Week four provided some tough conference matchups and some clarity for many teams. Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Kentucky were among the big winners. Florida, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina were the losers. Let’s take a look at what we learned last week about SEC Football….
5. The process is going to take a while for Georgia
In their debut win over North Carolina, the Georgia Bulldogs showed a lot of heart in weathering the storm and coming away with a victory against a quality team. Against Nicholls, the Dawgs showed the world that there was a lot to be worried about. The trip to Missouri was full of warts but was covered up with a fantastic finish from Jacob Eason.
Against Ole Miss, Georgia was exposed. There is no doubt that the Georgia Bulldogs have talent. The problem is they don’t have talent in some of the places that they need it in order for them to be successful under Kirby Smart’s system.
College football is a game of matchups and this Ole Miss team matched up extremely well against Georgia. In addition, a wave of momentum took over and Ole Miss thoroughly embarrassed Georgia.
Georgia is not going to be where a lot of fans hoped it would be this year. Kirby Smart is not going to simply flip a switch and change everything. As Ole Miss has shown, Kirby’s process will take time. It doesn’t appear this will be the Year of the Dawg in the SEC East.
4. The Aggies appear to be for real
After beating UCLA and Auburn, Texas A&M inched themselves toward being in the conversation. With their victory over Arkansas, the Aggies look like they are for real.
Since 2012, Texas A&M has struggled with getting the right mix from their rushing attack. A 366-yard performance against Arkansas has them number one in the conference after four games. It also gives them a mix of running and passing that is tough to stop. If Kevin Sumlin can keep this type of balance on offense, there is no telling where he can take the Aggies this season.
3. Ole Miss is not dead
Ole Miss backed themselves into a corner, and this week, it came out fighting for its life. The Rebels came out quick against the Georgia Bulldogs as they jumped out to a 10-0 lead mid-way through the first quarter. That was just the start as the Rebels scored the first seven times in the game and built a 45-o lead against the no. 12 ranked team in the country.
The Rebels exposed Georgia and at the same time they redeemed themselves from their two early losses. In losses against Alabama and Florida State, Ole Miss wilted down the stretch. Against Georgia, the Rebels just kept pouring it on. The Rebels are a long-shot for the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff, but with this performance, they are back in the conversation. This game could come back to be looked at as the turning point for the 2016 Ole Miss Rebels.
2. Tennessee finally found their offense
Last week, I predicted that Florida would once again beat Tennessee. For the first two and a half quarters, I looked pretty smart. Then, the Vols found their offense. The Vols unleashed a barrage of offense on the Gators in the second half and poured 35 points onto the scoreboard.
Joshua Dobbs finally found himself and threw four TD passes of over 20 yards. For the first time this season, he surpassed the 300-yard mark through the air. It was only the third time in his career that Dobbs topped 300, and his 319-yard performance was the most of his career. His four TD passes were also the most Dobbs has ever thrown in one game. Dobbs arrived against Florida. If he can continue what he did in the second half of the game on Saturday, the Vols will be a lot of trouble in the SEC the rest of the season.
1. LSU has unrealistic expectations
The LSU Tigers tried to get rid of Les Miles last season. It didn’t work. This year, after four games the Tigers parted ways with the Mad Hatter. One of our writers has a great take on why Les Miles was fired. With Nick Saban and Alabama dominating the SEC, the thirst for having what Alabama has is consuming some schools. This is leading to some very good coaches being shown the door.
Should LSU be better than they are? Yes, they should. LSU has missed big on some quarterbacks and it’s really hurt them. Insert a competent quarterback onto the Tigers and they are probably the second best team in the league. Unfortunately, Brandon Harris couldn’t take the next step and it’s cost Les Miles his job.
Nick Saban has ramped up expectations in the SEC and the margin for error is less than it ever has been. Did Les Miles get treated unfairly by being shown the door just four games into the season? Absolutely. Does LSU have unrealistic expectations? Yes, they do. Is that going to stop them from landing a high profile coach? No, it isn’t.
