SEC rankings: Florida-Georgia sets stage for LSU-Bama
Think of it as the calm before the storm.
LSU has an open date this week.
So does Alabama.
That sets up the showdown we've been waiting for on Nov. 7 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Meanwhile, Florida and Georgia face each other on Saturday in a game that likely determines the Eastern Division representative in the in the SEC Championship Game.
It'll be interesting to see how Georgia responds, coming off an open date. The Dawgs' offensive continuity has taken a hit over the last three weeks.
And then there's Tennessee at Kentucky. After the loss at Alabama, the Vols have a legitimate chance to run the table as their schedule levels out.
14. South Carolina (3-4, 1-4)
Brandon Wilds returned from an injury to run for 119 yards on a season-high 24 carries against Vanderbilt prior to the Gamecocks' open date.
Look for more of the same as South Carolina attempts to control the ball on offense to keep its defense off the field.
"It felt good," Wilds told reporters last week. "I'm ready to get some more. I'm back practicing, going through all the motions, so I'm ready for a 30-carry game."
With David Williams running for 49 yards against Vanderbilt, the Gamecocks had 168 yards on the ground. It was just the third time they've been over 100 rushing yards this season. They ran for 168 yards against North Carolina in the opener and 160 against Kentucky.
Next up: Texas A&M, at College Station.
13. Missouri (4-4, 1-4)
With the 10-3 loss at Vanderbilt, the Tigers have scored a total of 12 points in the last three games, the first time Mizzou's offense has failed to score a touchdown in three straight games since 1937.
Never mind that the Tigers defense continues to play strong football. Until the offense shows some signs of life, Mizzou is toast.
"Disappointment, frustration, high anxiety," Tiger coach Gary Pinkel said, attempting to describe the current goings-on. "... It's a lot of frustration. We've lost some close games but the bottom line is you've got to go do it and we're not getting it done."
How bad is it? The Tigers offense has not reached the end zone in more than 13 consecutive quarters. That adds up to 40 consecutive drives and 198 minutes, 36 seconds since the last touchdown.
Next up: Open date.
12. Auburn (4-3, 1-3)
After the four-overtime loss at Arkansas, the Tigers have a lot of work to do to become eligible for a bowl.
Considering the expectations that accompanied Auburn going into the season, that's hard to believe.
But the Tigers are 4-3 and likely will be underdogs in four of their last five regular-season games.
Auburn has dropped the ball, figuratively and literally. The stat sheet showed Tigers receivers with four dropped passes in the first 18 minutes but that didn't count for a drop on a penalized play and two potential interceptions that were dropped.
The drops on offense led to three straight three-and-outs that helped leave the Tigers in an early 14-0 hole.
Next up: Ole Miss, at Auburn.
11. Vanderbilt (3-4, 1-3)
After insisting he wanted to stick with one quarterback, Commodores coach Derek Mason went to a two-quarterback system and got decent results in the win over Missouri.
Mason indicated his plan was to start true freshman Kyle Shurmur and let him play two series before inserting Johnny McCrary for one series and go from there.
Shurmur, who said his instructions were to avoid turnovers at all costs, threw for 89 yards and no interceptions. McCrary, who had started the previous 11 games over two seasons, went 7-of-8 in the air for 47 yards and no interceptions while adding a 14-yard run.
Both quarterbacks benefited from a running game that put up 168 yards against a quality Missouri defense. Ralph Webb ran for 99 yards and the game's only touchdown.
Next up: Houston, at Houston.
10. Kentucky (4-3, 2-3)
The Wildcats trailed 14-10 and had the ball in Mississippi State territory late in the first half when things unraveled.
After a Kentucky field goal attempt sailed wide, the Bulldogs scored two touchdowns before halftime to take a 28-10 lead that evolved into a 42-16 blowout, leaving the 'Cats in need of two more victories to become eligible for a bowl.
"There's not one bit of panic," said coach Mark Stoops. "That's a good football team that beat us. We'll go back to work. Believe me."
The biggest positive to come out of the game was Stoops' ability to use several younger players in the second half when the outcome had been decided. Among them was redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Barker, who threw an interception but completed 7 of 9 passes for 42 yards.
Next up: Tennessee, at Lexington.
9. Tennessee (3-4, 1-3)
In the aftermath of a tough 19-14 loss at Alabama, the feeling among Vols coaches and players was not to let the Crimson Tide beat them twice.
The point: If Tennessee allowed the loss to compromise its focus, preparation and performance in upcoming games, Alabama winds up winning again.
After a tough seven-game stretch, the schedule now levels out for the Vols. Three earlier opponents were ranked in the Top 25 at the time UT played them. Although Florida was unranked at the time of the game, the Gators are now up to No. 11.
In contrast, none of the five remaining opponents will be ranked.
"There's still a lot to look forward to," said safety Brian Randolph. "We've got five games left. We're not going to let Alabama beat us twice."
Next up: Kentucky, at Lexington.
8. Arkansas (3-4, 2-2)
Of the six major college football games that have gone to five overtimes, Arkansas has played in half of them.
Quarterback Brandon Allen starred in the latest dramatic installment, twice making key throws.
In the first overtime, Auburn went up by seven points and the Razorbacks faced fourth-and-3 with the game on the line. Allen calmly zipped a six-yard touchdown pass to Drew Morgan. Later, Allen threw what proved to be the winning TD pass, a 25-yarder to Morgan, followed by a successful two-point conversion.
When Auburn failed to answer, the Hogs walked away with a 54-46 victory as they position themselves for a bowl bid.
Next up: UT-Martin, at Fayetteville.
7. Georgia (5-2, 3-2)
The Dawgs' running game has taken a hit in the last couple of weeks.
First, Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first play of the Tennessee game. Then Georgia was held to an average of just 2.7 yards in the 9-6 win over Missouri prior to the open date.
Georgia's longest run against Missouri was 12 yards by Keith Marshall. Sony Michel, who took over the starting running back spot in Chubb's absence, led the Dawgs with 87 rushing yards.
Michel should benefit from the open date. He played the Missouri game with groin and hip flexor issues.
Georgia's schedule includes four opponents that are stingy against the run (Alabama, Florida, Missouri and Vanderbilt).
Next up: Florida, at Jacksonville.
6. Mississippi State (6-2, 2-2)
Unlike last season, quarterback Dak Prescott isn't on the national radar where Heisman Trophy candidates are concerned. No matter. He is still putting up huge numbers.
Prescott burned Kentucky's defense for 465 total yards and six touchdowns. He threw for 348 yards and ran for 117 more.
Coach Dan Mullen called it "our best performance in all three phases this year" as the Bulldogs became eligible for a bowl.
The only thing that really marred Prescott's day was an interception. He had thrown 288 consecutive passes without a pick prior to a second-quarter interception.
"Dak's going to take what they give him," Mullen said.
Next up: Open date.
5. Texas A&M (5-2, 2-2)
Just two weeks ago, the Aggies looked like a serious contender in the SEC West.
Then came the 41-23 loss to Alabama.
Followed by the 23-3 loss to Ole Miss.
As was the case during the 5-0 start, much attention has been focused on quarterback Kyle Allen during the back-to-back losses. Coming off the worst performance of his short college career against Alabama, Allen completed 10 of his first 12 passes.
Then the wheels came off. He completed only one of his next 19 throws, one of which was intercepted. Allen looked particularly vulnerable when his protection broke down, scrambling wildly and making some off-balance throws.
Next up: South Carolina, at College Station.
4. Ole Miss (6-2, 3-1)
No Robert Nkemdiche? No problem.
With dominant lineman Nkemdiche and star defensive back Tony Conner out, the Rebels rebounded from their loss to Memphis by undressing Texas A&M, holding the Aggies to just 58 rushing yards on 27 carries.
A&M finished with just 192 total yards and never crossed the goal line.
"There were so many great efforts, I hate to single out one," said Rebels coach Hugh Freeze. "I thought our coverage was good, our pressure was good and we stopped the run."
That about covers it.
Next up: Auburn, at Auburn.
3. Florida (6-1, 4-1)
As a freshman, Antonio Callaway has made such an impact on the Florida offense that he has drawn comparisons to former Gators star Percy Harvin.
Here's how the two compare after their first six college games:
Receiving: Callaway has 16 catches for 308 yards to Harvin's 12 for 188.
Rushing: Harvin holds a yardage advantage of 176-17.
Returns: Harvin didn't return punts as a freshman since Brandon James was the first option at that spot. Callaway has returned 12 punts for 177 yards.
Callaway's average of 19.3 yards per reception ranks third in the SEC behind Josh Reynolds of Texas A&M (20.9) and Quincy Adeboyejo of Ole Miss (20.2).
Next up: Georgia, at Jacksonville.
2. Alabama (7-1, 4-1)
If you leave out the loss to Ole Miss (and heaven knows Crimson Tide fans would love to do that), Alabama had outscored its other six opponents by an average of 23 points entering the Tennessee game.
So when the Vols scored to go up 14-13 late in the fourth quarter, the Tide faced a pressure point it has seldom experienced this season. And the way it responded is a positive sign as it makes a pitch for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Jake Coker directed a touchdown drive that featured terrific catches by ArDarius Stewart and Calvin Ridley to retake the lead, and then the Tide's pass rush smothered Vols quarterback Josh Dobbs to close out the 19-14 victory.
"You've got to really respect guys and a team that find ways to win and make plays when they have to make plays," said Tide coach Nick Saban.
Next up: Open date.
1. LSU (7-0, 4-0)
While all eyes are on running back Leonard Fournette (and rightfully so), quarterback Brandon Harris had a nice tune-up game against Western Kentucky prior to the open date.
It didn't hurt that Western Kentucky's pass defense was ranked No. 106 in the nation. But Harris looked very much in control and made some accurate, on-time throws despite foul weather.
Harris' most impressive pass of the game came when the Tigers were backed up at their 7-yard line. A bootleg pass was called and Harris executed perfectly, hitting Travin Dural on a short route, with Dural turning it into a 67-yard gain.
With the showdown against Alabama looming in two weeks, there's no time like the present for Harris to show he can present a passing threat that can challenge the Crimson Tide defense.
Next up: Open date.