SEC Week 7 preview: Alabama at Tennessee leads a crowded Saturday

No. 6 Alabama is 5-0 and goes to Knoxville. No. 15 Tennessee is 5-1 and waiting. Alabama at Tennessee kicks off at 3:30 PM EDT on October 17, and it is the game of the week in the SEC.

The stakes are simple. Alabama is one of three unbeaten teams in this week's slate, and a road win in a rivalry game would keep it on the short list of title contenders. Tennessee already has its one loss. A second would leave the Volunteers chasing for the rest of the season, while a win at home would put them right back in the middle of the race.

It is also not the only meeting of ranked teams. Saturday has four of them, and three of the eight games start in the same 3:30 window. Anyone planning a day on the couch should plan on a remote.

The schedule

All times Eastern. Where no network is listed, the broadcast had not been announced in the material available to us.

12:00 PM: No. 16 Florida (4-2) at No. 1 Texas (4-1). Florida at Texas, network to be announced. Texas holds the top spot despite a loss, and Florida, with two losses, gets a chance to change the shape of its season in Austin.

12:00 PM: No. 17 Mississippi State (4-1) at No. 10 LSU (4-1). Mississippi State at LSU, network to be announced. Mississippi State and LSU bring identical records into a noon kickoff, and one of them leaves with a second loss.

1:00 PM: The Citadel (2-4) at Texas A&M (3-3). The Citadel at Texas A&M, SECN+. Texas A&M sits at .500 and needs this one to get back above it. The Citadel arrives at 2-4.

3:30 PM: Auburn (3-2) at No. 2 Georgia (5-0). Auburn at Georgia, network to be announced. Georgia is unbeaten and ranked second, and Auburn comes to Athens at 3-2 looking for the result that would define its year.

3:30 PM: No. 6 Alabama (5-0) at No. 15 Tennessee (5-1). Alabama at Tennessee, network to be announced. The headliner, covered above.

3:30 PM: No. 14 Missouri (5-1) at No. 9 Ole Miss (4-1). Missouri at Ole Miss, network to be announced. The quietest of the ranked matchups on paper, but Missouri and Ole Miss each have just one loss, and only one of them will still be able to say that on Sunday.

7:00 PM: Arkansas (2-4) at Vanderbilt (3-3). Arkansas at Vanderbilt, ESPN2. Vanderbilt can get back to .500 at home. Arkansas, at 2-4, is running short on room for bowl eligibility.

7:30 PM: Kentucky (4-1) at Oklahoma (3-2). Kentucky at Oklahoma, SEC Network. Kentucky has the better record and Oklahoma has home field. It closes the night and is worth staying up for.

Where the desk stands

The desk has not made its Week 7 picks yet. All four will weigh in before kickoff, and with four ranked-versus-ranked games on the card, expect some disagreement. Check back later in the week.

Until then, the odds for every game are on its matchup page, linked above, and they will move as the market reacts to the week's news. If you are new to trading on Novig, its new-member offer is deposit $10, get $50 in Trade Credits. Details are on the promo code page.

One thing to watch

The 3:30 window. Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri and Ole Miss all play at the same time, and between them they account for two unbeaten records and three one-loss records.

By about 7:00 PM, the top half of the conference could look very different. If Alabama and Georgia both win, the unbeaten pair stays intact and the pressure moves to everyone else. If either one loses, the race opens up, and the winners of Missouri at Ole Miss and the noon games in Austin and Baton Rouge suddenly have a clearer path.

Watch the scores in that window together, not one at a time. That is where Week 7 gets decided.