By Carter Byrd
The college football season is officially seven weeks in, and that means every SEC team has passed the halfway point of their seasons. Now that we are here, let’s take a look at where I think the SEC sits.
1. Georgia:
– Of course Georgia has to be at the top of the totem pole. This team looks like they have separated themselves from the rest of the country, especially with #2 Iowa getting its teeth smashed in by Jeff Brohm and the Purdue Boilermakers.
This defense is truly nasty. Jordan Davis looks like a giant but moves like a linebacker as he swallows ball carriers every week in the middle of that defense. The rest of the defense is so talented and fast that I am not entirely sure anyone can put more than maybe 21 points on them all season. Just check the advanced stats. This unit is truly salty. We may have to start thinking of a nickname because they are that special.
On offense, they have a stable of running backs behind a massive offensive line. Kirby Smart’s offense doesn’t feel like it is all that different, but it doesn’t have to be with that defense. All they need to do is #EstablishIt (the run, that is) and run some play action off it. Frankly, it doesn’t even matter who the quarterback is for this team. JT Daniels is probably the better passer, but Stetson Bennett brings a little bit of QB run to the table.
Let’s be clear about one thing…this team is the best team in America, and Alabama is maybe—emphasis on “maybe”—the only team that might have a chance to sink this battleship.
2. Alabama:
– After a truly historic 2020, Alabama is really good—but not at the level of greatness to which we have seen for most of the Saban era. There have been inexplicable moments where Saban’s big Crimson machine has sputtered.
Most of it stems from the defense. There’s the nearly blown 18-point lead against Florida in Week 3 and then the bizarre performance when the defense allowed Texas A&M’s previously anemic offense led by a quarterback destined for a 6-6 season to look like a first team All-SEC veteran and throw for three touchdowns and a 41-38 win. Also, there has been consistently inconsistent linebacker play.
Now, much to Saban’s credit, Alabama bounced back from the A&M loss in a big way as they thrashed Mike Leach and Mississippi State Saturday and will likely do the same to Tennessee on Saturday after the Volunteer defense played 101 snaps against Ole Miss.
Yes, this Alabama team is vulnerable, but they have the talent and the pieces to put the puzzle together and take its typical place as the apex predator in college football. Only time will tell how this season goes for the Tide.
3. Ole Miss:
– I have the Rebels third in the conference because of one reason…that is Matt Corral. There is just one issue—his health. Really, the team’s overall health is a giant question mark. They were littered with injuries on Saturday and then were plagued with more “injuries” throughout the game as well.
My doubts of Lane Kiffin’s team don’t stop there. The defense is legitimately bad. It is not much improved from last year despite the national narrative from the first few games where Ole Miss teed off on inferior opponents with bad offenses.
The team’s health will be tested these next two weeks as the Rebels take on an LSU team that may have found something finally in the run game and a road test against a tough Auburn team to beat.
4. Auburn:
– This may raise some eyebrows, but yes, I have first year head coach Bryan Harsin and the Tigers at the fourth spot in the conference right now.
Personally, I don’t understand the lack of recognition that Auburn has gotten this season. The Tigers play the hardest schedule in America (no surprise there because it happens almost every year at this point). Despite the hardest schedule, Auburn has just a pair of losses—at a top-10 team for the big, bad whiteout at Penn State and against the clear-cut best team in college football in Georgia.
In three significant road tests, Auburn has shown consistent improvement and has not showed signs of being rattled by the hostile environments. I’m not sure we would be able to say that if Gus Malzahn were still the head coach at Auburn.
Is Auburn a perfect team? Not by a long shot, but compared to expectations, this team has quietly put together a solid first season under Harsin’s leadership. Even with its limits, this team appears to be much better than those who predicted them sixth in the SEC West could have imagined.
The Tigers have taken on the persona of their head coach; calm, confident and a tough son-of-a-gun mindset. Combine that with a quarterback in Bo Nix who is showing development and improvement for the first time in his career, and this Auburn team could get red-hot down the stretch.
5. Texas A&M:
– Call me crazy, but I still absolutely do not even kind of believe in this Texas A&M squad. They have to show me more. In my opinion, the Aggies played their A+ game against Alabama and caught the Tide on a C- day.
After all, this is a team that was absolutely reeling prior to the Alabama game with consecutive losses and arguably should have lost to Colorado because of an offense that had totally flatlined.
The question is…which A&M is the real A&M? Until this team shows me that they have fixed their offensive issues consistently, I will choose to doubt them.
6. Kentucky:
– Here is another one that is going to upset people. Look, I get it. The narrative of Kentucky is so much fun to talk about. Mark Stoops very well should be coach of the year in the SEC for what he is doing.
Ranking them 6th has nothing to do with whether I think their season will fall apart. Their schedule lends hope of an 11-win season. This ranking has more to do with my uncertainty that they would beat the first four teams in the SEC West. I’m not even totally convinced that they would beat Arkansas.
Are we really sure that this Kentucky team is for real? Just look at their schedule. It is not impressive by any means.
Congrats, Kentucky. You have a home win against a really bad Missouri team. You struggled to beat Chattanooga. You barely beat an abysmal South Carolina squad. You beat an LSU team that was coming apart at the seams and fired their coach just eight days later.
But the national media and SEC Network jumped all aboard the Kentucky bandwagon. “They beat Florida,” they said. Did they? Let’s examine.
They threw for 87 yards against Florida. They were outgained by nearly 160 yards. They had eight fewer first downs and were a horrid 1-9 on third down. If it wasn’t for a 41-yard screen pass for a touchdown, the Kentucky offense would have just mustered a measly 6 points.
Florida had seven drives in Kentucky territory and came away with just 13 points. I don’t think I have to tell you just how bad that is. Not only did Florida only score 13 offensive points, they had a field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown. Combine that with 115 yards in penalties, and you can make the argument Florida really just beat itself.
7. Florida:
– Speaking of Florida, here is where I think they stand. I think they are a good team coached by a good, not great, coach. That is all Dan Mullen is. Good. I don’t see Florida ever being great.
Statistically, the offense is damn good, and a good coach can use that offense to challenge teams better than his team (i.e. Alabama), but a good coach isn’t capable of keeping his team prepared and focused when taking on inferior opponents. This is how you lose to Kentucky when you outplay them and then get gashed for 300 rushing yards against statistically the worst LSU rushing team of all time.
That rounds out my top-7 in the SEC. Part 2 is on the way with the final seven SEC teams.
Great job Carter and a good read and insights….enjoyed