College football has officially crossed the halfway point of the regular season.
LSU rose to the No. 2 team in the SEC West, continuing to trail Alabama at No.1. However, Ole Miss holds the tiebreaker over LSU despite having played one less game.
With only six weeks left of the regular season, many teams are facing crunch time, looking to win the second half of their games before playoffs begin.
Here are this week’s games to watch:
LSU vs. Auburn
LSU is back in Death Valley after two weeks on the road against Missouri and Ole Miss.
The Tigers will be playing in front of a sold out stadium in Baton Rouge.
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They face Auburn, who is yet to win a conference game and has an overall record of 3-2. Although their record doesn’t look good compared to other teams, Auburn faced difficult opponents such as Texas A&M and Georgia.
Nonetheless, LSU is still favored to win by 11 points according to Caesar’s Sportsbook.
LSU scored 49 points in both of its games on the road against Missouri and Ole Miss, but only Missouri’s matchup resulted in a win.
Week 6’s game against Missouri further proved the Tiger’s offensive abilities. Although their defense continued to struggle, allowing 94 points scored against them the past two weeks, Jayden Daniels was once again a standout player.
Daniels is expected to out-throw Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne, who leads an Auburn offense that ranks last in the SEC in passing yards.
Although LSU’s defense might allow Auburn to score a few touchdowns, Daniels’ arm and success with his receivers should improve LSU’s record and win streak.
Alabama vs. Arkansas
Alabama is the only team left in the SEC West to remain undefeated in conference play. The Crimson Tide is looking to continue their dominance streak against Arkansas on Saturday.
Ranked No. 1 in the SEC West and No. 11 overall, the Tide is expected to beat Arkansas by almost 20 points in Tuscaloosa.
Contrary to Alabama, Arkansas is 2-4 with no conference wins. The Razorbacks enter the game with a four-game losing streak and are having trouble finding success within the SEC.
Despite Alabama being largely favored, head coach Nick Saban is encouraging his team to not become complacent.
The Tide should have no problem increasing their win streak to five and remaining at the top of the SEC West.
Tennessee vs Texas A&M
History is expected to repeat itself as the Volunteers are favored by three points in their game against the Aggies.
The Aggies are coming off of a six-point loss to Alabama, their first loss in conference play. Meanwhile, the Vols are coming off a 41-20 win against South Carolina.
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Texas A&M’s line might prevent the game from being another high-scoring matchup considering the Aggies have the 10th ranked total defense. The experienced line could limit the Vols’ running game success.
With two experienced programs, the game should be rather close and one of the more entertaining matchups of the week.
Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State have the week off. The two schools will resume play Saturday, Oct. 21.
Facing the second half of the regular season, every game is important, and Saturday’s matchups will contribute to postseason standings.
