SEC Slate Week Six: Who’s Being Tested and Who has a Cupcake?

Week five of SEC play brought us monumental matchups across the conference. From the one-score slugfest in College Station between Texas A&M and Auburn, the overtime survival of Tennessee over Mississippi State, the Magnolia Bowl delivering yet again between LSU and Ole Miss, to the nightcap of titans going blow for blow in Athens between Alabama and Georgia, the SEC slate for week five was one that fans who chant "S-E-C" during bowl season dreamed of.

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Week six, on the other hand...leaves a lot to be desired. Last weekend, 13 SEC teams were in action across eight games, with only two games looking like it was over from the first snap (Missouri dominated in its fifth-straight home game, and Arkansas rolled over as we watched a once proud program give up in September).

In week six, only nine SEC teams are in action, and we only have five games, with the games looking "chalky." But it's always the upsets you never see coming that are the most exciting to watch. This week, let's go through every game on the SEC slate and check out who could be on upset watch in week six.

Kentucky at No. 12 Georgia

Kentucky (2-2) will go between the hedges to take on the 12th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (3-1) at 11:00 a.m. CT on ABC. The Bullogs are a 20.5-point favorite over Kentucky.

While the Wildcats have threatened top teams in the SEC the last couple of seasons (almost toppling Ole Miss for the second-straight season), Georgia is a pissed off football team after narrowly falling to Alabama 24-21 last weekend. The Crimson Tide snapped Georgia's 33-game win streak at home and will look to re-establish another dominant streak, starting with Kentucky. I expect the Dawgs to win big at home on Saturday.

Fun Fact: Kentucky was also the next home game on Georgia's schedule after the Bulldogs fell to South Carolina in 2019 (Georgia's last home loss before Alabama last weekend). Georgia won that game against Kentucky 21-0.

No. 9 Texas at Florida

No. 9 Texas (3-1) will hit the road for the first time since week one (a 14-7 loss to No. 3 Ohio State) for a date with the Florida Gators (1-3) this weekend. The Gators have struggled immensely on the offensive side of the ball, and while everyone will point to DJ Lagway's five interceptions against the LSU Tigers, nobody will talk about the Gators' defense holding strong until the final moments of the game against Miami (The Hurricanes had just 13 points until four minutes left in the game).

Texas's offense has struggled outside of a blowout win over Sam Houston (a school that wasn't FBS until two years ago). Despite the struggles, the Longhorns still control their destiny in SEC play, with the Gators being their first game of the SEC schedule. Even if Arch Manning struggles, Texas should be able to lean on the Gators and come away with a win. However, if the Florida defense holds up through the bye and can play like they did early in the season, it would not be surprising if we see a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.

No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama

For the first time since 1937, the Commodores and the Crimson Tide enter as ranked opponents. Alabama is coming off a three-point win at Georgia, while Vanderbilt hung 55 points in a 20-point win over Utah State. The storylines in this game are unmatched, with Vanderbilt upsetting the Crimson Tide last season in Nashville.

While Vanderbilt looks to pull off a second miracle, Alabama looks to hold them down and remind Vanderbilt who the king of the SEC is. This year's Crimson Tide squad, led by redshirt junior Ty Simpson, is starting to show signs of the championship teams of old at Alabama. There's still a lot of football left to be played, but Ty Simpson's Nick Saban-esque speeches and attention to detail showcase why Alabama is a threat for the College Football Playoffs this season.

On the other hand, Diego Pavia is willing Vanderbilt beyond what its ceiling should be. The Commodores are 5-0 and a win over Alabama away from not only bowl eligibility, but also serious conversations about Vandy in the College Football Playoffs. Can they pull off the second upset in Tuscaloosa? My gut says no. Alabama's loss to Florida State early is indicative of the Saban teams that won titles: lose early, the team rallies around the loss, and goes on to claim another SEC title and playoff appearance.

Kent State at No. 5 Oklahoma

There really isn't much analysis here. Even though the Sooners are with a backup quarterback, the talent level between Oklahoma and Kent State is about as big as you can get in college football. The game might be closer than the 44.5-point spread indicates it should be, but Oklahoma will turn its attention to next week as quickly as possible with the Red River Rivalry coming up in Dallas, Texas.

Mississippi State at No. 6 Texas A&M

Nobody likes a moral victory, but Mississippi State collected one last week after taking Tennessee to overtime in a matchup not many people gave the Bulldogs a chance in, at least early in the season. For Texas A&M, this is the Aggies' highest ranking since 2021, when they were as high as No. 5 before finishing 8-4. Texas A&M has big wins on the season over Notre Dame on the road and Auburn at home, but a red-hot Mississippi State team that is sniffing bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022 could stand in the way of a perfect first half of the season for the Aggies.

After watching Texas A&M shut down an already anemic Auburn offense, combined with their inability to move the ball in the second half (only scoring three points in the second half), it's tempting to pick Mississippi State in an upset. I'm sticking with the home team here, but in the event of a chaotic weekend across the SEC, it would start in College Station and the party would last until the Bulldogs returned to Starkville.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.