This week in the SEC saw another big match up turn into a big blow out, some stellar defensive efforts, and some just horrid individual and team play. Out of all of that, here is what stood out.
Head of the Class: Alabama's Defense
Sure, Alabama was playing Arkansas State this week, but this was a team who has a win against a BCS team this season and scored 83 points in a game. All Alabama did was shut them out and hold them to 158 total yards.
In their last four games, the Crimson Tide defense has only allowed four offensive touchdowns and has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher so far this season. On top of this, the defense has four touchdowns of their own this season and will face their last tough road challenge of the regular season this weekend against Charles Scott and the LSU Tigers.
Pass: Florida's Tim Tebow
After the Gators lost to Ole Miss at home, many people were wondering what happened to Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Four games later, it's safe to say "Superman" has found his stride once again.
Since the Ole Miss game, Tebow is 52/75 with eight passing touchdowns to just two interceptions. He has also ran for six touchdowns in those games. He has led the Gators to three straight games of 40 points or more for the first time since the Spurrier era, and managed to set the school record for career rushing touchdowns (39), surpassing Emmitt Smith in the process.
Fail: Georgia
The Bulldogs were the pre-season number one team in the country, the national title pick by Lindy's pre-season magazine, and were suppose to have two Heisman candidates in Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford. Instead, the Bulldogs have fallen flat in their two biggest games this season.
Between games against Alabama and Florida, the Bulldogs have given up 90 points to those two teams in two losses. Both losses have managed to propel the opposing team into the national spotlight, while Georgia falls further away from where most people saw them at the beginning of the season. The Bulldogs are now playing for a spot in a New Year's Day Bowl instead of any sort of championship.
Pass: South Carolina's Defense
The Gamecocks started the season at 1-2 and were looking at an entire season like the way last year ended. Instead, the Gamecocks are now bowl eligible and it is due in large part to their defense.
South Carolina is only giving up an average of 15 points per game and have the best, and most underrated, defense in the SEC this season. USC has managed to do this while also having the worst turnover differential in the conference at -7. I thought Lou Holtz was crazy when he called the Gamecocks the best defense in the SEC earlier this season during halftime of a game they would lose, but they have made Lou look like a he knew what he was talking about for once.
Fail: Mississippi State
The Bulldogs had a great season last year and were looking to build on that success this season. Turns out that Mississippi State is Mississippi State once again.
Wesley Carroll was all about winning an SEC championship this season at SEC Media Days, but that focus has now shifted to just winning an SEC game. The Bulldogs have won one conference game all season and have blown chances against Auburn and Kentucky this season. State must win their final three games to even be considered for a bowl, but they must go on the road to Tuscaloosa and Oxford for two of those final three games. The only problem is State is win-less this season on the road.
Pass: Ole Miss
Ole Miss won three SEC games during the three year career of Ed Orgeron and won three games each season under Coach O. The Rebels have three SEC wins this season alone after last weekend's win over Auburn.
The Rebels are one win away from their first bowl since Eli Manning and company took down Oklahoma State 31-28 in the 2003 Cotton Bowl, and they have two very good chances to get that sixth win. The Rebels finish with two of their final three at home against Louisiana-Monroe and then the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Houston Nutt has things going in the right direction in Oxford and has the players to be making some noise soon.
Fail: Three Interception Quarterbacks
Interceptions are never the way to win a football game for your team. Multiple interceptions is just an easy way to spell "loss," and that's exactly what Georgia and Auburn did when their quarterbacks threw three interceptions each.
Kodi Burns and Matthew Stafford managed to complete three passes to teams in the wrong color jersey this past Saturday. Burns' interceptions all came in the second half and directly led to Ole Miss' final touchdown in a 17-7 Rebel victory. Auburn finished the game on Ole Miss' 25-yard line which would have been prime for a game-tying field goal. Stafford's blunders (which also included a fumble) also all came in the second half and led to two Florida touchdowns on the very next play after the interception as the Gators embarrassed the Bulldogs 49-10. It's pretty safe to say that three interceptions are not the way to win a ball game.
Epic Fail: Tennessee
The daisy orange and white have looked horrid this season, and it all came to a culmination after two straight losses to familiar foes.
Tennessee is currently sitting at 3-6 after back-to-back losses to Alabama and Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks. The Vols have only managed 15 points in their last two games and had finally had enough to let Phil Fulmer go on Monday. The Vols will have a new general on the sideline next season for the first time in 17 years in hopes that they can once again return to greatness in the SEC. As it stands right now, it might take a lot more than a head coach to fix the mess on Rocky Top.
This week, even though they aren't in the SEC, an extra special Epic Fail goes out to the Michigan Wolverines, who will not be going to a bowl in Rich Rodriguez' first season in Ann Arbor. The losing season snaps a 33-year bowl streak for the Maize and Blue, which was easily the longest in the nation. The pain is only made worse as Ohio State, Michigan State, and Notre Dame are all having successful seasons once again.
So what is up concerning college football today?
- The Forde-Yard Dash on ESPN.com by Pat Forde takes a look at a potential eight team playoff and asks the question of where has George Teague gone.
- Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com looks into the BCS puzzle as well as Miami's second season under Randy Shannon.
- Chris Low of ESPN.com looks inside the SEC for his internal affairs and is sold on Alabama's three headed rushing attack.
- Steward Mandel of SI.com talks about the biggest storyline of this weekend in his weekly mailbag. Of course, its Nick Saban vs. Les Miles.
- Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register takes a look at things Nick Saban has come to realize in his year and a half at Alabama.
- In today's Birmingham News, Ian Rapaport (my favorite blogger to read, btw) tells the story of how John Parker Wilson is among the Alabama elite quarterbacks, but he still needs some signature wins, starting with Saturday at LSU.
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow, we will take a look at LSU and all the threats they posses for this Alabama team.
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