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Coach Steve Spurrier has been a busy guy since abruptly resigning at South Carolina last month.
He’s made the rounds nationally, visiting Lincoln, Nebraska and Ann Arbor, Michigan. But the Head Ball Coach, who is the career coaching victories leader at both Florida and South Carolina, says he won’t be in attendance on Saturday when the 11th-ranked Gators travel to Columbia for the SEC finale for both teams.
Spurrier, who won the Heisman Trophy at Florida in 1966, didn’t feel it would be appropriate for him to attend the game, according to an Associated Press report.
It’s his call, but here are 10 other burning questions to be answered throughout the SEC.
1. Can Mississippi State upset Alabama?: The pundits have already begun making plans to see the third-ranked Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game and in the College Football Playoff, but coach Nick Saban’s team had best bring its “A” game to Starkville this Saturday afternoon. The 20th-ranked Bulldogs, who are led by quarterback Dak Prescott, are a tough bunch who will feed on the perceived lack of respect. Prescott is the kind of quarterback who has given Alabama fits in the past because he is just as capable running the football as he is throwing it. Overlook Mississippi State at your own risk.
2. Will the unrest going on at Missouri be a distraction to the Tigers when they play BYU on Saturday?: Maybe, maybe not, but the Tigers felt like taking a stand against racism was one of those things that was worth a possible distraction.
3. Will Kentucky make a change at quarterback after a disappointing performance by junior Patrick Towles?: It’s unlikely that coach Mark Stoops will bench Towles in favor of redshirt freshman Drew Barker, but Towles will probably need to get off to a fast start to avoid a quick hook. Towles went 8-for-21 for just 96 yards and tossed 2 interceptions in last weekend’s 27-3 loss at Georgia. Towles has thrown 8 interceptions in the last five games and now has 12 for the season to just 9 touchdown passes.
4. Will we see more of the “Wild Dog” formation from Georgia against Auburn this week?: Yes because the Bulldogs are struggling at the quarterback position, and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had to come with some way to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers. Freshman receiver Terry Godwin will again take most of the direct snaps in their version of the Wildcat formation, but tailback Sony Michel will as well. The Dawgs were most effective offensively when running out of the “Wild Dog” in last week’s win over Kentucky.
5. He doesn’t get the hype of some others, but has Arkansas’ Brandon Allen quietly developed into one of the SEC’s best quarterbacks?: If there were any doubts before, Allen put them to rest during last week’s thrilling 53-52 overtime win over Ole Miss. The senior shredded then-No. 18 Ole Miss’ defense by completing 33 of 45 passes for a career-high 442 yards and 6 touchdowns and adding the game-winning 2-point conversion to cap the upset.
6. What’s wrong with Texas A&M?: A lack of physicality on both sides of the ball continues to be a major problem for the Aggies as they consistently get beat up front, especially on defense. The team’s inability to stop the run is a major issue that must be addressed. Texas A&M surrendered 311 yards rushing to Auburn last week and ranks a disappointing 116th nationally in run defense at 281.3 yards per game.
7. What’s the status of Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray?: The true freshman suffered a concussion during last week’s loss to Auburn and remains questionable for Saturday’s non-conference date with Western Carolina. Coach Kevin Sumlin has said that Murray will start if he’s ready to go.
8. Ole Miss is idle this week before hosting LSU on Nov. 21, but will Rebels coach Hugh Freeze tweak things in his defensive secondary following last week’s shredding by Arkansas?: It’s possible, but an added focus on improving execution is more likely. Freeze said that he plans to use the down time to conduct more individualized practices with specific opponent game planning.
9. How will LSU’s Leonard Fournette respond after rushing for just 31 yards in last week’s loss at Alabama?: Fournette has vowed to move on and put that game behind him. But the sophomore tailback will again have his hands full against a Razorbacks defense that ranks 27th nationally in run defense at 129.4 yards per game. Fournette still leads the nation in rushing at 172.9 yards per contest.
10. How do you explain Florida’s offensive woes against Vanderbilt last week, and can the Gators get things turned around against South Carolina this week?: The source of the problems have stemmed from up front as the Gators offensive line was manhandled by the Commodores. The inability to get any push to open running space for Kelvin Taylor or adequately protect quarterback Treon Harris has been of serious concern to coach Jim McElwain. After making such steady progress from the season’s start, the Florida offensive line has struggled over the last two contests. It figures to have an easier assignment this week against a Gamecocks defense that ranks 110th nationally in run defense at 208.3 yards per game and has registered just 16 sacks all season.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
