Top-ranked Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia in a key SEC showdown that could decide playoff prospects

What to watch in the Southeastern Conference this week:

Game of the week

No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) vs. No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0), 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ABC)

College football’s powerhouses will face off for the first time as members of the SEC, with both top-10 schools looking to improve their position in the conference as the first rankings for the 12-team College Football Playoff next month be drawn. The Longhorns are tied with No. 8 LSU at 2-0, with both just a half game behind first place and No. 14 Texas A&M in the win column. The Bulldogs also have three league wins, but are half a game behind in the loss list.

Texas is 6-0 for the first time since 2009 and defeated rival Oklahoma 34-3 in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas last week. The Longhorns have fared well in the league since rising to No. 1 last month, dominating last-place Mississippi State and the Sooners by a combined margin of 69-16. Quarterback Quinn Ewers returned from an abdominal strain to pass for 199 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another score, but Texas linebacker Anthony Hill was the star with 11 tackles (seven solo), two sacks, 3, 5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the win.

Meanwhile, Georgia rallied early against last-seeded Mississippi State before outscoring 21-7 in the second half and grinding out a 41-31 victory. Quarterback Carson Beck threw for a career-high 459 yards and three touchdowns in the win, while the Bulldogs threw for a season-high 605 total yards.

Texas leads the series 4-1, most recently with a 28-21 Sugar Bowl victory over the Dawgs during the 2018 season.

The undercard

No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1) vs. No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1), 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

The traditional third Saturday in October brings together two more teams who have playoff ambitions but are trying to avoid a second defeat that could end those hopes. The Crimson Tide are looking a little shaky right now, leaving South Carolina at 27-25 a week after losing 40-35 at Vanderbilt.

Tennessee bounced back from its surprising loss to Arkansas by defeating rival Florida 23-17 in overtime in Knoxville. This run also has the Volunteers looking for a more confident performance, and a chance for a second straight home win over the Tide looms.

Impact player

Vanderbilt kicker Brock Taylor ensured the Commodores’ epic upset of Alabama was no fluke, hitting field goals of 49 and 50 yards in a 20-13 win at Kentucky. Taylor scored a total of eight points on two point-after kicks, but his 50-yarder made him the first Vandy kicker since Corey Spear in the 2012-13 season to convert four at that distance or longer. More importantly, it extended the lead the Dores held to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play.

Within the numbers

Vanderbilt converted both of Kentucky’s red zone chances as quarterback Diego Pavia threw touchdown passes of 20 and 18 yards to AJ Newberry and Richie Hoskins, respectively. … Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren Jr. threw for a career-best 306 yards in just his second career start against Georgia. … Ole Miss (24), LSU (21), Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas (19 each) ranked in the top 15 nationally in sacks.

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