Is Florida Legit? Plus Alabama’s Road Test Headline SEC’s Week 4

It’s a relatively quiet Week 4 in the SEC, but one that sees a resurgent power in Florida trying to cement its status on the road. Plus, Alabama has its first true road test against Kamario Taylor and this year’s surprise team (so far), Mississippi State. Along with former 5-star quarterback Jared Curtis traveling to Athens with his Vanderbilt Commodores to face Georgia, the team he spurned at the end of his recruiting cycle.

(All times provided are EST)

Florida’s True Test

#8 Florida @ #25 Missouri

Time: 3:30 pm

Where: ABC

Breakdown: This is the week when you figure out who Florida actually is as a football team. Yes, last week was a good win against a good team, but you had all the outside factors in your favor if you’re Florida. Ole Miss was going on the road after the emotional high of the LSU game, and they were missing Kewan Lacy. Now Florida goes on the road after the emotional high of their win against Ole Miss. The difference? Jayden Baugh isn’t hurt, and they aren’t playing as good of a team. While Eli Drinkwitz hasn’t fared well against SEC teams with a winning conference record (he hasn’t beaten an SEC team that finished with a winning record in conference play), all it takes is 1, and he’s been close. You may remember that 2022 Georgia team that routed TCU in the national title; people forget that Mizzou had them on the ropes in November of that season. Good teams are made great when they beat good teams on the road. Mizzou is a tough test, but luckily for Florida, the ability to run the ball travels, and last I checked, #13 is gonna be wearing orange and blue on Saturday.

Pick: Florida

Can Alabama Wake Up?

#7 Alabama @ #16 Mississippi State

Time: 12:00 pm

Where: ABC

Breakdown: This is a spot I hate for Alabama. A true freshman at quarterback, with an early start time, plus an obvious look-ahead spot with Georgia coming to town next week. Plus, Kalen DeBoer has decided that they are going to do their travel differently this week, with the team leaving for Starkville early Saturday morning. On the flip side, for Mississippi State, this is a huge game for their season-long outlook. They have 4 loseable football games on their schedule; this is one, and they have trips to LSU, Texas, and Ole Miss remaining. If they are able to get 2 out of those 4, then the Bulldogs would likely be playoff-bound. This Saturday is the only one of those 4 games that the Bulldogs get at home; they have to take advantage. I think they will, and I think this is the week where Kamario Taylor puts himself at the top of the Heisman discussion going forward.

Pick: Mississippi State

The Rest of the SEC Slate

Vanderbilt @ #2 Georgia

Time: 12:45 pm

Where: SEC Network

Breakdown: This Georgia team has already shown that they hold grudges. When you go back to the Arkansas game this year, they were doing D-line drills on the sideline during a TV timeout. This isn’t normal behavior and comes on the heels of some comments that Arkansas head coach Ryan Silverfield made about the Bulldogs last year while at Memphis. This grudge won’t be as strong, but Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis spurned the Dawgs on signing day this past December when he chose the Commodores after being committed to Georgia in the months leading up to signing day. Vanderbilt’s run game isn’t very strong, which will likely lead to some obvious passing situations where the Dawgs will be able to pin their ears back and get after Curtis. It should be a homecoming rout for the Dawgs.

Pick: Georgia

Auburn @ #17 Tennessee

Time: 3:30 pm

Where: ESPN

Breakdown: With the exception of the Florida game Auburn’s defense has been the strength of the team. That will be put to the test on Saturday. Tennessee’s freshman quarterback, Faizon Brandon, is set to play on Saturday, which is good news for the Vols in what is a must-win game if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. They have a manageable schedule going forward but cannot afford a hiccup against a struggling Auburn team at home. I don’t think that the Tigers will be able to score enough to take down the Vols at home. Hell, Texas only mustered up 20 points in Neyland Stadium. I have no faith in the Tigers being able to get to that number. Give me the Vols.

Pick: Tennessee

#24 Kentucky @ South Carolina

Time: 4:15 pm

Where: SEC Network

Breakdown: Can South Carolina pull themselves up off the mat? They’ve gotten 40 hung on them in back-to-back weeks, and while the Kentucky offense isn’t Alabama’s or Mississippi State’s, Kenny Minchey has put together a solid first 4 weeks of football for the Wildcats. South Carolina fans should feel good because, according to Head Coach Shane Beamer, they had “a hell of a practice” this week. When you combine that with the calendar flipping over to Cocktober, how could you pick against them? Easy; just remember that they haven’t been able to stop a nosebleed when the opposing offense has so much as a pulse. Oh, and they suspended their best player on defense, Dylan Stewart. Kentucky’s first-year head coach Will Stein is about to have a field day with this Carolina defense.

Pick: Kentucky

Arkansas @ Texas A&M

Time: 7:00 pm

Where: ESPN2

Breakdown: Yuck. With the slate of night games this week, I am starting to think ESPN didn’t want to compete with playoff baseball. This game is disgusting: two bad teams with bad offenses, headlined by bad quarterbacks. What else could you want out of a football game in a primetime slot? I think Texas A&M is the lesser of two evils here, and Kyle Field will still fill up (although probably not as enthusiastically as a couple of weeks ago). So give me the Aggies in a game that won’t be worth watching.

Pick: Texas A&M

Why the Hell is this at Night?

McNeese @ #11 LSU

Time: 7:45 pm

Where: SEC Network

Small Rant: You want to know how to make something special redundant? Do it every single week. I mean, for the love of god, Death Valley at night used to mean something, and now we’re breaking it out for McNeese. I bet you could never guess what time LSU plays next week either. At least that one is a road game, but it will mark 6 straight night games for the Tigers, regardless of location.