This year's rivalry week marks the end of one of the wildest college football seasons ever. We dread the end of all that excitement, but hey, at least we get to enjoy a nice slate of rivalry games before the postseason begins.

Many of the SEC teams were criticized last week for the decision to play FCS opponents as tune up games for this weekend, but we still saw some excitement with these "cupcake games." If you missed any of the action, here is a quick rewind:

  • Alabama got more than it bargained for early on in against Western Carolina. The Crimson Tide only had a three point lead after the first quarter but pulled away for 48-14 win.
  • Alabama was not the only in-state team that struggled early. Auburn and Samford were scoreless at the conclusion of the first quarter. A strong second quarter helped the Tigers come out on top 31-7.
  • Mississippi State bounced back nicely from a loss to Alabama and took down Vanderbilt 51-0. The Bulldogs may have not played an FCS team, but they did not get a very big fight out of the struggling Commodores.
  • In one of the more exciting games of the weekend, Missouri beat Tennessee 29-21 in Knoxville. The Tigers are now just one win away from clinching the SEC East.
  • Arkansas kept its hot streak alive by dismantling Ole Miss 30-0. The Razorbacks are now bowl eligible meaning that every team in the SEC West is bowl eligible for the first time in history.

Let's take a look at what to expect for rivalry week:

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  • LSU at Texas A&M

    Thursday, 6:30 pm CT on ESPN

    Texas A&M's (7-4, 3-4 SEC) season has been nothing short of a roller coaster. The Aggies started the year 5-0 before going on a three-game losing streak. A 59-0 loss to Alabama re-opened the quarterback competition, and Kevin Sumlin decided to start true freshman Kyle Allen. Allen won the trust of Sumlin when he helped lead A&M to a shocking 41-38 win over Auburn, a game where they were 23-point underdogs. Now Allen will face the toughest defense he has seen all season in a Thanksgiving Day battle with LSU.

    LSU (7-4, 3-4 SEC) has also experienced quite the up and down season. All hope was lost for the Tigers after being routed by Mississippi State and Auburn in a three week period. The downfall was blamed on quarterback issues until Anthony Jennings helped lead them to a 10-7 win over an undefeated Ole Miss. The win helped sparked life back into their season, but after back-to-back losses to Alabama and Arkansas, they are just looking to end the season with a positive.

    Although this may not be the big rivalry game you wanted to start your week off with, LSU's scoring problem will match evenly with A&M's struggle to keep teams out of the redzone. This will be one last wild roller coaster ride worth watching.

    (Thomas Shea/Getty Images)
    (Thomas Shea/Getty Images)
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  • Arkansas at #17 Missouri

    Friday, 1:30 pm CT on CBS

    Arkansas (6-5, 2-5) has gained the attention of the entire country after shutting out ranked SEC opponents in back-to-back weeks. Not bad for a team that was previously on a 17-game conference losing streak. As good as the Hogs are, they will face adversity for the first time since the win streak started. Coach Bret Bielema labeled Brandon Allen's status for the game as questionable, so now the team will have to rely heavily on the ground game. The positive is that the Razorbacks have an SEC leading 35 rushing touchdowns.

    Missouri (9-2, 6-1 SEC) is just one win away from clinching the East division for the second year in a row. The Tigers showed true perseverance to get back in position after an early loss to Indiana almost derailed their season. They would have suffered another loss if not for the defense forcing 11 turnovers during their five game win streak. Maty Mauk getting out of his mid-season funk along with a resurrected ground game also helped them stay on the right track.

    On Friday afternoon, we will know if Georgia or Missouri will be heading to Atlanta. The Tigers are just fortunate enough to know what Arkansas will bringing to the table even though knowing does not always help. Stopping the Hogs' right now is something only a few teams in the country could handle.

    (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
    (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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  • South Carolina at #21 Clemson

    11:00 am CT on ESPN

    South Carolina (6-5, 3-5 SEC) failed to meet the high expectations placed on them in the pre-season. Underachieving gives off the impression that the Gamecocks are not very good, but that's just not true. After being blown out in their season opener against Texas A&M, all of their losses have been decided by 7 points or less. Struggles on defense have created a problem that even Steve Spurrier can't fix. Spurrier's nightmare of a season can all be forgiven if he finds a way to beat Clemson for the 6th year in a row.

    Clemson (8-3, 6-2 ACC) may not be in the same boat as South Carolina, but they are on the verge of sinking. This is only because of the banged up Deshaun Watson. The freshman quarterback gives the Tigers the best opportunity to win each week but injuries have sidelined him in favor of Cole Stoudt, who is not as dangerous. Watson's status for Saturday's game is unclear, so it may be up to Stoudt to beat the Gamecocks. If Stoudt starts, he will need some from his defense to keep the pressure off of his shoulders.

    Clemson's coaching staff has yet to crack the formula required to beat South Carolina. Luck would have it that they will finally face a Gamecocks defense that is 89th nationally, but the Tigers' offense is averaging 153 yards fewer in games that Stoudt starts.

    (Photo by The State)
    (Photo by The State)
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  • #16 Georgia Tech at #9 Georgia

    11:00 am CT on the SEC Network

    Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2 ACC) will play Florida State in the ACC Championship, but before the Yellow Jackets focus on FSU, they have to square off against their in-state rival Georgia. Most of that attention should be set on stopping Nick Chubb, who averages over 100 yards per game. With the Yellow Jackets allowing 21 rushing touchdowns this season, keeping Chubb out of the endzone will be a major priority. With that stat in mind, we can speculate that there will be a lot of running from both teams.

    Georgia (9-2, 6-2 SEC) probably is not very comfortable lining up against the Yellow Jackets' triple option offense. The triple option is a power run offense, and Georgia Tech runs it to perfection, averaging over 327 rushing yards per game. The Bulldogs allowed 418 rushing yards in a loss to Florida. Practice routines will need to be adjusted in order to be better equipped for stopping the triple option. More importantly, Georgia will need to take advantage of scoring opportunities because Georgia Tech will own the time of possession.

    A Friday night loss to Arkansas means that this game could feature two division champions. It being a rivalry game is just icing on the cake. Georgia Tech's triple option is one of a kind in college football which makes it hard to stop. Will Georgia be able to stop it for the 6th consecutive year?

    (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
    (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
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  • Kentucky at #22 Louisville

    11:00 am CT on ESPN2

    Louisville (8-3, 5-3 ACC) has done well in Bobby Petrino's first year back with the program. Losing quarterback Will Gardner for the season has weakened this team. Freshman Reggie Bonnafon stepped in for the injured Gardener, and he completed just 38 percent of his passes in his first start. The Cardinals' ground game will have to carry the workload, but even they will not be as effective without thriving off of a balanced attack.

    Kentucky (5-6, 2-6 SEC) was a force to be reckoned with at the beginning of the season. The Wildcats won 5 of their first 6 games after only winning two games last season. Pretty impressive, right? Take into consideration that they have been one win away from bowl eligibility since October 11th. They have talent, but Coach Stoops still appears to have a few cards missing from the deck. Stoops may be able to keep this game close by using his one ace in the deck: quarterback Patrick Towles.

    If we were talking about these two schools facing off against each other in basketball, there would be a lot more excitement.

    (Photo by Lexington Herald Leader)
    (Photo by Lexington Herald Leader)
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  • Florida at #3 Florida State

    2:30 pm CT on ESPN

    Florida State (11-0, 8-0 ACC) needed a late field goal to beat Boston College 20-17. Most of their struggles can be attributed to slow starts. The Seminoles have been outscored 84-72 in the first half of their last five games while outscoring opponents 85-37 in the second half of those games. While James Winston is a big reason why they comeback in so many games, he is also one of the reasons why they dig themselves in a hole. His 13 interceptions thrown is the most of any quarterback whose team is ranked in the top 10.

    Florida (6-4, 4-4 SEC) players will be playing for Will Muschamp one final time. Muschamp stepped down a few weeks ago following an overtime loss to South Carolina. Muschamp has done a terrific job of consistently putting together one of the best defenses in the SEC, but he never could revitalize the offense. The Gators have to find a way to score, but if they jump ahead, it may be difficult for FSU to catch up against the 11th best defense in the country.

    Florida State has put together an unprecedented 27-game win streak over the last three seasons. Florida was the last team to beat them, and it was done in Doak Campbell Stadium. Muschamp has the opportunity to leave with a statement win against their hated rival.

    (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
    (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
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  • #4 Mississippi State at #19 Ole Miss

    2:30 pm CT on CBS

    Mississippi State (10-1, 6-1 SEC) may still be in the top 4, but they are going to need a little help if they want to make the playoff. A win over Ole Miss may not do the trick because the Rebels' recent drop in the rankings would make it less impressive. The Bulldogs need a dominant win on Saturday if they have any hope of making the playoff. Enter Dak Prescott. Prescott has accounted for 35 touchdowns this season, more than any other player in the SEC. The outcome of this game revolves around his performance.

    Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 SEC) had an outside chance of making the playoff until they suffered a 30-0 loss to Arkansas. As bad as the loss was, the Rebels can still have a strong finish to their season as long as the good Bo Wallace shows up instead of the bad Bo Wallace. You could make the argument that shutting down Dak Prescott will guarantee a win, but, realistically, Ole Miss has no chance of winning if Wallace has a bad game. A win in his last game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium would erase the memory of bad Bo.

    The Egg Bowl would have had a lot more hype if these two teams were able to make it to the end of the season ranked in the top 4. However, this is still one of the biggest Egg Bowls in history. Both teams did an excellent job of making football relevant in Mississippi again, but only one team can control bragging rights for a year.

    (Simon Bruty/Getty Images)
    (Simon Bruty/Getty Images)
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  • Tennessee at Vanderbilt

    3:00 pm CT on the SEC Network

    Tennessee (5-6, 2-5 SEC) has a lot on the line in this year's matchup with their in-state rival Vanderbilt. For starters, the Commodores are on a two game win streak. It was the first time since 1925-1926 that they had beaten the Vols two years in a row. A Tennessee win means owning the state once again, and also reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010. This is all thanks to the breakout performance of Joshua Dobbs.

    Vanderbilt (3-8, 0-7 SEC) made significant progress in the SEC with Coach James Franklin leading the way. Coach Derek Mason tried to continue that success, but it was just too much for the first year head coach. The Commodores have not won an SEC game and their three wins have been against opponents that have a combined 16-18 record. Mason just needs one big win to prove that he will get Vanderbilt back in contention, and a win over Tennessee would do it.

    In terms of rivalry week, this is one of the least interesting games. This is not the Egg Bowl or the Iron Bowl, but both teams have a lot riding on this game. With that being said, the Commodores are going to have to pull out all the stops to beat Tennessee.

    (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
    (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
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  • #15 Auburn at #1 Alabama

    6:45 CT on ESPN

    Alabama (10-1, 6-1 SEC) has one last hurdle to jump before it can officially head to Atlanta, and their is no trickier game than the Iron Bowl. If you claim to be a college football fan then you know how last year's Iron Bowl ended. That ending has people calling this a "revenge game" for the Crimson Tide.

    Auburn (8-3, 4-3 SEC) is heading into this Iron Bowl has a heavy underdog for two reasons: 1. The revenge game factor has some thinking that the Crimson Tide will rout them. 2. Late season losses to Texas A&M and Georgia put the Tigers out of title contention. We will reiterate that no matter how bad one of the teams is playing, you can never predict what is going to happen. Gus Malzahn still engineers an offense that has given Nick Saban headaches over the years.

    Auburn needed just one second to take down their arch rival in one of the most exciting finishes in college football history. Now the Crimson Tide has 3,600 seconds to prove that last year's loss did not end their dynasty.

    (Kevin Cox/Getty Images)
    (Kevin Cox/Getty Images)
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