The SEC’s Saturday slate is loaded with the kind of matchups that can swing a Heisman race in a hurry.
Texas and Oklahoma meet in the Red River Rivalry, while unbeaten Georgia heads to unbeaten Alabama in the nightcap. Those are the stages where college football’s biggest individual award often starts to take shape, and this league has plenty of contenders still in the mix.
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has the best Heisman odds among SEC players at +700, tied for second-best overall behind Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is the clear favorite at -110 in the Fan Duel Sports Book. Georgia’s Gunner Stockton is still very much in the conversation at +3000, tied with Texas quarterback Arch Manning for sixth overall.
Stockton has been one of the more efficient passers in the country. He ranks third nationally with a 201.98 passer rating, trailing only Miami’s Darian Mensah and Indiana’s Josh Hoover. Russell sits right behind him at 185.66, good for sixth in the nation.
The numbers behind Stockton are tidy, too: 13 touchdown passes and only one interception. Russell, who will make his sixth career start on Saturday, has thrown 11 touchdown passes against two interceptions.
Manning, meanwhile, has the challenge of leading the nation’s No. 1 team, but his production has not matched the hype just yet. He ranks 72nd nationally in passer rating at 141.31 and has thrown seven touchdown passes with three interceptions.
There are more SEC names on the board beyond the marquee quarterbacks. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss checks in at +1500, fifth in the Heisman odds, and he takes the Rebels into Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville. Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, listed at +3500, gets an off week after the Bulldogs’ 56-23 loss to Alabama.
Chambliss has been efficient and busy, even with Ole Miss coming off a bye after he has played four games this season. He leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the nation with 25.5 completions per game. The next closest player among the top 10 in Heisman odds is Mensah, who is 14th nationally at 22.4 completions per game.
Taylor has put up big yardage, too. His 1,450 passing yards lead the SEC and rank sixth in the country, putting him five spots ahead of Russell, who is second in the conference with 1,414 passing yards.
A few more SEC players remain on the Heisman board as well. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is at +6000 and leads the Tigers into Kentucky.
Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons is at +6500 and tries to keep the Tigers rolling at home against Texas A&M. Florida has two names in the mix with tailback Jadan Baugh at +8000 and quarterback Aaron Philo at +10,000 as the Gators host South Carolina.
The day starts at noon with Texas A&M trying to knock off Simmons, who has yet to throw an interception for Missouri this season, and it ends with Georgia’s trip to Alabama.
SEC game times, TV channels, picks
Texas A&M (3-2, 1-2) at Missouri (4-1, 1-1) -3.5, Noon, ESPN
Pick: Texas A&M 24, Missouri 20
South Carolina (2-3, 0-3) at Florida (4-1, 2-1) -12.5, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
Pick: Florida 37, South Carolina 24
Texas (4-0, 1-0) -7.5 vs. Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC
Pick: Texas 24, Oklahoma 14
Ole Miss (3-1, 1-1) -10.5 at Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-2), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Pick: Ole Miss 38, Vanderbilt 24
Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) -13.5 at Arkansas (2-3, 0-2), 4:35 p.m., SEC Network
Pick: Tennessee 33, Arkansas 17
LSU (4-1, 1-1) -8.5 at Kentucky (4-1, 2-1), 7 p.m., ESPN
Pick LSU 39, Kentucky 30
Georgia (5-0, 3-0) at Alabama (5-0, 3-0) -1.5, 7:30 p.m. ABC
Pick: Georgia 27, Alabama 24
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