Red River Rivalry receives SEC twist
The SEC, both present and future, takes center stage Saturday.
At the state fair in Dallas, No. 3 Texas and No. 12 Oklahoma play the final Red River Rivalry game as members of the Big 12 before joining the SEC next year.
Instead of Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark being at the game, Greg Sankey of the SEC will drop by to check out two incoming members who rolled through the first month of the season undefeated. The Longhorns and Sooners will both bring unbeaten records to the Cotton Bowl for the first time since 2008.
The grudge match is the first part of a Lone Star State doubleheader for Sankey, who plans to head over to College Station to catch the midafternoon game between No. 11 Alabama and Texas A&M, the only two remaining unbeaten teams in conference play in the SEC West.
Maybe the biggest game in the actual SEC is between the East Division’s two highest-ranked teams: No. 20 Kentucky takes on No. 1 Georgia, with the Wildcats out again to prove they are more than just in contention for second-best in the East.
The five most intriguing games of Week 6 have bigtime SEC bias.
NO. 3 TEXAS VS. NO. 12 OKLAHOMA
The Longhorns beat the Sooners last season in historic fashion, 49-0, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series. The Sooners played that game without injured QB Dillion Gabriel and it was the third loss of a three-game skid.
Gabriel enters this game healthy and, like this team, not getting much attention for what has been a torrid start. The fifth-year quarterback has thrown for 1,593 yards and 15 touchdowns.
On the other side, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has thrown for 1,358 yards and 10 scores. PICK TEXAS 31-28.
NO. 11 ALABAMA AT TEXAS A&M
An enormous opportunity for coach Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies to seize early control of the West, a division they have yet to win since joining the SEC in 2012.
It was just a couple of seasons ago that A&M knocked off a top-ranked Tide team as an unranked team in College Station and then proceeded to finish the season 8-4. So, no, don’t crown the winner of this game.
But considering the state of the West, this feels like a case where either Alabama restores order or the Aggies finally have a real breakthrough under Fisher.
PICK Texas A&M 23-22.
NO. 20 KENTUCKY AT NO. 1 GEORGIA
The Bulldogs have won 13 in a row in the series, including two meetings in the last five years where both teams were ranked. Georgia won both of those games by 17 points and outrushed the Wildcats 497-135 combined.
The two-time defending national champions have yet to have a statement game this season. Here’s their chance.
PICK Georgia 31-14.
NO. 10 NOTRE DAME AT NO. 25 LOUISVILLE
Third consecutive week with a ranked opponent for the Fighting Irish, and second consecutive on the road against an upstart Atlantic Coast Conference team. Notre Dame has won 30 consecutive regular-season games against ACC competition.
In Year 1 under hometown hero Jeff Brohm, the Cardinals are 5-0 for the first time since 2013. PICK Notre Dame 27-21.
NO. 23 LSU AT NO. 21 MISSOURI
LSU is trying to avoid dropping to 3-3 with two SEC losses after starting the season No. 5 in the country. The Tigers’ defense has been a mess, tied for 121st in the nation at 6.47 yards per play allowed.
Unbeaten Missouri (5-0) has the weapons to take advantage, starting with WR Luther Burden III, who is second in the nation at 128.8 receiving yards per game.
PICK MISSOURI 35-31. The rest of Saturday’s games involving ranked teams and FBS foes:
NO. 2 MICHIGAN AT MINNESOTA
Can the Gophers be the first opponent to break seven points against the Wolverines? … MICHIGAN 35-13.
MARYLAND AT NO. 4 OHIO ST.
Buckeyes are 8-0 against the Terps since Maryland joined the Big Ten, averaging 57.5 points per game … OHIO STATE 38-21.
VIRGINIA TECH AT NO. 5 FLORIDA STATE
Seminoles have scored at least 30 in 10 consecutive games … FLORIDA ST. 45-17.
ARIZONA
AT NO. 9 SOUTHERN CAL
Status of Wildcats QB Jayden De Laura (ankle) remains unclear after he missed last week’s game … USC 49-31.
NO. 13 WASHINGTON STATE AT UCLA
Bruins lead the Pac-12 in defense at 3.75 yards per play allowed … WASHINGTON STATE 27-24.
SYRACUSE
AT NO. 14 NORTH CAROLINA
Only the third meeting since the Orange joined the ACC in 2013 … NORTH CAROLINA 31-24.
NO. 15 OREGON STATE AT CALIFORNIA
Matchup of the Pac-12’s top two rushers in Cal’s Jayden Ott and OSU’s Damien Martinez … OREGON STATE 24-16.
ARKANSAS AT NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI
Hogs and Rebels have recent history of close, high-scoring games … MISSISSIPPI 34-24.
RECORD
Last week 11-9-1. Season 50-66-1.