Two Southeastern Conference matchups with direct bearing on the College Football Playoff picture are set for Saturday. SEC-leading Kentucky travels to Knoxville to face Tennessee at 6:15 p.m. ET, and Georgia heads to Oxford for a rematch with Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. ET, a repeat of last season’s CFP quarterfinal.
Kentucky enters as one of the surprises of the season. The Wildcats are 7-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play, sitting alone atop the SEC standings after a string of close victories. Kentucky beat LSU 35-34, won 35-34 at South Carolina, and traveled to Oklahoma and came away with a 21-13 win. The team is coming off a bye week.
Tennessee sits at 6-2 following a 27-24 loss at South Carolina. The Volunteers’ signature win this season came against Alabama, a 26-10 result, and they routed Kentucky 56-34 a year ago. Kentucky has not won in Knoxville since a 34-7 victory in 2020.
Betting markets built around the Kentucky-Tennessee game have centered on Wildcats kicker Adam Zouagui, who has been reliable in close contests this season, including a game-tying field goal at South Carolina. Given how many of Kentucky’s games this year have come down to the final possessions, analysts expect another tight finish in Knoxville.
Georgia and Ole Miss Renew a Heated Rivalry
The Georgia-Ole Miss series has taken on an edge over the past year. Georgia beat Ole Miss 43-35 in Athens last October, and the Rebels later eliminated the Bulldogs from the playoff with a 39-34 win in the Sugar Bowl.
Ole Miss has a new head coach after Lane Kiffin departed for LSU, but quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has returned and the Rebels are coming off a 45-15 win over Auburn. Georgia has navigated a difficult stretch of its schedule, including a 27-24 loss to Auburn, with quarterback Gunner Stockton among the SEC’s most efficient passers this season.
Ole Miss has averaged more than 300 passing yards per game this season with Chambliss at quarterback, and bettors expect him to test a Georgia secondary that has faced its share of challenges. The combined point total set for the game, 56.5, reflects expectations for a high-scoring contest; the previous two meetings between these teams produced 78 and 73 combined points.
Both games carry weight in a conference where playoff positioning is still being sorted out, with Kentucky’s unbeaten run in SEC play and Georgia’s quest to avenge last season’s playoff exit both on the line Saturday night.
