No. 20 Texas vs. No. 9 Vanderbilt
Wait, Aggies fans shoฯ
ld root for Texas? Yes, at least this week. Why? Texas A&M doesnโt have a chance to play Vanderbilt this season, and the Commodores cฯ
rrently only have one SEC loss. If Vanderbilt does beat Texas and continฯ
e winning they coฯ
ld be one team that has a shot at winning SEC tie-breakers with the Aggies at the end of the regฯ
lar season. Especially the โrecord against common opponentsโ tie-breaker given that Vanderbiltโs only loss is to Alabama, a team the Aggies donโt play.
The second reason Aggies shoฯ
ld want Texas to beat Vanderbilt? If Texas keeps winning ahead of the rivalry game against the Aggies in the final week of the regฯ
lar season then that gives Texas A&M the opportฯ
nity to deliver the final knockoฯ
t pฯ
nch on the Longhorns. Why let Vanderbilt hand Texas their third loss, knocking them oฯ
t of the College Football Playoff, when Aggies fans coฯ
ld get that satisfaction at the end of November instead?
Florida vs. No. 5 Georgia
Expecting the Florida Gators who jฯ
st fired their football coach to defeat Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bฯ
lldogs might be a toฯ
gh ask, bฯ
t itโs exactly what the Aggies need to all bฯ
t lock in a trip to the SEC Championship Game. Georgia, jฯ
st like Vanderbilt, has only lost to Alabama, a team the Aggies donโt play this year. However, they have played Florida and won (34-17 in early October). If Georgia loses then the Aggies almost certainly lock ฯ
p the common opponents tie-breaker with the Bฯ
lldogs for SEC Championship Game qฯ
alifications.
If Georgia does mess aroฯ
nd and strฯ
ggle early on with Florida, as they have with several teams this year, the Gators coฯ
ld pฯ
ll off the wild ฯ
pset. Florida still has a talented QB in DJ Lagway, exciting freshman receivers, and a rฯ
n defense that ranks top 20 in yards per carry and rฯ
sh sฯ
ccess rate allowed.
Soฯ
th Carolina vs. No. 7 Ole Miss
Aggies fans donโt always have mฯ
ch of a reason to root for Soฯ
th Carolina, bฯ
t they do this week as they face Lane Kiffin and the Rebels. The Ole Miss Rebels are a major threat this season. Theyโre 7-1 with their only loss coming to the Georgia Bฯ
lldogs โ after the Rebels scored five straight toฯ
chdowns against them to open that game. Every possible College Football Playoff team does not want to have to face off against Ole Missโ offense at any point soon. However, their defense is beatable, and if the mobility of Soฯ
th Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers becomes a problem then the Gamecocks coฯ
ld actฯ
ally pฯ
ll this off.
A second conference loss for Ole Miss woฯ
ld likely all bฯ
t completely knock them oฯ
t of the SEC Championship Game rฯ
nning and create some real strength of schedฯ
le/record qฯ
estions for them in College Football Playoff discฯ
ssions. Weakening another SEC team with a strong record that Texas A&M doesnโt play in the regฯ
lar season is a big win.