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SEC Viewer’s Guide: Week 8

By Andrew Schutte

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With three teams on byes and only one non-conference match-up scheduled, the SEC slate for Week 8 is relatively thin.

Just like that, the second half of the 2015 college football season is underway. It goes by so fast, doesn’t it?

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Three SEC teams are off this week, while LSU hosts a pesky Western Kentucky team under the lights in Death Valley. The other 10 teams will be facing conference foes — headlined by Tennessee at No. 8 Alabama and No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 24 Ole Miss.

RELATED: Top SEC Games: Week 8 Edition

Despite there only being six games involving teams in the Southeastern Conference, there should be no shortage of drama this Saturday.

Here are the SEC match-ups to watch this weekend.

Noon ET

Auburn at Arkansas, SEC Network

It’s probably going to be the battle for last place in the SEC West, but the winner of the Auburn-Arkansas match-up should get a pretty big confidence boost. The loser is likely to be deemed the divisional cellar-dweller, which is nowhere near where either fan base expected it to be to start the season.

Auburn showed some signs of life in last week’s 30-27 win over Kentucky, but does it have enough to stymie quarterback Brandon Allen and the Razorbacks’ offense?

Home-field advantage should be just enough to elevate the Hogs over the Tigers.

3:30 PM ET

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Ole Miss vs. Alabama Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 4 /

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    • Tennessee at No. 8 Alabama, CBS

    Another one of those preseason marquee games has dampened as the season progressed. Nonetheless, we should expect a decent ballgame in Tuscaloosa this Saturday.

    The difference in this game is going to be Alabama’s unrelenting defensive front. If the Vols can somehow find a way to create holes for their running backs and avoid a heavy pass rush, they’ll likely keep it close for most of the contest. But the way Alabama has been playing recently — especially on defense — is just scary.

    Thanks to last week’s bye, Tennessee has had two weeks to prepare for the Crimson Tide.  It won’t be enough to upset Bama on their home turf, though.

    4 PM ET

    Missouri at Vanderbilt, SEC Network

    On paper, these two teams are identical. Both have struggled moving the chains as well as finding the end zone offensively this season.  Both have pretty good defensive units; each is on a downward trend.

    Missouri had an opportunity to knock off Georgia last week Between the Hedges, but could muster just two field goals. Meanwhile Vanderbilt flat out collapsed against South Carolina last week, squandering a 10-6 lead in the second half.

    Vandy is long overdue for a conference win, but Mizzou’s defense is nasty.

    It should be a hard-fought, low-scoring affair in Nashville.

    7 PM ET

    No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 24 Ole Miss, ESPN

    Which team responds better after getting pounded a week ago? Alabama made light of Texas A&M, again, beating the Aggies 41-23; Memphis, despite the 37-24 final, dominated Ole Miss in the second half.

    Both teams have struggled somewhat since their respective signature wins early in the season (Ole Miss’ 43-37 win over Alabama in Week 3; Texas A&M’s 38-17 win over Arizona State in Week 1). The loser will likely fall out of the running for the SEC West crown with two conference losses.

    Expect the Rebels’ prolific offense to shred a porous Texas A&M defense in Oxford.

    Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

    Western Kentucky at No. 5 LSU, ESPNU

    The Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky are having a spectacular season offensively, led by quarterback Brandon Doughty. With that said, they have yet to play a team as talented as the Fightin’ Fournettes of LSU.

    WKU has had no trouble putting points on the scoreboard, but can it keep up with the nation’s leading Heisman contender as he runs rampant? Answer: probably not.

    And don’t look now, but we’re just one week away from LSU-Alabama.

    7:30 PM ET

    Kentucky at Mississippi State, SEC Network

    This game is proof that the two SEC divisions are severely disproportionate. Mississippi State enters the contest as an 11-point favorite — and its in last place in the West. Regardless of how small, Kentucky still has an outside shot at claiming the East title.

    UK fans still remember last year’s finish to the season — losing the last six games in a row. But the Wildcats are an improved group this year; they’re bound to get at least a few more wins before it’s all said and done.

    Unfortunately for the Big Blue Nation, one of those Ws won’t come against the Bulldogs this weekend.

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