Around the SEC: Week 7 Preview

The midway point of the college football season is upon us, with much to look forward to in the SEC.

After two SEC road victories, the 4th-ranked Florida football team will look to secure a third as they travel to Nashville, Tennessee to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Gators are confident as ever after last week’s victory over SEC foe LSU. Florida is coming off a dominant defensive performance, limiting the Tigers to just 6 points and no touchdowns.

Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin says his team will be facing a well-rounded defense that doesn’t allow anything past them.

The No.3 South Carolina Gamecocks will host the LSU Tigers who look for redemption after a 14-6 loss to the Florida Gators at the Swamp. Both teams rely on their defenses as the Gamecocks are ranked 4th in the country in points allowed, while the Tigers sit close behind at 8.

LSU head coach Les Miles says the Gamecock’s defensive ends are playing at a high level.

After taking advantage of a bye week, top-ranked Alabama will hit the road to face the Missouri Tigers, and begin a stretch of three games on the road. The Tide will face their first true road test against the Tigers who look to avoid yet another conference loss.

Missouri is coming off a 19-15 loss to Vanderbilt, dropping them 3-3 and 0-3 in conference play. Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel recognizes the difficulty of the caliber of competition they are set up against.

However, Alabama head coach Nick Saban says regardless of his team’s success thus far, the team realizes that anything can happen on any given day in football, they aren’t getting complacent.

The Mississipi State Bulldogs welcome the Tennessee Volunteers to Davis Wade Stadium in Starkeville. The 19th-ranked Bulldogs 5-0 so far this season, and are coming off a 27-14 SEC road win against the Kentucky Wildcats, making them 2-0 in conference play. The undefeated start is the first time Mississipi state has gone 5-0 since 1999.

Tennessee enjoyed a bye week last Saturday,and is looking to bounce back from a 51-44 loss against Georgia while attempting to secure their first SEC victory.  Mississippi State Bulldogs Head Coach Dan Mullen says Tennessee has been playing a solid game with few mistakes, which were probably addressed during their week off.

Other SEC games to look out for this weekend include Auburn at Ole Miss, the Kentucky Wildcats traveling to Arkansas, and the Texas A&M Aggies facing Louisiana Tech in a game that was originally scheduled for opening weekend.