The SEC season is just getting started, but already all but three teams have at least one conference loss.
That means the margin for error has shrunk for several contenders seeking a trip to the SEC championship game as a path to the college football playoff.
Two potential CFP contenders meet when No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1) visits No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-0) on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La.
“We know where we’re at in terms of having SEC opponents in the next seven weeks,” said Tigers coach Brian Kelly, whose team is coming off an open date. LSU is joined by No. 1 Texas (1-0) and No. 15 Texas A&M (3-0) as teams undefeated in SEC play.
The Tigers, who lost a non-conference game to USC to start the season, saw their CFP hopes all but vanish last season when a 55-49 loss to the Rebels dropped them to 3-2. Another loss to Ole Miss could have a similar impact on this team’s hopes.
LSU allowed 706 yards to the Rebels and couldn’t keep up in the shootout, even with eventual Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“Last year clearly we were tilted to one side of the ball and unfortunately we had to play the game that way,” Kelly said. “I didn’t like it, but that’s what we had. … That’s not the right way but it was the only way to play.”
The Tigers started this season with similar defensive struggles but have shown improvement in their last two games: a 34-17 victory against UCLA and a 42-10 victory against South Alabama.
“I think there’s much more balance in our football team,” Kelly said. “We’re much further along. This isn’t the same defense.”
Ole Miss has been known mostly for its offense during head coach Lane Kiffin’s five seasons, but the defense has played very well this season. It kept the Rebels in the game while the offense struggled in a 20-17 loss to Kentucky Sept. 28 and was dominant in a 27-3 victory at South Carolina last week.
The offense might have to play without star wide receiver Tre Harris, who left last week’s game with a lower leg injury late in the first half and didn’t return.
“He certainly wouldn’t be playing (Monday),” Kiffin said of Harris’ availability this week.
Harris leads the country with 885 receiving yards and is second with 52 receptions.
“We’ve got to perform better than we did in the second half without him when we had three points,” Kiffin said. “(His absence) makes us move people to different spots, so we’re preparing to do that and preparing to play without him.”
Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. is second to Harris with 371 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Jordan Watkins is next with two receiving touchdowns.
The improved defense can make everyone’s job easier if Harris isn’t available.
“It’s a different feeling just knowing that you don’t have to go out there and score every drive, just having that ability to not be stressed out,” Watkins said. “We’ve got a really good defense that flies around. They play together and they play sound.”
