By the time October rolls around, the 2026 college football season stops feeling fresh and starts feeling dangerous. That’s where Alabama and Auburn are now, staring at games that can swing the mood of their seasons in a hurry.
For Alabama, the surprise is the opponent. Mississippi State wasn’t supposed to be the first ranked team on the schedule, especially not with No.
2 Georgia waiting just seven days later. But here we are, and the Bulldogs have become one of the season’s real curveballs.
Mississippi State came into the year picked 15th in the 16-team SEC, yet it has opened 4-0 with SEC wins over South Carolina, 41-34, and Missouri, 31-24. Kamario Taylor has gone from afterthought to headline act, and his September surge has put him in the spotlight alongside Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell.
Both are from the 2025 signing class. Russell was the No. 2 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite, while Taylor checked in as the No. 11 quarterback.
The two quarterbacks bring similar tools: strong right arms and enough speed to make defenses miserable. Neither defense has exactly been airtight against explosive plays, either. Alabama has allowed 20-yard gains at a rate that ranks 20th nationally, while Mississippi State sits 15th in that category.
Russell, though, has more help around him. Alabama’s offense has followed up with two strong outings against Florida State and South Carolina, and the Tide also have a pass rush that has produced 11.0 sacks in four games, tied for 24th in the country.
That matters because Taylor has already shown he can be pressured into mistakes. He threw an interception in each of the Bulldogs’ SEC wins and was sacked seven times in those two one-score games.
The setting matters, too. Alabama got Mississippi State at 11 a.m.
CT, which helps avoid the kind of night atmosphere that can turn the place into a real terror dome. Still, this has the feel of a game that could stay tight for three quarters before Alabama’s depth starts to show.
The pick: Alabama 35, Mississippi State 24
Auburn’s trip to Tennessee carries a different kind of pressure. This one feels like a game the Tigers really need, especially with what comes next.
After Knoxville, Auburn still has to go to No. 2 Georgia, host No.
11 LSU, and head to No. 11 Mississippi.
The only other clearly manageable spots left are a Nov. 7 visit from Arkansas and Samford, which means this is one of the few chances to stack another win before the schedule gets brutal.
Tennessee comes in a little banged up after its 20-17 fight with No. 1 Texas, and the protection problems up front remain impossible to ignore. The Vols allowed 10 sacks in that game, and the outlook worsened when All-SEC guard Wendell Moe Jr.’s lower-body injury was expected to end his season.
That sets up a key trench battle. Auburn has 11.0 sacks, which ranks 24th nationally, but Tennessee has been even better, sitting tied for the national lead with 19.0 sacks. Auburn’s protection has been a major issue, with 14.0 sacks allowed, which ranks 133rd out of 138 FBS teams.
Auburn does have an experienced passer in Byrum Brown, and his legs could matter in a game that figures to be tight. The Tigers also showed last week against Vanderbilt that they can hit the big play when the moment opens up.
Still, in a game this close, the edge goes to the home team.
The pick: Tennessee 17, Auburn 16
Elsewhere in the SEC, Vanderbilt’s trip to No. 2 Georgia sets up a reunion with Jared Curtis, the five-star recruit who chose Nashville over Athens.
But the Commodores will need more than that storyline to matter. Georgia looks poised to stay unbeaten and carry its record into Tuscaloosa.
No. 8 Florida at No.
25 Missouri brings another ranked matchup, and Florida’s rise now comes with the pressure of being the hunted instead of the hunter. Missouri pushed Mississippi State last Saturday night in Starkville, but the Gators have momentum and look capable of extending it.
No. 24 Kentucky visits South Carolina in a game that could make life even tougher for Shane Beamer. South Carolina looked like a program in disarray last week in Tuscaloosa, while Kentucky has been playing with a swagger that does not usually travel with Wildcat football.
Arkansas at Texas A&M rounds out the SEC slate and, frankly, it sounds ugly. The two offenses have been among the worst in the league, and this one is being played on the Deuce for a reason.
Beyond the SEC, Penn State at Northwestern on Friday night offers a first look at the college football stadium of the future after Northwestern spent close to $900 million on its new setup. The Wildcats also gave Indiana a scare last week, which is not ideal for a Penn State team coming off a home loss to Wisconsin.
Notre Dame keeps cruising with a trip to North Carolina, while No. 5 Ohio State at No.
14 Iowa stands out as the big one outside the league. Iowa walked off Michigan last week in a rock fight, and now the question is whether its offense can keep up with the Buckeyes.
Miami at Clemson is set up as a clash between modern offense and something closer to the opposite, and Boston College’s trip to No. 21 SMU lands on The CW. There are also a few Big Ten games that sound best left alone, including Michigan at Minnesota and Michigan State at Wisconsin, while Maryland at Nebraska brings the unbeaten Huskers and the broken Terps into the same building and leaves everyone guessing.
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