Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference:
Game of the week
No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1 SEC) vs. No. 1 Texas (5-0, 1-0) in Dallas, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ABC)
It’s the Red River Rivalry, SEC style. The Longhorns, newly restored to the top of the rankings, try to remain there against their longtime Big 12 rival and fellow league newcomer. It’s only the sixth time Texas has entered the game ranked No. 1, having gone 4-0-1 in that situation, with the latest edition ending in a tie in 1984.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers appears on track to return after missing two weeks with an abdominal injury, a position capably held by Arch Manning in his absence. Michael Hawkins Jr. is set to become the first true freshman quarterback to start for the Sooners against Texas.
The Sooners have won five of the last six meetings, including a four-game streak from 2018-2021. They’re also 4-3 in the series when Texas is ranked in the Top 5.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is 1-2 in the rivalry game and Oklahoma’s Brent Venables has split their first two meetings.
The undercard
No. 9 Mississippi (5-1, 1-1) at No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-0), 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ABC)
Last year’s game will be hard to top. The Rebels beat Jayden Daniels & Co. 55-49 in a game where the teams combined for 1,343 total yards. The Tigers outscored then-No. 7 Ole Miss 28-0 in the second half to win 45-20 in their last meeting in Tiger Stadium.
Jaxson Dart and the Rebels could be without the nation’s leading receiver, Tre Harris, who is nursing a lower leg injury.
They’ll face a team led by well-protected quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Ole Miss leads the nation in run defense (63.7 yards allowed per game), sacks (24) and tackles for loss (63). But the Rebels face a strong offensive line that has only yielded two sacks.
It’s the first time the two teams have met with both ranked in the top 10 since 1962 when the No. 6 Rebels beat fourth-ranked LSU 15-7 in Tiger Stadium. Coach Brian Kelly is 12-0 in home night games at LSU.
What’s your response?
Three of the SEC’s preseason top 10 teams are trying to bounce back from upset losses, two of them against unranked opponents.
No. 7 Alabama hosts South Carolina after a stunning 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt. The Tide dropped six spots and only managed one week atop the poll.
No. 8 Tennessee hosts former SEC East rival Florida after dropping a 19-14 decision to Arkansas. The Volunteers slid four spots.
No. 21 Missouri is playing UMass, an expected breather after tumbling 12 spots in the poll after a 41-10 loss to now No. 15 Texas A&M, which climbed 10 notches.
Impact player
Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava is seeking to become the first freshman quarterback to lead the eighth-ranked Volunteers to a win over the Gators since the combined efforts of Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer in 2004. Iamaleava completed 16 of 28 passes for 156 yards without a touchdown in the 19-14 loss to Arkansas.
The Gators have won 17 of the last 19 meetings, including a 29-16 upset of No. 11 Tennessee last season.
Inside the numbers
Vanderbilt’s new record against AP top five teams: 1-60. … The Aggies under first-year coach Mike Elko are atop the league standings with a 3-0 SEC mark. … Texas and LSU are the only other teams without a league loss, at 1-0. … Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues has already run for four touchdowns this season, the most by a defensive linemen in at least the last 20 years, according to ESPN. … Florida (Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway) and Texas are the only two FBS teams who have a pair of quarterbacks with at least 600 passing yards.
___
Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
