A little bit of this and a little bit of that as we point toward Week 12 in the SEC:
Florida is a huge favorite against Florida International on Saturday at the Swamp. The No. 1 team in the AP poll hasn't lost a November home game to a team with a losing record since 1961. That year, a 2-4-1 TCU team knocked off No. 1 Texas in Austin on Nov. 18.
Alabama’s third-down defense has been one of the best in the country for the second straight year. The Crimson Tide are sixth nationally, holding opponents to a 29.1 percent conversion rate (14-of-141). They were third nationally a year ago, holding opponents to a 28.1 percent conversion rate (56-of-199).
Over its last five games, Alabama has kicked 15 field goals. In those five games, the Crimson Tide have managed just two touchdowns in 13 red zone trips. For the season, Alabama ranks 116th nationally in red zone touchdown percentage (41 percent).
Ole Miss won last year’s meeting with LSU, snapping the Tigers’ six-game winning streak in the series. LSU has won the last four meetings in Oxford, with Ole Miss’ last home win coming in 1998. Starting last season, the game is being referred to as the “Magnolia Bowl.”
Proving how deceiving statistics can sometimes be, LSU ranks 73rd or worse nationally in all four major offensive categories. They’re 107th in total offense and 103rd in passing offense.
LSU has allowed just three rushing touchdowns all season, tied with Texas and Florida for the fewest in the country. The Tigers haven’t allowed any rushing touchdowns in their last six games.
Since 1992 and the inception of divisional play, Tennessee is 58-11 (.840) in regular-season games on or after Nov. 1 and 44-6 (.880) vs. SEC opponents. Tennessee’s league opponents in that span include Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Florida, LSU and Ole Miss.
Tennessee junior safety Eric Berry will likely be playing in his final home game Saturday at Neyland Stadium. He's one of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL draft and will almost certainly turn pro. Berry needs 9 yards to break Terrell Buckley's NCAA career record for interception return yardage. Buckley finished his career at Florida State with 501 interception return yards.
Vanderbilt freshman Warren Norman leads the SEC with 1,789 all-purpose yards. He needs 17 yards Saturday against Tennessee to break Herschel Walker’s SEC freshman record for all-purpose yards in a season. Walker had 1,805 all-purpose yards in 1980 during his freshman season at Georgia.
Kentucky has won two consecutive SEC road games (at Auburn and Vanderbilt) for the first time since 2002 when the Wildcats won at Arkansas and Mississippi State.
Kicking the ball hasn’t been Georgia’s problem this season. The Bulldogs lead the nation in net punting, averaging 43.7 yards. Sophomore Drew Butler is leading the nation in punting, averaging 49 yards per punt. Sophomore place-kicker Blair Walsh is also leading the SEC in field goal percentage, hitting 14-of-15 (93.3 percent).
Arkansas is the only team in the SEC with four different players to have 100-yard receiving games this season – Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and D.J. Williams.