As a writer, he has covered college sports for, and as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers. Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. The next two games are against Auburn and Ole Miss.

If the Aggies want to make a run to a prestigious bowl game, it starts Saturday. SC gets to look ahead to a week off next Saturday, but Florida, Missouri, Auburn and Clemson still await them. South Carolina may have overlooked a scrappy Vandy team last week in the Gamecocks’ 21-20 win, but they are not the kind of team that can look ahead to a future opponent. The Crimson Tide is now rested, and it needs style points against the rest of its schedule to impress the playoff committee. Unfortunately for UT, Alabama’s Bryce Young has a much better arm than anyone wearing orange in the Neyland Stadium grandstands last week. Tennessee lost to a hobbled-Matt Corral Ole Miss team last week, and now the Vols get their second-straight Heisman candidate at quarterback. Vanderbilt also gets three ranked teams the rest of the way and there are no more UConn’s nor Colorado States on the schedule. It gets three ranked teams down the stretch, and one of those games is at Auburn.

Even the Bulldogs are probably not sure what they are going to get from themselves each Saturday. But the Commodores are improving and MSU is the conference’s version of Dr. State’s air-raid offense could run up 50 points on a Vandy defense that is simply outmanned. This thing could easily go one of two ways. MISSISSIPPI STATE at VANDERBILT, 3 p.m., SEC Network Ole Miss is still favored, but with either a banged up quarterback or an inexperienced quarterback going against a team that beat Florida last week, the Landsharks will have to help their offense. Freshman Luke Altmyer could see his most significant action of the season and with Corral’s Ole Miss career likely to end after this season, Rebel fans could get a preview of what’s to come. With one good leg, he may not run quite as much as he normally does. The Rebels’ Matt Corral rolled his ankle last week in the win at Tennessee, and hopefully for Ole Miss he will be available. LSU is happy the Ed Orgeron-era is coming to an end. Ole Miss is celebrating the legacy of Eli Manning. The Golden Lions started the year 1-0 and are in the midst of a five-game losing streak. After beginning the season 4-0, Sam Pittman’s Hogs have been butchered by Georgia, Ole Miss and Auburn. The aforementioned cupcake starts the day’s games. When the Arkansas game is seen, it should be over before the echo of the first “Wooo Pig Sooie!” ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF at ARKANSAS, 11 a.m., SEC Network

There is a light schedule in the Southeastern Conference schedule this week with only nine teams in action.

Rebels of southeastern conference