What's the Fuss?

Here’s the docket for this week’s SEC games.

All Times Central

Game to watch:
Alabama at LSU, 2:30 p.m., CBS - Although the Tigers aren’t in the hunt for the national title, Nick Saban’s return to Baton Rouge, La., may overshadow everything else about this game — including the Crimson Tide’s bid to keep their No. 1 ranking.

The rest:
Georgia at Kentucky, 11:30 p.m. CST, Raycom - The Bulldogs need to keep winning to not give up the East.

Arkansas at South Carolina, noon CST - Will Spurrier see a better game out of quarterback Stephen Garcia? Or will the Hogs keep getting better?

Wyoming at Tennessee, noon CST, PPV-Vol Network - The Vols need to win in the first game after Fulmer announced he’s leaving UT after this season.

Tennessee-Martin at Auburn, 1:30 p.m. - The Tigers need this win more than they think.

Florida at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN2 - The Gators can use this game to prove why they’re national championship game worhty. While the Commodores can do what they did in 2006, the last time UF came to Nashville — almost win.

According to ESPN.com’s Chris Low, Fulmer and the University of Tennessee have decided it’s best for him to step down after this season, his 16th at the school.

Read the story here.

The Vols are 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the SEC, sitting last in the East.

Fulmer has been under some heat for the last few seasons. The Vols went 5-6 in 2005 and there were calls for Fulmer to resign. Tennessee rebounded with a 9-4 2006 and a 10-4 2007 including a berth in the SEC Championship Game where it lost to eventual national champion LSU, but Tennessee hasn’t been back to a BCS game since winning the national championship in 1998.

An announcement is expected to come today, Low reports.

Here’s the docket for this week’s SEC games. My picks for Games of the Week are bolded.

All Times Central

Saturday, Sept. 13
UAB at Tennessee, 11:30 a.m., Raycom - The Volunteers are coming off an upset by UCLA, with a bye week to boot. They have something to prove. Watch out Blazers.

Georgia at South Carolina, 2:30 p.m., CBS - The Bulldogs’ first real test this season. The Gamecocks can’t find a rhythm at quarterback. Georgia is going to try to prove why it should still be No. 1.

Arkansas at Texas, 2:30 p.m., ABC - Postponed until Sept. 27. Thanks, Ike.

Auburn at Mississippi State, 6 p.m., ESPN2 - National title talk is going through Auburn and Mississippi State is already considered a fluke from after last season’s bowl appearance. This could be make or break for the Bulldogs, while the Tigers continue to run a new spread offense to near domination.

Middle Tennessee at Kentucky, 6 p.m. - The Blue Raiders are coming off an upset of Maryland, but the Wildcats’ defense — the only one in the SEC to not allow a TD this season — will quiet all suspects of a BCS crasher.

Samford at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. - The Rebels are mad after losing to Wake Forest Sat-urday in a game they should have won.

Rice at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. - The Commodores are riding high at 2-0 and an upset of then-No. 24 South Carolina. Let’s just hope they don’t play down to their opponent this week.

Western Kentucky at Alabama, 6:07 p.m., PPV - The Crimson Tide keep on rolling up the polls and will give the Hilltoppers a true welcome to the Bowl Subdivision.

North Texas at LSU, 7 p.m. - The Tigers haven’t played in two weeks and this week’s game nearly got postponed too because of Hurricane Ike. They’re hungry.

Kickoff for the Florida-Tennessee game on Sept. 2 in Knoxville, Tenn., will be 2:30 p.m. CDT on CBS, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday.

The game will be both teams conference opener.

The Gators will be coming off a bye week. The Volunteers play University of Alabama at Birmingham this weekend.

The Southeastern Conference, Regions Bank and Raycom have teamed for One Yard Gained = One tree, a fundraiser that will see Regions make a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation for the planting of a new tree for every yard gained during a Raycom’s SEC Game of the Week.

In a release from the SEC, it says the One Yard Gained = One Tree effort will help restore forest areas in the Southeastern United States. On top of donations to the Arbor Day Foundation, Regions will also plant a tree in the home team’s community.

Raycom’s SEC Game of the Week begins this weekend with Florida hosting Hawaii Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Other games of the week will be Southern Miss at Auburn on Sept. 6 and UAB at Tennessee on Sept. 13.

Here’s a link to the Arbor Day Foundation.