SEC Snapshot: Separation Saturday Reminds of Georgia, Alabama Dominance
Think SEC fatigue was prevalent last week? Avoid the conversation for the next sic days.
After Week 5, Alabama and Georgia's statements will lead to each being favored strongly the rest of the way; pundits won't soon stop singing their praises and/or predicting each as shoe-ins for the College Football Playoff along the way.
A dud of a weekend in the Pac-12, including Oregon's first loss, won't help slow the SEC hype down but it is what it is. The top conference in the land features the country's two best programs in 2021.
There is a third unbeaten in the league, overdue for it's spot in the rankings while another atypical football game went down between Auburn and LSU in Death Valley, because of course.
Let's stroll around the SEC.
No. 1 Alabama 42, No. 12 Ole Miss 21
If one wants to upset Alabama, in Tuscaloosa no less, there has to be balance on offense and for the first time in 2021, Ole Miss could not establish the run game. Defensively, a lack of pressure from the front four was exposed and left the back seven vulnerable as Alabama controlled every element of this game from the outset. It was a statement reminder from Nick Saban as to who the top program in the nation (still) is. Bryce Young should be listed atop the Heisman polls moving forward, too.
No. 2 Georgia 37, No. 8 Arkansas 0
It's time to consider Georgia's defense not among the nation's best, because it sits alone in 2021, but into a historical context. The Bulldogs simply beat up on old friend Sam Pittman and Arkansas, evident from the opening possession, and it never relented in a stunning shutout win. Through five games, UGA has a pair of shutouts on the resume and has only relented one touchdown to the opposing offense -- a garbage time score against South Carolina. The front four is big, and somehow fast, while the second level has NFL reaction samples from at least three players, led by Nakobe Dean. The secondary has answered any preseason questions after turning over NFL talent in 2020. As the offensive talent heals, the defense could carry Georgia right to Atlanta without deep thought.
Kentucky 20, No. 10 Florida 13
The casual fan may not realize that there are three unbeaten teams left in the SEC, with Kentucky donning the same record as 'Bama and Georgia. The Wildcats travel to Athens on October 16 but Big Blue Nation isn't worried about the future. Instead, a stifling defense took matters into their own hands on Saturday and put together a score on a blocked field goal attempt to swing momentum UK's way for good. The running game with Chris Rodriguez was just good enough to find the end zone once in the second half and it was all the team needed on this night, capping Florida's big play ability with great coverage in the back end. UF averaged just 9.17 yards per completion, a Mark Stoops gem of a game plan with enough execution to get it done. The passing game with Will Levis needs consistency but that's what the work week ahead is for. Lexington is still celebrating its first home win over the Gators since 1986, probably.
Mississippi State 26, No. 15 Texas A&M 22
If not for Kentucky's upset and the dominance of the league's top two units, the story of Saturday would be Mike Leach's squad rolling into Kyle Field and controlling this game. The Bulldogs only trailed for 91 seconds in this one as Will Rogers put up 408 yards and three scores in a classic air raid assault. Nine different Bulldogs came up with three or more catches and the defense forced an early turnover against an offense lacking in balance and confidence.
No. 22 Auburn 24, LSU 19
The Bo Nix experience speaks for itself but when it's good, all over the place and clutch on the same night, unforgettable things can be accomplished. Reminiscent of his first start in that win over Oregon two years ago, it looked like Auburn was a bit outclassed for most of the night but they hung in just enough for their unpredictable QB to make plays that would tilt the game in their favor. LSU can't run the football, so a lead isn't as tough a hill to overcome as conventional wisdom suggests, but Death Valley was still rocking and it took all of Auburn's support staff to get it done. Freshman running back Jarquez Hunter is worth a mention, proving more productive than Tank Bigsby thus far in 2021, and he was the back in the game when it mattered most for AU.
Tennessee 62, Missouri 24
On a Saturday full of great games, we expected this SEC East tilt to be another one, but Tiyon Evans and UT had other ideas. The Vol running back had three touchdowns before the first quarter came to a close and Hendon Hooker took over from there as both a passer and runner in the blowout win. Missouri's defense is proving to be an elixir for struggling offenses thus far in 2021, giving up at least 35 points to each Power 5 opponent faced this season. UT's schedule features a gauntlet of Ole Miss, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia in a four-week span, so any conference win should sit well with Josh Heupel and the staff at this time.
South Carolina 23,Troy 14
The Trojans were a popular upset pick on Saturday morning and they had their moments, but Luke Doty was steady enough to keep the Gamecock offense moving with the help of two fourth down conversions. Troy was better on the ground and in efficiency to move the sticks, so there is a lot to clean up for Shane Beamer nearing the halfway point of year one in town. Bowl eligibility isn't out of the question just yet sitting at three wins with Vanderbilt and Missouri still on the schedule. Can an upset elsewhere be had?
Vanderbilt 30, UConn 28
The basement of the SEC belongs to Vandy and it found a way to avoid the worse loss of the season in the conference against winless UConn. The Commodores are up to two wins and Clark Lea did so for the first time in front of the home fans, which should be remembered by the VU faithful because it's SEC play the rest of the way. Vandy will be underdogs, often by double digits, the rest of the way, beginning with a trip to Gainesville next Saturday. Any additional wins for this team would play as an unexpected bonus.
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