Which SEC Matchups This Weekend Have Biggest Impact on Alabama? Just a Minute

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring Alabama Crimson Tide on SI's beat writers. Multiple times per week, the writers will group up or film solo to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as Alabama Crimson Tide on SI football writer and assistant editor Katie Windham discusses which matchups around the Southeastern Conference this week have the biggest impact on Alabama.

Week 4 in the SEC brings a Saturday slate full of intriguing matchups from start to finish with Texas at Tennessee in the morning, and an unexpected top-25 matchup with Missouri at Mississippi State to round out the night.

Two of the games (Texas A&M/LSU and Vanderbilt/Auburn) are matchups where both opponents are on Alabama's schedule later this season. With Texas A&M and LSU both already having a loss in SEC play, this Saturday's game between the two in Baton Rouge almost serves as a College Football Playoff elimination game because neither team wants to already have two losses at the end of September.

The earlier some teams get eliminated from the pack, the better it is for Alabama. The other most impactful matchup for the Crimson Tide this weekend is in Starkville with the No. 24 Bulldogs hosting No. 19 Missouri. If Mississippi State can take care of the Tigers at home, and if Alabama handles business at home against the Gamecocks, it sets up a massive game next week between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs next week with both teams sitting at 4-0.

Alabama has not played a ranked Mississippi State team in Starkville since 2017, when it escaped with a game-winning touchdown by DeVonta Smith with 25 seconds to go.

There is still so much football to be played in the SEC, but this week's schedule with four top-25 matchups will play a big role in teams' SEC and CFP chances.

SEC Football Week 4 Schedule

(all times CT)

No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee, 11 a.m., ABC
South Alabama at Kentucky, 11:45 a.m., SEC Network
Oklahoma at No. 2 Georgia, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida, 2:30 p.m., ABC
Vanderbilt at Auburn, 3:15 p.m., SEC Network
South Carolina at No. 8 Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
No. 23 Texas A&M at No. 10 LSU, 6:30 p.m., ABC
No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State, 6:45 p.m., ABC
Tulsa at Arkansas, 7 p.m., SEC Network+

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