SEC Rating Game for Oct. 4

THE RATING GAME

1. Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC)

Tide to play running clock in second half at Mizzou.

2. S. CAROLINA (6-0, 4-0)

Heights like these have given Gamecocks nosebleeds before.

3. FLORIDA (5-0, 4-0)

Gators really good, but not Spurrier, Urban Meyer good.

4. LSU (5-1, 1-1)

Suddenly for the Tigers this has become a season on the brink.

5. GEORGIA (5-1, 3-1)

Dogs spend week filling smoking hole that was their title hopes.

6. Miss. state (5-0, 2-0)

Bulldogs are feeling it, but Vols are a tricky hurdle to clear.

7. texas a&m (4-1, 2-1)

Isaac delay sets up surprising Top 25 matchup for A&M, Tech.

8. tennessee (3-2, 0-2)

Did Dooley hurt hip squeezing into those orange pants?

9. OLE MISS (3-3, 0-2)

No one, even Rebels, figured they’d be favored over Auburn.

10. Missouri (3-3, 0-3)

Franklin out. Bama invading. SEC upset? No chance.

11. vANDERBILT (2-3, 1-2)

Care to bet Vandy rushes for more than 42 yards vs. Florida?

12. arkansas (2-4, 1-2)

Suddenly, Hogs can conjure a winning streak against UK.

13. Auburn (1-4, 0-3)

Apparently, LSU got Auburn’s best shot. Only thing worse is ...

14. KENTUCKY (1-5, 0-3)

... this bunch. Did play S.Carolina tough for a half, though.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

SATURDAY

No. 3 South Carolina at No. 9 LSU, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Auburn at Ole Miss, 11:21 a.m. (SEC Network)

No. 1 Alabama at Missouri, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)

No. 4 Florida at Vanderbilt, 5 p.m. (ESPNU)

Kentucky at Arkansas, 6 p.m. (FSN)

Tennessee at No. 19 Mississippi State, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 22 Texas A&M vs. No. 23 Louisiana Tech, 8:15 p.m. (ESPNU)@

@-at Shreveport

IDLE: No. 14 Georgia

All times Central

GAME OF THE WEEK

South Carolina at LSU

7 p.m. Saturday, Tiger Stadium, (ESPN)

The Tigers’ loss at Florida took a little luster off this game, but this is still the SEC’s marquee matchup this week and one of the premier games in the nation. Each season, ESPN is allowed to pick a game before CBS and jumped on this one, a plus for a beleaguered LSU team that gets to go for a 22nd straight home win with the lights on. The key is again LSU’s ability to generate points against one of the SEC’s top defenses, this one ranked No. 3 in yards allowed and No. 1 in sacks.

AROUND THE SEC

• LSU LB Kevin Minter’s 17 solo tackles at Florida (20 total) was a school record for solo stops and the most in a single game nationally this season.
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley underwent surgery for a fractured hip this week and will coach from the press box for this week’s game at Mississippi State.
• SEC teams have been ranked No. 1 in the BCS 10 straight weeks dating back to last season and 24 of 32 weeks since 2008. This season’s first BCS standings will be released Sunday.
• Mississippi State CB Jonathan Banks (15 career interceptions) needs one more to break into the top 10 in SEC history. He has three in 2012.

Scott Rabalais