What Kentucky-Tennessee showdown means for SEC football title race

LEXINGTON — Kentucky football is seeking to seal a spot in the SEC championship game for the first time in program history.

To make that a reality, the task — one easier said than done — is simple: just keep winning. UK and coach Will Stein are 5-1 in the SEC this fall. That puts it alongside Georgia for first place in the league entering this week. Every other conference team has at least two league losses.

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If the Wildcats and Bulldogs win their final three SEC games, they’ll square off Dec. 5 in Atlanta.

But if either loses?

It could get complicated.

Kentucky‘s three-game stretch to wrap up its conference slate starts Nov. 7 against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers have won the past five matchups in the series and own an 86-26-9 advantage all-time. Kentucky also has struggled on the road: It’s 11-45-6 in Knoxville, Tennessee, versus UT.

Next up for Kentucky is Florida on Nov. 14 in Lexington. The Wildcats have won four of the last five against the Gators. Still, it’s far from a guaranteed win for Kentucky in a series where it once lost 31 straight games.

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UK’s SEC finale is on the road against the state to the west, Missouri. The Wildcats are up 9-5 in the series, though their 2021 victory was vacated because of NCAA violations. Even so, since Mizzou joined the league ahead of the 2012 season, Kentucky leads 7-5 (including the vacated win).

“Not that we shy away from the reality of where we are in terms of our conference rank and our conference record,” Stein said Nov. 3, “but if you don’t handle your business this week? Then nothing really matters.”

UGA also is on the road this week, facing Ole Miss. Coach Kirby Smart‘s club concludes conference play with Missouri (at home Nov. 14) and South Carolina (on the road Nov. 21). The Rebels won the last meeting: the Sugar Bowl, which doubled as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal in 2025. Georgia, however, has a decisive advantage in the rivalry. The same goes for its records versus Mizzou and South Carolina. There are no gimme games in the conference, of course. Yet it’s hard to bet against the Bulldogs, the two-time defending SEC champion (and the team picked to win the league at the outset of the season).

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Just in case, keep this handy: The SEC’s tiebreaker process, posted on the league’s official website.

Here are the tiebreakers, listed in order:

1. Head-to-head competition among the tied teams

2. Record versus all common Conference opponents among the tied teams

3. Record against highest (best) placed common Conference opponent in the Conference standings, and proceeding through the Conference standings among the tied teams

4. Cumulative Conference winning percentage of all Conference opponents among the tied teams

5. Capped relative total scoring margin, per SportSource Analytics, versus all Conference opponents among the tied teams

6. Random draw of the tied teams

Additionally, here’s a breakdown of the two-loss teams nipping at the heels of the Wildcats and Bulldogs in the conference standings:

Alabama

Overall record: 6-2

SEC record: 4-2

Conference games remaining: Nov. 7 at LSU, Nov. 14 at Vanderbilt, Nov. 28 vs. Auburn

What to know: The Crimson Tide’s game versus the Tigers later this week won’t be easy (though they avoided the dreaded “night game at Tiger Stadium,” as this one kicks off in the afternoon). The Commodores are winless in the SEC this season, so the Tide should roll. Playing at home in the Iron Bowl, Alabama (obviously) will be favored. But it’s a rivalry game, so anything can happen — and Auburn already has a road win over none other than Georgia.

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Ole Miss

Overall record: 6-2

SEC record: 4-2

Conference games remaining: Nov. 7 vs. Georgia, Nov. 14 at Oklahoma, Nov. 27 vs. Mississippi State

What to know: If Ole Miss beats Georgia this week, its last two conference contests are eminently winnable. Oklahoma is lost on offense, having just fired coordinator Ben Arbuckle. And in-state rival MSU must forge on without one of the nation’s most dynamic playmakers, quarterback Kamario Taylor. He’s out for the remainder of the season.

LSU

Overall record: 6-2

SEC record: 3-2

Conference games remaining: Nov. 7 vs. Alabama, Nov. 14 vs. Texas, Nov. 21 at Tennessee, Nov. 28 at Arkansas

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What to know: All respect to Arkansas, but LSU should be able to mark that down as a win in the regular-season finale. But the next three weeks for Lane Kiffin’s group are daunting. Alabama, Texas and Tennessee all are ranked among the top 16 of any poll (CFP, coaches or AP) you look at. If the Bayou Bengals notch a playoff berth? They’ll have earned it.

Missouri

Overall record: 6-2

SEC record: 3-2

Conference games remaining: Nov. 7 vs. Texas, Nov. 14 at Georgia, Nov. 21 vs. Kentucky, Nov. 28 vs. Oklahoma

What to know: This week’s game versus Texas could be a quasi-elimination game for both the SEC championship contest as well as a playoff bid. But then Mizzou has to head to Georgia, where the Bulldogs are 60-6 (.909 winning percentage) at Sanford Stadium during Smart’s tenure. Kentucky has proven to be no pushover this fall — and could be fighting to lock up a spot in the conference title tilt. At least the Oklahoma game now appears far easier, on paper, than it did at the beginning of the season.

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Tennessee

Overall record: 6-2

SEC record: 3-2

Conference games remaining: Nov. 7 vs. Kentucky, Nov. 14 at Texas A&M, Nov. 21 vs. LSU, Nov. 28 at Vanderbilt

What to know: In most years throughout history, the Vols have been able to write down — in permanent marker, not pencil — a win over the Wildcats. Not so this fall, as this week’s game will be one of the most anticipated in the history of the border-state series. Looking ahead, the Aggies are a mess. Another Kiffin return to Knoxville will be appointment television. And after Vandy embarrassed Tennessee last season in Nashville, don’t be surprised if Josh Heupel and Co. do everything they can to return the favor later this month.

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Texas

Overall record: 6-2

SEC record: 3-2

Games remaining: Nov. 7 at Missouri, Nov. 14 at LSU, Nov. 21 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 27 at Texas A&M

What to know: Texas’ aforementioned bout with Mizzou this week is a must-win for both. If the Longhorns get through that unscathed, their reward is another team named the Tigers in a similar position. If LSU pushes past Alabama this week, it needs to follow up with another Tiger Stadium triumph over the Longhorns. Texas making it through the Missouri-LSU double dip at 2-0 leads into a matchup with also-ran Arkansas, which likely will be sporting a 1-6 SEC record by the time it heads to Austin, Texas. (Tough gig Ryan Silverfield’s got.) Inasmuch as one wants to say Texas should be a heavy favorite in the capper at A&M, don’t be too quick to discount the intense emotions of the Lone Star rivalry. If the Longhorns are on the precipice of another playoff spot, the Aggies would relish playing the spoiler role.

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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What Kentucky-Tennessee showdown means for SEC football title race

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com