Call this the season of the know nothings.
As in, we are all Jon Snow. We know nothing.
Take your loyal scribe.
Was I among the 80-90% of college football media to pick one of Clemson, Texas, or Penn State to win the national championship?
Yes. For the record, I had Clemson over Alabama in the national championship game, a pick that looked dead on arrival after Week 1 but suddenly seems at least potentially half right thanks to a resurgent Alabama, though since I had Alabama losing, “half right” feels more like a close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades situation and not a “Clemson can still win this thing” redemption story.
Did I think Texas was a near certainty to reach the College Football Playoff? Absolutely. I had questions about Texas’s youth on the offensive line, but trusted Steve Sarkisian, the immense talent of Arch Manning, and what I figured would be one of the nation’s saltiest defenses.
Did I believe Ole Miss would take a step back after losing Jaxson Dart and more NFL talent on defense in one draft than it had lost in the previous 5 combined? I didn’t pick the Rebels 9th in the preseason poll like media consensus but I did have them 7th, well out of Playoff contention.
Did I pick Texas A&M higher than 8th? Nope. I had the Aggies 9th in my preseason ballot, slightly worse than consensus. They are now ranked in the top 5 in America and a bona fide SEC title contender.
But this is the year we know nothing.
We are 6 weeks into the season, and the teams picked 1-5 in the preseason SEC media poll are a combined 6-5 in the conference. Take out Alabama, picked third, and they are 4-5.
The 3 preseason All-SEC quarterbacks were Garrett Nussmeier, LaNorris Sellers, and Arch Manning. Only Sellers ranks in the top 5 in the SEC in efficiency through a month and a week of football.
We know nothing.
There were 6 SEC running backs picked on preseason all-conference teams. Not a single one of them ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in rushing yards. Both the backs on my ballot (Kewan Lacy, Jadan Baugh) rank in the top 5, but I’m in no position to take a victory lap (Cade Klubnik for Heisman, anyone?).
We know nothing.
But our lack of any real knowledge at this point should make October and November more exciting than any season in recent memory. Whatever we don’t know, we’ll learn plenty about in the weeks ahead.
That drama means an exciting finish for “The List,” too. The greatest list in the history of SEC football media has featured 5 (new No. 1 this week!) different No. 1s this season, a rate of drama not seen since 2022, when Christoper Smith II, Bryce Young, and Will Anderson Jr. traded places at the top almost the entire season.
Will a defensive player capture the crown for just the second time (Nakobe Dean, 2021)? Will a Heisman-winning quarterback capture the crown for the fourth time (Joe Burrow, 2019, Bryce Young, 2022 (Heisman 2021), Jayden Daniels, 2023)? Will the “List” topper come from a Playoff team, as they have in every season save 2023?
We know nothing. Fortunately, we have plenty of college football remaining.
Last Week’s “List” is here.
As always, we start this week’s grouping with Honorable Mentions, limited to 2 per program.
Honorable Mention: Alabama: Germie Bernard, WR; Deontae Lawson, LB. Auburn: Jeremiah Cobb, RB; Keyron Crawford, DE. Arkansas: Corey Robinson II, OT. Florida: Myles Graham, LB; Tyreak Sapp, DE. Georgia: Drew Bobo, C; Ellis Robinson IV, DB. Kentucky: Alex Afari Jr., LB. LSU: AJ Haulcy, S; Harold Perkins Jr., LB. Mississippi State: Fluff Bothwell, RB; Jayven Williams, DB. Missouri: Keagan Trost, OT; Chris McLellan, DT. Oklahoma: Gracen Halton, DT; Kip Lewis, LB. Ole Miss: Jayden Williams, OT; Patrick Kutas, OG. South Carolina: Brandon Cisse, CB; Vicari Swain, Return/DB. Tennessee: Arion Carter, LB; Joshua Josephs, DE. Texas: Jelani McDonald, DB; Michael Taaffe, S. Texas A&M: Daymion Sanford, LB; Trey Zuhn III, OT. Vanderbilt: Nick Rinaldi, LB; Brock Taylor, K.
10. CJ Allen, LB (Georgia)
“The List” is used to having Kirby Smart linebackers in the mix so CJ Allen’s first appearance this season should come as no surprise. Allen was a force in Georgia’s 35-14 rout of Kentucky, collecting 6 tackles, including 2 for loss, nabbing a sack and pouncing on a Kentucky fumble. Allen’s 36 tackles rank fourth in the SEC this season, making him the undisputed production leader for a Georgia defense that held Kentucky to just 4.3 yards per play and 2 yards per rush in Saturday’s win.
9. Dylan Stewart, Edge (South Carolina)
Stewart and the Gamecocks had a bye last week ahead of a Week 7 showdown at LSU. The Gamecocks are 3-2, which would be fine if they hadn’t entered the season with College Football Playoff aspirations and a favorable early schedule that included just one game against a ranked opponent (a loss at Mizzou). The next 2 weeks are a chance to change the narrative, and Stewart will be critical to that effort, as his 18 pressures and 14 hurries on the season rank in the top 3 in the SEC.
8. Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt)
Pavia isn’t falling out of “The List” entirely after Vanderbilt’s 30-14 defeat in Tuscaloosa, but the 29th year senior should stop practicing kneel downs before road Ls.
The Commodores have pounded preseason darling South Carolina already this season and will get another shot at a signature win in 2 weeks when LSU visits Nashville. Until then, Pavia will have to endure sloppy jokes about his lack of production in big games, which comes with the territory when you run your mouth as much as Pavia did before the Alabama game. The reality, though, is Pavia ranks in the top 5 in the SEC in passing yards, leads the SEC in passing touchdowns, and continues to lead Vanderbilt in rushing. These are all “List” worthy attributes. And if they are talking about you, that means you’re relevant.
7. Kadyn Proctor, OT (Alabama)
The Outland Trophy candidate has played every snap in Alabama’s season-changing wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt. On Saturday, Proctor graded out a team-best 84.5 as a blocker as the Crimson Tide rallied for a 30-14 victory. Proctor has allowed just 1 quarterback pressure in the past 2 games and even better, he’s become a staple of big fella getting the football television, registering an offensive touch for the second-consecutive game on this first-down run.
Entering Saturday’s showdown at Missouri, Proctor grades out as one of the nation’s top 10 offensive tackles, per PFF.
6. Chris Brazzell II, WR (Tennessee)
The Volunteers had a bye to ready for Arkansas. Brazzell will enter that football game ranked first in the SEC in receiving touchdowns, third in receptions, and second in receiving yards. Not bad for a Group of 5 transfer completely left off preseason All-SEC squads.
5. R Mason Thomas, DE (Oklahoma)
The do-everything Sooner was outstanding in a 44-0 blanking of Kent State, collecting 6 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, 5 pressures, and a sack. Thomas graded out at a preposterous 96.4, the best rating for a defensive linemen in a game this season. Thomas hasn’t missed a tackle this season, either, shining as both a dominant pass rusher and edge setter for the nation’s best defense.
4. Mansoor Delane, CB (LSU)
LSU was off last week but Delane’s claim to a top 5 spot on “The List” is unthreatened. On the season, Delane grades as out as the second best corner in the Power 4 (La’Khi Roland of Maryland), with an 87.7 coverage grade, per PFF. LSU ranks 20th nationally in pass efficiency defense and second in the SEC, behind only Mississippi State, with 7 team interceptions. Thanks to Delane, perhaps DBU has returned to Baton Rouge?
3. Cashius Howell, DE (Texas A&M)
The Aggies stifled Mississippi State’s vastly improved offense on Saturday night in College Station, limiting the Bulldogs to just 219 total yards in a 31-9 win. Over the last 2 games, Texas A&M opponents have averaged 9.5 points per game and converted just 1 of 24 third-down attempts. That’s next-level dominance. Howell remains at the center of everything, and he terrorized State with 6 pressures and 3 sacks on Saturday night, giving him 7 sacks for the season, which ranks second in college football. This is the most productive defensive player in the SEC on what looks like the a SEC championship-caliber defense.
2. Ahmad Hardy, RB (Missouri)
Hardy drops a spot during Mizzou’s bye week, but with Alabama looming, he’ll have every opportunity to prove his Heisman Trophy candidacy is real. The nation’s leading rusher enters the Alabama game with what appears to be a favorable matchup. The Crimson Tide rank just 88th in the country in rushing defense and are 80th in rushing success rate defense. If Hardy, Keagan Trost, Connor Tollison and the Missouri offensive line can push Alabama around up front, look out. Either way, it’s appointment television.
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1. Ty Simpson, QB (Alabama)
After a Week 1 debacle at Florida State, I didn’t have “Ty Simpson, Heisman Candidate” on my bingo card.
But this is the year we know nothing.
Simpson led Alabama to a second-consecutive ranked opponent win on Saturday, torching Vanderbilt for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns against just 1 interception. Simpson’s 70% completion percentage includes 3 games of 70% or better, including Saturday’s 23-of-31 performance. He’s extending plays with his feet, making the right reads, and delivering accurate footballs.
On the season, Simpson ranks first in the SEC in passing yards and efficiency and second in passing touchdowns.
Those are Heisman-type credentials on what is starting to look like the SEC’s best football team.
Neil Blackmon covers SEC football and basketball for SaturdayDownSouth.com. An attorney, he is also a member of the Football and Basketball Writers Associations of America. He also coaches basketball.
