Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott dives into the end zone for a touchdown during his game against Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014.
SEC
Southeastern Conference• 1. Mississippi State (8-0, 5-0; vs. UT-Martin, 4 p.m.): Will Dan Mullen be in Starkville next year? Hard to know right now, and as his star continues to ascend, well, he becomes that guy. Also, know that this roster is loaded with multiyear starters who are seniors or juniors likely to enter the NFL draft. This is the high point.
• 2. Alabama (7-1, 4-1; at LSU, 8 p.m.): Is this the biggest test left for the Crimson Tide? That's a tough question considering they have dates with top-ranked Mississippi State and No. 3-ranked Auburn left later this month, but those games are in Tuscaloosa, where the Tide offense has been staggering. Either way, Alabama is one of about 10 teams that completely controls its destiny. Win out and go to the playoffs, and that's all you can ask for.
• 3. Auburn (7-1, 4-1; vs. Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m.): Is Auburn the luckiest team in the country or the most clutch? We say yes. And yes. Auburn has gotten some serious good fortune in its 19-3 run under Gus Malzahn. But Auburn also has made a ton of big plays in massive moments, too. And we've always believed that more times than not, well-coached and prepared teams make their own breaks. Lucky or well-prepared? The truth for the Tigers is likely some of each.
• 4. LSU (7-2, 3-2; vs. Alabama, 8 p.m.): Can these Tigers get back in the title mix? It's extremely unlikely since their two losses are to teams ahead of them in the standings, so they'd need Auburn to lose twice and Mississippi State to lose at least two conference games and hope for some tiebreaking magic. Still, the October transformation for Les Miles' bunch has been impressive.
• 5. Ole Miss (7-2, 4-2; vs. Presbyterian, noon): Was the Rebels' 35-31 loss to Auburn arguably the most painful in program history? It's certainly on the short list, considering the stakes (Ole Miss still had control of its destiny before the defeat), the scenario (two lost fumbles inside in the Auburn 7 in the final six minutes) and the injury to Laquon Treadwell. Man, the roller coaster of college football can turn in any direction at any time.
• 6. Georgia (6-2, 4-2; at Kentucky, noon): On the subject of quick and unexpected turns, who had Georgia dropping that kind of stinker in Jacksonville? Man, Florida looked like mid-1990s Nebraska, lining up and running the same set of rushing plays over and over and over and churning up yards. Hey, this just in: Florida just broke another 14-yard run at right tackle.
• 7. Missouri (7-2, 4-1; off): Is there any way the SEC champ doesn't get into the College Football Playoff? Ladies and gentlemen, meet your 2014 Missouri Tigers, who have the inside track to represent the East in Atlanta. If Missouri gets to the Georgia Dome and wins, there's a real chance the Tigers, who lost at home to Big Ten stinkpot Indiana and got hammered at home by Georgia, will not make the four.
• 8. Texas A&M (6-3, 2-3; at Auburn, 3:30 p.m.): Is Kevin Sumlin's seat getting warm? Probably not considering the situation and the elite-level recruiting that Sumlin and his staff have done, but, man, that's a lot of stinky for a guy making $5 million.
• 9. Florida (4-3, 3-3; at Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m.): Did that overly impressive win save Will Muschamp's job? It's a definite maybe considering a loss would have made him Dead Boom Walking. Now the Gators have a chance to stabilize the recruiting a little bit and roll off a few wins -- Vandy, a reeling South Carolina and Eastern Kentucky -- before facing a trip to Florida State. And, yes, the outcome in Tallahassee will carry great weight in the national title picture and the personal fortunes of the Muschamp clan.
• 10. Kentucky (5-4, 2-3; vs. Georgia, noon): Could the Wildcats be staring at a 5-1 start becoming a 5-7 finish? It's certainly possible. Kentucky has Georgia, then Tennessee (with the Vols coming off a bye), an open week and then a trip to Louisville. Man, this could get interesting.
• 11. Tennessee (4-5, 1-4; off): If Josh Dobbs does not have a good off week in practice, do you think he may lose his job as the Vols quarterback? Let's ask former NBA star Allen Iverson. "Practice? We're talking 'bout practice." Thanks, Allen. Dobbs has flipped the emotional state of an entire fan base with seven impressive quarters of football, including a record-setting performance against a reeling South Carolina defense. But that's the nature of the instant overreact culture of modern sports. Still, here's hoping Dobbs can continue his fun-to-watch style -- and that he hustles between 7-on-7 stations in practice.
• 12. South Carolina (4-5, 2-5; off): Could Steve Spurrier retire after the end of this debacle? That very well could happen. Spurrier will be 70 next April, and these Gamecocks are arguably the most disappointing team in the country. We certainly hope this is not the end for Spurrier, who arguably is the most entertaining star coach in the game, but we certainly could see that happening.
• 13. Arkansas (4-5, 0-5; off): OK, as much as we have been on the Razorbacks' "we're-so-close" bandwagon, will this bunch ever win an SEC game? After this week's open date, they get visits from LSU and Ole Miss and then have a trip to Missouri. There could be a win or two in there. There could be three losses in there. And the "we're-so-close" bandwagon completely is derailed if the Hogs are bagel-and-8 in the SEC again.
• 14. Vanderbilt (3-6, 0-5; vs. Florida, 7:30 p.m.): Can the Commodores win another game? Let's ask the Magic 8-ball: Shake, shake, shake ... "Not likely." Hey, we can see that. Nice work, 8.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.