SEC Football: Three Things to Watch For in Week Five

Week Five of the SEC Football season is here. There are several games against mismatched opponents this weekend. Arkansas plays Alcorn State. Florida has a matchup against Vanderbilt. Auburn hosts Louisiana Monroe. Texas A&M travels to Columbia to take on South Carolina. Alabama hosts Kentucky. Finally, Ole Miss plays Memphis.

There are really only two games that look compelling on paper. The first is Tennessee at Georgia. The second is Missouri at LSU. Pretty much every other game looks to be pretty lopsided.

Despite that, we have come up with three interesting storylines to keep an eye on this weekend.

Sep 17, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio (14) drops back during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the North Texas Mean Green 32-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Will Luke Del Rio Play?

Last week, the Florida Gators were without starting quarterback Luke Del Rio against Tennessee. In his stead, Purdue transfer Austin Appleby got the start. Like the rest of the Gator team, Appleby started fast in the first half. But then, he fell apart in the second half.

Fortunately for the Gators, they are playing Vanderbilt this weekend. That means that they should win handily regardless who starts at quarterback. Nevertheless, if Del Rio misses the game, it could signify that his injury is more serious than previously thought.

Tennessee is the leader in the SEC East race right now. If Florida wants to have any hope of catching them, they need Del Rio to get healthy in a hurry.

Sep 26, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; LSU Tigers defensive line coach Ed Orgeron instructs his players on the bench during the fourth quarter of a game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome. LSU won the game 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /

2. How Will LSU Perform Without Les Miles?

Les Miles is officially out at LSU after years of rumors of his imminent firing. Now, the Tigers are under the command of Interim Head Coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron was the head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-2007. During his three seasons with the Rebels, the team amassed a 10-25 record. That includes a record of 3-21 in the SEC.

Those numbers are atrocious. However, Orgeron served as Interim Head Coach at USC during the 2013 season. He led the Trojans to a 6-2 record. Obviously LSU fans are hoping for a performance more similar to his time at USC than his time at Ole Miss. It is perhaps worth noting that he has considerably more talent than he had to Ole Miss.

This week, the Tigers have a home matchup against Missouri. Missouri has been more impressive than I thought they’d be this season. Nevertheless, LSU has more talent and should win easily. But will they? Will they play harder under new leadership? Or will they be despondent after the loss of their head coach? It will be interesting to see.

Sep 24, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) runs the ball during the second quarter of the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Will Georgia Bounce Back?

Last week Georgia took their first defeat of the 2016 season. They got completely destroyed by Chad Kelly and the Ole Miss Rebels. Now, the Bulldogs head back to the friendly confines of Sanford Stadium, where they will face the Tennessee Volunteers.