Non-MSU Football Games to Watch in 2018 Part 1: The SEC
13 games that feature SEC teams, excluding Mississippi State, that are worth tuning in for.
The 2018–2019 College Football Season is less than two months away. Soon, the Bulldog faithful will flock to Starkville to watch the Mississippi State football team take the field.
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Bulldog Football this year, and we’re certainly ready to see State take the field under 1st-year coach Joe Moorhead. For me though, I’m not just ready to see Mississippi State football. I’m ready to see college football as a whole.
For most of us, we watch a lot more games than just those that involve our Bulldogs. There are tons of fantastic college football games to watch every week, and is this 2-part series I’m going to give you my picks for the best Non-MSU football games to watch during each week of the season.
In Part 1, we’ll look at the best Non-MSU games within our conference, the SEC.
Week 1: Auburn vs Washington (in Atlanta)
College football’s kickoff weekend always provides a multitude of great games, many of which feature SEC schools. If you’re looking for a game with early playoff implications, look no further than Auburn vs Washington, who square of in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.
Auburn upset Alabama to win the SEC West last season, but their loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game ended their playoff hopes. They then ended their season in with a Peach Bowl loss to UCF. Auburn, lead by star quarterback Jarrett Stidham, will be looking to finally leave Atlanta on a positive note by opening the season with a marquee win.
On the other side, Pac-12 favorite Washington will travel cross-country as they begin their quest to return to the College Football Playoff. The Huskies have a terrific backfield duo with quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin, and their stingy defense will certainly provide a tough test for the Tiger’s offense. There’s legitimate “Game of the year” potential for this season-opener.
Honorable Mention: LSU vs Miami (in Arlington)
Week 2: Georgia at South Carolina
There’ll be a whole lot of focus on the battle taking place in College Station for this week. The Aggies new head coach Jimbo Fisher will be welcoming his old, ACC nemesis Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers to Kyle Field.
While there’s a chance for some serious fireworks in that game, the match-up in Columbia could be deciding the SEC East champion. One year removed from a SEC title and an appearance in the National Championship Game, Kirby Smart takes his new-look Georgia squad on the road to face-off with Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks.
Although UGA is the clear-cut favorite in the East, South Carolina has garnered some buzz as a potential dark-horse team within the SEC this year. Williams-Brice Stadium is sure to be rocking as quarterback Jake Bentley looks to lead to a monumental upset over a Georgia team that may still be working out a few kinks early in the year.
Honorable Mention: Clemson at Texas A&M
Week 3: Auburn at LSU
The Week 3 slate leaves a lot to be desired with only two in-conference games taking place. The annual contest between the SEC West’s pair of Tigers should be the better of the two.
Ed Orgeron’s Tigers travel East to the Plains to take on an Auburn team with high aspirations. Lots of questions surround LSU regarding their offense, especially at the quarterback position. But Dave Aranda’s defense, headlined by linebacker Devin White and cornerback Greedy Williams, should keep the Fighting Tigers competitive. The home team has won five-straight in this series, but the last two have gone down to the wire. Auburn blew a 20–0 lead in Baton Rouge last season. They’ll be weary not to let that happen again.
Honorable Mention: Alabama at Ole Miss
Week 4: Florida at Tennessee
Two programs in the SEC East have new head coaches this year, and they’ll meet in Week 4 in one of the SEC’s most heated rivalries. Former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt takes over at Tennessee, and 9-year Mississippi State head man Dan Mullen (ugh, that guy…) returns to Gainesville.
Despite disastrous season’s for both teams, this game was a classic in 2017. Gator’s quarterback Felipe Franks completed a 63-yard Hail Mary as time expired to take down the Vols 26–20. The three meetings before that were all tight-fought battles as well. Expectations aren’t all that high for either program this year, but an early season win over an arch-rival would go a long way for both teams.
Honorable Mention: Texas A&M at Alabama
Week 5: Texas A&M vs Arkansas (in Arlington)
No question, the biggest game in the SEC for this week will be taking place in Starkville as Dan Mullen makes his return to Davis Wade Stadium (where I’m sure he’ll get the warmest of welcomes). But if you’re looking for another exciting match-up to watch, how about the Southwest Classic between Texas A&M and Arkansas?
The former Southwest Conference rivals will meet in AT&T Stadium for the fifth-straight season, and both will have new head coaches. National championship winning coach Jimbo Fisher takes over the Aggies, and Chad Morris takes over the Hogs after a 3-year stint at SMU. Fisher and Morris will both be introducing new schemes at their respective programs, and this game will provide a nice showcase of their new-look offenses. The Aggies have won 6-straight in this series, but 3 of the last 4 have gone to overtime.
Honorable Mention: South Carolina at Kentucky
Week 6: LSU at Florida
For the second straight week, the SEC’s best game will feature our MSU Bulldogs, who will host Auburn. But LSU’s trip to Florida is an intriguing match-up. A game that has had national championship implications in (somewhat) recent history, this year’s meeting will be much more about these teams attempting to appease their respective fan bases.
Both the Tigers and the Gators have major questions at quarterback, and it’s a real possibility that both enter the game with multiple losses. A win in this cross-division rivalry would go a long way for both teams’ hopes of having a solid season. While I’m not particularly high on either LSU or Florida this year, history suggests this should be a close, competitive game. Each of the last 4 meetings has been decided by a one-score margin.
Honorable Mention: Missouri at South Carolina
Week 7: Texas A&M at South Carolina
In a “normal” year, the pairing of traditional SEC heavyweights Georgia and LSU in Death Valley would be the easy pick. But my concerns about the Tigers legitimacy in 2018 makes it difficult for me to choose as my game to watch. Texas A&M at South Carolina sets up to be a more entertaining game.
Will Muschamp’s experienced Gamecocks welcome Jimbo Fisher’s revamped Aggies to Columbia. South Carolina will be looking to validate themselves as a player within the conference, and at this point in the season, A&M should have their new offensive and defensive schemes figured out. A bye week follows for both teams after this game, and they’ll try to gain some momentum as they enter the break.
Honorable Mention: Georgia at LSU
Week 8: Alabama at Tennessee
The Third Saturday in October. College football’s best rivalry that hasn’t seemed like much of a rivalry. Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide have yet to lose to the Vols in his 11 years in Tuscaloosa, and all but two of those wins have been dominant. In 2018 there’s nothing to suggest that trend doesn’t continue. So why would I pick it as a game to watch? Because storylines, that’s why.
New Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt spent the last two seasons as Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama, and he also served as a defensive assistant for Saban from 2007–2012. To add to it, Pruitt played football at Alabama. If there’s one team Pruitt knows well, its the Tide. He’ll get a chance to beat them in his first year as a head coach, although the odds aren’t in his favor.
Nick Saban is 12–0 when coaching against his former assistants in his career. Can Pruitt be the first to get a win over his former boss? Probably not, but it’s still worth watching.
Honorable Mention: Auburn at Ole Miss
Week 9: Georgia vs Florida (in Jacksonville)
Despite the efforts to make this game a bit more “PG” by labeling it the “River City Showdown,” the annual rivalry match-up between the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators is, and forever will be, “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” This year, Kirby Smart’s SEC champion Bulldogs will battle a Dan Mullen-lead Florida squad.
While the overall expectations for the two programs differ, there is a chance that this game could still mean something to the SEC East race, if Florida gets off to a strong start, that is. Both teams will be coming off of bye weeks and should be well-rested. If the Gators have resolved their quarterback issues, this could be a tight game. This is a chance for Dan Mullen to grab a marquee win over a hated rival, and upsets aren’t uncommon in this series. Could we see another in 2018?
Honorable Mention: Kentucky at Missouri
Week 10: Alabama at LSU
I’ve made it very clear that I’m not high on the Tigers at all this season. That being said, it’s Alabama vs LSU in Death Valley. Even with the Tide having won seven in a row against the Tigers, each of the games played in Baton Rouge have been close. 4 of the last 5 meetings in Tiger Stadium were decided by one score.
The one exception came in 2016, when the game was scoreless heading into the fourth quarter. It took late heroics by Jalen Hurts to lead Bama to a 10–0 win. Even when the Tigers have been down, you can guarantee that they’ll bring their A-game against Alabama. And you can never count them out on a Saturday night in Death Valley. This one will likely go down to the wire.
Honorable Mention: South Carolina at Ole Miss
Week 11: Auburn at Georgia
I’d argue that, outside of the Iron Bowl, no SEC game will mean more towards the Playoff race than the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Both teams involved have SEC Championship and College Football Playoff aspirations, and everything suggests that they’ll both still be in the thick of the race in Week 11.
Last year in Auburn, the Tigers blew-out #1 Georgia 40–17, but when the two met for a rematch in Atlanta, the Dawgs barked their way to a 28–7 win and the SEC crown. This year the game moves back to Athens. Each team will be strong on both sides of the ball, and Jarrett Stidham vs Jake Fromm should make for one of the best quarterback battles of the entire college football season.
Honorable Mention: South Carolina at Florida
Week 12: Missouri at Tennessee
The Week 12 slate is pretty dry, with just three in-conference games. The SEC East’s Tigers trip to Knoxville will likely be the best of those three. Preseason 1st Team All-SEC quarterback Drew Lock will be looking to lead Mizzou to another solid season while Tennessee will be fighting for bowl-eligibility in Jeremy Pruitt’s first year.
I’m not particularly high on either of these teams, but Mizzou’s high-powered offense facing off with a Pruitt-coached defense is intriguing. Also, new Tiger offensive coordinator Derek Dooley visiting Neyland Stadium for the first time since his disastrous stint as the Volunteer’s head coach adds a compelling storyline to this November clash.
Honorable Mention: Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
Week 13: Auburn at Alabama
Could you really pick another game? The Iron Bowl is one of college football’s fiercest rivalries, and no game is more instrumental in shaping the SEC than the annual slug fest between the Tigers and the Tide.
Last year in Auburn, the Tigers physically dominated Nick Saban’s injury-ridden squad to a 26–14 victory. But after Auburn lost in the SEC title game, it was Alabama who was picked to play in the College Football Playoff, where they went on to win the national championship. In 2018, the battle moves to Tuscaloosa, and everything suggests that for the third time in six years, it will serve as a winner-take-all game for the SEC West. That’s certainly worth tuning in for.
Honorable Mention: LSU at Texas A&M
