchdowns through Texas A&M’s nine games and has been the catalyst to A&M’s 4th ranked scoring offense (49 points per game). Even more impressive is that Manziel is on pace to surpass nearly every positive statistic from his Heisman winning season.
Luckily for Texas A&M’s average defense, Mississippi State’s offensive attack will not be much of a trouble. Dak Prescott has yet to consistently prove he can play quarterback at a high level and Ladarius Perkins has been a bit disappointing this year with his 378 yards and one touchdown via 79 carries. The only factor that could be a wild card is Dak PRescott’s running ability. He is the quarterback, but he leads the team in rushing yards, carries, and touchdowns.
(13) LSU vs Alabama
Due to the magnitude of importance of this game, there will be a more in-depth breakdown of this matchup coming on Friday. Stay tuned!