Week 10 of the Southeastern Conference football season features 11 of the 12 teams in the conference competing Saturday. In week nine, two of the five ranked SEC teams lost — then-No. 22 South Carolina and then-No. 25 Ole Miss.This week’s games include a top-10 matchup between No. 3 Alabama and No. 9 LSU, which could determine the winner of the SEC West. But the premier matchup outside of the Alabama-LSU game is a matchup between two high-powered passing offenses, Arkansas and South Carolina.THE GUNSLINGERSSouth Carolina (6-3, 3-3) travels to Razorback Stadium to play Arkansas (4-4, 1-4) on Saturday in a game that will feature two of the conference’s top quarterbacks.Arkansas sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett leads the SEC in passing yards per game (268.5), total passing yards (2,148) and touchdown passes (18).”[Arkansas is] obviously a very good passing team and a good offensive team,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said in a teleconference. “We need to play a lot better around here if we are going to get in the game with them out there.”South Carolina sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia is No. 2 in the SEC in both passing yards per game (232.7) and total passing yards (2,094). Garcia’s passing yards combined with his 107 rushing yards equal the most total yards on the season by any player in the SEC at 2,201.”I think probably the difference between the two is Garcia can run the ball,” said Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino. “That’s what makes him so dangerous — his ability to run out of the pocket and make plays with his legs. But both of them have done a really nice job of executing their offenses.”These two quarterbacks have led Arkansas and South Carolina to No. 1 and No. 2 in the conference in passing offense, respectively.OPPOSITES ATTRACTVanderbilt (2-7, 0-5) travels to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend to face Florida (8-0, 6-0) in what will be a battle of opposites.Florida has already captured the SEC East title with its six wins in conference play. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, hasn’t won a game against an SEC opponent.”We have zero conversation about the SEC East anymore,” said Florida coach Urban Meyer. “Now it’s just an opportunity to win nine games.”Florida leads the SEC in numerous categories, including scoring offense (36 points per game), pass efficiency (157.5 efficiency rating) and first downs (23.6 first downs per game).Vanderbilt ranks among the bottom in the SEC in many categories. Vanderbilt is last in scoring offense (18.2 points per game) and pass efficiency (91.2 efficiency rating). Vanderbilt is also second -worst in the SEC in first downs, averaging 16.8 per game.But one area in which Vanderbilt has excelled is kick returns. Commodore freshman running back Warren Norman leads the SEC in kick return yards (852) and touchdowns (3).”I’ve never seen a freshman return three kickoffs for touchdowns,” Meyer said. “It’s not against one of those smaller schools — it’s against SEC opponents.”IN-STATE RIVALSThe Memphis Tigers (2-6, 1-4) will travel 391 miles east down Interstate-40 to Knoxville, Tenn., to compete against in-state rival Tennessee (4-4, 2-3).The last time these two teams met was on Sept. 30, 2006, when the Volunteers beat the Tigers, 41-7.Memphis has struggled this season on the road and has lost all three matchups away from home. Tennessee has gone 4-2 at home and outscored its home opponents, 210-107.But Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin knows his team can’t overlook any out-of-conference opponents, as the Volunteers have already lost one of the three out-of-conference games this season.”This is a very big game for us,” Kiffin said. “It’s an interstate matchup and one that Memphis has always played Tennessee very tough for.”Memphis has averaged 366.5 yards per game on offense despite its struggles. Tennessee has only given up 281.6 yards per game, which is third-best in the SEC.—-Contact Jarred LeBlanc at [email protected]