SEC Week 9 Preview — Surviving Conference Play

Arkansas is playing the lone non-conference game of the week, and that is probably a good thing because the Razorbacks are coming off three consecutive conference losses. Bret Bielema has this team on the right track, but they are not quite there. He should return to his comfort zone on Saturday knowing that he can pound the ball with Jonathan Allen and Alex Collins.

UAB and Arkansas share a lot of similarities. First year head coach Bill Clark likes to run the ball behind running back duo Jordan Howard and D.J. Vinson before going to the air with quarterback Cody Clements. Clark already has the Blazers performing at a high level just not high enough to beat an SEC team.

The Razorbacks' ground game will likely be too much for UAB to handle. However, before you rule them out, earlier in the year, the Blazers put up more points and total yards on Mississippi State than any other team has this season.

The difference in the Mississippi State we saw two weeks ago and the one we will see on Saturday is that the team from two weeks ago did not have a target on its back as the #1 team in the nation. So far, Dak Prescott and the rest of Dan Mullen's offense has performed at a high level. The defense is a different story. The Bulldogs are dead last in the SEC, and will be facing an improved Kentucky offense. Regardless, if State stumbles this season, it will not be on Saturday.

The Wildcats' got knocked back into reality last week after suffering a 41-3 loss to LSU. Kentucky needs the bounce back of a lifetime if they want any chance of pulling off the huge upset at home. Above all else, they have to put together a game plan that involves limiting Dak Prescott. Even if they are successful doing such, the next step is figuring out how to score points behind the strong arm of Patrick Towles.

It is hard to buy into the idea that Kentucky could pull off a win of this magnitude in Lexington with Mississippi State coming off of a bye week. But it will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs handle the pressure of being number one.

A lot of the blame for Missouri's underachieving this year falls on the shoulders of Maty Mauk. In his last three games, Mauk has only completed 37 percent of his passes while throwing five interceptions and zero touchdowns. The Tigers need more production on offense if they want to compete in the SEC at a high level consistently. This week, however, they can get away with a poor offensive performance.

There is no arguing that Vanderbilt is the worst team in the SEC right now. Derek Mason is operating a young team, while also attempting to switch to the 3-4 defense he ran at Stanford. They have not figured out how to move the ball efficiently, so do not expect them to start this weekend. The Commodores are just hoping that Maty Mauk will gift wrap a few interceptions for them.

In a game that matches up the two worst offenses in the SEC, you can expect a low scoring defensive battle unless the Tigers are able to jump out ahead early. We will not rule out Vanderbilt, but it has to believe that freshman quarterback Johnny McCary will get the job done.

Ole Miss is on the verge of making this already historical season even greater. The Rebels smothering defense has been, and continues to be, the backbone to its success. Although QB Bo Wallace has gotten better each week, the offense has to move the ball with greater efficiency to take some pressure off the defense. There is a little room for error on offense this week because this is not the same LSU from years past.

But LSU has gotten better each week since beating Florida by three points. The quarterback situation is still in question, but they have found a way to score more often. It is crucial that QB Anthony Jennings has a big day through the air, which will be a challenge against one of the best secondaries in all of college football. It's almost a guarantee that LSU has no chance of winning this game if they solely rely on the ground attack.

Last season, the Rebels upset the Tigers on a late field goal. The tables have turned this season as LSU looks to pull its own upset. A Tiger victory is unlikely, but there is reason why Les Miles is known as the "Mad Hatter."

Auburn has had a week to recover from its loss at Mississippi State, and now it can focus on getting back in the playoff picture. Gus Malzahn should have no issue running his complex HUNH offense on one of the worst defenses in the SEC. One of the main focal points to winning will be stopping Mike Davis and Dylan Thompson.

The Gamecocks have not met expectations, but they still have high-caliber SEC talent. Utilizing that talent has been the problem this season. South Carolina's losses have overshadowed its big wins and now the team is trying to escape the season with a bowl invite. They certainly can raise some eyebrows with a win in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Easier said than done of course. The Gamecocks have one of the worst rushing defenses in the SEC and will struggle to stop Auburn. Steve Spurrier better be prepared for what he is about to face on Saturday.

This game, like many games this week, is very tricky. South Carolina is struggling, but they did hand Georgia its only loss of the year. At this point in the season, the Gamecocks have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Alabama played its best game of the season last Saturday against Texas A&M. The win boosted morale in Tuscaloosa and they'll look to carry that forward. The Crimson Tide can be beat anyone if it continues to play exceptionally on defense. It's the offense that has had its good and bad weeks. Blake Sims looked a lot more comfortable last week and will look to continue improving on that side of the football.

Butch Jones has done a terrific job of bringing talent back to Knoxville. Once he develops that talent, the Vols will be a force to be reckoned with, but that's not this year. Tennessee has a chance to slow down the Tide's offense if it contains Amari Cooper and penetrates the offensive line. The problem is actually moving the ball. The Vols have struggled to score every week, and now, they have to try to effectively move the ball on one of the best defenses in the country.

Lane Kiffin's return to Knoxville has Tennessee fans buzzing for revenge against their former coach, but wanting revenge and getting revenge are two different things. You never know what will happen in a rivalry game, and the Vols are looking to taste their first victory cigar since 2006.