SEC Football Week 5 Breakdown
Do we have to play out the rest of the season? Is it decided yet? Can we just have LSU face Alabama and give the winner the SEC crown and the trip to the title game? Everyone would be fine with this, right?
LSU once again proved their defense can stop pretty much any offense, no matter how explosive. Oregon was thwarted, as was Mississippi State and West Virginia. Alabama may want to make the same claim although their opponents haven’t yet had that cache to them. Arkansas certainly looked pedestrian against the Tide. So here we are. Both still have to face Florida and South Carolina is looming yet no one in the country seems as good as LSU and Alabama, let alone in the Southeastern Conference.
Alas, we must play out the rest of the season anyways, at least for show.
Saturday, October 1
1st ranked Alabama vs. 12th ranked Florida
Speak of the devil. Florida is in store for a world of hurt these next two weeks. They host Alabama this Saturday and then travel to LSU the following week. They may certainly win one of those two games, although I doubt it, but nevertheless, they will be hurting and banged up heading into mid-October.
Although they play a different brand of football, Florida strikes me as eerily similar to Arkansas here. Neither team seemed very highly thought of coming into the year yet flew up the national rankings in a few short weeks to obtain a top 15 rank. Has Florida done anything to deserve this? Look for Alabama to roll, pardon the pun, and for Florida to fall back to earth a bit, following in the Razorbacks’ footsteps.
Other notable matchups:
Saturday October 1
17th ranked Arkansas vs. 15th ranked Texas A&M
Future SEC rivals do battle, both coming off tough losses to highly ranked opponents. The difference is I don’t think Arkansas is that good. Maybe the conference is worth more than we think and a mid-level SEC team is still superior to a top-level Big 12 team (even if that Big 12 team will very shortly be an SEC team) but A&M seems better on offense, which would be Arkansas’ strength as well.
Games of no particular note or significance whatsoever:
Saturday October 1
Mississippi State vs. Georgia
3rd ranked LSU vs. Kentucky
Tennessee vs. Buffalo
Ole Miss vs. Fresno State
9th ranked South Carolina vs. Auburn
A couple remaining thoughts on the rest of these games: Mississippi State will battle Georgia with the loser becoming perhaps the best 2-3 team in the country. South Carolina has looked questionable all year other than Marcus Lattimore. Quarterback is still a rather large question mark, a statement rarely uttered regarding a top 10 team in the nation. Look for Auburn to give them trouble.
