Believe it or not, the first half of the SEC Championship Game was actually determined on Friday. Ole Miss and Georgia won their respective rivalry games, while Texas A&M were stunned in Austin against arch-rival Texas.

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin is preparing for a possible SEC championship game in the midst of his LSU, Florida decision

On Lane Kiffin decision day, Ole Miss football can make the SEC Championship Game depending on the outcome of the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn

Georgia will get a chance to defend its SEC championship, and it could come against the Bulldogs’ nemesis, Alabama. Alternatively, it could come against Ole Miss, perhaps delaying coach Lane Kiffin’s decision on whether to leave Oxford.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban said Ole Miss should let Lane Kiffin coach the Rebels in the SEC Championship even if he's leaving for another school.

Updated Friday at 10:30 p.m. CT: The Texas Longhorns defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 27-17, meaning the Georgia Bulldogs have officially qualified for the SEC Championship game. Georgia will play Alabama if the Crimson Tide win the Iron Bowl, but will play Ole Miss if Auburn is able to upset Alabama in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

With the College Football Playoff right around the corner, ESPN’s “College GameDay” debated the merits of the SEC Championship Game. “It matters to me,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I always thought winning the SEC was a significant accomplishment for your team.

Alabama secured a 24-21 win against Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 27, ending the Bulldogs' 33-game win streak at Sanford Stadium in Athens. Alabama has won three straight against Georgia, last falling to the Bulldogs in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship.