In the eye of a hurricane, there is a sense of calmness.
Gray clouds, a slight wind, and birds in the sky.
And yet, at the same time, there is an underlying feeling of panic, knowing what is about to come.
This is what Saturday’s matchups will feel like, a precursor to the storm brewing in Week 10’s games.
Only four teams from the SEC West will see the field on Saturday, with the other three having bye weeks.
Here are this week’s games to watch:
Texas A&M vs. South Carolina
The Gamecocks will travel to College Station to face the Aggies in their eighth game of the season.
With only one conference win, South Carolina is not expected to beat the Aggies by any means.
Although Texas A&M is projected to win by two touchdowns, according to Sports Illustrated, its season has not been much better than South Carolina’s.
Texas A&M is ranked No. 4 in the SEC West, with a 2-2 conference record and 4-3 overall record. The Aggies are coming off of two losses to Alabama and Tennessee, with both losses only being by a touchdown.
In its game against Tennessee, the Aggies quarterback Max Johnson threw for 223 yards compared to Joe Milton’s 100. However, the Vol’s took advantage of the Aggie’s defense, rushing for 232 yards.
On the contrary, South Carolina has struggled to produce touchdowns and points in general.
The Gamecocks are ranked No. 6 in the SEC East, just above Vanderbilt. They are on a three-game losing streak with an overall record of 2-5.
The game will be streamed on ESPN at 11 a.m. CT Saturday.
Mississippi State vs. Auburn
Mississippi State and Auburn, ranked No. 5 and No. 6 in the SEC West respectively, will play in Auburn on Saturday.
Although Mississippi State is the higher-ranked team, Auburn is favored to win by a touchdown.
If the Tigers were to win, it would be their first within the conference. They are on a four-game losing streak with an overall record of 3-4.
Although Auburn’s record isn’t great, their schedule has been intense and they have taken steps towards improving.
The Tigers only lost their previous game to Ole Miss by a touchdown. They outscored the Rebels in the second quarter and managed to score a touchdown three out of the four quarters.
Mississippi State is not doing much better, with only one more win than Auburn. The Bulldogs took their first conference win against Arkansas, outscoring the Razorbacks by four points, with a final score of 7-3.
With both teams struggling to remain competitive, the matchup should be interesting to see how the coaches and players are planning to turn their seasons around.
The game will be streamed on SEC Network at 2:30 p.m. CT.
Vanderbilt vs. Ole Miss
Ole Miss’ game against Vanderbilt is expected to be similar to LSU’s against Army.
The Rebels are favored by a whopping 25 points.
With an overall record of 6-1 and an active three-game win streak, the Rebels should have no problem shutting the Commodores down.
Vanderbilt is ranked last in the SEC East, going 0-4 in conference play. They are on a six-game losing streak, with only two wins on the season.
With Ole Miss having home field advantage, the game shouldn’t be very exciting to watch, and the winner should be clear by halftime.
The game will be streamed on SEC Network at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Arkansas has a bye week before facing Florida on the road.
Alabama and LSU also have a bye week before their infamous rivalry game on Saturday Nov. 4.
Both teams are using this time to prepare and heal injuries before the big game in Tuscaloosa.
Although most know that the chance of rain in Tiger Stadium is never, the forecast in Alabama is unknown, and many feel a hurricane on the rise in the upcoming weeks.
