By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

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Previewing all of the weekend action in the Southeastern Conference.

The SEC West takes center stage this week with three showdowns between ranked teams, while the SEC East pushes pause in its title race with Florida, Georgia and Tennessee all idle.

Is this the week where Alabama gets pushed? Can Ed Orgeron move one step closer to potentially getting the full-time head coach position at LSU? What will Arkansas and Auburn do for an encore after last years thriller?

Lets answer, or try to answer, those questions and much more in the SEC Week 8 Primer.

The Vitals

Saturday

Massachusetts at South Carolina, Noon ET (SEC Network); Tom Hart and Andre Ware
(6) Texas A&M at (1) Alabama, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS); Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson
Middle Tennessee at Missouri, 4 p.m. ET (SEC Network); Dave Neal and Matt Stinchcomb
(17) Arkansas at (21) Auburn, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN); Joe Tessitore and Todd Blackledge
Mississippi State at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network); Mark Jones and Rod Gilmore
(23) Ole Miss at (25) LSU, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN); Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer

Players in the Spotlight

1. Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams

Williams has burst onto the scene as a true freshman with an 8.6 yards per carry average through six games. Hell now face his biggest test of the season in Alabama, who is once again leading the nation in stopping the run. When the unstoppable force meets the immovable object in these situations, generally the latter wins. Nick Chubb did little against the Alabama last year, and Leonard Fournettes Heisman campaign went up in smoke on a Tuscaloosa Saturday night last November. Can Williams turn the tide?

2. Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly

Kelly struggled in last weeks loss at Arkansas, completing just 18 of 39 pass attempts. With a still non-existent running game and a shaky offense, the Ole Miss offense goes as Kelly goes. He torched the LSU defense last year, but that game was in Oxford. This is an 8:15 p.m. local time kickoff in Baton Rouge 3 a much more challenging environment. The LSU defense hasnt allowed more than 20 points all season, but with the Rebels defense struggling in the back seven, Kelly could have to double that for Ole Miss to win in Death Valley for the first time since 2008.

3. Auburn DE Carl Lawson

The Tigers will hope to use the Alabama game plan against Arkansas to stay alive in the SEC West race. 49 points isnt happening, but getting in Razorbacks quarterback Austin Allens face is something this Auburn defensive front is capable of, as the Crimson Tide did in blowing out Arkansas two weeks ago. Lawson leads the team in sacks with six, which trails only LSUs Arden Key in the SEC. Arkansas has allowed an SEC-high 17 sacks this season, meaning Lawson has a great chance to add to his total on Saturday night on the Plains.

4. South Carolina QB Jake Bentley

Will Bentley become the third different starting quarterback for South Carolina this season? With the Gamecocks having had a week off and facing a seemingly overmatched UMass team, this game would make sense for Will Muschamp to pull the redshirt off of Bentley, who reclassified from the Class of 2017 to the Class of 2016 to enroll at South Carolina in the summer. At 64d, Bentley is four inches taller than South Carolinas two starters this season 3 Brandon McIlwain and Perry Orth.

5. Mississippi State WR Keith Mixon

With DeRunnya Wilson gone after last season and Fred Ross winding down his Mississippi State career, the Bulldogs receiving corps is becoming much smaller in stature. Mixon, who is the only player besides Ross with multiple receiving touchdowns last season, stands just 58d, but has some qualities that resemble for Florida standout Percy Harvin, who Dan Mullen coached as Gators offensive coordinator. Mixon has come on strong the past two weeks with 124 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Hell hope to continue trending upward in a must-win game for the Bulldogs at Kentucky.

Trivia Time (answers below):

1. Who was Arkansas head coach in its only win at Auburn this decade?

2. Who is the last team to defeat Alabama in Tuscaloosa during the month of October?

3. What was Ed Orgerons record as Ole Miss head coach in 15 games against SEC West opponents?

Predictions

Last Week: 4-2 (3-2-1 ATS)
Season To Date: 49-16 (28-30-3 ATS)

Tennessee State at Vanderbilt (1 star): Two schools less than two miles apart meet for the first time since 2006. The Commodores should even their record at 4-4, which would match the starts of nine-win Vanderbilt teams in 2012 and 2013. The Tigers come in at 5-1, with their only loss coming to perennial FCS title contender Eastern Illinois. Expect a slow start for the Commodores before pulling away in the second half for the first winning streak of the Derek Mason era. Vanderbilt 34, Tennessee State 10.

Massachusetts at South Carolina (-20.5) (2 stars): The 1-6 Minutemen complete the SEC portion of their schedule (lost to Florida and Mississippi State) with a trip to Columbia. The Gamecocks still have slim bowl hopes, so there is still something to play for. South Carolina likely didnt find any offense during its bye week, but the defense will be enough to register another ugly victory. Will the Gamecocks crack 20 points for the first time this season? South Carolina 24, Massachusetts 7.

Middle Tennessee at Missouri (-7.5) (2 stars): Drew Lock was a miserable 4-of-18 in the Tigers loss to Florida last week, but should be able to bounce back against a Blue Raiders defense that allowed 47 points to Vanderbilt. Middle Tennessee should put some points as well, with 24 being their low mark in their first six games. The Tigers need to win their next four games to make a bowl with Tennessee and Arkansas to close. Missouri 27, Middle Tennessee 23

Mississippi State (-3) at Kentucky (2 stars): The SECs most inauspicious cross-division rivalry will be renewed in Lexington, where the loser can likely kiss any hopes of a bowl bid goodbye. Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald struggled against a weak BYU secondary last Friday night, but gets another chance at a vulnerable unit against the Wildcats. Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen has a stellar record against SEC East foes, having won nine of his past 10 games. The Bulldogs will make it 10 of 11, but barely. Mississippi State 21, Kentucky 19.

Arkansas at Auburn (-10) (4 stars): Two teams still with New Years Six bowl hopes collide on The Plains, 52 weeks after a 54-46, four-overtime classic won by the Razorbacks in Fayetteville. Both teams possess strong rushing attacks, but Auburns front seven gives them a significant edge against a Hogs offensive line that has struggled in pass protection. With Austin Allen making his first SEC road start, expect some nerves early on in a loud Jordan-Hare Stadium. A fun game goes the way of the Tigers, with a late cover for Auburn so that Las Vegas, as usual, gets the last laugh. Auburn 29, Arkansas 17.

Ole Miss at LSU (-6.5) (4 stars): What to make of this game? Is Ole Miss still engaged after its 3-3 start? Is LSU really that much improved offensively under Ed Orgeron, or has it been a product of playing two bad teams? Despite the challenge of playing at night in Tiger Stadium, the Rebels have the better quarterback, and have proven time and time again under Hugh Freeze that they can bounce back from a difficult loss. Ole Miss 31, LSU 28.

Texas A&M at Alabama (-18) (5 stars): The final test in Alabamas three-game gauntlet before its traditional pre-LSU bye week comes at home, but Texas A&M has played better on the road than at home since joining the SEC, including its memorable upset of the top-ranked Crimson Tide in 2012. Can the Aggies get anything going on the ground? Probably not, but Texas A&M has the defensive front to also make Alabama one-dimensional. Alabama wins, but its closer and lower-scoring than expected. Alabama 30, Texas A&M 17.

Trivia Answers

1. John L. Smith (2012)

2. South Carolina (2004)

3. 1-14 (def. Mississippi State in 2006)