We know who will meet in Atlanta for the SEC championship game, but there are still a handful of unknowns remaining in the SEC with rivalry week here.
Let’s take an early look at the key games on the SEC’s Week 13 schedule:
(Note: Rankings reflect current College Football Playoff rankings.)
1. No. 15 Auburn at No. 1 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, CBS: OK, so this game doesn't mean a lot nationally. Even if a miracle were to take place inside Bryant-Denny Stadium and Auburn were to pull off the stunning upset, chances are with Alabama so far in front of everyone else in the eyes of the College Football Playoff committee it would just have to beat Florida in the SEC title game to stay in the playoff picture. Still, this is the Iron Bowl, and folks in the state of Alabama go gaga over it, no matter what the rest of the country feels about it. Alabama wants an undefeated season so badly, while Auburn would love nothing but to ruin that opportunity in Tuscaloosa. That would absolutely make the Tigers' season, and possibly get them closer to a berth in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
2. No. 16 LSU at No. 25 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, ESPN: So are two coaching jobs on the line in College Station? It's possible. We all know that LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron is very much coaching for a chance to take the interim tag off in Baton Rouge, but after a 6-0 start, Kevin Sumlin is yet again feeling a little heat after losing three of five since. An 8-4 finish would bring some pressure to A&M's administration when it comes to Sumlin, who went 5-0 in both of the two prior seasons only to finish 8-5 in both years. A loss to LSU at home would really make things interesting in College Station. Now, if LSU wins, Orgeron's interview with athletic director Joe Alleva becomes a lot easier at season's end. A loss, and, well, it'll be a very steep, uphill climb for him to stay in Baton Rouge as the head man.
3. Mississippi State at Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, SEC Network: Neither team is ranked. Neither team was ever really a factor in the SEC race. That's totally fine because this game still has a lot riding on it from an Ole Miss standpoint. After making back-to-back New Years Six bowls, the Rebels are a loss away from missing the postseason altogether. This has been a very, very long season for Hugh Freeze and his Rebels, but getting to a bowl game would do wonders for this team's confidence, especially after getting crushed over the weekend by Vanderbilt. Getting those extra work weeks would also be very good for freshman quarterback Shea Patterson, who had his redshirt taken off a couple of weeks ago. Mississippi State hasn't had a very good season, but the Bulldogs stunned Texas A&M, has its offense going (right in time for one of the SEC's worst defenses) and would love nothing more than to eliminate archrival Ole Miss from bowl contention in the Grove.
Quick hits:
Florida certainly isn't the sexiest divisional champion, but there are six other teams that would love to trade places with the Gators, who will represent the SEC East in Atlanta next month. But let's not kid ourselves, Florida doesn't stand much of a chance against Alabama. But the Gators do stand a chance against Florida State in Tallahassee. This game has a ton of bragging rights -- and Florida has lost three straight to FSU by a combined 60 points -- and the Sugar Bowl is on the line for the Gators. The second-highest-ranked SEC team in the CFP rankings goes to the Sugar Bowl, so with Alabama coming up, Florida would need to win this to make sure it stays ahead of the rest of the SEC pack after the SEC title game.
Speaking of the Sugar Bowl, Tennessee, which went from SEC East favorites to out of the race over the weekend, is still very much in the running for it, too. If Tennessee, which is currently No. 19 in the CFP rankings, beats Vanderbilt on Saturday, the Vols will be rooting for Florida to lose to FSU and Bama. If those two things happen, Tennessee will likely end the season behind only Alabama as far as SEC teams go in the CFP rankings. And if Vandy wins, the Commodores will officially be bowl eligible for the first time since 2013, which is the last time Vandy beat Tennessee.