With so many ranked-on-ranked showdowns on tap in Week 10, we knew that chaos was coming to the SEC. We just didn't expect quite so much of it — and before we even got the main event, too.
Before Kentucky-Tennessee or Georgia-Ole Miss even kicked off, we had major shakeups up and down the conference, from Alabama and Texas earning gutty wins at LSU and Missouri, respectively, to Texas A&M putting a serious scare into previously white-hot South Carolina. When the dust settled on the afternoon slate, the race for the SEC title game — and the College Football Playoff — looked much, much different.
Updated SEC power rankings after Alabama beats LSU, South Carolina survives in Week 10
- Georgia Bulldogs (7-1)
- Kentucky Wildcats (7-1)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2)
- Texas Longhorns (7-2)
- Ole Miss Rebels (6-2)
- Tennessee Volunteers (6-2)
- LSU Tigers (6-3)
- South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3)
- Florida Gators (5-3)
- Missouri Tigers (6-3)
- Auburn Tigers (5-4)
- Oklahoma Sooners (4-4)
- Texas A&M Aggies (4-5)
- Arkansas Razorbacks (3-6)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (4-5)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-5)
Kalen DeBoer just got his best win at Alabama — and the Tide are title contenders
I don't think many onlookers gave Alabama much of a chance entering their showdown with LSU on Saturday. For one, Death Valley is never an easy place to play. Add in how the Tigers had been ascending in recent weeks under Lane Kiffin, and how badly the Tide had struggled up front offensively, and the trend lines were not positive.
Yeah, about that. Alabama dropped the clutch in the fourth quarter en route to a statement win, one that not only puts Kalen DeBoer's team in the driver's seat for an SEC title game berth and a College Football Playoff spot but also serves as proof of concept for this program moving forward. The Tide stood tall against an LSU team that had been scorching hot of late and didn't blink even when adversity struck. It's the sort of performance that was their hallmark under Nick Saban, and that the doubters didn't think DeBoer could produce. With an easy closing schedule from here, it's time to start thinking conference and national title.
Turns out Lane Kiffin couldn't run from all of his problems at LSU
You can take the man out of Oxford, but you can't take Oxford out of the man. After all the progress LSU had made in recent weeks, here a Kiffin team is once again: on the outside of the Playoff looking in following a third infuriating loss. We've seen this movie before with him; this time is just more expensive and all the most baffling for how flat the Tigers played in a marquee spot at home.
Kiffin can no longer point to budgetary restrictions, or claim that he's being held back by his surroundings. The historic ceiling in Baton Rouge is as high as anywhere in the country, and this is Kiffin's hand-picked roster with stars all over the place. The results, including 13 points when the game was still in doubt, are on him.
Texas' gut-check win puts the Horns in perfect Playoff position
Speaking of much-maligned programs and head coaches getting big wins in hostile environments: Is Texas ... back? The Horns have handled all sorts of injury and adversity so far this season, and yet, there they were in a raucous Columbia, Mo., on Saturday, erasing a seven-point deficit with a huge fourth quarter to put away No. 18 Missouri.
Arch Manning had his share of misses, but he also avoided the big mistake and was composed and accurate when he needed to be. This defense remains elite, and a makeshift offensive line managed to finally get the ground game on track a bit. A trip to an angry LSU team looms, but don't look now: Here come Sark and the boys.
South Carolina finally managed to flip the same old script
Even as South Carolina rocketed back into SEC relevance (and Playoff contention) at 5-3, including wins over Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma and a one-point loss to Kentucky, it was hard to fully buy in. We'd seen tantalizing flashes from Shane Beamer's program before, of course, only to ultimately be let down in the end.
So when the Gamecocks fell down to Texas A&M at home on Saturday, it was all too easy to start prewriting the ending. But this year's LaNorris Sellers is not last year's, and 12 months after blowing a huge lead in College Station, South Carolina this time was the one doing the rallying, using a 10-point fourth quarter to earn a 17-9 win. In two weeks, they'll face Georgia at home, and a win there might well stamp this team's CFP case.
Add us as a preferred source on Google