The Razorbacks don’t have long to dwell on their 39-36 win over Florida, because Auburn comes to town on Saturday for another important game if the Hogs are wanting to make a late-season run. Beat Auburn, and Arkansas is heading into the Mizzou game at 5-6 with a shot at bowl eligibility. Lose to Auburn, and you’ll probably see a lot of empty seats for next week’s game against FIU.
Auburn is a tough team to evaluate. First-year coach Hugh Freeze inherited a solid defense and a stud running back (Jarquez Hunter), and he’s put both to good use. But the Tigers have a subpar offensive line and have suffered from poor quarterback play all year. After rotating Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne and returning starter Robby Ashford for most of the season, it looks like Auburn is all-in on Thorne, who has played better against weaker competition over the last couple games. This will be a tough game because Auburn’s defense is certainly better than Florida’s, though the Hogs probably won’t need anywhere near 33 regulation points to win.
Other games to watch
Alabama at Kentucky (11 am, ESPN). Having basically locked up the SEC West (it’s not mathematically final), the Tide hit the road for a tricky game against a decent Kentucky team. Hard to see Alabama struggling, but stranger things have happened.
Vanderbilt at South Carolina (11 am, SEC Network). Like Arkansas, a disappointing 3-6 South Carolina team closes with three straight winnable home games, starting with this one. Vanderbilt is staring at a 2-10 season.
Tennessee at Mizzou (2:30 pm, CBS). This is the battle for second place in the East, with the winner still holding an outside chance at a New Year’s Six game. I wonder how much Mizzou has in the tank after giving Georgia a good fight.
Ole Miss at Georgia (6 pm, ESPN). The Rebels can still wreak plenty of havoc – they aren’t even mathematically out of the playoff – so this should be a fun one. I don’t think I trust Jaxson Dart enough on the road, though.
Florida at LSU (6:30 pm, SEC Network). The 5-4 Gators have to win one of their last three to make a bowl. That seems doable, but those three are LSU, Mizzou, and Florida State, all top-20 teams. This is probably their best bet, given that Jayden Daniels might be out after suffering a concussion against Alabama. Billy Napier certainly avoids being fired if he makes a bowl, though he might could survive even at 5-7.
Mississippi State at Texas A&M (6:30 pm, ESPN2). State has to either win this one or beat Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl to make a bowl for Zach Arnett. With Will Rogers, they aren’t very good, but without him, they are quite bad. The Aggies desperately need not just a win, but a blowout. Then they need to beat LSU in the season finale. That’s the best way to ensure that Jimbo Fisher’s seat doesn’t start getting really hot.
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