The SEC West could be all but decided Saturday.
Seems like a strong statement, but with three games involving ranked teams it is possible for the leader of the division to exit this weekend with essentially a two-game lead on all the closest contenders with three games to play.
The leader will be determined in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when the top-ranked Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) faces No. 6 Texas A&M (6-0, 4-0). The winner will be the only undefeated team left in the Southeastern Conference and the loser will need the winner to lose twice to have a chance to win the West. Not impossible, but any plan that involves Alabama losing two of its last three SEC games seems like a bad plan.
Elsewhere in the SEC West, No. 23 Mississippi (3-3, 1-2) is at No. 25 LSU (4-2, 2-1) and No. 17 Arkansas (1-2, 5-2) travels to No. 21 Auburn (4-2, 2-1). If the two Tigers take a second conference loss, the winner of A&M-Alabama will be in total command – and there will still be more than a week until Halloween.
The picks: