Big Ten & SEC Week Eleven Preview
During the season, members of the Florida Citrus Sports Team Selection Committee are out on the road to meet with fans of our partner schools to spread the word about our brand-new home field opening for the 2014 bowl season.
This weekend, we’ll be at four notable games featuring teams from our partner conferences*:
Alabama (7-1, 4-1 SEC) travels to Baton Rouge to face LSU (7-2, 3-2 SEC) in an SEC West divisional clash. This is the first time since 2010 that neither team enters the game ranked first in the nation. Both teams enter the matchup off of their bye week and are on three-game winning streaks. Alabama held off a late push from Tennessee in their most recent game, earning a 34-20 victory on the road. LSU gave Ole Miss its first loss two weeks ago, scoring the game-winning touchdown with five minutes remaining to win 10-7. The Tigers are 32-2 at home the dating back to the 2010 season with one of those losses coming to top-ranked Alabama in 2012 and the other coming to Mississippi State this season. The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 48-25-5, including victories in the past three meetings.
Ohio State travels to East Lansing to face Michigan State in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship Game. Both squads enter the game on six-game winning streaks and are unbeaten in conference atop the Big Ten East. The Buckeyes easily defeated Illinois last weekend 55-14 while the Spartans knocked off heated-rivals Michigan 35-11 two weeks ago. A win over Michigan State this weekend would give the Buckeyes 21 consecutive Big Ten regular season wins, breaking their own conference record set in 2007. Michigan State won last year’s meeting in the Big Ten Football Championship Game to end Ohio State’s national championship hopes and earn a trip to Pasadena where the Spartans left as Rose Bowl champions. The Spartans have won two of the past three meetings but trail the Buckeyes 28-14 all-time.
Kentucky (5-4, 2-4 SEC) welcomes Georgia (6-2, 4-2 SEC) to Lexington with both teams looking to get back on track following losses last weekend. After getting off to their best start since 2007, the Wildcats have dropped three consecutive games including a 20-10 loss on the road against Missouri last week. Kentucky has fared well at home this season, sporting a 5-1 record with their only loss coming to top-ranked Mississippi State. Georgia comes into the game following their loss to Florida that saw the Bulldogs allow a season-high 38 points. The Bulldogs hold a 53-12-2 edge in the all-time series and have won the last four against the Wildcats.
Auburn (7-1, 4-1 SEC) hosts Texas A&M (6-3, 2-3 SEC) looking to remain in the hunt for the SEC West Division title and keep the pressure on Mississippi State. The Tigers have won back-to-back games after suffering their first defeat including a 35-31 thriller last weekend against Ole Miss. The Aggies put an end to their three-game losing streak last weekend with a 21-16 victory over UL Monroe. Freshman Kyle Allen threw for 106 yards and a touchdown in his first career start. Auburn earned their first win over Texas A&M last season with a 45-41 victory in College Station after losing their first three meetings with the Aggies.