College football games on TV today: Auburn-Georgia, Alabama-Texas A&M make for an SEC marquee

This weekend could be a bellwether for the rest of the season, at least in terms of fan interest, with two strong SEC matchups (Texas A&M-Alabama, Auburn-Georgia). Of course, the Big Ten’s eventual return could change things, but it seems many are taking a pass on college football this season. Time will tell.

Time

Time

Game

TV

Noon

Noon

South Carolina at No. 3 Florida

ESPN

Noon

Noon

TCU at No. 9 Texas

Fox

Noon

Noon

Missouri at No. 21 Tennessee

SEC Network

Noon

Noon

North Carolina State at No. 24 Pittsburgh

ACC Network

Noon

Noon

Baylor at West Virginia

ABC

Noon

Noon

Arkansas State at Coastal Carolina

ESPN2

Noon

Noon

East Carolina at Georgia State

ESPNU

12:30

12:30

Texas San Antonio at UAB

MASN2 (in D.C. area)

1:30

1:30

Abilene Christian at Army

CBS Sports Network

3:30

3:30

No. 13 Texas A&M at No. 2 Alabama

CBS

3:30

3:30

No. 12 North Carolina at Boston College

ABC

3:30

3:30

No. 17 Oklahoma State at Kansas

ESPN

3:30

3:30

No. 25 Memphis at SMU

ESPN2

3:30

3:30

Texas Tech at Kansas State

Fox Sports 1

4

4

Mississippi at Kentucky

SEC Network

4

4

Charlotte at Florida Atlantic

ESPNU

4

4

Virginia Tech at Duke

ACC Network

4

4

Jacksonville State at Florida State

MASN (in D.C. area)

6

6

Navy at Air Force

CBS Sports Network

7:30

7:30

No. 7 Auburn at No. 4 Georgia

ESPN

7:30

7:30

Tulsa at No. 11 Central Florida

ESPN2

7:30

7:30

Arkansas at No. 16 Mississippi State

SEC Network Alternate

7:30

7:30

No. 18 Oklahoma at Iowa State

ABC

7:30

7:30

No 20 LSU at Vanderbilt

SEC Network

7:30

7:30

Southern Mississippi at North Texas

MASN2 (in D.C. area)

8

8

Virginia at No. 1 Clemson

ACC Network

Texas leads its all-time series with TCU, 63-26-1, but the Horned Frogs have evened things out in recent years, going 6-2 over the past eight matchups. The series hasn’t been so lopsided in TCU’s favor since the Horned Frogs won eight of 11 meetings between 1932 and 1942. Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger had a dreadful game in last year’s matchup — a 37-27 TCU win — with four interceptions, but he has thrown 10 touchdown passes against one pick in two high-scoring wins this season. The issues for the Longhorns, at least in last week’s 63-56 overtime win over Texas Tech, have been defense (missed tackles aplenty) and special teams (a fumble on a punt return that was recovered for a touchdown, a blocked punt and an onside kick recovered by the Red Raiders). …

Alabama’s win over Missouri was peak early-season Tide: Take a big lead early with all of those blue-chip starters (in this case 28-3) and then get pretty much anyone of importance off the field in the second half. Unlike early in most seasons, when there are guaranteed to be a number of cream puffs on the schedule, Alabama’s road should get bumpier against visiting Texas A&M, even after the Aggies slogged to a five-point win over Vanderbilt in which they fumbled five times. Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score last season against the Crimson Tide, but Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa countered with four touchdown passes. He’s gone, of course, but replacement Mac Jones might have a similar day against an Aggies secondary that has had two players opt out because of novel coronavirus concerns. Alabama Coach Nick Saban is 19-0 all-time against his former assistants, including 3-0 over Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher. …

Auburn and Georgia won by double digits last weekend, but looks can be deceiving. Kentucky outgained the Tigers but handed them numerous gifts — two turnovers in the red zone, one of them an interception at the goal line; a fumble at its own 32-yard line, leading to a short Tigers touchdown drive; and a failed fake punt from its own 30, resulting in another quick Auburn score — in a 29-13 Auburn win. The Bulldogs trailed Arkansas midway through the third quarter before reeling off 32 straight points in a 37-10 victory. Starting quarterback D’Wan Mathis struggled statistically for Georgia — Coach Kirby Smart said this week that Mathis’s issues were not entirely his fault — completing only 8 of 17 passes for 55 yards with an interception before getting benched for Stetson Bennett, who powered the comeback with significant help from the Bulldogs’ defense. But now heralded transfer JT Daniels has been cleared to play after recovering from the knee injury that cost him almost the entire 2019 season at Southern California.