SEC Week 12 Preview — Survive and Advance

Florida (5-3, 4-3 SEC) heads back to the Swamp after taking down Vanderbilt on the road. A win over Georgia a few weeks ago boosted the morale in Gainesville primarily because of the decision to bench Jeff Driskel in favor of Treon Harris. Florida's offense has put up an average of 437 yards per game with Harris at quarterback while they only averaged 294 yards a game in the last two games Driskel started. Muschamp still has a few pieces of the puzzle to solve, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the Gators.

South Carolina (4-5, 2-5 SEC) failed miserably to meet their high pre-season expectations. Steve Spurrier showed his frustration by not answering questions from the media following a loss to Tennessee. Spurrier's "Run N' Gun" style offense puts up big numbers behind Dylan Thompson and Mike Davis, but none of that matters when you have the worst defense in the SEC. The Gamecocks have averaged over 38 points per game in their last two losses.

Spurrier returns to his old stomping grounds looking to to bring life back into South Carolina. Muschamp was in the same boat not long ago, yet his team's latest surge has him out of the doghouse for now. One thing's for sure, the coach on the losing end of Saturday's matchup will be in hot water.

Alabama (8-1, 5-1 SEC) barely made it out of Baton Rouge with a win. Blake Sims struggled to perform in the hectic atmosphere as he attempted a season-high 45 passes and only completed 44 percent of those attempts. Sims will be back in his comfort zone in Tuscaloosa, which will be needed as concern looms around a T.J. Yeldon ankle injury. On the other side of the ball, the Crimson Tide boasts the top defense in the conference, but that will be put to the test against when they face the best offense in the SEC.

Mississippi State (9-0, 5-0 SEC) has stayed in contention behind the heroics of Dak Prescott. Prescott has accounted for 29 touchdowns with 11 of those coming on the ground, but this weekend he will be facing a defense that has only allowed 11 touchdowns all season. The Bulldogs' are not even close to those types of defensive numbers. They have allowed  over 427 yards per game. Not good news considering there have only been three teams to win a national title in the BCS era that gave up more than 300 yards per game (Auburn's 368 yards allowed per game in 2010 is the most).

Saturday's matchup between Alabama and Mississippi State is arguably the game of the year. The team that survives will be a favorite to make a run at the national title, while the losing team will have to settle for something like the Peach Bowl. Neither wants to settle for a consolation prize so the stakes are at an all-time high.

Tennessee (4-5, 1-4 SEC) found sparked its season once Joshua Dobbs took over at quarterback. Dobbs led the Vols to a gutsy overtime win over South Carolina two weeks ago, and now it looks they have a chance to become bowl eligible. It is a solid bet that Saturday's game against Kentucky will determine their fate with Vanderbilt being at the end of their schedule. And they have to like their chances now that they have averaged 514 yards per game with Dobbs leading the way.

Kentucky (5-5, 2-5 SEC) was just one win away from getting that coveted bowl game before slumping into a four game losing streak. Now they have zero room for error if they want to avoid missing yet another postseason. There are issues on both sides of the ball, but none more so than the defense. They have allowed over 461 yards per game in their last four games including 559 to Georgia last week.

2010 was the last time both of these teams made a bowl game. Butch Jones and Mark Stoops are just trying to rebuild their teams into winning programs. A bowl game is always a nice first step. That's why both teams will be battling in this one.

Auburn (7-2, 4-2 SEC) was on the losing end of one of the biggest upsets of the year last Saturday. Every bit of the blame should go towards the defense despite a few costly turnovers. The Tigers have given up an average of 486 yards per game to their last four opponents. They stayed in it this long because Nick Marshall and company have averaged over 500 yards during that time. Auburn is still technically in contention as long as they avoid another loss.

Georgia (7-2, 5-2 SEC) is still in the hunt for an East division title despite losing two games they had no business dropping. The Bulldogs are happy to get Todd Gurley back from suspension although the running game continued producing in his absence. Gurley's return makes Georgia the favorite in this game, but don't forget that this defense allowed Florida to rush for 418 yards and Auburn brings the SEC's best rushing offense to town.

The Bulldogs are looking for sweet revenge after losing last season's game on a 'Hail Mary'. Revenge or not, you have to wonder if last week's loss to A&M woke up a sleeping giant. We do know that the scoreboard operator probably won't be getting bored in this one.

Texas A&M (7-3, 3-3 SEC) re-introduced itself back to the college football world with a huge win over Auburn, where the Aggies were 23-point underdogs. In only his second start, true freshman quarterback Kyle Allen racked up over 400 yards of offense in the win. He will be forced to throw under pressure on Saturday seeing that Missouri's defense has 29 sacks on the season. The Aggies still have not found an answer on defense, but last week's win has brought life back into their season.

Missouri (7-2,4-1 SEC) has somehow found its way atop the East standings despite losing to Georgia 34-0 and not being ranked. The Tigers have a long road ahead of them if they want to make it back to Atlanta. The road is easier to travel with an improved Maty Mauk, who has thrown for four touchdowns in his last two games after a three game stretch where he did not have a single one. He will get the opportunity to continue his turnaround against one of the worst pass defenses in the SEC.

Texas A&M went from a lost cause to a dangerous team in just one week, but that's just SEC football for you. Missouri's season may seem mediocre, especially with a loss at home to Indiana, but the Tigers are just as hungry as A&M.

LSU (7-3, 3-3 SEC) just barely missed an opportunity to knock off Alabama at home. Loss or no loss, the Tigers feel better about the shape their team is in now compared to earlier this season. The ruthless defense we are used to seeing is back with the only real issue remaining being at quarterback. Anthony Jenning's 47.1 completion percentage is the worst among starting quarterbacks of top 25 teams. We do not expect to see much passing in this game.

Arkansas (4-5, 0-5 SEC) has been described as the best five loss team in the country and for good reason. If not for mental lapses, the Razorbacks would probably have at least two more wins under their belt. Ironically, they still have a chance to become bowl eligible if they are able to reel out at least one upset. They may rely too much on their ground attack, but don't expect Bret Bielema to change his game plan. An upset has to fall their way eventually.

Throw away everything you thought you knew about LSU and Arkansas. Every year, no matter how bad either team is playing, this game comes down to the fourth quarter. This will be an old fashioned-style football game with minimal passing and a whole lot of running.