SEC Viewer’s Guide: Week 9

Halloween provides a scary Week 9 slate in the SEC, with only a few match-ups drawing interest.

The SEC East title is on the line this Saturday when Florida and Georgia meet in Jacksonville, Fla. If the Gators win, the division is all but secured (assuming Vanderbilt doesn’t win out).

The SEC West, on the other hand, is a much different story. And next week the schedule gets interesting with arguably the biggest match-up of the season taking place in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide will duke it out for first place in the West.

RELATED: Top SEC Games: Week 9 Edition

Outside of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, it’s slim pickens in the conference schedule this weekend.

Here are the SEC games taking place in Week 9.

Noon ET

No. 19 Ole Miss at Auburn, ESPN

Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a tale of two programs headed in opposite directions: Ole Miss posted a much-needed win against Texas A&M last weekend, Auburn fell short to Arkansas in a quadruple-overtime thriller.

Despite their two losses, the Rebels still have a conceivable shot at taking the SEC West crown if they can beat LSU on Nov. 21 in Oxford. Meanwhile, the Tigers look to salvage an otherwise disappointing season with a quality win on their résumé.

It’ll be a hard-fought battle on the Plains, but the Rebels’ high-powered offensive attack should have no issues scoring points against a lackluster Auburn defense.

South Carolina at Texas A&M, SEC Network

Texas A&M’s offense has struggled in its last two outings and South Carolina seems to have found a spark since the resignation of the Head Ball Coach.

Can the Gamecocks compete the way they did against Vanderbilt a few weeks ago under interim coach Shawn Elliott?  Or will the A&M offense finally reemerge as the weapon we all know it can be?

It’ll be closer than expected, but the Aggies should find a way to win in front of the 12th Man on Saturday.

3:30 PM ET

Georgia vs. No. 11 Florida, CBS

Finally, the Florida-Georgia match-up is meaningful again!

The winner of this game makes a giant stride towards representing the East in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.

A Gators’ victory would give them a two-game edge with two conference games left on the schedule — along with an outside shot at a College Football Playoff berth. But the Bulldogs won’t go down easy.

It’ll be a dogfight in Jacksonville (pun intended), but Florida’s defense should stymie the Dawgs’ offense just enough to grind out a win.

4 PM ET

Tennessee-Martin at Arkansas, SEC Network

Tennessee-Martin enters this game riding a four-game winning streak, but that was against much different competition.

The Skyhawks may be able to hang with Arkansas for the first quarter or so, but the Razorbacks have too much talent offensively to keep this game within reach.

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Hogs get a big win in preparation of Ole Miss next weekend.

7 PM ET

Vanderbilt at No. 18 Houston, ESPN

Looking at this game on paper, Houston is expected to blow Vanderbilt out.

But the Commodores should fare better than anticipated against the Cougars this Saturday.

This is a classic match-up between a solid defense and a superb offense. It’s a safe bet that Vandy will hold Houston under its 47.7 points-per-game average, but the ‘Dores won’t be able to score enough points themselves to pull the upset on the road.

7:30 PM ET

Tennessee at Kentucky, SEC Network

This is a crucial game for both programs’ hopes of a making a postseason appearance.

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Tennessee (3-4) needs to win three of its final five games, while Kentucky (4-3) needs two more wins to reach bowl eligibility. And the remaining schedule doesn’t get much lighter, either.

The Volunteers — led by the play of quarterback Joshua Dobbs — get back to .500 on the season with a close win over the Wildcats on the Bluegrass.