SEC matchups

Published Friday, November 13, 2009

Kentucky at Vanderbilt

Time: 12:21 p.m. TV: MyVLT2.

Skinny: Vanderbilt is on a six-game losing streak and running out of games to avoid its first winless SEC season since 2002. Kentucky (5-4) is trying to get bowl-eligible for a school-record fourth consecutive year. Coach Rich Brooks is 5-2 against Vandy, restoring the Wildcats to a 39-38-4 edge in the rivalry between SEC bottom-dwellers.

Key Players: Kentucky gets back tailback Derrick Locke (knee) and all-purpose star Randall Cobb (thumb), who didn't play last week. Morgan Newton will start at QB, even though Mike Hartline should be available after a four-game injury hiatus.

Line: Kentucky by 3.

Auburn at Georgia

Time: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN2.

Skinny: The SEC's oldest rivalry offers an interesting match-up between the league's 11th-ranked rushing team, Georgia, and the 10th-ranked rushing defense, Auburn. The Bulldogs, however, are on the uptick. Their past three games rank among their top four rushing efforts of the season with backs Washaun Ealey and Caleb King coming on.

Key Players: Kickers Wes Byrum of Auburn and Blair Walsh of Georgia have more in common than growing up in the Fort Lauderdale area. Both are 13-of-14 on field-goal attempts this season. That's pretty much money in the bank.

Line: Georgia by 4 1/2.

Florida at South Carolina

Time: 3:30 p.m. TV: WVLT.

Skinny: The Gamecocks are in the midst of their dreaded Orange Crush stretch run that usually begins with a loss to Tennessee. They've lost to Florida and Clemson in five of the past seven seasons. The No. 1-ranked Gators are playing to hold onto their top spot in the BCS rankings.

Key Player: Tim Tebow says he's feeling better physically than he ever has this late in a season. He might be in the mood to remind Steve Spurrier that he belongs on the All-SEC ballot. Spurrier fessed up in July to having been the one who did not vote for Tebow in the preseason coaches' vote, which resulted in an SEC Media Days furor.

Line: Florida by 15.

Alabama at Mississippi State

Time: 7 p.m. TV: ESPN.

Skinny: The shortest road trip in the SEC is the 75 miles between Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Starkville, Miss. Alabama fans will swarm Scott Field and hope the Tide wins by enough to stay ahead of Texas when the BCS rankings come out Sunday. The Bulldogs have boosted their scoring from 15.2 points in 2008 to 26.9 in 2009. That's why they hired guru Dan Mullen as head coach.

Key Players: Mark Ingram of Alabama (127.6 ypg) and Anthony Dixon (125.1 ypg) of Mississippi State rank 1-2 in SEC rushing. Dixon, however, will be trying to penetrate the nation's No. 2 rushing defense, which allows only 68.2 yards a game.

Line: Alabama by 13.

Louisiana Tech at LSU

Time: 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU.

Skinny: Both teams could be flat, LSU from seeing its SEC title hopes dashed at Alabama and Louisiana Tech from coming up short in an upset bid against Boise State, 45-35. The Tigers should focus on being in the driver's seat for the SEC's top non-BCS Bowl bid, the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Tech is 1-17 against LSU, the lone win coming in 1904.

Key Players: The Tigers have lost leading rusher Charles Scott and there is no obvious replacement. Stevan Ridley averages 8.1 yards a carry but has only 10 attempts. Coach Les Miles suggests Ridley will get the nod over career backup Keiland Williams.

Line: LSU by 24.

Troy at Arkansas

Time: 7:30 p.m. TV: CSS.

Skinny: Troy has beaten an SEC team only once, Mississippi State in 2001. But don't take the Trojans lightly. They're on a seven-game winning streak after opening with two losses (Bowling Green and Florida). They also boast the nation's No. 7 passing offense and it will test an Arkansas pass defense ranked 116th.

Key Players: One cry you're not likely to hear Saturday night: "Oskie!" Levi Brown of Troy hasn't been intercepted in his past 258 attempts and needs only 13 more to break Trent Dilfer's NCAA record. Ryan Mallett of Arkansas is a distant-second in the nation with a streak of 123 throws without a pick.

Line: Arkansas by 14 1/2.

- Mike Strange