Week 4 is where the SEC schedule starts to feel real.
There are still two nonconference games on the board, but the weekend is mostly built around league matchups now, and that changes everything. The TV slate shifts from a mixed bag to a lineup loaded with the games fans actually circle. If you’re trying to sort through it all, here’s the rundown.
The lightest lift of the week comes first. South Alabama at Kentucky kicks off at 12:45 p.m.
ET on SEC Network, and it’s the clear sleepiest game on the slate. Kentucky already got its feet wet against Alabama and Texas A&M, and now it returns to SEC play after what looks like a comfortable win.
Tulsa at Arkansas is a little more interesting, if only because it has a chance to be competitive. That one starts at 8 p.m.
ET on SEC Network+, and Tulsa enters at 3-0 as only a touchdown underdog against what appears to be the SEC’s weakest team. That gives the matchup a little extra juice.
The next tier is where things start to get worth your attention. Oklahoma at Georgia begins at 3:30 p.m.
ET on ESPN, and it looked better on paper before Oklahoma’s offense stumbled through two ugly games in a row. Georgia is starting to make some national noise, while the Sooners may be headed for a rough stretch.
Vanderbilt at Auburn, set for 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network, has its own appeal.
Vanderbilt can’t count on last week’s chaos showing up again to keep the record clean, and Auburn still seems to be sorting out who it is. Jared Curtis and Byrum Brown both have something to prove, and both could use a strong week in the crowded SEC quarterback picture.
South Carolina at Alabama follows at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and that one carries a different kind of tension.
Alabama has a habit of grinding through games before opening things up, while South Carolina needs a cleaner effort than it got last week. Shane Beamer’s job may be on the line in the next 2 weeks, and another credible showing against Alabama would matter.
The Gamecocks nearly pulled the upset a year ago, even with a battered roster, so there’s at least a recent reference point for hope.
Then come the games that demand a full setup.
Texas A&M at LSU is the 7:30 p.m. ET ABC game, and it features two teams trying to bounce back from disappointing losses.
LSU’s defeat was more expected than alarming, but Texas A&M’s was rough. There’s probably more pressure on the Aggies, and a second loss this early could effectively end somebody’s CFP hopes.
Missouri at Mississippi State is right behind it at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and it’s the sneaky-good matchup of the night.
Missouri has taken the more straightforward path so far, while Austin Simmons needs a bounce-back after a bad Week 3. Mississippi State and Kamario Taylor have become something of a college football darling, and Jeff Lebby could be moving from the hot seat to coaching a Heisman candidate.
This one was close to the top tier, but it just doesn’t quite have the same shine as the week’s biggest games.
And those biggest games are at the top.
Texas at Tennessee kicks off at noon ET on ABC and has the most flare of the weekend. Tennessee has looked excellent, but not really tested.
Texas has looked excellent too, though there’s always a sense that a slide might be around the corner - and that’s part of the Arch Manning story, too. Both teams are legitimate CFP contenders, and this one offers a chance to separate from the rest of the SEC pack.
Ole Miss at Florida is the other headline game, set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Both teams are ranked in the top 25 and both are coming off big wins. The Heisman angle is there too, with Trinidad Chambliss as the obvious name and Jadan Baugh as the subtler one.
Ole Miss’s win last week was more impressive, but Florida has joined Mississippi State as one of the conference’s early surprises. Seeing the Gators favored over a top-5 team three games into Jon Sumrall’s tenure is a statement either way.
If you’re picking one game to center the day around, Texas at Tennessee is the one. A No. 1 team going on the road in a top-15 matchup always carries extra weight.
And if you’re looking for the game that could end up stealing the weekend, keep Missouri-Mississippi State on your radar. Ole Miss-Florida is excellent, and Texas A&M-LSU has plenty riding on it, but the Tigers and Bulldogs have a top-25 showdown that could quietly become the best game of Week 4.
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