1) Mississippi State (8-0, 5-0; vs. UT-Martin, 4 p.m.): Will Dan Mullen be in Starkville next year?
2) Alabama (7-1, 4-1; at LSU, 8 p.m.): Is this the biggest test left for the Tide? That’s a tough considering Alabama has dates with top-ranked Mississippi State and No. 3-ranked Auburn left later this month, but each of those games is in Tuscaloosa, where the Tide offense has been staggering. Either way, Alabama is one of about 10 teams that completely controls its destiny. The math is simple: Win out and go to the playoffs, and that’s all you can ask for.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn3) Auburn (7-1, 4-1; vs. Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m.): Is Auburn the luckiest team in the country or the most clutch? We say yes. And yes. Auburn has gotten some serious good fortune in its 19-3 run under Gus Malzahn. But Auburn also has made a ton of big plays in massive moments, too. And we’ve always believed that more times than not, well-coached and prepared teams make their own breaks. Lucky or well-prepared? The true for the Tigers is likely some of each.
4) LSU (7-2, 3-2; vs. Alabama, 8 p.m.): Can LSU get back in the title mix? It’s extremely unlike since the Tigers’ two losses are to teams ahead of them in the standings so they’d need Auburn to lose twice and Mississippi State to lose at least two conference games and hope for some tie-breaking magic. Still, the October transformation for Les Miles’ bunch has been impressive.
5) Ole Miss (7-2, 4-2; vs. Presbyterian, noon): Was Ole Miss’ 35-31 loss to Auburn arguably the most painful in program history? It’s certainly on the short list, considering the stakes (Ole Miss still had control of its destiny before the defeat), the scenario (two lost fumbles inside in the Auburn 7 in the final six minutes) and the injury to Laquon Treadwell. Man, the roller coaster of college football can turn in any direction at any time.