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Before we dig deep into the bowl season, let’s take an opportunity to examine the 2015 SEC regular season.
Here’s a look at the top-5 weekends from the year:
1. WEEK 10
Top Game – This was the week that essentially settled the SEC, even if we didn’t exactly know it until after the dust settled at the end of the regular season. Alabama put a resounding 30-16 hurt on LSU, the team that was thought to challenge the Tide for the SEC West. Over in Oxford that afternoon, Arkansas doled Ole Miss a thrilling 53-52 overtime loss. Down in Gainesville, Florida was able to outlast Vanderbilt to clinch the SEC East title.
Why it mattered – The Ole Miss loss gave the Rebels their second on the year and moved them behind Alabama in the SEC West race. The Crimson Tide wouldn’t relinquish the division lead, won the SEC and waltzed into the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss, which held the tiebreaker on Alabama thanks to their Week 3 win, missed out on their first trip to Atlanta with the OT loss.
Why it was fun – It can be argued that the SEC was basically clinched on what has to be the play of the year. And, boy, what a doozy of a play it was. Down seven points to Ole Miss and facing a fourth-and-25 in overtime, Brandon Allen connected with tight end Hunter Henry, who, in turn, heaved a bounce pass back to running back Alex Collins, who, in turn, took it 31 yards to pick up the first down. For an added element, Collins fumbled the ball at the end of the run, but it was recovered by teammate Dominique Reed. Arkansas went on to score a touchdown and 2-point conversion to give the Razorbacks their second-straight thrilling overtime win.
2. WEEK 6
Top Games – Florida moved to 6-0 on the year with a 21-3 win over Missouri as quarterback Will Grier steadily guided the Gators behind 208 passing yards. Florida was in control of the SEC East by then, especially with Tennessee upsetting Georgia 600 miles east of Columbia that afternoon.
Why it mattered – Two days later the news broke and it wasn’t good for Grier, as the NCAA suspended the redshirt freshman for a year due to alleged PED use. Through the first half of the season, Grier threw for 1,204 yards and 10 touchdowns. In his absence, the Treon Harris-led offense sputtered and the Gators limped into the postseason, thanks to a weak schedule.
Why it was fun – The highlight of the week was the humanity shown by the good people of Louisiana. The bayou welcomed in South Carolina that week, due to flooding in the Palmetto State that forced the relocation of the Gamecocks’ tilt with the Tigers. LSU won 45-24, but the kindness of those that lent a hand wasn’t lost on South Carolina.
3. WEEK 11
Top Games – Arkansas and LSU flip-flopped roles in the SEC as the Razorbacks became the hottest offensive juggernaut in the conference with its 31-14 win over LSU on the Tigers’ home turf. Razorbacks running back Alex Collins outrushed his LSU peer Leonard Fournette by a 141 to 91 yard advantage.
Why it mattered – Arkansas was on a roll when it came to crushing team’s postseason hopes. The win over LSU was the second of three-in-a-row for the Tigers, effectively ending what was thought to be a banner year in Baton Rouge.
Why it was fun – Depending on your definition of “fun,” the loss was the catalyst that set-off all sorts of chaos in Death Valley as the “ride Les Miles out on a rail” contingent rose up in a big way. Sure it was handled poorly, and everyone eventually took a deep breath and Miles remained the Tigers head coach. But, admit it, we love the drama.
4. WEEK 3
Top Game – OK, who is this Chad Kelly guy and what did he do with the old Chad Kelly that last we saw was getting the boot from Clemson? Kelly threw for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns, adding another 21 yards and a score on the ground, as quarterback and Ole Miss sent shockwaves through the SEC with a 43-37 win over Alabama that wasn’t necessarily as close as the score might suggest. While Kelly was putting his name on the SEC map, so, too, was Georgia’s Greyson Lambert. The Bulldog quarterback set a new NCAA mark for accuracy in a single game, with a 96.0 percent completion average in a 52-20 win over South Carolina.
Why it mattered – The win for Ole Miss put the Rebels in a position to challenge for the SEC West title, that is, if this Kelly guy could keep up the torrid pace. Turns out, the junior could, leading the conference in passing with 3,740 yards to go along with 27 touchdown throws. Ole Miss, however, would eventually cede the West to the Tide in the final week of the regular season.
Why it was fun – When is it not fun watching a presumed favorite get beat by a divisional foe?
5. WEEK 1
Top Game – Good ole Week 1. The playing field was even and most teams thought they had what it took to win their respective divisions. From the way the conference started, it appeared like just about anyone could prevail, especially against some formidable out-of-conference opponents. Among the big wins was South Carolina’s victory over North Carolina — a team that wouldn’t lose again until the ACC Championship against Clemson, who got a 45-37 scare from the Gamecocks, as well. Other notable cross-conference wins included Texas A&M over Arizona State, Tennessee over eventual Mid-American champion Bowling Green, and Auburn beating Louisville to kick off the season.
Why it mattered – It’s always good to start a season on the right note and the Week 1 dominance saw the SEC return to business as usual. Nobody’s season was ruined before it had a chance to really get started. In fact, Vanderbilt was the lone SEC team to lose in Week 1, dropping its opener to quarterback Brandon Doughty and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
Why it was fun – Besides the obvious that football was finally back, the SEC was dominant and hopes were still high in places such as Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas A&M — whom were all blissfully unaware of why lie ahead for them in the 2015 season. Plus, football was back.
BONUS
Worst Week of the 2015 SEC season – Week 12
Worst Game – South Carolina hit rock bottom in Week 12 with a 23-22 loss to The Citadel, an FBS team it hadn’t lost to since 1950. Florida barely beating Florida Atlantic in OT was a very close second.
Why it mattered – Did it matter? Ole Miss drove the final nail in LSU’s coffin, while Dak Prescott ended Arkansas’ hot streak with another wild game — this time a 51-50 decision not in the Razorbacks’ favor. Otherwise, not much was settled in the regular season’s penultimate week.
Why it wasn’t fun – There were too many patsies on the schedule in Week 12 as half of the week’s dozen games were against vastly inferior programs. The result was a slate of blowout games, where the average margin of victory was 19.5 points.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
