Questions Ahead of Week 6 of SEC Football
Credit: Texas A&M Athletics
By Tucker Harlin
This the first group of questions I’m asking ahead of a weekend of SEC football in October! As always, I’ll start by answering the questions I had last week:
WAS KENTUCKY THE FIRST TRUE TEST FOR OLE MISS?- a resounding yes!
WHICH TEAM OUTRAN THE OTHER IN DALLAS?- Texas A&M, although neither team had a desirable rushing output
IS MICHAEL HAWKINS THE QUARTERBACK OF OKLAHOMA’S FUTURE?- need a little more time with this one.
WHAT IS LIFE WITHOUT RATLEDGE LIKE FOR GEORGIA- not great, but Micah Morris didn’t struggle up front either.
All but one matchup in Week 6 are conference battles, and even the one should still play out as a fierce competition between a pair of instate power four schools.
I usually as four questions a week in these, but there are two games where my subject of curiosity is the same so I’m only doing three. Also, there’s just not a lot to be curious about in Alabama at Vanderbilt or Auburn at Georgia this year.
These are my questions ahead of Week 6 of SEC football:
HOW DO OLE MISS AND MISSOURI RESPOND TO HOSTILE ROAD ENVIRONMENTS AFTER STRUGGLING AT HOME?
I put out a list of my Top 10 college football games in Week 6, and both Ole Miss at South Carolina and Missouri at Texas A&M topped the list because of this very question.
Ole Miss was roughed up by Kentucky in a game it was supposed to win by three scores, the same Kentucky team who was crushed by South Carolina in Week 2.
There’s a newfound optimism for Shane Beamer with the performance at Kentucky and even in the loss at LSU. The Gamecocks will have to do most of their work on the ground, but Ole Miss should be concerned if the Gamecocks’ stout defensive front begins to eat.
Unlike Ole Miss, Mizzou is unbeaten, but it was taken to overtime in a 30-27 win against Vandy in which it was favored to win by three scores.
Texas A&M will make an effort to force the Tigers to play its game and drag them into the mud with a slower offensive pace and a stout defense. Mizzou won one of these games against Boston College in Week 3, but that path to victory isn’t sustainable for long term success.
The answer to this question could very well make or break the Rebels and Tigers’ seasons.
DO TURNOVERS LOSE TAYLEN GREEN ANOTHER GAME?
Turnovers are never what you’d call a “key” to a game, but they are worth highlighting at the very least ahead of Tennessee’s trip to Arkansas this weekend.
Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green has turned the ball over seven times in the last four games. Arkansas is 2-2 in those games.
The losses coming in a game in which Green threw a pick six and another in which he lost two fumbles and threw another interception. The wins are over messy programs in Auburn and UAB.
On the other hand, Tennessee forced three turnovers in each of its power four wins to start the year. That doesn’t feel like it’s about to change against a turnover-prone quarterback in Green.
HOW DOES FLORIDA SLOW DOWN A POTENT UCF OFFENSE?
Among other issues, defense has been one of several weak points for Florida in 2024.
I’ll give the Gators a pass in Week 1 because they were going against Cam Ward, one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football and possibly one of the highest drafted quarterbacks we see in 2025.
But neither Texas A&M nor Mississippi State are special on offense this season, and both carved up the Gators defense.
The Aggies ran for 310 yards in their 33-20 win in the Swamp back in Week 3, and the Bulldogs ran for a season-high 240 in Starkvegas two weeks ago.
Up until last week, UCF was averaging 376 rush yards per game.
So what did Colorado do to lessen the effects? Well, it turned the Knights over four times.
Turnovers haven’t been something the Gators have been able to create in bunches, unless of course they’re the ones throwing the interceptions. R.J. Harvey at running back and K.J. Jefferson as a dual-threat quarterback will pose unique challenges to Florida’s defense unlike any it has seen to start the year.
