Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference:<\/p>\n
Game of the week<\/p>\n
No. 17 Florida (5-2, 3-2 SEC) vs. No. 3 Georgia (6-1, 4-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)<\/p>\n
The World\u2019s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party looks a little different this year as the Gators and Bulldogs meet in Atlanta in what is the first ranked-vs.-ranked matchup between the rivals since 2020.<\/p>\n
[RELATED: Georgia-Florida game: Watch SEC GameDay on 2 primetime special, LIVE Friday at 8 p.m.<\/a>]<\/p>\n [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks<\/a>]<\/p>\n Georgia has won eight of the last 10 against Florida, including the past five. The Bulldogs have found success in minimizing a Gators offense that has exceeded 30 points just twice in the last 15 meetings.<\/p>\n Both teams were idle after very different Week 7 outcomes. The Bulldogs fell to Auburn<\/a> in a turnover-filled upset, and Florida delivered a momentum-building 27-24 win over Texas. Georgia is 9-0 after regular-season losses dating back to 2019.<\/p>\n A productive day for running back Jadan Baugh and holding Georgia\u2019s defense on third downs will be key for a Florida team that can\u2019t afford another loss if it wants to keep its playoff hopes alive. It\u2019s the first of three consecutive ranked matchups for the Bulldogs, who have first-round bye hopes for the College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n Georgia is an 11.5-point favorite.<\/p>\n The undercard<\/p>\n Auburn (4-3, 2-3) at No. 12 Ole Miss (5-2, 3-2), Saturday, 12:45 p.m. ET (SEC Network)<\/p>\n A bounceback game for both teams: The Rebels are coming off a 34-27 road loss to Texas while Auburn was humbled 38-17 by LSU after its upset of then-No. 1 Georgia.<\/p>\n The Rebels will try to keep its title and playoff hopes alive without star running back Kewan Lacy<\/a>, who will be sidelined after dislocating his shoulder against Texas. Makhi Frazier will take on the bulk of snaps with Lacy out.<\/p>\n Auburn dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown could prove to be a challenge for an Ole Miss defense that has allowed an SEC-high 161.1 rushing yards per game. LSU held Auburn\u2019s rushing attack to 66 yards.<\/p>\n Ole Miss is a 13-point favorite.<\/p>\n Impact players<\/p>\n \u2014 Owen Heinecke: The sixth-year Oklahoma linebacker tied for a game-high 10 tackles vs. Mississippi State, which included a sack and two tackles for loss. He forced a fumble in the second quarter, which Oklahoma turned into a 96-yard touchdown drive.<\/p>\n \u2014 Sam Leavitt: The LSU quarterback had 432 total yards and four touchdowns in the win at Auburn. He completed 32 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns while adding 54 rushing yards and a score.<\/p>\n \u2014 Jackson Harris: The LSU receiver connected with Leavitt for a career-high 178 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches against Auburn.<\/p>\n A look at the numbers<\/p>\n The SEC has nine ranked teams: No. 3 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 17 Florida, No. 23 Missouri. … Georgia and Kentucky are the only SEC teams with one loss. … Georgia maintains the highest-scoring offense, averaging 43 points per game while allowing the fewest points (15.86). … Tennessee leads the SEC with 35 sacks through eight games. … LSU averages a conference-high 510 yards of offense per game.<\/p>\n Injury updates<\/p>\n Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor will be out for the rest of the season<\/a> with a surgery-requiring foot injury. Ole Miss will be without Lacy this week after the star Rebels running back suffered a dislocated shoulder vs. Texas.<\/p>\n Missouri standout running back Ahmad Hardy has returned to practice as a full participant<\/a> after a long recovery from a gunshot wound in May.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here<\/a>. Visit the Top 25 here<\/a> and see AP\u2019s full college football coverage here.<\/a><\/p>\n