Saturday's brawl with LSU marks possibly the final time in their college careers that Laremy Tunsil, Robert Nkemdiche, and Laquon Treadwell will don the Rebel red and blue in Oxford. That's an incredibly jarring thing to write, as it also is to consider in all of its historic implications: that the cream Ole Miss' 2013 recruiting class -- and all its attendant scream-crying from without -- will be moving on to play at the professional level next year, and well they should.
This year's LSU scrap, then, holds a degree of bon voyage pomp for the Rebs' standout footballers, not to mention those exhausting their NCAA eligibility, and it's rather anti-climactic that the Tigers slip-side into Oxford on a two-game skid, while Ole Miss has flitted here and there since the Gainesville debacle. Two months ago, the LSU-Ole Miss matchup promised the best of the SEC West slugging away at one another for a ticket to Atlanta. Here, in real time, it's a wonder this game is actually happening.
Those SEC games not happening in Oxford this weekend are rather humdrum, all told, but anyway the real action is happening in the Big 12.
How to watch:
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
TV: CBS
Online Streaming: SEC Live
Other games of note:
No. 21 Memphis at Temple
Remember when Temple hosted College Gameday and Notre Dame only to come this close to the season's most hilarious upset? Well, Saturday's bout with Memphis could turn hairy fast and maybe, just maybe, those pesky Tigers will have one blow up in their face.
Game Time: 11 a.m. CT
TV: ESPNU
Online Streaming: WatchESPN
No. 9 Michigan State at No. 3 Ohio State
Probably very few people outside of East Lansing expect Sparty to pull this one off in Columbus, still, OSU -13 feels a little far-fetched.
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
TV: ABC
No. 10 Baylor at No. 6 Oklahoma State
Baylor came within spitting distance of the CFP group of four and then fell on their faces against Oklahoma last week. That TCU, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Baylor are playing something of a round robin jockey-off for a playoff spot this late into the season offers up the most interesting of appointment viewing on Saturday.
Game Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
TV: FOX Sports
Online Streaming: FOXSportsGO
No. 18 TCU at No. 7 Oklahoma
TCU hung around the top eight or so CFP teams for nine weeks this season and then got blasted by Oklahoma State on Nov. 7. At this point, the best TCU can hope for is to play spoiler to Oklahoma on Saturday and Baylor next week and then see what happens when bowl season commences. Should Oklahoma win, well, Norman's congressperson should expect many earnest letters in support of the Sooners' place in the group of four.
Game Time: 7 p.m. CT
TV: ABC
Complete Saturday viewing guide: