ATHENS — No one was calling Georgia’s game at Auburn a must-win — but in hindsight, they should have.
Kirby Smart’s 20-10 win over Auburn on Saturday was one for the memory banks -- for fans and UGA players needing a reminder of how quickly things can change in a football game.
The Bulldogs need to build off that momentum, as it’s not a stretch to say the No. 9-ranked Bulldogs must take care of business at home against No. 5 Ole Miss in what’s shaping up as a separation Saturday in the SEC.
Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas. — more than half of the league — all has one loss or fewer in conference play, alive and well in the race for the SEC Championship Game and a place in the College Football Playoff.
College GameDay will be in Athens for the Bulldogs’ 3:30 p.m. showdown with the Rebels, but it could have just as easily traveled to Tuscaloosa to see the Vols play the Crimson Tide in another key conference matchup.
Then there’s LSU at Vanderbilt — another matchup of Top 20, one-loss teams — where the loser’s postseason hopes will dim considerably.
ESPN’s current College Football Playoff projections suggest the SEC will make up half of the 12-team field:
First-round byes
No. 1 Ohio State
No. 2 Miami
No. 3 Indiana
No. 4 Texas A&M
First-round games
No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Alabama
No. 11 LSU at No. 6 Ole Miss
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Georgia
No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Oregon
Quarterfinal games
South Florida/Alabama winner at Texas A&M
LSU/Ole Miss winner at Indiana
Oklahoma/Georgia winner at Miami
Texas Tech/Oregon winner at Ohio State
There’s still half a season left for the teams to sort it out, with each week bringing promise of interest and intrigue in what’s arguably the most balanced and deep SEC in history.
Here’s a look at the opening betting lines involving SEC teams this week, per DraftKings.com:
LSU at Vanderbilt -1.5
Oklahoma -3.5 at South Carolina
Ole Miss at Georgia -6.5
Texas A&M -8.5 at Arkansas
Mississippi State at Florida -9.5
Texas -12.5 at Kentucky
Tennessee at Alabama -8.5
Missouri at Auburn -2.5
