It’s time to separate some of the perceptions of the SEC from their realities as the conference prepares for Week 11 action.
PERCEPTION: TENNESSEE’S HURD AND KAMARA SEC’S TOP 1-2 RUSH TANDEM
With the season-ending injury to Nick Chubb in Week 6, Georgia lost one of the SEC’s most dynamic one-two backfield combos in Chubb and teammate Sony Michel. With the Bulldogs’ star out, the best duo of running backs sharing reps can now be found north of Athens in Knoxville with the tandem of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara. The Tennessee tailbacks have combined for 1,188 rushing yards this season, to go along with 13 touchdowns — led by Hurd with 812 of those yards and nine touchdowns. As a result, the Volunteers rank third in the SEC in team rushing (No. 20 in the nation) with an average of 207.3 yards per game.
REALITY: YES, BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER
Both Hurd and Kamara have been stellar for Tennessee, but the tandem is beginning to get a run for their money from Auburn’s Peyton Barber and Jovon Robinson upon further inspection. Kamara isn’t even the second-leading rusher on his team. That distinction belongs to quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
Barber and Robinson (1,098 total yards) have combined to rush for a little less than 100 yards fewer and just as many rushing touchdowns (13) as Hurd and Kamara — and have done so with one less carry (243 combined carries for UT’s duo to Auburn’s 242). Hurd has flirted with 100 yards three times in the last five games, but hasn’t eclipsed the century mark since Week 4 against Florida. Kamara has reached 100 yards in a game just once, in Week 1 against a suspect Bowling Green run defense. While Tennessee has found a harmony, Auburn’s appears to be just now finding its stride as both Barber (828 yards, 12 TDs) and Robinson look to be healthy together and poised to finish season strong. Robinson, who lost the starting job to Barber to start the year, returned in Week 10 with a 159-yard performance versus Texas A&M. Hurd and Kamara, get the slight advantage, due to roughly 250 more receiving yards than Barber and Robinson. But if Gus Malzahn can find a way for the sophomore Barber and freshman Robinson to coexist in the Tigers’ backfield, then Auburn has a chance to establish one of the best rushing tandems in the SEC for years to come.
PERCEPTION: THE SEC’S NO. 2 DEFENSE BELONGS TO LSU OR MISSOURI
The LSU Tigers aren’t just Leonard Fournette and a bunch of guys coasting on the running backs’ coattails. Les Miles’ squad boasts one of the SEC’s elite defenses, yielding only 330.6 YPG. Missouri doesn’t have the elite running game as LSU, but the Mizzou Tigers, led by SEC-leading tackler Kentrell Brothers, can be found in the top-20 in just about every defensive category. The Tigers give up 298.6 YPG and have surrendered less touchdowns (15) than Alabama (17). Alabama has the best defense in the SEC, hands down, but LSU and Missouri are a close second.
REALITY: The SEC’S NO. 1 DEFENSE IS VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt’s defense is almost criminally underrated. The Commodores have held SEC opponents to 17.8 points per game, compared to LSU’s 22.4 PPG average. Derek Mason’s squad is especially tough against the run, giving up just three 100-yard rushing performances all season en route to the second-toughest rushing defense in the conference. Vandy is also the conference runner-up to Alabama in red zone defense, fourth-down defense and is tops in the SEC on third down. The nation’s No. 12 scoring defense also finds itself among the top-50 secondaries and top-30 for kick defense, making Vanderbilt’s stymying of SEC East champ Florida last week in Gainesville all the less surprising.
PERCEPTION: LSU’S PLAYOFF HOPES DONE WITH LOSS TO ALABAMA
When Alabama (8-1, 5-1 SEC) bested rival LSU in Week 10, it effectively stalled the Tigers’ hopes for competing in the second-annual College Football Playoff. Sure the loss was to a tough Crimson Tide squad, but there’s no way that the selection committee allows two one-loss schools from the SEC into its postseason mix. Alabama’s tie-breaker is LSU’s back breaker.
REALITY: STILL ALIVE, BUT HERE IS WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN
Of course they’re still alive. Heck, even Arkansas can still technically finish with the best record in the SEC West. But to reach the hallowed postseason, LSU (7-1, 4-1 SEC) needs for more to happen than to simply win out big with statements over Arkansas, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Alabama needs to lose one of its final two SEC games at No. 20 Mississippi State and Auburn. If the Iron Bowl has taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen in the SEC. There’s still plenty of time for LSU to slip back into the playoff conversation.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
