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It’s Rivalry Week in college football, and specifically the SEC. Six of the seven SEC games on Saturday involve in-state rivals, and the other game (Texas A&M at LSU) features a pair of teams with winning records.
Here’s one thing for each game that could be worth following as you watch these games.
Florida State at Florida: Will Gators end the losing streak?
Florida hosts Florida State having lost four in a row to the Seminoles. But history says it’s the Gators’ time.
There have been four times in this rivalry’s history when Florida State has been unbeaten against Florida over a four-game stretch, including 1992-95, when the Seminoles were 3-0-1.
In each case, Florida won the next meeting.
Oh yeah. Each time the streak ended in Gainesville.
Georgia at Georgia Tech: Atlanta is Bulldogs’ second home
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate could see the road team win for the fifth straight year, something that hasn’t happened in the history of the Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry.
Even more noteworthy than the road team winning each game since 2013 is how much Georgia has enjoyed playing in Atlanta.
The Bulldogs have won eight straight games from the Yellow Jackets when the game has been played in Atlanta. And since 1990, Georgia has lost just once in Atlanta, and that loss came in overtime (1999, 51-48).
In fact, since 1990, Georgia’s record in this rivalry has been better in Atlanta than Athens.
In Atlanta: 12-1
In Athens: 8-6
Louisville at Kentucky: Can Stephen Johnson join select company?
Kentucky will be looking to win the Governor’s Cup for the second straight year when it hosts Louisville. Wildcats quarterback Stephen Johnson will also be looking to improve to 2-0 against the Cardinals.
Since the rivalry was renewed in 1994 after a 70-year hiatus, only two Kentucky quarterbacks can say they won the Governor’s Cup twice.
- Tim Couch, who went on to become the NFL’s No.1 overall draft pick in 1998.
- Mike Hartline, who was 3-0 all-time vs. Louisville.
Vanderbilt at Tennessee: History favors Hoke
When the Volunteers host Vanderbilt, they will be looking to avenge last year’s surprising 45-34 loss to the Commodores. It was the most points scored by Vanderbilt against Tennessee in 93 years. It was also the last Vanderbilt-Tennessee game with Butch Jones as the Tennessee head coach.
Brady Hoke is the interim head coach for the Volunteers, coaching what is assumed will be his final game as the Tennessee head coach.
But Tennessee fans should expect Hoke to come away with a win. In the last 80 years, only two Tennessee coaches have failed to win the first time their team took on Vanderbilt. Doug Dickey in 1964, and … Butch Jones in 2013.
Clemson at South Carolina: Calendar in Gamecocks’ favor
Will Muschamp has done a great job turning around the South Carolina program. And tonight he will have a chance to add to the history of the Palmetto Bowl by ruining Clemson’s chances to play in the College Football Playoff.
And the calendar says the Gamecocks have a good chance at the upset.
This will be the fifth time in the last 50 years South Carolina will face Clemson on Nov. 24. When playing the Tigers on this date, the Gamecocks have won four of the last five meetings, with the lone loss coming in 2007. In that game, Clemson kicked a game-winning field goal with no time left for a 23-21 victory.
Texas A&M at LSU: Can Aggies finally beat the Tigers?
With a 7-4 record, Texas A&M is one win away from a sixth straight eight-win season, all under head coach Kevin Sumlin. It won’t be easy, though, because tonight the Aggies visit LSU, a team that has shaken off a rough September to play like one of the best in the SEC.
Playing in Death Valley at night is difficult enough for visitors. Facing a team you haven’t beaten since you joined the SEC makes the task even more challenging.
Since its first season in the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M is 0-5 against LSU (the losing streak vs. the Tigers is really six games, but the first game in the streak was the 2011 Cotton Bowl, back when the Aggies were still in the Big 12).
LSU is the only SEC team Texas A&M has not beaten since the Aggies joined the conference. And in their last two appearances in Baton Rouge, the Aggies have suffered double-digit losses.
Alabama at Auburn: Do Tigers have history on their side?
By records alone this is one of the biggest games in Iron Bowl history. Combined, Alabama and Auburn are 20-2 this season and 13-1 in SEC play.
There are a number of factors playing in Alabama’s favor. A No. 1 ranking, three straight wins over Auburn (and wins in five of the last six matchups) and 24 straight wins vs SEC opponents.
But Auburn has one trend in its favor that will be very interesting to follow. Over the last 40 years, Auburn has entered the Alabama game with nine or more wins eight times. The Tigers record against the Crimson Tide in those games: 7-1, the only loss coming in 1994.
Michael covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
