SEC games to watch in week five

No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia

This might be the biggest SEC game this week, potentially deciding who goes to the SEC Championship from the East.

The Vols come into this game 4-0 on the year, after just ending the streak against rival Florida. Tennessee has shown how powerful both their offense and defense can be, however, they have yet to string a full game together this season. The Georgia Bulldogs are coming off of a devastating 45-14 beat down at the hands of the Ole Miss Rebels, and are looking for revenge after the Vols comeback win last season. Both teams are pretty banged up as Tennessee will go without star cornerback Cam Sutton and linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., while the Bulldogs have dynamic running back Nick Chubb listed as questionable.

There’s no doubt the Vols have more momentum going into Athens, but Georgia is playing for revenge and to keep their SEC Championship hopes alive.

Missouri at LSU

This matchup is sure to be interesting. LSU just recently fired their longtime head coach Les Miles, as well as offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, after an 18-13 loss to unranked Auburn. Missouri on the other hand, is coming off a school record, 79-0 beat down against Delaware State.

Normally, LSU would be heavily favored in this matchup. But with the current state of affairs at LSU, and Missouri’s surprising offensive production, it could be interesting. LSU still has the obvious talents of running back Leonard Fournette and their defense, but their success depends on the offense’s ability to respond to adversity and get the run game going.

Missouri has had a solid defense this year, and the offense has been powerful under quarterback Drew Lock. The Tigers will need a running game against the stout LSU defense to allow their impressive pass offense to open up. This is the most interesting game in the SEC this week.

Memphis at No. 16 Ole Miss

Ole Miss is coming off an impressive 45-14 win against Georgia and have improved to 2-2 on the year, while the Memphis Tigers just beat Bowling Green State 77-3.

The Ole Miss defense had a strong performance last week, forcing two turnovers and holding freshman quarterback Jacob Eason to just 137 yards through the air. The Rebel offense is led by the formidable Chad Kelly, who has been on fire lately.

Memphis, in its first year under new head coach Mike Norvell, has not disappointed thus far. While the Tigers have not exactly had the toughest first three games, they have dominated in each of them. Led by Tennessee transfer Riley Ferguson, Memphis has hung 155 points on their first three opponents, while only giving up 27. While Ole Miss looked solid last week, the Memphis Tigers and their high-powered offense are sure to bring a fight to Oxford.

No. 23 Florida at Vanderbilt

The Florida Gators are entering this game after a disappointing 38-28 collapse against Tennessee last week, their first loss to the Vols in over a decade. Now 2-2 on the season, Vanderbilt is coming off a close 31-30 overtime win against Western Kentucky.

The Gators will once again be led by backup quarterback Austin Appleby, who looked good against Tennessee, until the Vols’ defense took control in the second half. The Florida defense was also left reeling after the last game, but is sure to be ready for revenge and to reinstate itself as the best defense in the SEC. Vandy has clearly struggled in the first four games of the season, but on the bright side, the Commodores have had a fierce run game behind Ralph Webb and look to continue that against the Gators. If this Florida team comes into the game looking as it did in the second half against Tennessee, and the Commodores manage to get a passing game going, this could be a competitive game.

Edited by Dalton King

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