Cream of the Crop

Alabama Crimson Tide –

Forget week one. The Florida State Seminoles are a completely different team and so are the Crimson Tide, who now have the best victory of the season over the Georgia Bulldogs. Redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson leads the Southeastern Conference in passing yards and has only thrown one interception.

Ole Miss Rebels –

Since transfer senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has taken the wheel for the past three games, the Rebels’ offense has averaged 36.67 points per outing and he leads the conference in passing yards per attempt. The defense has done its job, holding the previously top-five ranked LSU Tigers to sub-20 points.

Texas A&M Aggies –

The Aggies are No. 6 in the nation for sacks with 18, three of which came in a row from redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell against the Utah State Aggies, when, in the second quarter, he decided to end a drive on his own. Transfer wide receivers junior KC Concepcion and sophomore Mario Craver have fit right in, as both are top three in the conference in receiving yards.

Oklahoma Sooners –

New Sooner redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer has grabbed most of the headlines with his electric play and now hand injury, deservedly so, but the defense might be better. The defense is tied first in the nation for sacks and second in defensive stop rate, a metric by ESPN’s Max Olson measuring the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs.

Outside the Playoff Looking in

Georgia Bulldogs –

The Bulldogs bounced back from their loss to the Crimson Tide with a three-score victory over the Kentucky Wildcats last week, thanks to four scores on the ground. The offense has been at its best when the running game is flowing, especially when redshirt junior quarterback Gunner Stockton gets on the move — he had 13 rushes in an overtime victory over Tennessee and two rushing scores against the Wildcats.

Tennessee Volunteers –

The characteristics of a head coach Josh Heupel-led team usually include an explosive, downfield passing attack. That still reigns true with six-foot-five-inch redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Brazzell II streaking through defenses into the top ten of the nation in receiving yards, but the defense is tied with the Sooners for first in the nation for sacks.

LSU Tigers –

An offense led by a preseason favorite for the Heisman trophy, has a struggling run game and offensive line. Sound familiar? In their lone loss to the Ole Miss Rebels, fifth-year senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw one interception, was sacked once and the team’s leading rusher had 22 yards. A bright spot for the Tigers is their defense is eighth in defensive stop rate.

Missouri Tigers –

While the Tigers have yet to be challenged, they have aced their test so far. The Tigers are third in the nation in rushing yards, with sophomore running back Ahmad Hardy leading the nation in rushing yards with 730. The midterm awaits this week when the Crimson Tide rolls into Columbia, Missouri this Saturday.

Who are y’all??

Vanderbilt Commodores –

We know the Commodores are not the conference doormat of old, but how serious do we take them? Looking rather pedestrian against the Crimson Tide this year and wins against South Carolina and Virginia Tech seem less and less of a feat.

Mississippi State Bulldogs –

Coming off a two-win 2024 season, the Bulldogs have already surpassed their preseason expectation of finishing last in the conference by the media. A week after taking the Volunteers to overtime with over 200 yards rushing, the Bulldogs fell flat to the Texas A&M Aggies, unable to muster 80 rushing yards. We’ll wait and see if Davis Wade Stadium’s cow bells can help knock off another ranked opponent and not just the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Texas Longhorns –

Having yet to beat a Power Four opponent, but also having held the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes to their lowest points tally of the season, puts the Longhorns in a weird and unexpected position. The talent is there and even after the loss to the Florida Gators, the defense is still No. 4 in stop rate, but the question remains — will this offense ever put a full 60-minute game together?

Florida Gators –

Finally putting together a complete game in their own right, the Gators are as up and down as a team can be. The roller coaster began on a downturn in week two with a loss to the unranked South Florida Bulls, continued downward with sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway’s five interceptions to LSU and culminated with a loss to the Miami Hurricanes with no sign of life. Now in the upswing of the roller coaster after this past weekend, how long will this rise last?

South Carolina Gamecocks –

Similar to the Commodores, we understand that the Gamecocks are not the same defense from last year that held opponents to 18.1 points per game. This season, redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers played hero in week one to beat the Virginia Tech Hokies, got knocked out of the game against the Commodores with a concussion and has taken 14 sacks. This team will truly go as far as he can take them.

Your coach is fired or on the road to be

Auburn Tigers –

Junior quarterback Jackson Arnold has yet to pass for over 260 yards and while the team outraced the Baylor Bears in week one, the offense has fallen flat on the big stage the past two weeks against the Sooners and A&M Aggies.

Arkansas Razorbacks –

Head coach Sam Pittman has already been fired in Fayetteville after three straight losses, including one to an unranked non-Power Four Memphis Tiger team. Pittman’s firing had been brewing and was not the fault of redshirt senior quarterback Taylen Green and the offense, who have averaged 37.4 points per game.

Kentucky Wildcats –

The Wildcats have now turned to redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley after benching graduate quarterback Zach Calzada after the game against the Ole Miss Rebels. The Wildcats remain winless in the conference and will get their first chance at a conference victory against the Longhorns after their bye this week.