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Another week of SEC football, and another week the state of Mississippi dominates headlines. Week 7 is officially in the books, and the season is starting to finally play itself out, as contenders are continually separating from pretenders.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Saturday’s action:
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Magnolia State: As you look around the college football country, Ole Miss and Mississippi State are two of the four best teams. What other conclusion can you possibly come to? The Bulldogs and Rebels absolutely belong in two of the College Football Playoff spots following Week 7. State has beaten three straight top 10 opponents, and the Rebels followed up back-to-back weeks, including dismantling the Aggies in front of a record-setting crowd at Kyle Field. The state of Mississippi is on top of the college football world.
No. 1 team in the country: Mississippi State should be the No. 1 ranked team in the country in today’s AP Poll. After three straight top 10 victories, the Bulldogs deserve it. Dak Prescott wasn’t perfect, but he continues to be the best player on the best team, thus furthering his Heisman chances in the process. Prescott rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries for two touchdowns, including throwing for another. With Todd Gurley all but out of the race, Prescott has solidified himself as the frontrunner for the Heisman.
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No. 1 team in the state: Although MSU should get the nod over Florida State in the AP Poll, I still think Ole Miss is the better football team. The Rebels have the country’s best defense and forced three more turnovers — two INTs — dismantling the top offense in the conference. Defense wins championships, and the Rebels have it. Bo Wallace isn’t making the dumb mistakes that we’ve seen him make. He realizes he doesn’t have to do too much. Don’t turn it over, and let your defense flex its muscles. This team is nasty and loaded with talent. The biggest wildcard for this team is Wallace and his past history with streaky play.
Egg Bowl: SDS wrote a piece this week about the Egg Bowl being the better — and more meaningful — rivalry than the Iron Bowl in 2014. Naturally, Alabama and Auburn fans laughed, but who’s laughing now? That game may not have the ending the Iron Bowl did last year, but if things keep progressing the way they currently are, it could be the second coming of the ‘Game of the Century’.
Still the East frontrunner: It wasn’t just one player; it was everyone. Nick Chubb, Brendan Douglas, Hutson Mason and a high-flying defense wrecked Missouri’s East hopes. The Bulldogs didn’t just beat the Tigers, they demolished them. While Chubb will get the ink, the Bulldogs’ defense was the biggest story. It picked off Maty Mauk four times and forced another Mauk fumble. Leonard Floyd and company are dialing up the pass rush, and the defense stepped up when the team needed them most. Now, let’s see if they keep that up for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat.
Real contender: Kentucky is a real contender in the SEC East. Does that say more about Mark Stoops and the Wildcats or the SEC East? It says more about the East, but it also says a lot about Stoops and his staff. The Wildcats’ win over UL Monroe won’t impress many, but they started extremely flat and finally got into a rhythm, made some big plays and blew it wide open. The Cats have as much or more playmakers than any other SEC East team on offense. With Todd Gurley out, there may not be an East offense that’s better than Kentucky’s, and the defense isn’t too shabby either. I never thought I’d say that entering the 2014 season, but it’s the reality of where the East sits right now.
Still undefeated: LSU kept the SEC West’s undefeated streak alive. It’s the SEC West vs. the world, and right now, the West is dominating. The division remained undefeated against everyone else but SEC West teams. LSU eeked out a victory over Florida, and Leonard Fournette flashed his greatness. Fournette paced the Tigers with 27 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He was the best player on the field, and he’s only scraping the surface of what he’s capable of in Baton Rouge.
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Escaped with a win: It sure wasn’t pretty, but Alabama escaped Arkansas with a win. Amari Cooper was quiet, and Blake Sims did just enough with two touchdown passes to escape with the win. When running through the meat of the schedule, it’s all about survive and advance. The Crimson Tide’s defense held Arkansas’ top rushing attack to 89 yards. That’s impressive.
Still not out of it: Auburn’s loss against MSU wasn’t pretty, but the Tigers are certainly not out of the race. The bad news is MSU’s schedule sets up really well from here on out, and the Tigers still have to play Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama. You tell me if Auburn goes 4-0 against those teams.
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It’s not Mauktober: Maty Mauk looked more like Jeff Driskel Saturday, and Mauk turned in one of the worst stat lines of the season. He’s streaky, and against Georgia, it wasn’t a good streaky. Mauk finished 9 of 21 for 97 yards and four picks. It wasn’t all Mauk, and the offensive line and wide receivers played just as poorly as Mauk.
RELATED: Watch a frustrated Mauk slam a UGA defensive lineman
Aggies’ atmosphere electric: Kyle Field has to be one of the top venues to witness a football game. But nobody cares about the atmosphere or attendance records unless you win the game. Texas A&M went from being 5-0 and a playoff contender to now 5-2 with Alabama calling next week. The Aggies’ offense couldn’t achieve its desired balance, and it finished with just 54 yards rushing. Don’t fret too much, though, because the Rebels have the toughest defense in the country, but it’s clear, the Aggies are a year from being a major contender.
A bad loss: Florida handed the game to LSU on a silver platter. Jeff Driskel threw two INTs and gave up another fumble, and Florida continues to find ways to lose games. Tight end Tevin Westbrook’s drop in the end zone will haunt UF the entire season. It also continues to amaze me the best player on the team is the kick returner Andre Debose, and he doesn’t even see touches on offense. Surely Kurt Roper can design plays for Debose to run some toss sweeps out of the backfield, wide receiver screens or more jet sweeps. Will Treon Harris start Saturday against Missouri? LSU isn’t a terrible football team, but that was a bad loss for Florida.
Brutal schedule setting in: You have to feel for Arkansas. The Hogs were a blocked extra point away from tying Alabama, and they still had opportunities down the stretch. Bret Bielema’s emotional press conference is exactly how the team feels right now. Good things are happening, but Arkansas just can’t close out a game. Georgia, Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss and Missouri all lie ahead of the Hogs on the schedule. This program isn’t far from being where they desire to be: a real contender in the SEC West.
Beat non-conference foes: Tennessee whooped UTC, and Vanderbilt escaped a near disaster against FCS Charleston Southern. Had Derek Mason lost to Charleston Southern, he may have been fired at the end of the season. Ole Miss’ defensive ends are licking their chops with Tennessee coming to town Saturday. Woof.
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
