Week 14 in the Vale of Tears: Rivalry Week

You'd think Rivalry Week would mean something. Oddly, the SEC has few true in-conference matchups for Rivalry Week -- really, just the Iron Bowl and the Egg Bowl. Maybe one day LSU-Texas A&M will excite somebody other than coaches about to get fired. Hard to imagine Arkansas-Mizzou will ever capture more hearts than Vandy-Tennessee. That tells you everything you need to know.

Otherwise, you have four SEC teams playing ACC rivals. Florida State's Jimbo Fisher is now 6-1 against Florida. Kentucky has lost the upper hand to Louisville, just as South Carolina is a distant second to Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers. Kentucky sure as hell enjoyed Saturday, and Carolina certainly did not. And somehow Georgia keeps losing to less talented Georgia Tech teams.

Nothing was really at stake this week except some pride. Alabama would go to the championship playoff with or without a victory over Auburn, and Florida was already set to meet them. So who's crying the hardest right now?

Next week, we'll sample tears from the entire season, but for now our attention rides on Rivalry Week. And the SEC's best player, hands down. Alabama's Jonathan Allen. Have mercy.

1. Already out of the SEC East race in a most disappointing fashion, Tennessee also lost a trip to the Sugar Bowl by falling apart in Nashville. The Vols jumped out to a 21-7 lead, led 31-24 at the half, and then watched the Dores score the game's final 21 points. Even this Vandy alum knows that a collapse of this sort against Vandy is shameful. The simple fact is, Vandy stepped up and kicked the Vols' butt. We'll say more about it, but Vandy's generally inept offense amassed 608 total yards. Vols fans are upset!

2. After getting completely blown out by inferior rival Mississippi State, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said he was happy to see the season end. You just don't say that, Coach! Once a clear Top 10 team, the Rebs have simply collapsed. And it's not just the loss of Chad Kelly to injury. Something else is going on. I suspect it's looming NCAA sanctions that has everybody off their game. No bowl for the Black Bears.

3. It's impossible not to put miserable South Carolina right here after a 56-7 shellacking at the hands of state rival Clemson. After players tussled during warmups, Dabo Swinney even brushed off Will Muschamp's attempt at a pregame handshake. The video is worth watching.

4. If things we're so miserable in Oxford, Columbia, and Knoxville -- and I mean, unusually miserable -- the Arkansas Razorbacks would sit at #1 in complete misery. The Hogs were thinking they'd built some momentum again this year, but they managed to lose against the SEC's worst team. Simply put, the Bielemas just didn't bring it, and they paid the price. With Ole Miss and Mississippi State having awful seasons, Arkansas had a chance to shine. Instead, they walk in shame. Gonna be a long winter.

5. With 7 minutes remaining, Georgia led inferior rival Georgia Tech 27-14. And Tech's not set up to be a comeback team, you know? Well, the Yellow Jackets have won two of the last three editions of Clean Ole Fashioned Hate. More to the point, had Auburn not been crippled by injury, Kirby Smart's Dawgs would have finished 6-6 this season. That rush to push Mark Richt out the door? That seems a long, sad way back, don't it now?

6. Florida never looked competitive in its big matchup against Florida State. In fact, the Gators haven't scored an offensive touchdown against the Seminoles since 2014. Bama's next, and it's silly to think Florida can put up even the pitiful fight Auburn did. This is a pretty miserable SEC East Champion right here.

7. Texas A&M's inexplicable decline -- the Aggies were 6-0 before crashing into big, bad Bama -- culminated in an absolute whuppin' at the hands of LSU. Danny Etling passed for 324 yards, and Derrius Guice ran for 285 and 4 touchdowns. Yes, Trevor Knight's injury hurt the Aggies badly, but there's really no excusing losses to both Mississippi teams along the way. Kevin Sumlin has all the resources in the world, including the SEC's richest recruiting field. This year's team boasted a hotshot transfer QB, the nation's prettiest set of wide receivers, and probably the nation's best pair of defensive ends. But 6-0 wound up with 4 consecutive conference losses. Reveille is a little weepy -- but mostly anxious. You know, like dogs get anxious? That's not a good thing. What's that smell?

8. Auburn fans are kinda grumpy right now, having experienced total Iron Bowl domination at the hands of Alabama. Auburn's nationally respected offensive line repeatedly had their lunch handed to them by the Bama front, and four field goals felt like quite an accomplishment. On the other hand, Alabama got through the entire month of November without giving up a touchdown. Just as we predicted, Auburn had almost no chance without a healthy Sean White/Kamryn Pettway combination. A tough Auburn defense eventually buckled under the strain, and there you are. Coulda been worse. At least Alabama's defense didn't outscore Auburn's O.

9. Missouri feels a smidge of redemption, having beaten a decent Arkansas team in the season finale. To call it sparsely attended would be a massive understatement. They reported 51,043, but it didn't look that way. Hidden in Mizzou's misery was a reasonably dynamic offense that finished 21st in the nation in yards per game. Drew Lock passed for 3399 and 23 TDs, and Damarea Crockett rushed for 1062 and 10. J'Mon Moore was a monster with 62 catches for 1012 yards. Of course, Crockett missed the Arkansas game after being arrested for possession. Yet the Tigers persevered.

 10. LSU made the week's biggest news by losing out on Tom Herman hiring interim coach Ed Orgeron for its head coaching vacancy. Orgeron has a fabulous record as a defensive coordinator, and he's been successful as an interim. But in three years as head coach of Ole Miss he won exactly three conference games. So we'll see. Rumor has it he's trying to lure old buddy Lane Kiffin to direct his offense. And speaking of offense, LSU has certainly increased its torque with Les Miles no longer regulating the throttle. An up and down 7-4 season certainly has Bengal fans a little edgy, and Week 13's shameful loss to Florida really sours things, but spanking A&M helps.

11. We can only imagine how giddy Mississippi State fans must feel after ruining Ole Miss' season -- and having humiliated the Rebs in the process. Dan Mullen's offense is as quarterback-centric as you'll find in college football, and true freshman Nick Fitzgerald has emerged as the legit running-passing force the Bullies need. His 258 rushing yards against Ole Miss set the State single game rushing record for any position, and his 1243 yards for the season finished third in the SEC. Passing, the kid put up 21 TDs to 10 interceptions. There's a ceiling as to how high State can stay over a long period of time, but that ceiling includes the rare SEC championship. Mullen's a terrific coach, and things will get better in Starkville. No bowl this year, but State fans may be happier pulling Johnny Reb's pants down than they would be at 9-3.

12. After a rough start and before a hostile home crowd (as much orange as black and gold in the stadium) Vanderbilt just floored Tennessee. That game means a lot more to Vandy than to UT, but this was big. All along, we'd said Vandy was close to being competitive except for its passing game. But QB Kyle Schurmur has progressed wonderfully along with multiple receivers, and Vandy struck deep against the Vols on multiple occasions. As Tennessee's defense tired, Ralph Webb took over, setting Vandy's career rushing record while hanging 114 on Smokey. Before the game, Vandy was assured of a bowl invite even with a losing record, but this win earned the bid at 6-6. Vanderbilt fans are giddy. So is coach Derek Mason -- check out the joy in the video embedded here.

13. Kentucky started as a 27.5 point underdog to new money Louisville. But the Cats persevered, stealing victory from the jaws of defeat with a late turnover followed by a game winning field goal drive. If ever we've been wrong about anything, and we're not saying we have, it was calling Kentucky a disaster. Remember, this team lost to Southern Miss, got trounced 45-7 by an anemic Florida team, gave up 42 points to New Mexico State (!!!), and beat Vandy only because of a last minute dropped TD pass in the end zone. But hey, the Cats are 7-5 with a shiny new victory -- and they've shown guts in their improvement. That says a lot for coaching. Good on them.

14. Here are the things at which the Alabama defense is #1 nationally, per @colecubelic.

Notice, they've allowed 12 TDs and scored 9 themselves. No one has scored a touchdown on Alabama in November. The Tide isn't perfect. They're not invincible. With a dynamic offense Auburn and LSU would have been competitive. But we may never have seen a more dominant defense than this one. The Tide is just fine on offense and special teams too. Plus, winning the Iron Bowl always brings joy.

Week 13 in the Vale of Tears: I Have No Idea

If my students have heard it once, they've heard it... yeah. "Never apologize before presenting your work."

Well, being in San Antonio for a conference, I didn't watch much football this weekend. I did stuff like this.

And this.

Yep, that's my birdie putt. And this.

I'm the ugly one closest to the camera. 

So I don't know much about what really went down this week. I just know what I read. And with Donald Rumsfeld, I also know how much I don't know.

I mean, after posting what to my mind have been some pretty damn prescient analysis this season, I've been a mess the past couple of weeks. I have no idea. So here we go with the best I've got for Week 13. Expect some bad humor.

1. What the hell, Ole Miss? Kelly goes down, and I give up on you. Patterson looks like freaking Aaron Rogers -- the old version -- and I get back on the bus. So you travel to Vandy. And not only do you lose, you get trampled. Dominated. Black Beared. Land Sharked. Exposed. How to choose between Rebels and Bullies this week, I have no idea. I'll go with Rebs.

2. Having been forced to move its date with Florida due to hurricane, LSU openly boasted that the Gators were running skeered. This author predicted Gator stew. Saturday morning our cell phones lit up with the alert: "Fournette out." I worried a little bit. Should have worried big. Huge disappointment from LSU.

3. Florida must be so pleased with itself, having won the grudge match with LSU and earned an SEC East title. That's awesome. Maybe the Gators will choke out Florida State in the big rivalry. So why the long face? 

Get it?
Gators?
Long face?
We only do quality here.

Well, Florida also earned an extra game against Alabama in the Conference Championship game. It's good for exposure. Good for morale. Good for many, many tears.

We almost ranked the Gators #1.

4. Mizzou. Worst team in the league. Over and out.

5. State lost to Arkansas 58-42. Time was, such a score was inconceivable. Only a year ago, State's defense was so splendidly coached. Granted, they lost way too many key contributors, but this is an open latrine. No bowl for the Bullies (get it?), which is why I think they lose to Ole Miss. You should probably bet on State.

6. As it had to do, Auburn destroyed A&M. Alabama A&M, that is. Backup RB Kam Martin gained 176 yards. It was sweet to see Jeremy Johnson play effectively. A preseason Heisman Watch guy in 2015, a guy who lit up Arkansas in his only big start of 2014, Johnson has fallen apart against good teams that create chaos. Auburn faces Alabama this week, and it looks like Sean White won't be able to go. That's more than enough chaos, and Auburn has literally no answer. Expect a heroic early performance from the Auburn D, followed by a collapse due to carrying too heavy a load. Sad eyes in Auburn.

7. I can't understand what's up in College Station. Texas A&M has a lackluster win against UTSA. Stuff happens. But the Kevin Sumlin hot seat talk fires up again.

8. South Carolina beat Western Carolina. And who honestly cares? Showing signs of life and guaranteed a bowl appearance, the Gamecocks also feature obvious weaknesses. Clemson is next, and Clemson will be ready. As we've been saying, two more years.

9. Georgia beat Lafayette. I suppose that would feel good to redcoats. (Get it?) Who knows? They Dawgs will experience true happiness with a win over Georgia Tech. Hardly a given.

10. Last time we get to say it. Kentucky beat Peay. (Lord.) No biggie. Peay was 0-10 in the FCS. But the Cats are bowl bound at 6-5, facing a true defurring at the hands of an angry Louisville team. (Ugh.)

11. Ok, Arkansas, we see you. You're a bully. You beat up on weaklings. You trounce the overrated. And when you face a true meany, you crumble. Yeah, sure. 661 total yards against State. But Austin Allen is the real deal. 

12. Tennessee lit up Mizzou. But outside of some wing establishments, nobody in Knoxville is puffing out their chests. (Oy.) Smokey is a sweet mascot, but it looks like the Vols are just bullies. This week's visit to the Alamo reminded me that the heroic Davy Crockett was really just a redneck opportunist. At least he didn't surrender like Tennessee does.

13. You have to admire how Nick Saban refuses to shame weaker opponents. Alabama faced a quality FCS opponent in Chattanooga, but there's no reason to think Bama will be kind to a mean Auburn team that's missing its key offensive players. 

14. Vandy. Yes, I'm an alum. But Vandy! It's a surprise the Dores beat Ole Miss, but it's not a shock. What is shocking is that Vandy turned the Landsharks into hajkött. (We aim to educate.) And it's shocking that Vandy has found a working passing game. A win at home against UT will send Vandy to a bowl -- but that ain't happening. Weirdest of all: Vandy's computer ratings may send a 5-7 Commodore team to a bowl anyway. Watch the news.

Week 12 in the SEC Vale of Tears: Pandelirium

Here's my most annoying character flaw: I love saying "I told you so." Here's what I said about Auburn last week:

Bold prediction: Georgia plays Auburn tough. I can't even call an Auburn victory. If I were a cold blooded gambling fool, I'd take Georgia plus the 10.

In a week of pandelirium, Auburn was scarcely unique. Clemson and Michigan fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with last second field goals. Washington got exposed by Southern Cal. And Ole Miss' super recruit QB pulled off a comeback against #8 Texas A&M. Let's sort through all the crying, trying not to get snot all over our sleeves. We're gonna do lots of Auburn analysis as we move along.

1. The biggest crying has to come from Auburn. Favored by 10 on the road in Athens -- by the way, being a big favorite in Athens is like running up to the attic when the chainsaw murderer is on the loose -- Auburn needed this one win to set up its biggest game in years, a showdown with Bama for the SEC West and a likely trip to the championship playoff. Win or lose against Bama, a season that began with embarrassment would conclude with satisfaction.

But Auburn was crippled. Prior to the season, Auburn lost three high quality running backs. Peyton Barber left early for the NFL. Roc Thomas decided he wanted the ball more and demoted himself to Jax State. Most damaging of all, the splendid Jovon Robinson proved a problem for team morale and got booted from the team. Meanwhile, Auburn started the season with no clear leader at QB. Through the first three games, things still looked grim.

Then Kam Pettway emerged as a monster running back, second only to LSU's Leonard Fournette. The revitalized running game fueled itself with dominant run blocking, and QB Sean White emerged as a tough and efficient leader. Auburn rolled six straight opponents. But Pettway pulled a muscle against Vandy, and White still hasn't recovered.

Auburn's coaches cobbled together a dazzling run package for the tough Georgia defense. And Auburn got through the first half with a 7-0 lead. But one thing was evident: Sean White was not ok. Auburn ran versions of wildcat and used John Franklin III at QB. Not once did White throw downfield. Georgia figured it out too, and things got ugly. Of White's 6 completions -- six! -- two occurred on little jet sweep tosses. Auburn is done.

2. Kentucky had never lost a game in which it rushed for 400 yards. Five Wildcats rushed for 70+ yards each in Knoxville Saturday. Who does that? But Kentucky yielded 49 points to the Vols and crashed back to earth. Kentucky has never won the East, and this is the closest the Cats have gotten. Still, beating Peay (we do it every week) will get the Cats to a bowl game. Mark Stoops will return. In case you're wondering, Austin Peay is 0-10.

3. Texas A&M has crashed to reality. The Aggies didn't really expect to beat Bama, but they had to feel kinda comfy holding a 21-6 lead against a wounded Ole Miss squad. The Rebs drew close, but A&M apparently closed the deal with 6:41 left and a 28-19 lead at home. While everybody's hootin' & hollerin' over Jacob Eason over in Athens, Ole Miss' Shea Patterson led the comeback with 338 passing yards. More on him below.

4. Vanderbilt's bowl hopes effectively ended in Columbia, Missouri. All along the Vandy defense has been better than average in the SEC, a genuine accomplishment, though Mizzou moved the ball pretty well, especially early. Hope has emerged with QB Kyle Shurmur's improvement. Down 6-0, however, Shurmur threw an inexplicable pick-six to put the Dores in a hole. Mizzou took a 19-0 lead, Vandy crawled back to 19-17, but the Dores just couldn't climb the ladder. 4-8 will taste much worse than 5-7 in Nashville.

5. South Carolina was helpless at Florida. Jake Bentley played OK -- we've been praising him all along. But he also took or suffered 5 sacks. Which is it? That's yours to call. The Cocks face 2-8 Western Carolina to earn their bowl bid. That'll feel nice, but there's nothing to brag about. I do think Will Muschamp will make this program tough again.

6. If you can really run the ball, you want a shot against Arkansas. We're big fans of freshman QB Austin Allen at QB, but LSU's splendid defense garned two picks off him. Meanwhile, LSU's Derrius Guice outshined Fournette with 252 rushing yards, including a 96 yard dash as a fourth quarter exclamation point. If your running game ain't so great, though, you'd rather not see the Hogs.

7. Bama 51, Mississippi State 3. What else did you expect? Nick Fitzgerald has done well so far, another promising freshman QB, but he wasn't ready for Tuscaloosa. Last week's bold prediction that Moo State would go bowling is looking a little rash now that Ole Miss has found its fighting spirit. Hard to see the Bullies managing both Arkansas and Ole Miss.

8. Missouri's win over Vanderbilt has to lessen the sting of a truly wretched season. It was Mizzou's first (and last) conference win of the season. Drew Lock played well against Vandy's fierce defense, and the Tigers also established some running consistency, especially early. I don't see any wins the rest of the season, and Mizzou will have lots of work to do in the off-season. But let's face it: a single conference win feels far better than 0-8.

It gets hard to rank happy teams from this point on.

9. Tennessee had to be feeling some bad mojo as Kentucky came to town, but the Vols clearly pulled together. Dominated by the UK running game, Tennessee countered by scoring in bunches. Tennessee looks likely to finish with a 9-3 record that must feel like a huge disappointment. That assessment shows how far Butch Jones has brought the Vols, but it also suggests that something's missing. Tennessee must hope for LSU to take down Florida in order to for Smokey to earn a rematch against Big Al in the conference championship game. Unfortunately for Tennessee, Florida isn't good enough to prevent that rematch. If the Vols beat Mizzou and Vandy, expect them to roll over and play dead against Bama. That's ugly to say, but did you see what Bama did to Tennessee?

BONUS: If I give myself credit for alerting us of the peril Auburn was in, there's a little crow to eat. I said Ole Miss was done and wouldn't make a bowl. Well, Shea Patterson. It'll be fascinating to see how the Rebs negotiate the combination of a disappointing season, an NCAA investigation, and a stellar new QB.

10. Florida yawned its way to victory over South Carolina, setting up a huge game with LSU. Beat the Tigers, and Florida wins the East. We have two thoughts. (1) Tennessee has already seen enough or Bama, but Florida doesn't know what it's getting into. (2) But Florida just isn't good enough to overcome the Bengal Tigers.

11. Is Alabama disappointed that the defense failed to score against Mississippi State? Otherwise, the Tide pulled off a truly dominant performance. In my view, Bama's passing game looks great against inferior teams, just okay against good ones. The Tide OL just isn't that dominant. But when the defense puts pressure on the opponent, and the offense gets that sweet field position, Jalen Hurts might just hang 4 TDs on you. Bama's receivers remain outstanding.

12. LSU rebounded from a tough loss to Alabama, which says everything for Ed Orgeron as a coach. Bama usually inflicts deep, invisible wounds on opponents, making it tough to play well the following week. But LSU played a complete game against, Arkansas, and Derrius Guice reminded us how explosive he truly is. Easy to forget that Guice leads LSU with 881 yards, averaging 8.7 yards per carry. That's huge! Look at the speed on this run.

13. For all the Jacob Eason love, Ole Miss may have found a savior in super-recruit QB Shea Patterson. Huge Freeze had been holding out Patterson for a redshirt year, but Chad Kelly's season-ending injury left the Rebs in a desperate spot. It's a big risk to rip the redshirt off a kid late in the season, but Patterson was ready. Once falling apart, the Rebs are likely to end 7-5 and feel optimistic heading into 2017 with Patterson and those spectacular receivers. Pending results from the NCAA, of course.

14. Ugh. I mean, UGA. Now having beaten Kentucky and Auburn, Georgia has to feel a lot better about itself. Auburn's a huge rival for the Dawgs, who now sit 6-4 and think 8-4 is possible. The tough UGA defense was well prepared, and when Kirby Smart saw Auburn's offensive limitations the adjustments were devastating. I've never been a critic of Jacob Eason. He looks like the real deal. Eason played well, and Georgia got some flow on offense against a vicious Auburn defense, but let's not get ahead of ourselves: Georgia's offense never managed to find the end zone against Auburn. Georgia is riding high today, as it should, but they're not a good team yet.

BONUS: Freshman QBs have exerted an enormous impact in the SEC, almost entirely positive. Bama's Jalen Hurts conducts an offense that ranges from effective to explosive. Highly recruited Shea Patterson should have future opponents extremely anxious, and his peer Jacob Eason is doing exactly what a future star should. Nick Fitzgerald and Jake Bentley are better than solid at State and Carolina, respectively. And we especially like Austin Allen at Arkansas.

Week 11 in the Vale of Tears: Aggie Ennui

Joy is hard to come by in the Bible Belt these days. The Week 11 winners feel like survivors, not victors, and the losers face truth square in the mirror. Thanks to Vale reader Eric Barreto, who called me back to reason with the reminder that Texas A&M must rank #1 among the weeping due to its fall from a #4 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll. Yeah, maybe. We'll have to talk about that.

A couple of weeks ago the Vale singled our Vandy linebacker Zach Cunningham for stopping Georgia's last-minute drive by sheer force of will. Cunningham is a wonderful player, a Butkus Award finalist, and some tout him as SEC defensive player of the year. Not quite. But his heroic block of an Auburn field goal will go down as a great moment in Commodore history. Fittingly, this spectacular play comes in a loss. It's still worth watching.

Meanwhile, our rankings.

1. I don't know that the Aggies cried very much after getting spanked by Moo State. Yes, it came as a shock to all of us. Sure, State has looked wretched all season. But you know what? First, A&M gave up 35 to the Bullies, which just shouldn't happen. (State still has Auburn cleat marks on its posterior.) Second, before you make a thing of Aggie QB Trevor Knight's injury, remember that Jake Hubenak was more effective in relief. The truth is, the Aggies were not playoff material. They knew it. Fate knew it. Apparently Dan Mullen knew it.

2. Ole Miss eeked out a win over Georgia Southern, but they lost the SEC's best QB Chad Kelly in the process. That's especially bad because (a) the Rebs relied way too much on Kelly for their success and (b) they seem to be slipping in the mojo department. Oh, and (c) we feel really bad for Kelly. One never knows how much an NCAA investigation weighs on a program, but I'm growing suspicious. Ole Miss is 4-5, and here's a bold prediction: the Rebs will stay home for the holidays.

3 and 4. I wanted to put Florida and Kentucky at #1 before Professor Barreto's timely intervention. Let's face it: nobody's good enough to win the East, and nobody really wants to. After all, would you want an extra game against Alabama? After a bye week, Arkansas totally exposed the Gators for the pretenders we've always said they are, while Georgia somehow came back to beat Kentucky. Neither team is particularly good, and now Kentucky really needs to beat Tennessee. The Wildcats will settle for beating Peay (I do it every week, y'all) and going to a pitiful bowl game.

BONUS: Remember The Pattern? The week after a big game, especially a road game and especially a win, SEC teams are particularly vulnerable. Florida just beat Georgia at a neutral site, and they just couldn't step up to Arkansas, who was coming off a bye week. 

5. Missouri just doesn't have it. Awful nice of South Carolina coach Will Muschamp to encourage Mizzou's Barry Odom not to get too down. Watch the video, and get the Kleenex.

6. I know Tennessee beat Tennessee Tech 55-0, but something smells real, real bad in Knoxville. Star RB Jalen Hurd left the team last week to transfer somewhere else, and the recruiting class of 2014 has lost over a dozen players. I'm a big fan of coach Butch Jones, but I'm not sure how the Vols will recover.

7. That was a tough loss for the LSU Tigers. Bama's defense is historically good, and LSU's almost the same. The Tigers will be a little beat up, but trust me: they are done losing for this season. What an incredible performance by the Tiger D, with talent flying all over the field.

8. Bold prediction: Mississippi State will go bowling! I know that's a quick reaction, but look at the schedule. The Bullies are 4-5, and wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss will get them there. Never mind: Arkansas is just too good. But QB Nick Fitzgerald may just have found himself, which is huge for the Bulldogs' attitude.

9. Vanderbilt probably cried a little after losing to Auburn. You can always count on the Dores defense. In addition to Saint Zach Cunningham, the Vale would like to single out LB Ja'Karri Thomas, S Ryan White, and S Arnold Tarpley for their physical play. The big news, though, is QB Kyle Schumur, who played his best game against the toughest defense Vandy will see. If this is a breakthrough for him, bold prediction: Vandy beats two of Mizzou, Ole Miss, and Tennessee to make a bowl game. I really believe it.

10. South Carolina is coming on, albeit against weak competition, and QB Jake Bentley is gonna be solid in that program. Plus, the defense isn't awful. In fact, nobody has really exposed the Gamecock defense, something we've overlooked so far. Improvement through the season is a sign of good coaching, you know. Now 5-4, the Cocks are going bowling -- and nobody saw that!

11. It looks like a win in Lexington means something these days. Therefore, Georgia is feeling a mixture of pride and vulnerability. The Dogs have been embarrassed a time or two, with a beat-up Auburn team coming next. To be honest, I'm sick of commentators anointing Jacob Eason the next messiah. As if other young QBs haven't performed at least as well: Austin Allen, Nick Fitzgerald, and Jake Bentley come to mind. But Eason played well on the road and led a winning comeback drive. He also makes throws other QBs cannot.

12. People are calling Auburn the hottest team in the country, but Vanderbilt put a physical pounding on the already-wounded Tigers. The Pattern caught up to Auburn too. After a taxing win at Ole Miss, Auburn QB Sean White sat out the first half with a shoulder injury -- but backup John Franklin couldn't do enough to win the game. White's injury became obvious on a couple of squirrelly throws. Monster RB Kam Pettway, a serious SEC Player of the Year candidate, pulled up lame with what looks to be an upper quad pull. No one knows what to expect from that. Auburn's other wonderful RB Kerryon Johnson still suffers from an ankle sprain: he's fast, but he's neither agile nor quick. And LB Tre Williams couldn't play. Auburn is way too good for Georgia, but only if White is ok and the RB corps can produce. Bold prediction: Georgia plays Auburn tough. I can't even call an Auburn victory. If I were a cold blooded gambling fool, I'd take Georgia plus the 10.

13. Humbled at Auburn, Arkansas is walking tall after a big helping of Gator stew. The bye week did them worlds of good, especially dinged up freshman QB Austin Allen. I've been hooting about him all season. Tough kid. Reasonably talented. Future heartthrob of Hogs fans everywhere.

 14. My Lord, what a glorious win by Alabama. I observed all kinds of fans -- even professional commentators! -- whining that a 0-0 game is boring. Hell no! You could cut the tension with a knife. All it took was one missed assignment by a defender on either team, and everything would have changed. Alabama made no such mistake. The Tide allowed 25 yards after halftime. Yep, that was a crimson font. And look at this: In 2015 and 2016, Leonard Fournette has averaged 7.45 yards per carry against everyone else, just 1.85 against Bama. Swallow that whole.

FINAL COMMENT: Baylor's coaches and players continue their defense of former coach Art Briles. One easily understands the loyalty people feel toward a beloved leader. Last week Baylor's assistant coaches tweeted their support for Briles, while one player stated the team's black uniforms were chosen to honor the former coach. (He and the university later walked back that claim.)

Every time a Baylor public figure defends Briles, he (because it's all men, so far as I know) revictimizes the women on that campus. So says rape survivor and justice advocate Brenda Tracy in a public statement.

Somehow the grownups need to take charge. Indeed, ESPN's Paula Lavigne reports that key Baylor donors are pushing for an overhaul of the university's board of regents, full disclosure of the Pepper Hamilton investigation that led to the dismissal of Briles and president Ken Starr, and the installation of a gold standard Title IX program. Will grownups prevail over football children? We'll see.