Inside the SEC West: Bring on Rivalry Week!
Week 12 didn’t include the most impressive slate of games for the SEC West, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t serve a purpose.
Several storylines developed, some of them providing a lead-up to this week’s slate of rivalry games. Heading into what should be the most exciting week of the season in the SEC West, here’s what is happening around the division:
Alabama
The Tide did everything they were suppose to against a far inferior Mercer team, rumbling to a 56-0 victory.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was held out with a hamstring injury that has limited him since the LSU game, and the hope is that the rest will help him recover enough to return next week against Auburn.
In addition to the return of Fitzpatrick, Alabama could have edge rusher Christian Miller — who hasn’t played since the Florida State game in Week 1 — back in the fold as well.
Getting those two guys back — on top of the emergence of true freshman Dylan Moses at inside linebacker — could be what’s needed to give Alabama the upper hand in the Iron Bowl.
Arkansas
It was a valiant effort from the Razorbacks, but in the end, they couldn’t get it done at home against Mississippi State.
It was the seventh loss of the season for Arkansas, which removes the Razorbacks from bowl consideration.
It’ll be interesting to see if quarterback Cole Kelley — who was suspended indefinitely last week following a DWI — is able to earn his way back onto the team for Friday’s season finale against visiting Missouri. It seems possible based on Bret Bielema’s comments after the game.
Speaking of the head coach, one has to wonder what the future holds for Bielema with the news that Razorbacks athletic director Jeff Long was fired on Wednesday.
Auburn
It was a rough start for the No. 6 Tigers, but they bounced back nicely in the second half to get a 42-14 victory over Louisiana Monroe.
Kerryon Johnson put up what is now known as a typical performance for him, rushing for 137 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.
Like with Alabama, it was a nice tuneup game for Auburn, but the real test comes this week as the Tigers welcome their instate rival for the Iron Bowl.
LSU
The weather was messy for the LSU-Tennessee game on Saturday night, but that didn’t stop the Tigers from handing the Vols their seventh loss of the season.
The difference in the game was LSU’s ability to establish a run game while Tennessee could not — being held to 38 yards on 34 carries.
The Tigers welcome Texas A&M for the final week of the regular season. With an 8-3 (5-2) record, it’s possible for head coach Ed Orgeron to get double-digit wins in his first full season as head coach.
Mississippi State
If you want an example of how differently State plays at home compared to away, just look at the last two weeks.
A week after taking No. 1 Alabama down to the wire at home — despite being a 14-point underdog — the Bulldogs allowed a poor Arkansas team to hang around on the road on Saturday.
Luckily, State was able to escape with a win after the Razorbacks foolishly went for it on fourth down on their own 44-yard line with 3:18 left to play.
Ole Miss
The Rebels fought hard against the Aggies, but they were unable to clinch a .500 season. They can still finish at an even 6-6 with an upset of Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Thursday evening.
The good news for Ole Miss is that they seem to have found a run game to complement the passing game. Senior Jordan Wilkins has rushed for 271 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks — averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
The bad news is that backup running back D’Vaughn Pennamon suffered a knee injury that almost certainly has ended his season.
Texas A&M
Texas A&M was able to come away with another victory — its seventh of the year — but will it be enough for head coach Kevin Sumlin?
The best the Aggies can do this season is a 9-4 (5-3) record. In a lot of cases, that isn’t bad, but Sumlin’s seat has been hot all season.
If the A&M job comes open, it’ll be interesting to see who they turn to in order to get them over the hump in the SEC West.
Tweet of the week
People get really upset about cupcake games in November, as opposed to in September when everyone else played them and these teams played each other. https://t.co/7zK8BgXiwY
— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) November 18, 2017
Quote of the week
Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
“You’ve just gotta love football! It’s like playin’ football when you’re a little kid in the backyard!” — LSU head coach Ed Orgeron at halftime talking about dealing with the monsoon that was hitting Knoxville.
