SEC: Asked and answered

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog
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1. Mississippi State (7-0, 4-0; vs. Arkansas, 7:15 p.m.): Are the Bulldogs ready for the November gauntlet? We still not certain, considering they have trips to Tuscaloosa and Oxford on the docket. That said, the 1-2 punch of Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson is eerily similar to the tandem of Cam Newton and Mike Dyer that carried Auburn down the stretch to the 2010 national title.

2. Alabama (7-1, 4-1; off): Are the Crimson Tide the best team in the country? They are right there in the mix, and they are the favorites in the eyes of Vegas to win the whole thing. (And this just in, Vegas does a pretty good job tagging things like that.) Still, with the underwhelming performance of the running game, the Tide need to find another complementary offensive piece to receiver Amari Cooper.

3. Auburn (6-1, 3-1; at Ole Miss, 7 p.m.): Can the Tigers' offensive machine, which mowed through South Carolina at such a pace that the Gamecocks were forced to go for it on every fourth down, find success in the Grove? We're not so sure. Ole Miss has not allowed more than 20 points in 10 straight games, and with the Rebels coming off a physical and emotional loss at LSU, Auburn must expect another "everything but ..." game in which the opposition throws everything but the kitchen sink at the Tigers.

4. Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1; vs. Auburn, 7 p.m.): Does one team's fortune hinge more on one player than the Rebs' chances and Bo Wallace? No, and, no, it's not a good thing. Yes, quarterbacks get too much credit for winning and too much blame for losing, but Wallace is the swing key for an Ole Miss team that may be the most complete team -- a great defense, a fleet of NFL wideouts, an offensive line that's strong when healthy -- in the nation's best league. You'd have to expect the blitz-happy schemes of Auburn DC Ellis Johnson to mix in a view different looks in an effort to flummox Bo, right? (Rushmore of Bo? Bo Jackson for sure. Bo Duke. Bo Derek. Bo Diddley. Thoughts?)

5. Georgia (6-1, 4-1; vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m.): Will we ever see Todd Gurley in a UGA uniform again? Man, with all the NCAA debaclenessituderation (yes, we made that word up, but it's the NCAA and we can't cuss and since they make up the rules, well ...) it's amazing that 18 years of academic fraud may or may not be worse or not as bad as Gurley selling his signature. Go figure.

6. LSU (7-2, 3-2; off): Could LSU sneak into the college football playoff? It's not likely but not impossible, either, which is saying something for a team that was completely pantsed at Auburn earlier this month. This Tigers bunch is maturing, and regardless of how this autumn ends, LSU likely will be preseason top five in 2015.

7. Texas A&M (5-3, 2-3; vs. Louisiana-Monroe, noon): Has any team lost more shine since the first four weeks? The Aggies, like Rod Stewart, needed to realize that when it was late September they needed to be headed back to school. Instead, when the competition improved, the Aggies have faded. Badly. And while this week figures to be a spanking that will secure a bowl trip, around Labor Day we thought the Aggies would be a slam dunk to hear their name Tuesday night among the top four in the committee's eyes. Maggie, I think I have something to say to you.

8. Missouri (6-2, 3-1; vs. Kentucky, 4 p.m.): Could Missouri win it all? Amazingly, the answer is yes. As gross as they have been -- home losses to Georgia and Indiana and struggles last Saturday against a hapless Vanderbilt bunch -- the Tigers are on the short list of 20 or teams that could find their way into the playoff four without an extreme turn of events. If Missouri wins out -- and none of its final four regular-season opponents are ranked -- and Georgia stumbles in an SEC game, the Tigers would be in Atlanta, and as long as the SEC champ has two or fewer losses, that team will be headed to the playoff. Even if it lost to Indiana at home.

9. Kentucky (5-3, 2-3; at Missouri, 4 p.m.): Is this the week UK punches its postseason ticket? Why not? The Wildcats played MSU's top-ranked Bulldogs close to the end -- and quarterback Patrick Towles played like a Warrior Poet -- and Missouri is flawed. The Wildcats could card a 3-1 finish in November, and even as great as the coaches in Mississippi have been, if Mark Stoops found a way to get UK to 8-4 in year two ... Wow.

10. South Carolina (4-4, 2-4; vs. Tennessee, 7:30 p.m.): How good is Steve Spurrier? Man, the Ol' Ball Coach delivered an old-school masterpiece in the 42-35 loss at Auburn. Also, was there any doubt in anyone's mind that when Spurrier said if the Gamecocks had scored at the end they were going for two and the win? Thanks for letting us tag along on a fun ride, Coach.

11. Arkansas (4-4, 0-4; at Mississippi State, 7:15 p.m.): Why do the Razorbacks empty the playbook with the 350-pound tackle throwing a TD pass against UAB with a date with the nation's No. 1 team on deck? Not sure why, but here's betting that Arkansas OC Jim Chaney will unload the playbook -- as well as pounding the ball between the tackles -- Saturday in Starkville.

12. Florida (3-3, 2-3; vs. Georgia, 3:30 p.m.): What's the craziest way Will Muschamp's final Florida-Georgia game as the Gators coach could end? Well, the craziest would be Jeff Driskel playing well and Florida winning -- and we all know there's no way that's happening. The second-craziest way would be for the game to matriculate through the day, Georgia build a lead, then midway through the fourth, Muschamp -- a UGA grad, mind you -- walks to midfield, rips off his Florida golf shirt to reveal his old Georgia jersey as the loud speaker plays CDB's "Devil Went Down to Georgia" and Jim Ross grabs the mic and screams about Muschamp's plan all along. No. 3 would be Muschamp riding off the field on a unicorn with his Big Blue Ox Tebow following behind him. Yes, that'd be crazy (but still not as crazy as Driskel playing well).

13. Tennessee (3-5, 0-4; at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m.): Which was the real Josh Dobbs, the one who apparently views practice the same way Allen Iverson did or the one who gave Alabama fits? We'll see, but we can all agree that Nathan Peterman has had ample sample size and the tag on his career should be like an old-school fire extinguisher -- open only in case of emergency.

14. Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-5; vs. Old Dominion, 7 p.m.): Was there something to build on in Vandy's 10-point loss at Missouri? Maybe, considering freshman quarterback Johnny McCrary looked light years ahead of the other quarterbacks. Seriously, he was like Lionel Richie and the rest of the QBs have been just Commodores (thank you, thank you). Still, Vandy rushed for only 44 more yards as a team Saturday than I did.

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