Western Division
No. 15 Arkansas (5-1, 3-0)
This week: vs. Ole Miss, 11:30 a.m. on Lincoln Financial Sports
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said he is specifically concerned with one player on the Rebels’ team this weekend.
Ole Miss running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis has gained 648 yards on 142 carries this season and scored five touchdowns.
“He is a very physical runner,” Nutt said. “He is very fast and has great vision.”
The Razorbacks lead the series 7-1 in games played in Fayetteville, Ark.
No. 8 Auburn (6-1, 4-1)
This week: vs. Tulane (2-4), 1:30 p.m.
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said he has not seen any signs in practice this week of his team being upset by the game against Tulane University this weekend.
“Every week of practice has been pretty much consistent,” Tuberville said. “We won’t have any let down this week against Tulane.”
The Green Wave lead the overall series 17-13-6 against the Tigers. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 1955.
Alabama (5-2, 2-2)
This week: at Tennessee, 2:30 p.m. on CBS
Alabama running back Kenneth Darby has found his groove in the past few weeks after starting the season unusually slow. Darby has put in back-to-back 100-yard-plus efforts against Duke University and Ole Miss, respectively.
Alabama coach Mike Shula said the improved run-pass balance may be giving Darby a better chance of having good runs.
“I think we’re doing a better job up front, and we’ve got some better looks,” Shula said. “Maybe he was stressing or pressing a little too hard.”
No. 14 LSU (5-2, 2-2)
This week: vs. Fresno State, 8 p.m. on ESPN2
LSU freshman wide receiver Trindon Holliday is the shortest player on the team’s roster at 5 feet 5 inches tall. But his 30-yard dash in the first quarter on a reverse against the University of Kentucky this past Saturday caught fans’ eyes with his speed and quickness.
“He’s one of those guys you wish was a little taller or a little bigger,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “But we like Trindon. We’re going to give him some opportunities to play.”
Ole Miss (2-5, 1-3)
This week: at Arkansas
While Nutt was praising Ole Miss running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron was busy comparing Arkansas’ freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain to former Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart.
“I think he’s going to be a great quarterback,” Orgeron said. “He’s poised. And they surround him with outstanding players.”
Mustain has thrown for 625 yards and seven touchdowns in six games this season.
Mississippi State (2-5, 0-3)
This week: at Georgia, noon
Bulldogs coach Sylvester Croom said his team was only one player away from having a 4-2 record this season.
“We definitely need a running back with speed,” Croom said. “[We need] a running back that can hit the home run.”
Croom pointed to former running back Jerious Norwood as the kind of back the Bulldogs need. Norwood rushed for 1,136 yards and six touchdowns in 2005.
So far in 2006, Mississippi State ranks No. 104 in the nation in rushing offense.
Eastern Division
No. 9 Florida (6-1, 4-1)
This week: bye
Florida became the next undefeated SEC victim to be taken out by SEC powerhouse Auburn this past Saturday.
The Gators’ 27-17 loss to the Tigers leaves no team undefeated in the SEC, which Florida coach Urban Meyer said is the best conference in the nation.
“I don’t think there are many teams that can make it through this league undefeated,” Meyer said. “I can only speak on the last two years and, yes, it’s the most difficult conference and to be honest it’s not even close from top to bottom.”
Arkansas is the only team in the SEC with a perfect conference record at 3-0.
Georgia (5-2, 2-2)
This week: vs. Mississippi State
Georgia senior quarterback Joe Tereshinski will not likely start another game for the Bulldogs this season, barring an injury to freshman Matthew Stafford, the new starting quarterback.
“I think at this point Matthew [Stafford] gives us the best chance to win,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said in a news release. “It was definitely not an easy thing on Joe Tereshinski. His response was disappointment.”
The decision by Richt comes in the wake of Georgia’s 24-22 loss at home to Vanderbilt.
South Carolina (4-2, 2-2)
This week: at Vanderbilt, 2 p.m.
South Carolina sophomore wide receiver O.J. Murdock was arrested Sunday for shoplifting in a Tampa, Fla., mall.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Murdock will be indefinitely suspended but will still be allowed to practice with the team.
Murdock appeared in three games for the Gamecocks this season and has caught just one pass for 8 yards.
No. 7 Tennessee (5-1, 1-1)
This week: vs. Alabama
Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer is not shy about labeling his team as a pass-happy squad, especially after the improvement shown by junior quarterback Erik Ainge.
“We try to use our abilities that we have, and our quarterback and wide receivers are playing really well right now,” Fulmer said. “It doesn’t matter to me how we score points as long as we’re scoring points. We’ll lean on our strength, which is our passing game.”
The Vols have the No. 8 passing offense in the nation.Kentucky (3-4, 1-3)This week: bye
The Kentucky Wildcats are still reeling from their 49-0 defeat by LSU on Saturday, Wildcats coach Rich Brooks said.
“We took a good whipping down at LSU on Saturday night,” Brooks said. “I think they’re an outstanding team, and we played one of our poorer games of the year against them. LSU basically shut our offense down.”
Vanderbilt (3-4, 1-3)
This week: vs. South Carolina
The Commodores made all underdog fans happy Saturday with a 24-22 win on the road against then-No. 16 Georgia.
Sophomore place-kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt hit a 33-yard field goal to win the game for Vanderbilt with 10 seconds left to play.
The win was the Commodores’ first victory over a ranked opponent in their last 49 tries dating back to 1992.
Commodores coach Bobby Johnson said the victory was great but advised that his team is back to business as usual following the win against the Bulldogs.
“We’re on our regular routine,” Johnson said.
—–Contact Kyle Whitfield at [email protected]