That makes this Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. (CST) meeting between the No. 7-ranked Florida Gators (4-1, 2-1) and No. 1-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge important for more than one reason. First, a LSU win would keep the Tigers unbeaten and a leg up on their Western Division competition … and it would solidify their top ranking in the national polls (the Tigers are actually ranked No. 1 in the AP and USA Today polls, and No. 2 in the Harris Interactive poll). A Florida victory would tighten the Western race and keep Florida in at least a tie for the top in the unbelievably even Eastern Conference where all six members currently have one loss apiece.

LSU will be hoping history doesn’t repeat itself. It’s been a long wait - 48 years - in Baton Rouge between No. 1 rankings. The last time the Tigers were ranked at the top of the AP football poll was Nov. 2, 1959. They promptly lost their next outing to Tennessee.

Florida will be hoping for some déjà vu - in reverse - from last week when the Gators went into their game with Auburn riding an 11-game winning streak, one shy of tying the school record for consecutive triumphs. And guess who had beaten them last? Auburn, of course. Florida went into that game seeking revenge but were frustrated by a good Auburn team that played its best game of the year to date.

This week, Florida finds itself on exactly the opposite side of the same equation. It’s LSU playing at home, out for revenge and riding a hot streak. The Tigers have won 12 in a row, the second longest streak in the nation, and have won their last 16 at home. The last team to beat LSU was - how did you know? - Florida.

Gator QB Tim Tebow and his ability to run with the ball and to move out of the pocket to throw may be the difference. A big part of the LSU success on defense has been its ability to put pressure on their opponents’ quarterbacks. The Tiger pass rush has produced 18 sacks this season, seven more than any other SEC team. But Florida leads the league and the nation in fewest sacks - only two for the season.

Before talking about the big Eastern showdown between Georgia (4-1, 2-1) and Tennessee (2-2, 0-1), we’ve got to look backward for a moment - to last (Thursday) night. The Ol’ Ball Coach, South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier, is still perfect against Kentucky. The Wildcats were ranked No. 7 and came into this week’s action undefeated (5-0) and actually leading the Eastern Division. But Spurrier’s Gamecocks defeated the ‘Cats 38-23 to throw the East race into a virtual six-way tie with each team having just one loss.

Now that means that from now on, every Eastern Division matchup is a playoff game and no team is out of the championship picture. Is the Spurrier Era already here? Only time will tell.

In the more-than-ever topsy-turvey East, Saturday’s game at Rocky Top is has certainly taken on a playoff-game flavor - the winner will still be hanging at the top of the division standings, while the loser will be at the bottom looking up with two losses.

That’s not saying that the loser will be out of the picture and left only playing for pride the rest of the year. The way this season has gone, a team with two losses in the SEC title game will not be a surprise.

CHASIN’ THE BEAR

Although he’s been gone from this Earthly plane for a while, legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant is always around on the SEC scene. This week two current SEC coaches were chasing The Bear, each on the verge of tying one of his many records. One has already failed, we’ll see about the other.

Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks was trying to become the first coach in 57 years to lead the Wildcats to a 6-0 start - in football. Under Bryant, Kentucky won its first 10 games in 1950 and were ranked No. 3 before falling to Tennessee. Bryant is the only SEC coach to ever beat the No. 1-ranked team in the AP poll more than once in one calendar year - he did it twice. Florida Coach Urban Myer can join Bryant if his Gators can upset LSU Saturday. Florida defeated then No. 1 Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 8.

The only other league contest this week will be down on The Plains, where Auburn (3-2, 1-1) will host a good Vanderbilt (3-1, 1-1) squad. The Tigers are a touchdown favorite and have won the last 12 meetings with the Commodores by an average margin of 24 points.

HOMECOMING TREATS

The rest of this week’s SEC slate is creampuff city with Alabama (3-2, 2-1), Mississippi State (3-2, 1-2), Arkansas (2-2, 0-2) and even Ole Miss (1-4, 0-3) favored to extend already long homecoming win records, and all expected to win big. Alabama is hosting Houston (2-2), a team against which it holds an 11-0 series record, Ole Miss entertains Louisiana Tech (1-3), Arkansas is at home to Chattanooga (1-3) and Mississippi State hosts UAB (1-3).

WEEKEND TV LINEUP

This weekend’s TV offerings beings with the Friday night ESPN contest (7 p.m.) Utah at Louisville.

Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:

The Alabama-Houston homecoming game from Tuscaloosa is available on pay-per-view only.

Ga Tech at Maryland, 11 a.m., WB
Delaware at New Hampshire., 11 a.m., CSS
Wisconsin at Illinois, 11 a.m., ESPN
Kansas at Kansas St., 11 a.m., FSN South
Miami at N Carolina, 11 a.m., ESPN2
Bowling Green at B.C., 11 a.m., ESPNU
Vanderbilt at Auburn, 11:30 p.m., Lincoln Financial
N.C. State at FSU, 2:30 p.m., ABC
Georgia at Tennessee, 2:30 p.m., CBS
Hampton at Princeton, 2:30 p.m., CSS
Iowa at Penn St., 2:30 p.m., ESPN2
South Fla. at Fla. Atlantic, 2:30 p.m., E#SPNU
Arizona St. at Washington St., 3 p.m., FSN South
Virginia Tech at Clemson, 5 p.m., ESPN
Stanford at Southern Cal, 6 p.m., Versus
Virginia at Middle Tenn., 6 p.m., CSS
Oklahoma St. at Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m., FSN South
Tulane at Army, 6 p.m., ESPNU
Cincinnati at Rutgers, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Ohio St. at Purdue, 7 p.m., ABC
Florida at LSU, 7 p.m., CBS
Nebraska at Missouri, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Maine at Hofstra, 9 p.m., ESPNU