State of the SEC – Week 13
If Arkansas can carry this momentum into next season, the whole SEC needs to watch out. PHOTO: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
The slate of SEC games this past weekend was one of the weaker ones of the season, but that doesn’t mean there still weren’t some important games that were played.
Three games pitted SEC teams against each other, and each one had an impact on the race for the East and West crowns.
Here are your updated SEC standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season:
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Let’s start with the big upset of the weekend.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have come out of nowhere and are suddenly one of the hottest teams not only in the SEC, but in all of college football. They shut out then No. 17 LSU last weekend 17-0, and they were hungry for more when they took on No. 8 Ole Miss this weekend.
Once again, it was all Razorbacks. Arkansas dominated the Rebels, forcing 6 turnovers and limiting Ole Miss to 63 rushing yards. Bo Wallace was “Bad Bo” again, throwing 2 interceptions and throwing erratically all night.
Razorbacks defensive back Rohan Gaines intercepted a Bo Wallace pass late in the 3rd quarter and made a highlight-filled 100-yard return for a touchdown that all but deflated the Rebels and ensured the shutout. The loss eliminated Ole Miss’s slim hopes of winning the West.
The win made Arkansas bowl eligible for the first time since 2011, and they became the first unranked team to shutout two AP ranked teams in back-to-back games.
Up next for Arkansas is another hot team in the Missouri Tigers, and they were able to continue their winning ways on Saturday.
The No. 20 Tigers went into Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee and fought the Tennessee Volunteers for four quarters and escaped with a 29-21 victory despite missing two PAT’s and allowing the Vols to score a TD on a fake field goal.
Late in the game, the Vols were able to finally make a push on offense, scoring a touchdown and converting the two-point play to make it 29-21 with 1:52 left to pay. Tennessee attempted two separate onside kicks, recovered both, only to have both called back due to penalties (the first one on an off-sides penalty, the second on an illegal touching penalty). The Tigers took over and ran out the clock, winning the game in the process.
Missouri was able to limit a Tennessee offense that had been on fire since sophomore quarterback Josh Dobbs took over, holding the Vols to just 53 rushing yards. The Tigers were also able to convert on 8-of-17 third down attempts on offense.
The win keeps Missouri ahead of Georgia for 1st place in the East, and all the Tigers have to do is defeat Arkansas this upcoming Saturday to ensure their second straight SEC East title. But a victory will be easier said than done against a Razorback defense that is suddenly lights-out.
The only other game between two SEC schools was never close, as No. 4 Mississippi State routed Vanderbilt 51-0 in Starkville, Mississippi.
Vanderbilt was held to just 228 yards of total offense, and the Commodores coughed up the ball 3 times in the loss.
Mississippi State had six players rush for 30 or more yards against Vandy, and they were able to convert on 11-of-15 third down attempts en route to the easy victory. The win kept Mississippi State in the hunt for the SEC West crown, and they need to win against Ole Miss next Saturday and hope Alabama loses against Auburn in order to seal the deal.
Every other SEC team that played this Saturday played against extremely inferior competition.
Florida beat Eastern Kentucky 52-3 and became bowl eligible in the process. Players then proceeded to carry lame duck head coach Will Muschamp off the field after the victory.
Georgia annihilated Charleston Southern 55-9. It was the Buccaneer’s second attempt at knocking off an SEC team this season, but they had better luck against Vanderbilt earlier in the season.
South Carolina also became bowl eligible with their 37-12 victory over South Alabama. Next up for them is their biggest rival, No. 22 Clemson.
Alabama and Auburn prepared for the Iron Bowl by beating up on a pair of Southern Conference teams. The Tide destroyed Western Carolina 48-14, and the Tigers won 31-7 against Samford.
Texas A&M, LSU, and Kentucky all had bye weeks.
Analysis
The SEC was able to keep 6 teams in the AP Poll this weekend, but there was some jockeying going on thanks to some big wins and untimely losses.
Here are where each SEC team is ranked in the top 25:
2. Alabama
4. Mississippi State
8. Georgia
15. Auburn
17. Missouri
18. Ole Miss
There’s a log jam in the top 10 and then again right near the middle of the poll with SEC teams, as all 6 ranked teams are in the top 18 teams in the country. Surprisingly, Arkansas leads all non-ranked teams in votes received with 40 despite only having one more win than they have losses. So if the Razorbacks defeat Missouri this Saturday, a 7-5 team could actually be ranked in the polls. Texas A&M and LSU also received votes.
Since neither Alabama nor Mississippi State lost and no other top 5 team damaged their resume this weekend, the CFB Top 4 is not likely to change this weekend (unless Florida State drops another spot to No. 4, which is actually likely).
Thanks to Ole Miss’s stunning loss to Arkansas, both the West and the East have come down to a two-team race in the final weekend of the regular season.
Here are the scenarios for you:
For Missouri to win the SEC East, all they have to do is defeat Arkansas. If Georgia wants to win the East, they need Missouri to lose. Simple as that.
And it’s just as simple in the SEC West: If Alabama wins against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, then they win the West. If Mississippi State wants the West crown, they have to beat Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl and have Alabama lose.
This weekend should be another crazy one filled with plenty of drama as “Rivalry Weekend” takes hold all over college football.