SEC rankings: Seems like old times for Gators
Just when you're pretty sure you've identified the best team in the SEC, the deck gets shuffled.
Ole Miss' poor performance in a blowout loss at The Swamp sent things into disarray. Two weeks after winning at Alabama, the Rebels put up only token resistance.
Is Florida that good? The Gators certainly looked the part against Ole Miss. Everybody knew Jim McElwain had inherited considerable defensive talent but he's working wonders with a new offensive line and surprising play out of redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier.
With Georgia's no-show at home against Alabama, the Gators have moved to the top of the SEC East. It remains to be seen how Florida will respond to its surprising status as division leader when the Gators play at Missouri.
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No. 14: South Carolina (2-3, 0-3 SEC)
The Gamecocks continue to search for an offensive identity after a poor showing in an ugly loss at Missouri.
Quarterback Lorenzo Nunez threw three interceptions in his second start. He completed 15-of-24 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown while also leading the team in rushing with 60 yards on 15 carries.
"The only thing we had was Lorenzo," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said of the running game. "It's a huge difference when you can't run the ball. We're struggling to do that."
The Gamecocks netted only five rushing yards in the first half.
The only consistent threat South Carolina has on offense is wide receiver Pharoh Cooper, who had nine catches for 102 yards against Missouri.
Next up: LSU, at Columbia.
No. 13: Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-2)
Thanks to a fast finish, the Commodores beat Middle Tennessee State 17-13 for their first victory over a FBS opponent this season.
Vanderbilt erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit when quarterback Johnny McCrary scored on a 29-yard run and Ralph Webb broke a 39-yard touchdown run on a third-and-1 carry up the middle.
It was the first road victory for Commodores coach Derek Mason, who is in his second season.
"That's huge for this young, growing football team," Mason said.
Webb posted his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and the third of his career. He finished with 155 yards on 25 carries.
Vanderbilt snapped a three-game losing streak against the Blue Raiders, who had not played each other since 2005. It was the first of a four-game series between the programs.
Next up: Open date.
No. 12: Tennessee (2-3, 0-2)
The Vols' second-half fade in a 24-20 home loss to Arkansas is cause for concern on a number of fronts, not the least of which is the passing offense.
Josh Dobbs completed 20-of-36 passes for 232 yards against the Razorbacks but seldom threw downfield. It didn't help that the Vols played without wide receivers Marquez North and Pig Howard.
Conversely, Arkansas did considerable damage in the vertical passing game, often throwing deep on play-action passes. The Razorbacks averaged 19.9 yards per completion compared to the Vols' 11.6.
It marked the third time Tennessee has lost this season when leading by at least 13 points. It was also the Vols' second loss of the season at Neyland Stadium.
Next up: Georgia, at Knoxville.
No. 11: Auburn (3-2, 0-2)
The Tigers' sloppy 35-21 victory over San Jose State did little to answer questions about where the team is headed as it enters an open date.
Offensively, the Tigers didn't get much done until the second half against one of the nation's worst-rated defenses. Auburn benefited from four San Jose State turnovers, which gave the Tigers great field position repeatedly. The Tigers were outgained for the fourth time in five games.
The downfield passing attack is lacking. Auburn's longest pass play was a 42-yard gain on Sean White's screen pass to Roc Thomas. The Tigers threw only 10 passes.
On defense, Auburn forced those four turnovers but also gave up some big plays and didn't get a quarterback sack until late in the game. San Jose State converted half its third-down situations and reeled off a 14-play touchdown drive.
Next up: Open date.
No. 10: Arkansas (2-3, 1-1)
Prior to last Saturday night, the Razorbacks had lost nine straight games that were decided by seven points or less with Bret Bielema as coach. That streak came to an end with a 24-20 victory at Tennessee.
"At some point in your life as a man, you've just got to finally take what the world wants to give you," Bielema said. "You can't keep giving it away."
The Hogs did it the hard way by spotting Tennessee an early 14-0 lead. Arkansas kept pounding way in the running game with Alex Collins and Rawleigh Williams helping control the ball for 22 minutes in the second half.
Arkansas' defense held the Vols to three points and just 90 yards after halftime despite losing linebacker Josh Williams to a broken leg.
Next up: Alabama, at Tuscaloosa.
No. 9: Kentucky (4-1, 2-1)
Mark Stoops' Wildcats are still learning how to handle prosperity.
One week after beating Missouri, the Big Blue needed overtime to dismiss Eastern Kentucky 34-27.
"That's the game of football," Stoops said. "You have to respect the game, respect the preparation, respect your opponent, and you've got to play with a toughness and a mental edge about you or you won't look very good."
Kentucky didn't look very good for most of the game. The 'Cats were outgained 182 yards to 144 in the first half. Quarterback Patrick Towles threw two interceptions and wide receiver Jeff Badet lost a fumble before halftime.
The 'Cats trailed by 14 points midway through the fourth quarter but staged a comeback to force overtime and avoid the upset.
Towles heated up with the game on the line. He completed 9-of-11 passes for 73 yards on the final two possessions of regulation and was 3-for-3 in overtime.
Next up: Open date.
No. 8: Missouri (4-1, 1-1)
Tigers fans that have been asking for a change at quarterback got their wish when Maty Mauk was suspended and freshman Drew Lock stepped in, becoming the first freshman to start at quarterback for Missouri since Corby Jones in 1995.
Lock did his part, completing 21-of-28 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the win over South Carolina.
"It's a little overwhelming to say the least," Lock said. "Now that I've started and actually won a game, you can't really put it into words."
It helped that the Tigers ran for a season-best 163 yards on 42 attempts.
On Monday, Tigers coach Gary Pinkel announced that Mauk's suspension is indefinite. He would not elaborate.
Next up: Florida, at Columbia.
No. 7: Mississippi State (3-2, 1-2)
Dak Prescott continues to do his part but the Bulldogs are struggling to find other playmakers on offense.
In the loss at Texas A&M, Prescott threw for 210 yards and ran for 96 more. It didn't help that two wide receivers - Gabe Myles and Joe Morrow - were injured in the game.
Prescott wound up with 18 carries, well above the 7.5 carries he averaged in the first four games.
State's defense had trouble with A&M's balanced offense. The Bulldogs entered the game as the best third-down defense in the SEC, limiting opponents to a 22.8 percent conversion rate. But the Aggies converted half their third-down situations - 10 of 20.
Next up: Troy, at Starkville.
No. 6: Georgia (4-1, 2-1)
Despite the offensive struggles in a 38-10 blowout loss to Alabama, the Dawgs are sticking with Greyson Lambert at quarterback.
Lambert was 10-of-24 for only 86 yards against the Crimson Tide. He was intercepted once. Rain may have contributed to the poor passing game but it didn't seem to bother Alabama. Dawgs backup Bryce Ramsey also struggled, throwing two interceptions.
"We had some protection issues," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "We had some drop issues. We had some accuracy issues. It wasn't the best conditions to throw and catch for anybody, but Alabama caused a lot of those problems and we've got to react better to those."
There were a number of other breakdowns. The Dawgs were penalized eight times for 82 yards. They gave up touchdowns on a blocked punt and an interception return.
Next up: Tennessee, at Knoxville.
No. 5: Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1)
After getting exposed by Florida's physical defensive front, Ole Miss is hoping for some good news on All-America offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Rebels coach Hugh Freeze says he is expecting to hear something from the NCAA on Tunsil, who hasn't played this season due to an NCAA investigation.
"From what I know, which is limited, I would think he's going to be back with us at some time," Freeze said. "He's antsy, just hopeful for a finality to it, as are we. I'm just hopeful that it can be resolved this week quickly and get him back with us."
Tunsil has been attending practice and working out in the weight room while waiting for a decision by the NCAA.
The Rebels could use him. Quarterback Chad Kelly was sacked four times against Florida and has been sacked nine times in the last three games. The running game is averaging only 2.9 yards per attempt and 104 rushing yards per game against three SEC opponents.
Next up: New Mexico State, at Oxford.
No. 4: Florida (5-0, 3-0)
When Jim McElwain arrived as Florida coach, he began preaching one message to his players:
Restore the order.
It is McElwain's way of stressing that Florida should be considered one of the elite football programs in the nation, not an afterthought like it had become under Will Muschamp.
With a 5-0 start and a No. 11 national ranking, the Gators have restored the order.
"The order for a long time there was the Gators," McElwain said. "We were right up there at the top of the order. Yet, for some reason, the order has been skewed. I look at it a little bit as a responsibility. But you have to be mature enough to handle the responsibility."
In the Gators' 38-10 blowout of Ole Miss, the defense played up to expectations while the offense took a major step forward.
Next up: Missouri, at Columbia.
No. 3: Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0)
The Aggies found the kind of offensive balance that has been lacking in a 30-17 victory over Mississippi State.
While Kyle Allen threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns, Tra Carson contributed 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. In all, A&M ran for 194 yards.
The Aggies didn't turn the ball over while forcing two Mississippi State fumbles in the second half, one of which came with the Bulldogs were inside the A&M 10-yard line.
It was the Aggies first win over a Top 25 team at Kyle Field since 2012. A&M is off to a 5-0 start for the second straight season. Last year, the Aggies lost three straight games.
Up next: Open date.
No. 2: Alabama (4-1, 1-1)
That 43-37 home loss to Ole Miss two weeks ago might turn out to be the best thing that could happen to Alabama.
Based on the Crimson Tide's blowout victory at Georgia last Saturday, the earlier loss may have awakened a sleeping giant. After a players-only meeting and some serious soul-searching, the Crimson Tide seems to have found its focus.
"Ordinary men couldn't go out there and get it done," coach Nick Saban said after the Georgia game. "We needed them to be extraordinary."
And they were. The defense dominated the line of scrimmage, special teams contributed a blocked punt and Jake Coker ran the offense efficiently.
"We played our best game of the year but it's one game, man," Saban said.
But it was one heckuva game.
Next up: Arkansas, at Tuscaloosa.
No. 1: LSU (4-0, 2-0)
Of all the great running backs in SEC history, only one has run for 200 yards in three straight games.
It isn't Herschel Walker. Or Bo Jackson.
It's Leonard Fournette.
"I would never compare myself to those guys. Those are legends," Fournette said.
Four games into his sophomore season, Fournette is approaching legendary status. His 233 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries against Eastern Michigan kept him atop the Heisman Trophy chase. He had a 75-yard touchdown run.
"Leonard's liable to do that at any time," said LSU coach Les Miles. "There's not a time you hand him the ball that he doesn't have the opportunity to hit a home run."
It will be interesting to see if Fournette can continue to put up huge numbers if the Tigers can't threaten defenses with a decent passing game.
Next up: South Carolina, at Columbia.
Reach David Climer at 615-259-8020 and on Twitter @DavidClimer.