SEC Week 10: Loaded weekend brings pivotal tests for playoff hopefuls

Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference:

Game of the week

No. 2 Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC, No. 2 CFP) at No. 12 Ole Miss (6-2, 4-2, No. 10 CFP), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

It is the teams' third meeting in 13 months and the stakes are high again after Ole Miss won the last showdown, 39-34 at the Sugar Bowl to send Georgia packing in the playoff. Ole Miss has little margin for error with two losses while Georgia looks to remain atop a packed SEC race and hold its CFP seeding.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton didn't have his flashiest performances in October, with a three-turnover outing in the Bulldogs' loss to Auburn and a quiet but steady 101 passing-yard game in Georgia's 27-8 win over Florida.

Trinidad Chambliss also had a three-turnover game in Ole Miss' loss to Texas before leading the Rebels to a win over Auburn with a strong second half. He is likely to be without running back Kewan Lacy again this week and will rely on Makhi Frazier and Shekai Mills-Knight to spark the running game.

Georgia is a 3.5-point favorite.

The undercards

No. 8 Kentucky (7-1, 5-1, No. 6 CFP) at No. 16 Tennessee (6-2, 3-2, No. 13 CFP), 6:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

One of the conference's biggest stunners this season, Kentucky faces a Tennessee just outside the CFP field in the initial rankings.

QB George MacIntyre has started the last three games for Tennessee after stepping in for Faizon Brandon, though coach Josh Heupel had not named his starter by midweek.

Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey has thrown for 1,755 yards and 14 touchdowns with one pick through eight games. The transfer from Notre Dame has helped the Wildcats to their best record since 2018 and a strong CFP slot.

Tennessee is a 6.5-point favorite.

No. 9 Alabama (6-2, 4-2, No. 5 CFP) at No. 15 LSU (6-2, 3-2, No. 14 CFP), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Similar to the Kentucky-Tennessee game, this one has a highly ranked CFP team in the Crimson Tide against an LSU team with a golden opportunity to burnish its own credentials with a win.

Alabama will look to return to its early-season form with several key players hopeful to return from injuries this week: Ryan Coleman-Williams, Zabien Brown, Racin Delgatty and Terrance Green.

LSU, which is favored by 5.5 points, should have TE Trey'Dez Green back after a knee injury, Whit Weeks has returned to the practice field and quarterback Sam Leavitt said he's “running around 100%” after a lingering hamstring injury.

Impact players

— South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers as the AP Player of the Week after accounting for 397 yards of total offense and five touchdowns against Oklahoma. He ran for two scores two of his three touchdown passes were for 79 yards or longer.

— Georgia LB Chris Cole continues to make a strong case for a high first-round draft pick, leading the Bulldogs with nine tackles, a sack and a 66-yard scoop-and-score touchdown en route to a 27-8 win over Florida. It’s Cole’s second defensive touchdown of the season.

– Texas LB Rasheem Biles had eight tackles, four for a loss and a career-high three sacks and two forced fumbles to help the Longhorns to a 31-3 win over Mississippi State.

A look at the numbers

Six SEC teams enter this weekend with a 6-2 record and playoff hopes on the line. ... Ten SEC teams are ranked in the AP Top 25: No. 2 Georgia, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 9 Alabama, No. 10 Texas, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 19 Missouri, No. 23 South Carolina and No. 25 Florida. ... The same 10 appeared in the initial CFP rankings, though largely in a different order: Georgia (2), Alabama (5), Kentucky (6), Texas (7) and Ole Miss (10).

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