Fansided

SEC power rankings: Alabama stays perfect, Aggies win a wild one vs. LSU

By Rucker Haringey

COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Quartney Davis (1) goes in for a touchdown during the seventh overtime in the game between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies on November 24, 2018 at Kyle Field in College Station, TX. (Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Quartney Davis (1) goes in for a touchdown during the seventh overtime in the game between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies on November 24, 2018 at Kyle Field in College Station, TX. (Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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TUSCALOOSA, AL – NOVEMBER 24: Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Auburn Tigers draws a facemask penalty as he is sacked by Quinnen Williams #92 and Mack Wilson #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL – NOVEMBER 24: Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Auburn Tigers draws a facemask penalty as he is sacked by Quinnen Williams #92 and Mack Wilson #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Gus Malzahn tried to dip into his bag of tricks to keep this game close, but Alabama’s talent advantage was simply too great. Specifically, Auburn’s defense just couldn’t find a way to slow Tua Tagovailoa down.

It’s hard to win any game when you give up six passing touchdowns. Tagovailoa got five and Jalen Hurts added one more to really bury the Tigers. This wasn’t a bad loss per se, but it still won’t sit well with the Auburn faithful. Winning magical games against Alabama in the closing moments seems like a distant memory.

Drew Lock got a chance to enjoy an easy win during his last regular season game as a collegiate. He had a solid day with 221 yards passing and two touchdowns, but his defense did the heavy lifting against the Razorbacks.

The Tigers move up a spot this week because they limited Arkansas to just 187 yards of total offense. Lock has gotten all the headlines this year, but the defense has improved steadily as the season’s progressed. No one wants to play Missouri right now, and that’s why they leapfrog Auburn this week.

Kentucky may have let their dreams slip away over the past several weeks,m but finishing at 9-3, 6-2 in the SEC is still a great accomplishment by Mark Stoops and his staff. Drilling Louisville on the road to finish the year was just a cherry on the Wildcats’ sundae.

Terry Wilson enjoyed a particularly good game against the Cardinals. He threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns, but he also ran for 79 yards on 10 carries. No one is confusing Louisville’s defense with the Steel Curtain, but it was still a nice way for Wilson to finish off his regular season.

Joe Moorhead’s team deserves a lot of credit for steadily improving all year long. Winning at Ole Miss wasn’t a big surprise, but dominating the Rebels so completely was impressive. It’s possible MSU is playing its best football heading into whatever bowl they play in.

Once again, Nick Fitzgerald was the start of the show on offense for the Bulldogs. He was efficient in the air by going 11 of 18 for 111 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he punished the Ole Miss defense on the ground by running for 117 yards and two scores. He’ll be awfully tough for this team to replace next season, but they can enjoy him for one more game before he tries to make his NFL dreams come true.

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