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It didn’t take long for things to get interesting in the AP Top 25 this week.
a 13 1/2-point underdog that picked off four Carson Beck passes on the way to a 24-21 victory Friday night that should land the Cardinals in the rankings on Sunday. Not long after that,
All that came before the turned to the Southeastern Conference, which is where three of the five matchups were set Saturday.
The only head-to-head meeting of top 10 teams was where the Rebels haven’t won since 1996. Both teams were looking for more polished performances after winning games that turned unexpectedly difficult.
Other top matchups included LSU at Vanderbilt, Tennessee at Alabama and Utah at BYU.
Top games to watch
— QB Trinidad Chambliss will make his first road start in a stadium where Mississippi has long struggled. The Rebels are coming off a 24-21 home win over Washington State, an uninspired performance fans hope was a one-off. Georgia wasn’t very sharp last week, either, winning 20-10 at Auburn. The Bulldogs have had trouble getting started in games, trailing at the half in three of their four SEC games. BetMGM Sportsbook: Georgia by 7.5.
— This matchup features two of the top QBs in the SEC in the and the Crimson Tide’s Ty Simpson, who has emerged as a Heisman Trophy favorite. This game will come down to whether Tennessee is able to make stops. Tennessee is 106th in the nation in scoring defense and the program has lost 10 straight in Tuscaloosa. BetMGM Sportsbook: Alabama by 8.5.
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— QBs Garrett Nussmeier of LSU and Diego Pavia of Vanderbilt are looking to find some rhythm. An early Heisman Trophy front-runner, Nussmeier has been banged up and inconsistent. Pavia wasn’t at his best in his last game, throwing an interception and losing a fumble in the loss to Alabama. BetMGM Sportsbook: Vanderbilt by 2.5.
The undercard
— No. 20 Southern California (5-1) at No. 13 Notre Dame (4-2). The winner takes possession of the jeweled Shillelagh. That’s the least of the stakes, given both teams have playoff aspirations. The game pits one of the nation’s hottest offenses in USC against an Irish defense that has allowed a combined 27 points over three games. The once-beaten Trojans still have to play road games against No. 25 Nebraska and No. 8 Oregon. The schedule gets considerably easier for twice-beaten Notre Dame after this, so a loss to the Trojans would be devastating. BetMGM Sportsbook: Notre Dame by 9.5.
— The Holy War rivalry is as hot as ever now that it’s a Big 12 game and a controversial defensive holding penalty kept alive BYU’s final drive in a last year. BYU is going for a third straight win in the series for the first time since a four-game streak from 1989-92. BetMGM Sportsbook: Utah by 3.5.
Outside looking in
— Washington (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) at Michigan (4-2, 2-1). Depending on what happens elsewhere, the winner of this game likely will be in the Top 25 come Sunday. The Huskies, who last Friday, got an extra day to prepare for their second long road trip in three weeks. The Wolverines are looking to rebound from the BetMGM Sportsbook: Michigan by 5.5.
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