SEC This Week: No. 7 Alabama visits Oklahoma in rare in-season clash of traditional college powers
SEC This Week: No. 7 Alabama visits Oklahoma in rare in-season clash of traditional college powers
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Mercer, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, right, runs around Missouri linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Oklahoma running back Taylor Tatum (8) his tackled by Missouri safety Marvin Burks Jr., right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) can’t hang on to a pass as Tennessee defensive back Rickey Gibson III (1) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Mississippi wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) reacts after a dead ball call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. Mississippi won 28-10. (AP Photo/Randy J. Williams)
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) scrambles out of the pocket to avoid a sack by New Mexico State defensive tackle Naki Fahina (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea watches a replay during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Mercer, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) warms up before an NCAA college football game against Mercer, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, right, runs around Missouri linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, right, runs around Missouri linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Oklahoma running back Taylor Tatum (8) his tackled by Missouri safety Marvin Burks Jr., right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Oklahoma running back Taylor Tatum (8) his tackled by Missouri safety Marvin Burks Jr., right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) can’t hang on to a pass as Tennessee defensive back Rickey Gibson III (1) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) can’t hang on to a pass as Tennessee defensive back Rickey Gibson III (1) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Mississippi wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) reacts after a dead ball call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. Mississippi won 28-10. (AP Photo/Randy J. Williams)
Mississippi wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) reacts after a dead ball call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. Mississippi won 28-10. (AP Photo/Randy J. Williams)
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) scrambles out of the pocket to avoid a sack by New Mexico State defensive tackle Naki Fahina (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed (10) scrambles out of the pocket to avoid a sack by New Mexico State defensive tackle Naki Fahina (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea watches a replay during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea watches a replay during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)
Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference.
Game of the week
No. 7 Alabama (No. 7 CFP) at Oklahoma, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
It’s the first regular-season meeting since 2003 between traditional college football heavyweights who have combined for 25 national titles and usually face off in January bowl games with championship implications. Another fun fact: They’ve only played once each on the other’s home field in six lifetime matchups with the Sooners winning that showdown 20-13 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Alabama won the most recent postseason meeting 45-34 at the Orange Bowl in the 2018 College Football Playoff semifinal before falling to Clemson in the championship.
Another berth in the 12-team playoff is at stake for the visiting Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2 SEC, No. 7 CFP), which trails No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M by a game in the standings and is among four two-loss teams trying to stay within reach and possibly get to next month’s championship in Atlanta.
Alabama has won three in a row overall including last week’s 52-7 rout of Mercer, rolling up 508 yards on offense. Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Milroe passed for 186 of his 229 yards from scrimmage and two of his three touchdowns. Milroe’s 32 total TDs lead the SEC and he’s second with 17 rushing scores.
Rather than contending as hoped, SEC newcomer Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5) is instead playing spoiler after four losses in five games, against ranked league foes Texas, No. 19 South Carolina and No. 9 Ole Miss. The Sooners scored two late fourth-quarter touchdown to lead Missouri 23-16 two weeks ago before the host Tigers scored two TDs in the final 1:07 seconds for a 30-23 victory.
Alabama is a 14-point favorite according to BetMGM.
The undercard
No. 9 Ole Miss (8-4, 4-2, No. 9 CFP) at Florida (5-5, 3-4), Saturday, Noon ET (ABC)
The Rebels have won three in a row since falling at LSU and four of five overall. They’re coming off a bye after beating then-No. 3 Georgia 28-10 on Nov. 9 and look to stay within reach of first place and remain in the CFP discussion. Florida upended No. 21 LSU 27-16 on Saturday to earn a signature win for embattled coach Billy Napier and reach the cusp of bowl eligibility after finishing 5-7 last fall.
Also worth a look: Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3) at LSU (6-4, 3-3). Both are bowl eligible, but the Commodores can clinch their first .500 SEC finish since going 4-4 in 2013 and help coach Clark Lea match his win total for the past two seasons combined. The Tigers look to regroup from the Florida loss.
Impact player
No. 15 Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed. Reed is 4-1 as a starter for an Aggies team that visits Auburn hoping to stay in the playoff hunt before the regular season finale against in-state rival Texas. Reed has passed for 1,129 yards and nine touchdowns against two interceptions. He has run for 375 yards and six scores. The Tigers have had some struggles against dual-threat quarterbacks like Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Arkansas’ Taylen Green.
Inside the numbers
Vanderbilt will play in LSU’s Tiger Stadium for the first time since 2009, having played in Nashville three times since. The Commodores’ last win over LSU came in 1990 and they haven’t won in Baton Rouge since 1951. ... First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is 34-2 in the month of November, including a 10-0 mark since 2022. ... Kentucky’s 107th-ranked offense (340.5 yards per game) faces Texas’s No. 1-ranked defense, which is giving up just 249 yards a game. ... Texas A&M has held opponents to 100 or fewer rushing yards in five of the last seven games, including holding LSU to 24 yards on 23 attempts. ... Auburn QB Payton Thorne has only three touchdown passes in his last four SEC games. ... Mississippi State’s Isaac Smith leads the SEC and is tied for seventh nationally with 101 total tackles. ... Kentucky is 3-0 in nonconference games after shellacking in-state foe Murray State 48-3, which followed four SEC home losses.
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AP Sports Writer John Zenor contributed to this report.
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