While Cupcake Week proved to be more of a roller coaster than a kiddie ride, Rivalry Week didn’t produce nearly as much drama.

The SEC now officially only has one team with a chance to make the College Football Playoff, as Alabama took care of Auburn in the Iron Bowl and captured the West. East champion Florida, however, tumbled all the way to No. 18 in the AP poll after getting dismantled at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — in front of a frustrated record crowd of 90,916 — by Sunshine State adversary Florida State.

With the regular season complete and the conference championship game set for Saturday between the rising Crimson Tide and falling Gators, here is what I liked and didn’t like from the best conference in America.

What I liked

1. Hogs being Hogs

Arkansas football looked like Arkansas football again Friday, as there was no need for quarterback Brandon Allen to throw 7 touchdown passes like he did against Mississippi State six days prior.

This time it was all about running back Alex Collins and the biggest offensive line in the country, as he rushed 30 times for 130 yards and 3 TDs in a 28-3 pounding of Missouri – all three scores came before intermission. Reserve running back Kody Walker got 77 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries himself, most of it late in garbage time.

The Razorbacks finished the regular season winning five of their final six and will be headed to a bowl game over the holidays at 7-5.

2. Love the script

Georgia’s opening drive against Georgia Tech was a thing of play-calling beauty by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Quarterback Greyson Lambert to wide receiver Terry Godwin for 18 yards. Running back Sony Michel for 4 yards. Lambert to Godwin for 3 yards. Lambert to wide receiver Michael Chigbu for 7 yards. Michel for 3 yards. Running back Brendan Douglas for no gain. Lambert to Godwin for 6 yards. Michel for 34 yards – on fourth-and-1, no less – for 34 yards and a touchdown.

There was play-action. There was passing in running situations. There was running in passing situations. And instead of settling for a long field goal, coach Mark Richt aggressively went for it on fourth down from the Yellow Jackets 34 and was rewarded handsomely.

It turned out to be the only TD of the game for the Bulldogs in an ugly 13-7 win over their 3-9 intrastate rivals, which is par for the course this season for Richt and Co.

3. Searching for positives

Similar to Georgia, Kentucky took the opening kickoff in a state-bragging-rights game and marched right down the field to make a statement.

Getting his second start taking over for the disappointing Patrick Towles, true freshman quarterback Drew Barker converted a third-and-12 and a third-and-7 – first a completion for 31 yards, then another for 28 – on the drive. The No. 1 recruit in the Bluegrass State for 2014 gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead by running the read-option perfectly and scoring himself from the 1-yard line.

Even if he struggled the rest of the way in a 38-24 loss to Louisville, and he did based on his 6-of-22 showing through the air, there are reasons to believe Barker has a higher ceiling in Lexington than Towles ever did.

4. Plenty of fight left

South Carolina had every reason to quit down 14-3 at halftime to Clemson, but the Gamecocks gave the Tigers hell for 60 minutes and made the No. 1 team in the land sweat out a 37-32 victory.

Quarterback Perry Orth came alive late in the game, just as he did in previous losses to Tennessee and Florida, throwing 3 touchdown passes in the last quarter and a half to keep the score close. The last one may have been moot – he hit running back Shon Carson from 11 yards out with 1 second left on the clock in a two-score game – but it counts nonetheless.

While South Carolina finished the slate on a five-game losing streak, four of the five were by seven points or fewer and the team never gave up on what was a lost season once Steve Spurrier resigned.

5. Make room on the mantle

Alabama running back Derrick Henry may have wrapped up the Heisman Trophy at Jordan-Hare Stadium, rushing for 271 yards and a touchdown on an eye-popping 46 carries in a 29-13 win over Auburn.

RELATED: Auburn couldn’t pull big upset

Not only has Henry topped 100 yards in eight of 12 games this year, but he’s actually topped 200 four times – all four in the last six games, all four against SEC competition. He joins arguably the two best tailbacks in conference history, Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson, as the only runners to eclipse 200 yards four times in a season.

With Florida State’s Dalvin Cook gashing Florida for 183 yards and 2 TDs on 26 attempts Saturday in Gainesville, look for Henry to have similar success against the depleted Gators coming up in the SEC Championship Game.

6. Gunslinging Rebel

Saturday in Starkville put two dual-threat quarterbacks on display, but it was visiting Chad Kelly of Ole Miss getting the best of host Dak Prescott of Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

Kelly connected on 21-of-30 throws for 236 yards, ran 11 times for 74 more yards and accounted for three total touchdowns. He did so with leading receiver Laquon Treadwell, a likely first-team All-SEC selection and future first-round pick, not making much of an impact: 4 catches for 22 yards.

While the Rebels lost their chance to back-door into the SEC title game once Alabama put away Auburn, Kelly finished the regular season red hot and will get some Heisman buzz going into next year.

As for Prescott, he found his target on 31-of-42 throws for 254 yards, racked up 63 more yards on 21 rushes and also got the ball into the end zone three times – he was picked off once and only averaged 6 yards per pass attempt, though. Arguably the greatest Bulldog of them all, he simply didn’t have enough help to do better than an 8-4 record as a senior.

Ole Miss is a team to watch out for in 2016, although Treadwell, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche – all part of that phenomenal 2013 recruiting class – are likely to leave early for the draft.

7. Run, run and run some more

Tennessee didn’t get fancy in a 53-28 beatdown of Vanderbilt, running the ball an astounding 52 times for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara and quarterback Joshua Dobbs all posted at least 93 yards on the ground and averaged 6.8 yards per tote as a trio.

Credit the Volunteers for finishing the season on a five-game winning streak to get to 8-4 – their first 8-win campaign since Phillip Fulmer was axed in 2008 – even if those five opponents combined to go 18-42.

8. Help wanted

If I played defense for Florida, I would be awfully angry right about now.

The Gators limited Florida State to 304 total yards and put the shackles on the electrifying Cook until the levee finally broke in the fourth quarter. The only points they scored in a 27-2 humiliation at home came courtesy of a strip sack of quarterback Sean Maguire that resulted in a safety.

UF’s pathetic offense and pitiful kicking game have wasted a star-studded defensive unit that will lose its best lineman (Jonathan Bullard), linebacker (Antonio Morrison) and DB (Vernon Hargreaves III) to the NFL.

9. That’s why they call it “football”

In what was a defensive battle throughout, both Florida and Florida State got All-American performances from their punters.

UF’s Johnny Townsend averaged 46.4 yards on nine punts, while FSU’s Cason Beatty averaged 47.6 on seven attempts. Field position was more important than usual in today’s offensive-minded environment, as the Gators didn’t have the ability to drive the length of the field and the Seminoles didn’t get much early from the dangerous Cook.

Florida averaged 3.2 yards per rush and 3.5 yards per pass, compared to 4.8 and 5.7, respectively, for Florida State, so special teams were critical.

10. Giving Henry a run for his money

Full disclosure: I am a Heisman Trophy voter.

Fuller disclosure: I am a Florida State alumnus.

In all likelihood, Henry wrapped up the Heisman with his workhorse effort Saturday in the Iron Bowl. He leads the nation in rushing with 1,797 yards and rushing touchdowns with 22, doing so for an 11-1 team that will more than likely win the SEC and be selected for the College Football Playoff.

But Cook is comparatively getting very little attention from the media, even after his dazzling stat line at Florida. The Gators have the No. 7 rushing defense in the country, by the way, while the Tigers are 91st.

Cook is averaging more yards per game than Henry (150.7 to 149.8) and more yards per carry (7.9 to 6.1), plus he’s doing it with more than five fewer attempts per game (19.2 to 24.6). This is doubly impressive since Cook has been battling hamstring and ankle injuries most of the season, so much so that he missed almost all of the Wake Forest win – one of his two rushes went for a 94-yard score – and sat out the Syracuse win.

I know what you’re thinking. Florida State doesn’t play anybody! Alabama is in the SEC! As a ‘Noles fan of 30-plus years, I’ve heard it all before.

Of the 10 FBS opponents that Cook has faced, their average rank defending the run is 47.5. Henry has played against 11 such foes, with their average rank being 62.8.

But blocking makes a difference, right? FSU’s offensive line, which sent four starters to the NFL this past year, consists of one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen. The Tide’s front five features two seniors, a junior, a sophomore and a freshman.

I’ll probably vote for Henry, as he’s the best player on perhaps the best team in America, but something is wrong if Cook doesn’t at least get an invite to New York.

What I didn’t like

1. Hit the reset button

Missouri was nothing short of lifeless offensively once again Friday in a 28-3 drubbing at the hands of Arkansas, as neither the running game nor the passing game cracked triple digits.

Quarterback Drew Lock looked like the true freshman that he is, connecting on just 9-of-27 passes for 83 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Even Russell Hansbrough – a potential draft pick this spring in the NFL – managed only 14 yards on 5 carries against a Hogs rushing defense ranked third in the SEC.

A number of 5-7 teams will go bowling this season, as there are simply too many bowls and not enough programs 6-6 or better, but perhaps it would be wise for the Tigers to shut off the lights on the Gary Pinkel regime and look forward to 2016 with fresh eyes.

2. Filling up on cupcakes

While Georgia may have finished the regular season 9-3, there isn’t a single victory that looks impressive in retrospect.

The Bulldogs beat ULM, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Southern, Missouri, Kentucky, Auburn, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech. Georgia Southern is the only school on that list – not counting Southern, which is an FCS program – with a winning record.

The combined record of the five SEC opponents they beat is 23-37, while the three conference foes they lost to (Alabama, Tennessee and Florida) are an aggregate 29-7. In other words, UGA beat up bad teams but was beaten up by good teams.

Consequently, Richt was shown the door Sunday after a decade and a half in Athens.

3. Offensive defense in Lexington

Up 24-7 at intermission Saturday, the Kentucky defense gave up 31 points in the second half in defeat to Louisville.

Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson didn’t offer much as a passer, completing just 8-of-21 throws, but he killed the Wildcats with 186 yards and 2 touchdowns as a runner. When it was all said and done, coach Mark Stoops’ defense surrendered 314 yards on the ground – at home in a rivalry game to boot – to a team ranked 96th in the country in rushing offense.

UK finishes the regular season ranked no better than 11th in the SEC in scoring D, rushing D and total D in Year 3 under Stoops, which is alarming since he was hired for his defensive mind.

4. Let them play

Kentucky linebacker Josh Forrest intercepted a pass in the first quarter against Louisville and returned it 81 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 21-0 lead on the Cardinals.

A former wide receiver, he made a perfect play on the throw and knew exactly what to do with the pigskin once he got it in his hands.

After just making what is probably the biggest play of his career, Forrest celebrated by firing the ball high into a frenzied crowd at Commonwealth Stadium.

It wasn’t premeditated and he wasn’t taunting an opposing player, but he immediately got flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Every now and then, especially on Senior Day, it should be OK to let kids be kids.

5. Gotta pound the pavement

It didn’t take long for the difference in talent between Clemson and South Carolina to become evident Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The Tigers featured Deshaun Watson under center, formerly the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country and a contender for the Heisman Trophy. The Gamecocks went with Orth, who was originally a walk-on and one of three different starters in 2015.

Watson had skill-position weapons all over the field, from his running backs to his receivers to his tight end. Aside from wideout Pharoh Cooper, who has likely played his last game in Columbia, South Carolina didn’t have a single offensive contributor capable of producing on a weekly basis.

Skai Moore is a fantastic linebacker and can play for any school in the country, but Clemson had waves of defenders – linemen, linebackers and DBs — to throw out there from start to finish. The pass rush in particular for the Gamecocks has been maddeningly absent since Jadeveon Clowney’s sophomore campaign in 2012.

Simply put, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney is cleaning up on the recruiting trail in the Palmetto State and reaping the rewards, while Spurrier didn’t put in the time necessary to stock the stables with enough horses to prevent a 3-9 disaster.

6. “Don’t make me angry… you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry”

Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp – in full “Coach Boom” mode – made a fool of himself Saturday in the Iron Bowl.

Muschamp, livid with an official after a 15-yard penalty was called against his unit, earned another 15-yard flag when his head nearly exploded in a sea of red-faced expletives. An innocent 1-yard run by Alabama quarterback Jake Coker turned into a 31-yard advancement, ultimately resulting in a field goal that made it a two-score Crimson Tide advantage in the fourth quarter.

Not that it matters, but the penalty was totally legit. Coker was clearly hit late out of bounds. Muschamp went ballistic anyway. He had to be pulled away from the official repeatedly by members of his own staff. As a matter of fact, it was so bad that he almost got flagged a second time.

If a 20-year-old kid can get admonished for losing his cool in the heat of the moment during a rivalry game, then a 44-year-old that’s the highest-paid assistant coach in the country deserves to be skewered every way imaginable.

7. Not long for Stark Vegas

Ole Miss’s Hugh Freeze already appears to have his dream job as a native of Oxford, but Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen will be a hot name on the coaching carousel in the coming weeks.

Prescott is gone after the bowl game, and his two backups on the depth chart – Nick Fitzgerald and Elijah Staley – are both redshirt freshmen with a total of 19 collegiate pass attempts between them. Fitzgerald was only a two-star recruit coming out of high school and Staley was just a three-star, although to be fair Prescott was a three-star signee, too.

Unlike Freeze, Mullen is from Pennsylvania and had no ties to the Magnolia State before arriving in Starkville, which is why his name is mentioned every time a quality Power 5 program has an opening. Georgia reportedly is his dream job.

8. No need for the upset alert

Florida doesn’t stand a chance against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, not with the current state of coach Jim McElwain’s offense.

Quarterback Treon Harris looked lost yet again, as he was inaccurate throwing the ball and largely bottled up as a rusher – Florida State did an excellent job keeping him in the pocket and limiting his running lanes. With Demarcus Robinson suspended and Antonio Callaway a non-factor, no Gator caught a pass for a gain longer than 15 yards.

Remember, Will Grier’s year-long suspension also keeps him out of action through the first six games of next season, meaning McElwain might need to hold an open tryout on campus for quarterbacks, just like he did last month for kickers.

9. ACC! ACC! ACC!

All the outsiders that claim the SEC is overrated got a lot more ammunition once Rivalry Week had come and gone.

The ACC managed to go 3-1 against the SEC on Saturday, with all three wins coming on the road.

Clemson needed four quarters to do it but eventually prevailed at South Carolina. Louisville overcame a three-touchdown deficit to win by two TDs at Kentucky. Sure, the Gamecocks and Wildcats are going nowhere, but then Florida State tore SEC East champ Florida limb from limb at The Swamp.

Georgia did beat Georgia Tech, although a 9-3 SEC school shouldn’t struggle so mightily with a 3-9 ACC school – Bobby Dodd Stadium doesn’t qualify as a hostile environment, either.

Even if Alabama goes on to win the national championship, it would be hard not to qualify this as a down year across the board in the SEC.

10. Failed coup d’etat on the bayou

Credit the LSU administration in the end for getting it right: Les Miles will return in 2016 for a 12th season as coach of the Tigers.

RELATED: LSU couldn’t lure FSU’s Fisher

But the big wigs in Baton Rouge couldn’t have looked like bigger schmucks in the process, as a report from ESPN’s Joe Schad suggested that the decision wasn’t made official until the third quarter of Saturday’s 19-7 win over Texas A&M. Athletic director Joe Alleva wasn’t fooling anyone when he pledged his support to Miles at the postgame press conference.

The only one that looks good here is Miles, who refused to delve into the speculation – despite non-stop questions from local and national media alike – and instead put the focus entirely on the matchup with the Aggies during the toughest week of his professional career. When he was greeted so warmly by the Death Valley faithful and carried off the field on the shoulders of his players, it only highlighted how much the deep-pocketed boosters misread the temperature of the room.

If not beating Alabama often enough is grounds for dismissal, then the rest of the SEC West – except maybe Ole Miss with Freeze – should be in the market for a new coach, too.