There’s always plenty at stake when SEC teams collide, and Saturday will be no different with Texas looking to turn back Oklahoma in the “Red River Rivalry” and Alabama and Georgia meeting in a clash of unbeaten teams.
Those sorts of games can produce what has become known as “Heisman Trophy moments,” and there is no shortage of SEC talent in the running for college football’s most prestigious individual award.
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell currently holds the best odds for winning the Heisman Trophy among SEC players at +700 — tied with Miami QB Darian Mensah for the second-best overall odds behind Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, the heavy favorite at -110 in the Fan Duel Sports Book.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton remains in the Heisman Trophy running with +3000 odds, tied for sixth overall with Texas QB Arch Manning.
Stockton ranks third in the nation behind Mensah and Indiana’s Josh Hoover with a 201.98 passer rating — three spots ahead of Russell (185.66).
Stockton has 13 touchdowns passes and just one interception, while Russell, who will be making his sixth career start on Saturday, has 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Manning, who leads the No. 1-ranked team in the nation at Texas, ranks 72nd in the nation in passer rating (141.31) with seven TD passes and three interceptions.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss ranks fifth in the Heisman Trophy odds (+1500) as he leads the Rebels into Vanderbilt for a Saturday matchup in Nashville, while Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor (+3500) gets an off weekend after Saturday’s 56-23 loss to Alabama.
Chambliss, coming off a bye week after playing four games this season, is tops in the SEC and fifth in the nation with 25.5 completions per game. The next-highest average of completions per game among the top 10 players in the Heisman Trophy odds is Mensah, who sits 14th with 22.4 completions per game.
Taylor ranks sixth in the nation and leads the SEC with 1,450 passing yards this season — five spots ahead of Alabama’s Russell, who is second in the SEC with 1,414 yards passing.
Other SEC players still on the Heisman Trophy odds board include LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt (+6000) who’s leading the Tigers into Kentucky, Missouri QB Austin Simmons (+6500) who looks to keep his team hot in Columbia with a home game against Texas A&M, and a pair of Florida Gators, tailback Jadan Baugh (+8000) and QB Aaron Philo (+10,000), who are playing host to South Carolina.
The SEC action kicks off at noon as the Aggies look to derail Simmons, who has yet to throw an interception for Missouri this season, and is scheduled to be capped off with Georgia’s trip to Alabama.
SEC game times, TV channels, picks
(Fan Duel Sports Book odds, Wednesday night)
Texas A&M (3-2, 1-2) at Missouri (4-1, 1-1) -3.5, Noon, ESPN
Pick: Texas A&M 24, Missouri 20
South Carolina (2-3, 0-3) at Florida (4-1, 2-1) -12.5, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
Pick: Florida 37, South Carolina 24
Texas (4-0, 1-0) -7.5 vs. Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC
Pick: Texas 24, Oklahoma 14
Ole Miss (3-1, 1-1) -10.5 at Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-2), 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Pick: Ole Miss 38, Vanderbilt 24
Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) -13.5 at Arkansas (2-3, 0-2), 4:35 p.m., SEC Network
Pick: Tennessee 33, Arkansas 17
LSU (4-1, 1-1) -8.5 at Kentucky (4-1, 2-1), 7 p.m., ESPN
Pick LSU 39, Kentucky 30
Georgia (5-0, 3-0) at Alabama (5-0, 3-0) -1.5, 7:30 p.m. ABC
Pick: Georgia 27, Alabama 24
Last week: 6-1 straight up, 4-3 vs. spread
Season: 35-7 straight up, 23-19 vs. spread
