Starkville will host No. 7 Alabama and No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday at noon ET in a ranked showdown between two of the SEC’s remaining unbeaten teams.
Magnolia Tribune reported on Oct. 1, 2026, that Alabama (4-0, 2-0 SEC) enters the game as a 6-point favorite and has yet to face a ranked opponent this season.
Alabama comes off a 49-18 win over South Carolina in which sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns, and the Crimson Tide offense is averaging 48 points per game, the Magnolia Tribune account says.
Mississippi State (4-0, 2-0) is coming off a 31-24 victory over Missouri. Quarterback Kamario Taylor leads the Bulldogs, and running back Fluff Bothwell rushed for a season-high 122 yards in the win. The Magnolia Tribune reported Mississippi State leads the SEC with 533.3 yards per game and ranks fourth in scoring at 43 points per game under Taylor.
The Magnolia Tribune also highlighted the undercard: No. 8 Florida (4-0, 2-0) at No. 25 Missouri (3-1, 0-1), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Florida beat then-No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28 and is paced by running back Jadan Baugh, who has 600 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Transfer quarterback Aaron Philo is completing 72.4% of his passes for 917 yards and seven touchdowns while adding three rushing scores.
Missouri’s transfer quarterback Austin Simmons has thrown for 947 yards and 11 touchdowns, with Cayden Lee totaling 27 catches for 412 yards and four TDs. The Tigers remain without running back Ahmad Hardy, who has not returned to full practice after a gunshot wound to his upper leg in May. The Magnolia Tribune noted the Gators were 5.5-point favorites at midweek.
The story also noted SEC impact performers this week, including Georgia linebacker Chris Cole (eight tackles, a sack and two fumble recoveries, one returned 85 yards for a touchdown), LSU freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds (five tackles, two sacks), and Texas defensive lineman Colin Simmons (5.5 sacks in a game, leading the SEC with 7.5).
A look at the numbers in the Magnolia Tribune piece: five SEC teams remain undefeated (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State and Texas); Georgia’s offense has averaged a conference-high 54.8 points per game; LSU leads the conference in defense at 226.8 yards allowed per game; and Gunner Stockton leads the conference with a 74.3 completion percentage. Ten of the SEC’s 16 teams were listed in the AP Top 25: Texas (1), Georgia (2), Alabama (7), Florida (8), Ole Miss (9), LSU (11), Mississippi State (16), Tennessee (17), Kentucky (24) and Missouri (25).
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
