I've been musing this all night but I figured I'd condense it into one area. What this is really about is Auburn and LSU. Think back to week four of the season: two coaches with teams basically playing as a referendum on their employment. Well, the billing proved accurate, Auburn won a game by kicking six field goals for a 18-13 victory and Les Miles was out as LSU's head coach the next day. What I don't think anyone expected is neither team would lose a game since that night and both would be sitting in position to potentially win the division. Neither of these teams looked good. Both got shutdown by their major OOC opponent to open the season. Maybe people still believed at the time that Malzahn had only won some temporary job security.
Now did both of teams just get immensely better since their tough opening schedule or is something else going on here? We've seen enough games that we have a pretty good idea just what all these teams are going to be for the most part...and I think the main reason for the Auburn and LSU resurgence is that most of the SEC is just plain terrible. Ole Miss has no run game, can't protect well enough to be a pass-heavy team, and they're awful defensively. Arkansas can't play defense nor protect their quarterback. MSU's QB play isn't the same without Dak and they're bad on defense too. Vandy and South Carolina are practically the same can't-score-enough-to-help-their-D-out team. Georgia is a hot mess. Injuries have destroyed Tennessee. Mizzou is a hot mess too. Kentucky has lost to the only two good SEC teams they've played, beaten some of these so called "SEC teams" above.
Kentucky. KENTUCKY! Is your 2nd place in the SEC East team heading into the last week of October. Their fans were openly talking about canning Stoops before the preseason tipoff in Rupp this past week diverted their attention until next August.
There are 5 good teams in the SEC at this juncture: Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn, and LSU. The fall off after LSU is so stark, you might as well call it SoCon. So do I think Auburn or LSU have really turned it around? Maybe...confidence in execution is worth something and there are plenty of punching bags out there for them to get that benefit this season. LSU still has Alabama, Florida, and TAMU ahead...they could end up thoroughly exposed. Auburn has it better. I wouldn't be surprised if they're 9-2 before they catch a good team again.
Now did both of teams just get immensely better since their tough opening schedule or is something else going on here? We've seen enough games that we have a pretty good idea just what all these teams are going to be for the most part...and I think the main reason for the Auburn and LSU resurgence is that most of the SEC is just plain terrible. Ole Miss has no run game, can't protect well enough to be a pass-heavy team, and they're awful defensively. Arkansas can't play defense nor protect their quarterback. MSU's QB play isn't the same without Dak and they're bad on defense too. Vandy and South Carolina are practically the same can't-score-enough-to-help-their-D-out team. Georgia is a hot mess. Injuries have destroyed Tennessee. Mizzou is a hot mess too. Kentucky has lost to the only two good SEC teams they've played, beaten some of these so called "SEC teams" above.
Kentucky. KENTUCKY! Is your 2nd place in the SEC East team heading into the last week of October. Their fans were openly talking about canning Stoops before the preseason tipoff in Rupp this past week diverted their attention until next August.
There are 5 good teams in the SEC at this juncture: Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn, and LSU. The fall off after LSU is so stark, you might as well call it SoCon. So do I think Auburn or LSU have really turned it around? Maybe...confidence in execution is worth something and there are plenty of punching bags out there for them to get that benefit this season. LSU still has Alabama, Florida, and TAMU ahead...they could end up thoroughly exposed. Auburn has it better. I wouldn't be surprised if they're 9-2 before they catch a good team again.
Last edited: