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Texas A&M is taking on FCS opponent Sam Houston, and much of the SEC is following suit with a slew of uninspiring matchups to kick off the 2022 season. But that doesn’t mean the week is without intrigue. Far from it. Tennessee and Mizzouri already notched their blowout victories on Thursday night, but there are 10 more SEC games on tap for Saturday (and one on Sunday).
Here is every (non-A&M) SEC game of the week, ranked first to worst (betting lines* courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook).
1. No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 11 Oregon Ducks
2:30 p.m., ABC
Line: Dawgs -17
Will the Bulldogs have a hangover from their national title? Will their former DC Dan Lanning (how HC at Oregon) know how to take them down? This game will shape a lot of the early season Playoff narratives (also 17 feels like a huge spread).
2. No. 23 Cincinnati Bearcats at No. 19 Arkansas Razorbacks
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Line: Woo Pig -7
Cincy is coming off a Playoff appearance but lost a lot from that 2021 team. Arkansas looks to begin the year with a statement win as they try to rise to the upper echelon of the SEC for the first time in over a decade.
3. No. 7 Utah Utes at Florida Gators
6 p.m., ESPN
Line: Utes -3
Utah trying to show the Pac 12 is relevant, Florida looking to start the Billy Napier era off with a bang. This is a great QB matchup between Cam Rising and Anthony Richardson.
4. Memphis Tigers at Mississippi State Bulldogs
6:30 p.m., ESPNU
Line: Cowbells -16.5
Normally you wouldn’t put this game very high on the list, but with the Tigers upsetting State in Memphis last year, this is absolutely a revenge game.
5. Florida State Seminoles at LSU Tigers
6:30 p.m. Sunday, ABC
Line: Geaux -3
One of the joys of opening weekend is the oh so rare Sunday college game. Lots of unknowns in this one, with FSU still trying to recover from the departure of Jimbo Fisher five years ago, and LSU breaking in new head coach Brian Kelly. No matter the outcome, the losing fanbase’s ensuing meltdown promises to provide some lovely schadenfreude.
6. Georgia State Panthers at South Carolina Gamecocks
6:30 p.m., SEC Network+/ESPN+
Line: Cocks -12.5
The line may seem low at first glance, but Georgia State has gotten a reputation for playing teams closer than expected (including knocking off Tennessee in 2019). The way this game plays out will either confirm or dispute a lot of the preseason positivity around Shane Beamer’s Gamecock program.
7. Troy Trojans at Ole Miss Rebels
3 p.m., SEC Network
Line: Hotty Toddy -21.5
Much like Georgia State, Troy has a penchant for sneaking up on heavily-favored opponents. Ole Miss also has a lot to prove after losing both coordinators and QB Matt Corrall from last year’s Sugar Bowl squad.
8. Miami (OH) Redhawks at Kentucky Wildcats
7 p.m., SEC Network+/ESPN+
Line: Basketball school -15
A surprisingly small line given the expectations for BBN this season. Miami (OH) is by no means terrible, but they went 7-6 in 2021, so they’re also far from one of the top G5 teams.
9. Elon Phoenix at Vanderbilt Commodores
6 p.m., SEC Network+/ESPN+
Line: Anchor Down -18
Yes it’s an FCS team, but I’m still interested to see just how dominant Vanderbilt looks in this game after their drubbing of Hawaii last weekend. Is Vandy, dare I say, not terrible? We shall see.
10. Mercer Bears at Auburn Tigers
6 p.m., SEC Network+/ESPN+
Line: War Eagle -31.5
As much as Auburn struggled down the stretch last season (and boy did they), they still won their first two games of the season (Akron and Alabama State) by a combined 122-10. Even if you think this is Bryan Harsin’s final season on The Plains, there’s little reason to think they should struggle in this one.
11. Utah State Aggies at Alabama Crimson Tide
6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Line: Roll Tide -41.5
Alabama will still look like Alabama. The best we can hope for is that this will be the only time they beat the Aggies this year.
*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
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