Trae Young will face another high-profile freshman in Collin Sexton when Oklahoma faces Alabama on Saturday. Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Big 12 and SEC are headed down different paths this season. The Big 12 is arguably the best conference in the country, with four teams looking like legitimate threats to win three or four games in March -- and another, TCU, ranked inside the top 25 of both the BPI and KenPom. There's a case to be made for eight or nine teams to be in the NCAA tournament conversation at some point over the next six weeks.

On the other hand, the SEC might not have a Final Four contender this season. Florida and Kentucky have had their moments, but it's unclear whether either team is consistent enough for a deep run. Tennessee and Auburn are two of the bigger surprises nationally. And we're still waiting on Texas A&M. That said, all 14 teams are ranked inside the top 100 of the BPI and 13 of 14 are ranked in the top 100 at KenPom.

Despite the Big 12's overall edge, the leagues are 4-4 against each other this season.

Does that bode well for the SEC in Saturday's Big 12/SEC Challenge?

The SEC hasn't won the challenge yet, with the Big 12 winning the first three years and last year's challenge ending in a 5-5 tie.

Note: Because the SEC has four more teams, LSU, Auburn, Missouri and Mississippi State are not in this year's challenge.

Baylor Bears at Florida Gators

Had this game been scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, it would have been one of the better games on the schedule. Since then, Baylor is just 7-8 and needs to start racking up quality wins. Florida has righted the ship since losing four of five in November and December. Baylor needs to dominate the offensive glass to have a chance.

Prediction: Florida 74, Baylor 64

Result: Florida 81, Baylor 60

Texas Tech Red Raiders at South Carolina Gamecocks

Zach Smith's injury has had a bigger impact than originally expected, with the Red Raiders losing three of five since he's been out. The turnover battle will be critical in this one. Both teams excel at forcing turnovers, and they've each had issues taking care of the ball in conference play. Keenan Evans gives Texas Tech the edge.

Prediction: Texas Tech 68, South Carolina 66

Result: Texas Tech 70, South Carolina 63

Ole Miss Rebels at Texas Longhorns

Ole Miss has been poor away from home this season, going 0-5 in true road games and then splitting a pair of neutral-site games against Utah and Rice. That is a plus for Texas, which has dropped home games only to Kansas and Michigan. The Longhorns' defense has fallen off in Big 12 play, but it'll get it together against the Rebels.

Prediction: Texas 67, Ole Miss 58

Result: Texas 85, Ole Miss 72

Georgia Bulldogs at Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State played itself into the NCAA tournament conversation with home wins over Oklahoma and TCU last week, followed by a road win at Baylor on Monday. The Wildcats have been excellent on the offensive end in Big 12 play, while Georgia has locked down defensively. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they have one of the worst offenses in the SEC.

Prediction: Kansas State 71, Georgia 63

Result: Kansas State 56, Georgia 51

Oklahoma Sooners at Alabama Crimson Tide

This matchup has been circled on a few calendars, as it pits arguably the two most exciting players in college basketball against each other: Trae Young vs. Collin Sexton. Young gets more attention, and rightfully so, but Sexton has been tremendous in his own right. That said, the supporting casts will decide this one.

Prediction: Oklahoma 88, Alabama 85

Result: Alabama 80, Oklahoma 73

TCU Horned Frogs at Vanderbilt Commodores

Despite starting 2-5 in the Big 12, TCU deserved to remain in the top 25 -- and proved that with a home win over West Virginia on Monday. The Horned Frogs' high-level offense took a hit when Jaylen Fisher was lost for the season, though Alex Robinson has filled in admirably. Vanderbilt is generally tough to beat in Nashville, but it has lost five games at home already this season.

Prediction: TCU 78, Vanderbilt 76

Result: Vanderbilt 81, TCU 78

Tennessee Volunteers at Iowa State Cyclones (4 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

There's a case to be made that Tennessee is the best team in the SEC -- and that's where it sits in the BPI and at KenPom. Iowa State has started to turn things around at home in the Big 12, beating Baylor and Texas Tech in the past two weeks. Do the Cyclones have an answer for the physical forward duo of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield?

Prediction: Tennessee 74, Iowa State 71

Result: Tennessee 68, Iowa State 45

Texas A&M Aggies at Kansas Jayhawks

For a stretch at the start of the season, this matchup looked like it would be a battle of the best team in each league. A combination of suspensions and injuries has dropped A&M, but the Aggies need to start turning things around. Meanwhile, Kansas has gone from a team with serious issues to the Big 12 favorite -- again. The Jayhawks' perimeter shooting will be too much for A&M.

Prediction: Kansas 73, Texas A&M 68

Result: Kansas 79, Texas A&M 68

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Arkansas Razorbacks

If this game weren't in Fayetteville, Oklahoma State would have a better chance. The Razorbacks and Cowboys have similar home/road splits -- which doesn't exactly bode well for Mike Boynton's team on Saturday. On the court, Arkansas has a major edge in the backcourt, although it'll have to find an answer for Jeffrey Carroll.

Prediction: Arkansas 85, Oklahoma State 77

Result: Arkansas 66, Oklahoma State 65

Kentucky Wildcats at West Virginia Mountaineers

Kentucky isn't exactly going into Morgantown at the right time. The Wildcats had 16 turnovers against both South Carolina and Florida last week, and now they have to play arguably the nation's best pressing team. Freshmen Quade Green and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will have their hands full with Jevon Carter, and the Mountaineers should dominate the offensive glass.

Prediction: West Virginia 79, Kentucky 69

Result: Kentucky 83, West Virginia 76

Series prediction: Big 12 7, SEC 3

Series result: SEC 6, Big 12 4