UNDATED (AP) — No. 1 has been a particularly secure position during the College Football Playoff era. The last time No. 1 was beaten twice in a regular season was 2012, which was also the last time No. 1 went down in consecutive weeks. That November, Texas A&M and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel went to top-ranked Alabama and beat the Tide. The next week Stanford knocked off No. 1 Oregon in overtime. The Aggies have set the stage again with a victory against Alabama. No. 11 Kentucky will try to play the role of Stanford to Georgia’s Oregon on Saturday. Wildcats-Bulldogs is one of two games matching ranked teams in Week 7.

UNDATED (AP) — The last two unbeaten teams in the Southeastern Conference square off this week when No. 1 Georgia hosts No. 11 Kentucky on Saturday. The Bulldogs rose to the top of the rankings last week when Alabama was upset at Texas A&M 41-38. Kentucky is off to its first 6-0 start since 1950 and is 4-0 in SEC play for the first time since 1977. The Wildcats are seeking their fourth win all-time against a No. 1-ranked opponent and their first in 14 years since defeating top-ranked LSU in triple overtime in 2007. 

UNDATED (AP) — Alabama hopes its wakeup call restored the focus and execution the Crimson Tide has lacked at times this football season. Last week’s 41-38 loss at Texas A&M knocked Alabama from its No. 1 perch and dealing with several contenders in a West Division that has been its domain. That group includes the Bulldogs, who are rested after a bye week and eager to topple the Tide following their own upset of A&M nearly two weeks ago. Alabama has won the last 13 meetings including last year’s 41-0 blowout. The Tide has also won 15 times after a loss since 2008.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia is back at No. 1 for the first time in more than a decade, led by a defense that looks like one for the ages. The Bulldogs have have allowed just 5.5 points a game through the first half of the regular season — and that includes a pick-six when the defense wasn’t even on the field. No wonder Kentucky is more than a three-touchdown underdog. Never mind that the Wildcats are off to their best start since 1950 and ranked No. 11. The winner of Saturday’s game in Athens will be strongly positioned to win the SEC East.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — No. 17 Arkansas hosts Auburn after three games away from Fayetteville. The Razorbacks are favored for the first time in more than 30 SEC games. Arkansas lost a 52-51 thriller to Ole Miss last week. The Razorbacks opened the season with four straight wins and climbed to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll before dropping back-to-back games to Georgia and Ole Miss. Auburn is coming off a 34-10 loss to Georgia under first-year coach Bryan Harsin.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Florida quarterback Emory Jones says the 20th-ranked Gators aim to play a cleaner game against LSU than the last time the historical rivals met in Gainesville a season ago. Jones says Florida emerged from last season’s dramatic 37-34 loss regretting their own mistakes and have made a concerted effort to be mindful of not undermining their own efforts again on Saturday in Death Valley. Jones was alluding in part to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Florida for throwing an LSU players shoe. That foul helped the Tigers drive for Cade York’s game winning 57-yard field goal through the fog. 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee is throwing quite a party for Lane Kiffin’s first game back in Knoxville as a head coach. Neyland Stadium is sold out for the first time since September 2017. Fans will be organized in orange and white sections for a Vols’ checkerboard effect also for the first time since 2017 to greet Kiffin and his 13th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin says that means there’s a lot of excitement for this game. The real fireworks will start Saturday  night with kickoff in this showdown between two of the nation’s top three most prolific offenses. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Struggling South Carolina and Vanderbilt will face off to see who’s worst in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks and Commodores meet Saturday with both looking to end long, league losing streaks. South Carolina has lost nine straight SEC games. Vanderbilt is riding a 15-game losing streak in the conference. No surprise that the two teams are led by first-year, first-time head coaches eager to show their programs are headed in the right direction. South Carolina has won the past 12 meetings with the Commodores dating back to 2008 when now coach Shane Beamer was a Gamecocks assistant. 

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