SEC football teams with their hands on the panic button in Week 8

Week 7 in the SEC couldn't match the drama we saw in Week 6, but there was still plenty of games that brought the ire of fanbases.

Both Alabama and Tennessee struggled against unranked opponents for the second week in a row, but both find a path to victory to stave off the panic button for at least one more week, though confidence is waning in both Tuscaloosa and Knoxville.

Oklahoma got dominated by Texas in the Red River Rivalry, sending Sooners fans further into despair. Vanderbilt's continued rise was at the detriment of Kentucky, which fell to 3-3 on the season and made its bowl hopes murkier.

Week 8 has the potential for high drama and plenty of teams are in need of a win to keep the vitriol from their fanbases to a minimum.

Which SEC football teams will be reaching for the panic button after Week 8?

Oklahoma

The Sooners had a miraculous come from behind win over Auburn three weeks ago that hid the obvious warts of the team for a little longer. Reality set in last week in Dallas when Oklahoma suffered a humiliating 34-3 loss to rival Texas.

The loss dropped the Sooners out of the Top 25 and a struggling offense doesn't get any rest this week in Norman as they welcome in South Carolina and a dominate Gamecocks defensive line.

This is a must win game for Oklahoma at home. A loss might make the ceiling 6-6 or 7-5. Would that force the administration to consider letting go of head coach Brent Venables? After this week, Oklahoma still has road games at Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU, as well as a home date against Alabama. The only obvious win left on the schedule is against Maine.

A loss here would be a de-facto season ender in Norman, and would intensify the heat on Venables.

The Alabama/Tennessee Loser

Three weeks ago, both Alabama and Tennessee were riding high and looking like prime national championship contenders. Alabama had just beaten Georgia at home, and Tennessee was on a bye week coming off of passing its first test of the season, a road win over Oklahoma.

The Tide and Vols were both ranked in the Top 5 and on a collison course in the Third Saturday in October in a game that would be a measuring stick for both teams who were very likely heading to the playoff.

Now, after both lost to unranked opponents on the road, and struggled a week later against unranked opponents at home, this weekend looks more like a playoff elimination game in Knoxville.

The winner adds a valuable win to its playoff resume, but the loser will need a lot of help from across the country to get back into consideration.

For Alabama, a win restores faith in a fanbase teetering on the brink. A loss? Well, let's just say I don't even want to think about it.

Missouri

Missouri had an easy bounce back win last week over UMass following a drubbing at the hands of Texs A&M on the road. The Tigers had looked iffy for most of the season, and finally showed the cracks in College Station.

The Tigers entered the season as a popular playoff pick, but have looked like anything but so far. At 5-1, there's still plenty of time for them to get back into the race, and plenty of opportunities to live up to the preseason potential.

But none of that matters if Missouri loses at home to Auburn this weekend. The margin for error will be completely gone with a loss.

Missouri is only 4.5 point favorites, and Auburn is desperate for a win at 2-4. I have a feeling Auburn is going to pull the road upset, and Missouri will be left wondering what could have been in 2024.