SEC Week 7 Preview — The Chaos Continues

Kentucky has already doubled last season's win total and Mark Stoops has brought life back into the Wildcats' program. It will be hard for Louisiana-Monroe to stop the hot streak. Kentucky's combination of quarterback Patrick Towles and running back Jojo Kemp has this offense humming.

Luckily, the Warhawks are bringing in the best defense in the Sun Belt to Lexington. Bad news is they have one of the worst offenses in the country. The offensive line will have to find a way to block for quarterback Pete Thomas and avoid adding to the 13 total sacks this season because Kentucky has two talented defensive linemen in Alvin Dupree and Za'Darius Smith.

Louisiana-Monroe has pulled some pretty big upsets over SEC teams in the past. However, this is a different ULM team and it is most certainly a new Kentucky team.

With South Carolina's season going down the drain, Georgia can now put itself back in the driver's seat in the East with a win over Missouri. Todd Gurley continues to be one of the best running backs in the country but he can't do everything. QB Hutson Mason has to be more lethal through the air and provide more balance. The Bulldogs also need to figure out how to shutdown Maty Mauk.

Missouri will get their first true SEC test now that it appears that their one-point win over South Carolina doesn't hold as much merit. Mauk is a talented quarterback, but he will have to find a way to get this offense rolling in a hurry. It goes without saying that the Tigers have to find a way to stop Todd Gurley. If they force Mason to throw it, they will put themselves in better position to win.

The winner controls its own destiny in the East even with a tough SEC schedule remaining.

It comes as no surprise that Auburn has one of the best ground games in all of college football. The Tigers have 45 runs of 10 yards or more, which leads the SEC. There is no question that this success has to continue in order to beat Mississippi State on Saturday. The true challenge will be finding a way to contain Dak Prescott. Auburn currently boasts one of the best all-around defenses in the SEC, but they have yet to face a player as lethal as Prescott.

Mississippi State, meanwhile, is on pace to have one of the best seasons in school history. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs still have a tough SEC schedule to take care of. The offense needs to sustain long drives and keep Nick Marshall off the field. The defense has to minimize big plays and keep Auburn out of the redzone, where the Tigers are a perfect 21-21 on conversions.

No one expected this to be one of the best matchups of the year, but College Gameday will be in the state of Mississippi for the second consecutive week to cover what is sure to be a classic.

If not for a few critical mistakes in its last two games, Tennessee could be 4-1. This week their woes should finally end with a comfortable win over Chattanooga.

The Mocs are a respectable team in Southern Conference of the FCS. There is just a huge difference in talent level between the SEC and the FCS. Chattanooga may keep it interesting very early, but do not get your hopes up for a close game.

Expect running back Jalen Hurd to have a big day on the ground, and A.J. Johnson should add to his SEC-leading tackle total. The Vols have a 37-2-2 all time record versus the Mocs, and that success will continue this weekend.

Alabama is coming off of a disappointing loss to Ole Miss. The playoff hopes are still alive, but they no longer control their own destiny. The Crimson Tide has to minimize penalties and become more disciplined up front especially with an injury to center Ryan Kelly. Blake Sims will need to spread the field and make smarter decisions in the pocket. On defense, Alabama will find it much easier to win if they control Arkansas' ground game.

The Razorbacks may not be one of the five ranked SEC West teams, but make no mistake, they are not a team to overlook. Arkansas has relied heavily on the running back duo of Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins to provide for a bulk of their offense. This cannot be the case this Saturday. They are still going up against one of the defenses in college, so being two dimensional, primarily through the air, is critical if they want to upset the Tide.

The outcome of this game will be determined on how Alabama reacts to last week's loss. If they do not come out motivated then it could mean another long weekend for the Tide.

It's hard to find anyone that predicted this start for LSU. Just take this into consideration: the Tigers are dead last in the SEC in rush defense. The issues at quarterback will likely continue as Les Miles has yet to choose a starter. Expect the Tigers to rely on the ground game a lot in this one.

Florida is a great example of why a team's overall record does not tell the full story. The Gators are 4-1, but could be 2-3. Freshman QB Treon Harris was poised to be the answer to all offensive problems, but a suspension puts Jeff Driskel back under center. The defense has enough talent to handle this LSU offense even with their own struggles. Driskel's performance will likely determine the outcome of this one.

Any other year this would be one of the top games of the week. Even though that isn't the case this season, it should be an interesting matchup between two rivals.

Derek Mason has not had an ideal inaugural season, and the program is back at the bottom of the SEC. They have struggled all over the field but nowhere like the quarterback position. Lacking a consistent starter is what may put them in a position to struggle this weekend.

Charleston Southern is playing against its first FBS opponent of the season. The Buccaneers have started off the season 5-0. Not bad for a team that did not win again just three seasons ago.

Vanderbilt should beat Charleston Southern because of the overall talent comparison. However, if the Buccaneers want to upset an SEC opponent, now is the time to do so.

Ole Miss pulled off one of the biggest wins in the school's history last week. Now they have to go on the road to take on a very dangerous Kevin Sumlin offense. The key to stopping that offense is stopping Kenny Hill. Having the best pass defense in the SEC should help with that.

So now the focus shifts to QB Bo Wallace. Wallace has to be consistent like he was last week. If he fails to do so then it might not matter how well the defense plays.

Last week's loss to Mississippi State hurt the Aggies in the rankings. However, a win this weekend would help allow them to climb back up the polls. Hill is still one of the best in the country and has to play like it against a very tough pass defense. It is very important that his receivers do not drop passes like they have in the last two games. If Texas A&M's offense is productive, it will not have to rely as much on the defense.

The Rebels have proven that they are one of the best in the SEC West. A win on the road on the weekend would solidify that statement. In a tough West division, the Aggies need a win in order to stay in contention.