Exhale, college football fans. After weeks of great Southeastern Conference play, this week is going to be a dud.
Three SEC teams have a bye this Saturday, while five others play Football Championship Subdivision opponents, making it seem like those dreaded nonconference weeks earlier this season. College GameDay is going to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the Harvard-Yale game this week, and that tells you all you need to know.
Get off the couch and do something productive this Saturday. You can save the football binge-watching for Thanksgiving.
1. Alabama, Prev. 2 (9-1, 6-1 SEC)
Saban gets the bulk of his acclaim from his past work, but this season’s coaching job shouldn’t go overlooked.
This hasn’t been the typical Alabama season, and things only became more difficult when the Tide lost an early game at Ole Miss.
Saban, like his NFL mentor Bill Belichick, stuck to the process and never made a change, even after close games against Arkansas and LSU. It paid off Saturday when Alabama toppled MSU, 25-20, vaulting the Tide back into the SEC driver’s seat.
Senior quarterback Blake Sims appears more composed than ever, and the team only needs a home win in the Iron Bowl to win the SEC West. Without Saban’s steady hand, Alabama might be in a much different position.
2. Mississippi State, Prev. 1 (9-1, 5-1 SEC)
At some point, junior quarterback Dak Prescott was going to crack. Too bad for State fans that it happened in Tuscaloosa.
Prescott threw three interceptions Saturday, all of them coming in Alabama territory. And these were bad picks — forced throws into an Alabama secondary demanding more respect than a normal SEC team. With a 5-point margin of victory, just one fewer turnover could’ve changed the contest.
The Bulldogs displayed a lot of heart, attempting to come back from a 16-point deficit at halftime, so MSU fans should stay positive. They can still make the College Football Playoff if they win out.
3. Ole Miss, Prev. 4 (8-2, 4-2 SEC)
The Rebels should be fully rested after getting their second bye week last Saturday, so there are no excuses for the rest of the season. Ole Miss needs perfection and some help to win the SEC West, so it better have figured things out during its bye week.
Before playing in the biggest Egg Bowl in recent memory, the Rebels must conquer a feisty Arkansas team in Fayetteville. Looking ahead to Prescott and the Bulldogs might ruin any SEC West hopes Ole Miss has left.
4. Georgia, Prev. 6 (8-2, 6-2 SEC)
This season has been a series of triumphs and stomach punches for Georgia. In Saturday’s 34-7 win against Auburn, fans saw both.
UGA punished Auburn’s defense throughout the game, relying on reinstated junior running back Todd Gurley for most of the game. Then, with five minutes left and the game in hand, Gurley went down with a torn ACL, killing any momentum the team gained from victory.
Georgia finishes conference play at 6-2, which probably ensures a conference championship berth, but it’s difficult to see this team upset a SEC West team without its star running back. 
5. Auburn, Prev. 3 (7-3, 4-3 SEC)
Auburn knew it had problems on defense, but the inefficiency on offense in the Georgia loss was a new problem. A lack of a passing game and three turnovers killed the team, and Gus Malzahn’s system looked human for the first time in his tenure at Auburn.
There is always the chance to ruin Alabama’s season, so Auburn fans should keep their heads up.
6. Missouri, Prev. 8 (8-2, 5-1 SEC)
No matter how poorly it plays, Missouri continues to win.
Mizzou scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to seal a 34-27 conference win at Texas A&M on Saturday. A second consecutive SEC East title is within Missouri’s reach, with two tricky games against Tennessee and Arkansas in its way.
The last two games are no pushovers, so Missouri needs to use the nauseating style of play that’s gotten it to this point.
7. Texas A&M, Prev. 7 (7-4, 3-4 SEC)
The Aggies’ defense proved Saturday they couldn’t even handle Missouri, which ranks No. 13 in the SEC in total offense. Things like this make you wonder whether a solid defense could ever work in coach Kevin Sumlin’s system.
8. Arkansas, Prev. 9 (5-5, 1-5 SEC)
The Hogs may have only one conference win, but they were thoroughly dominant in the game and sent a message to their final opponents. The first SEC win is finally behind them, the nerves are gone and Arkansas can challenge anyone.
9. LSU, Prev. 5 (7-4, 3-4 SEC)
The Tigers earned their large drop because their offense never showed up Saturday against Arkansas. An extra week of rest should help the offense improve against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving. Playing its defense should help even more.
10. Tennessee, Prev. 11 (5-5, 2-4 SEC)
The Volunteers turned another corner Saturday with a 50-16 drubbing of Kentucky, putting them one win away from bowl eligibility. They can exhibit how far they’ve come with a win this Saturday against Missouri in Tennessee.
The Vols could be next season’s dark horse in the SEC, and the end of this season could be a preview of what’s to come. 
11. South Carolina, Prev. 13 (5-5, 3-5 SEC)
The Gamecocks defeated Florida in overtime Saturday, relying on a blocked punt to set up the game-tying touchdown in regulation. The game taught us a lesson — Steve Spurrier can suffer one of the worst seasons of his career, and he still can beat his old team.
12. Florida, Prev. 10 (5-4, 4-4 SEC)
Watching Gator fans squirm about former coach Will Muschamp every week was one of the best things about this season. When Florida hires a responsible guy in the offseason, the program will become another difficult team in an already suffocating conference.
Also, someone quickly jump on Muschamp as your defensive coordinator. The guy may know nothing about offense, but he can still coach a championship-caliber defense.
13. Kentucky, Prev. 12 (5-6, 2-6 SEC)
You did it, Kentucky fans — you made it to basketball season. Enjoy those exciting nonconference games in the coming months, and have fun feasting on the putrid state of SEC basketball.
14. Vanderbilt, Prev. 14 (3-7, 0-6 SEC)
Run, Vandy. Run as fast as you can. Don’t turn around to play Mississippi State in Starkville when the Bulldogs are angry after their first loss.
Just run for your life, and never look back.
Tommy Romanach is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Dallas, Texas. You can reach him on Twitter @troman_92.