Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The calendar has flipped to October, and the place to be this weekend is Vanderbilt Stadium. No, Garth Brooks isn't playing an impromptu concert in Nashville. The Vanderbilt football team is hosting the SEC's marquee game. When's the last time you could say that this late in the season? When's the last time you could say that at any point in the season? Vanderbilt has a chance to go to 5-0 for the first time since World War II if it can knock off Auburn. The Tigers have other ideas. They can't afford any more losses if they're going to stay afloat in the Western Division race. We'll also find out how legitimate Kentucky is after starting 4-0. The Wildcats travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama in a battle of unbeatens. Everybody had Kentucky and Vanderbilt a combined 8-0 at this point, right? Here's a look at what to watch for around the SEC in Week 6:

1. BCS positioning: The first official BCS standings have yet to be released, but ESPN's BCS guru Brad Edwards has some mock standings out, and it looks pretty good for the SEC. Oklahoma would be No. 1 and Alabama No. 2 in the current standings. LSU would be No. 3 and Georgia No. 7. In other words, there are still a bunch of SEC teams in prime position depending on what happens the rest of the year. Edwards says that Alabama would be the clear-cut No.1 team in the computers component of the BCS standings.

2. Wide-eyed Commodores: Are they ready for this kind of stage? Auburn is a tough, physical football team that's accustomed to playing in these type of games. This is all new ground for the Commodores, who all of a sudden are media darlings and receiving all sorts of attention. Do they get caught up in that glare or remember what got them here? Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson is as grounded as they come. He'll have his football team ready.

3. Bama's quick starts: The statistic that continues to define Alabama this season is the fact that the Crimson Tide have outscored their opponents 74-0 in the first quarter. What is that? That's preparation. That's discipline. That's intensity. That's understanding how important it is to set the tone in the SEC. It's also the last thing Kentucky can let happen if the Wildcats are going to win Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

4. Vandy's short fields: Vanderbilt is last in the SEC in total offense and total defense, which probably causes a few people to scratch their heads. But the Commodores have been so opportunistic, which will again be critical if they're going to take down Auburn. They will need some short fields to work with thanks to big plays from their defense or special teams. In both SEC games this season, Vanderbilt has either scored on defense or set up a touchdown with a special-teams play.

5. Crompton's fate: Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer will announce at the Vols' walk-through Friday afternoon who his starting quarterback will be Saturday against Northern Illinois. Even if Jonathan Crompton gets the start, the Vols have no choice but to play backup Nick Stephens some in the game. They've got to try something new simply because Crompton has been so ineffective. And if Stephens plays well, you wonder what that means for Crompton the rest of the way.

6. Auburn's offense: By now, we know that Auburn isn't running Tony Franklin's version of the spread offense. Tommy Tuberville said this week it's Auburn offense with some elements of the spread. Whatever it is, it's not very good. The Tigers have scored just three touchdowns in three SEC games and are killing themselves with bad plays. They've had 46 plays go for minus yardage, which is 117th nationally out of 119 teams.

7. Motivated Tebow: Tim Tebow's one of those guys who when he says something, you can usually take it to the bank. So when he says he's going to play as hard and as passionately as he ever has the rest of the season and push his teammates to play the same way, that has big game for Florida written all over it. That's great for the Gators and bad news for Arkansas, which really doesn't need anymore bad news after the last two weeks.

8. Watching Wilson: We've heard so much this season about Alabama's dominant offensive line, how suffocating the defense has been and even the contributions of the freshmen. But where would this team be right now without senior quarterback John Parker Wilson? He's been that "X" factor in the Tide's success and has played his role splendidly. He's managed the game, been a leader, taken care of the ball, made plays when he's had to and been a steadying influence for the entire offense.

9. Blocking Hardy: Ole Miss' Greg Hardy served notice that he was back last week with 1.5 sacks against Florida and constant pressure on Tim Tebow. Protecting the passer has been one of South Carolina's weaknesses this season. The Gamecocks are tied for last in the league with 17 sacks allowed. One of the reasons Steve Spurrier isn't starting Stephen Garcia in this game is that he holds the ball too long. That's a sack waiting to happen against Hardy and his mates.

10. Arkansas' woes: Bobby Petrino knew this could be a long season. He knew it was going to take time. He knew the Razorbacks were going to have to lean on a lot of young players this season. But getting decimated 49-14 and 52-10 in back-to-back weeks has a way of beating on you, especially with someone as competitive as Petrino. The key for him is keeping all of his younger players mentally strong and making sure they can see some improvement as the season goes on.