SEC football never disappoints. The conference that many thought was dead after Week 1 has roared back in epic fashion in Weeks 2 and 3.
This past weekend saw Texas A&M go into South Bend and win a thriller against Notre Dame. Georgia stunned Tennessee in overtime to extend its winning streak over the Vols to 9 in a row. Vanderbilt thumped South Carolina in Columbia.
Let’s celebrate the best of the weekend by handing out our SEC superlatives for Week 3:
Play of the Weekend: Marcel Reed to Nate Boerkircher 11-Yard Game-Winning Touchdown
Nate Boerkircher had 1 single touchdown in his 4 seasons at Nebraska. Then he transferred to Texas A&M and pulled down a game-winning touchdown reception in what could turn out to be one of the most consequential games in recent Aggies history.
Biggest Winner of the Weekend: Mike Elko and Texas A&M
Ever since they joined the SEC, we’ve been waiting for the Aggies to make good on some of their offseason hype. This is a program with deep pockets and a rock solid fanbase that always seems to fall just a little bit short of where it feels like they should be. And more often than not, it feels as though whenever they have the chance to score a program-defining win, particularly in nonconference play, they’re like Charlie Brown trying to kick a football.
I know there’s some data that goes against my point here. Texas A&M actually has 8 wins from 2015 to 2024 over opponents ranked in the top 10 at the time of the matchup, but some of that is a byproduct of playing in the SEC where there are a few good opportunities each year to pick up wins like this. But this win, in South Bend, feels like a momentum shifter for Mike Elko and the Aggies. It feels like the kind of win we might look back on 5 years from now as the catalyst of a run where A&M finally wins an SEC title and finally makes the College Football Playoff.
Biggest Loser of the Weekend: Me
I give this incredibly prestigious award to myself after finishing an unprecedented 0-for-5 in my Week 3 SEC Parlay this past weekend, which is an accomplishment in and of itself if you really think about it. I mean, if you’re doing this exercise with the intent of doing well, which, ya know, I am considering I’m actually making this wager on a weekly basis, going an imperfect 0-for-5 might be more difficult than going a perfect 5-for-5.
The Pick: Over 53.5 points in Auburn vs. South Alabama / The Result: 46 total points
None of my losses make me as angry as this one does, because at the end of the first half, I had chalked this game up as a winner. I certainly didn’t expect that when the score was 28-15 with 20 minutes left in the game that I wouldn’t get the 11 points I needed for this game to be marked down as a winner.
The Pick: Ole Miss (-7) over Arkansas / The Result: Ole Miss wins 41-35
I stand by this one, even though it ended up being a kick below the belt. Ole Miss was up by 13 in the 4th quarter, and I lost by a single point. What are ya gonna do?
The Pick: Tennessee moneyline over Georgia / The Result: Georgia wins 44-41
You know what? I stand by this one, too, because I’m still not totally certain that Georgia is a better team than Tennessee.
The Pick: South Carolina (-4.5) over Vanderbilt / The Result: Vanderbilt wins 31-7
Okay, so this one wasn’t close, but I do feel like if LaNorris Sellers doesn’t get knocked out of the game, there’s at least a puncher’s chance that the Gamecocks make this one interesting and maybe even walk out with a win.
The Pick: South Florida (+17.5) over Miami FL / The Result: Miami wins 49-12
Okay, this one wasn’t close either, but in my defense, I’m made it very clear that because this was a non-SEC game, you didn’t need to feel compelled to include it in your parlay if you didn’t want to, so I think I’m off the hook for this result.
I recognize that by bringing attention to these shortcomings, I’m not making the strongest pitch for you to return each weekend to check out my predictions, but hey, if you’re interested in some insight on the SEC slate that could influence who you bet each weekend — even if it means you’re fading me — mixed with self-deprecating humor and random pop culture references, I’ve got the column for you.
Unexpected Hero of the Weekend: Gunner Stockton
I’ll admit that I may be in the minority here, because as you saw already, I picked Tennessee to defeat Georgia on Saturday afternoon. This was rooted in my belief that Georgia’s defense isn’t as great as it has been the last 5 years (this proved to be true) and that the Gunner Stockton-led offense wouldn’t be able to keep pace with Joey Aguilar and the Vols. That second part turned out to be a miscalculation. Stockton resoundingly answered the call, playing the best game of his career in a raucous atmosphere in front of 100,000-plus fans in Knoxville.
Stockton finished with 304 passing yards, 38 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns, and as crazy as it is to say it, as we spend so much time looking for Heisman Moments or Heisman Performances as we attempt to figure out who will take home college football’s most prestigious award each year, this is the most notable such performance of the young season.
Overreaction of the Weekend: Arch Manning Stinks Again!
I have a feeling we’re going to be sitting on this seesaw all season long, because this kind of erratic play is exactly what you’d expect from a young quarterback with once-in-a-generation hype who still doesn’t have a half-dozen starts to his name. I will say though, in the midst of that mid-game stretch in which Arch had 10 consecutive incompletions, I did do a quick Google search to see who the Longhorns backup quarterback is this year.
The answer? Matthew Caldwell, a senior transfer who threw for over 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns last year at Troy. I’m not saying this is a piece of information you need to know, but that’s the kind of stuff you search for on Google when you write a college football column and frequently discuss the ups and downs of Arch Manning.
Most Impressive Player I Saw This Weekend: Ahmad Hardy
A win over Louisiana may not carry a ton of weight, but every time Ahmad Hardy carried the rock for the Missouri Tigers on Saturday afternoon, he created an even bigger gap between himself and every other SEC running back. Hardy, the reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year who logged 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns as a true freshman at Louisiana-Monroe last season, carried 22 times for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns in Mizzou’s 52-10 win. Now, through 3 weeks, Hardy is leading the SEC in rushing by a commanding 148 yards.
Things do get tougher for Ahmad Hardy and the Tigers soon enough. Missouri kicks of SEC play this week vs. South Carolina, and then after its final nonconference game of the season against UMass on September 27, an in-conference gauntlet that includes Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M begins. But for now, Hardy is on pace — assuming he plays in at least 13 games this season — to join Derrick Henry, Ricky Williams and D’Onta Foreman as the only running backs in SEC history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season.
Mini SEC Power Poll of the Week
For what it’s worth, these rankings throughout the season will be based on championship equity, as in, which teams have the best chance to win the national title on January 19.
1. LSU
2. Texas A&M
3. Georgia
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. Tennessee
7. Ole Miss
8. Alabama
9. Vanderbilt
10. Auburn
One Big Question Heading Into Week 4: How long will it be until the Shane Beamer to Virginia Tech smoke turns into a full-blown fire?
Beamer Ball back in Blacksburg? Yeah, I’m not so sure we make it to November before this rumor is fully engulfed in flames.
