SEC takes a breather against the FCS before rivalry weekend

It's never right to get hitched during football season in Southeastern Conference country, but if you and your significant other are really into the idea of a fall wedding, this would have been a good weekend to tie the knot.

For the SEC, this weekend is the calm before the storm. Rivalry week begins Thursday; a week after that is the SEC championship game. This week is a time to rest up, heal and save your energy against a cupcake. Continuing a recent tradition, the majority of the SEC will schedule down on the second-to-last weekend of the regular season.

Saturday's schedule features 11 games featuring SEC teams.

One is a non-conference game against Football Bowl Subdivision competition. Missouri hosts Syracuse as both teams look to reach bowl eligibility.

There are three SEC-only games. Tennessee is at Vanderbilt, Mississippi is at LSU and Arkansas is at Mississippi State.

Then there seven games featuring SEC teams against squads from the Football Championship Subdivision. Alabama hosts Western Carolina. South Carolina gets Wofford. Florida takes on Jacksonville State. Georgia plays Georgia Southern. Auburn should beat Alabama A&M. Texas A&M will run circles around Sam Houston State. Finally, Kentucky hosts Samford.

So… have some errands to run? Want to get married? Leaves on the lawn? Want to try out a new recipe that will demand your full and undivided attention? Today might not be a bad day to do some stuff.

What's funny, of course, is that most Alabama fans (just to cite one SEC team) wouldn't miss Western Carolina for the world. And Kentucky fans haven't shown up to watch the Wildcats in weeks.