The SEC is usually good for at least a few drama-filled contests every week, as passionate fan bases lose their mind over the down-to-the-wire games throughout the fall.
But drama can’t follow the SEC on every single Saturday, and last Saturday, Week 9 of the 2026 college football season, was a glowing example.
First off, there were 6 teams sitting out with byes, so only 10 of the 16 teams in the SEC were in action. But that means there were still 5 SEC games on the Week 9 slate, so there was plenty of opportunity for plenty of close games and memorable endings.
It didn’t happen. Not even close. Not even close, as in none of the 5 SEC games this past Saturday were close. It was certainly something that hardly ever happens, and it also made some unique history.
According to ESPN editor Brandon Zimmerman, whose source was ESPN Research, Saturday was only the third time in SEC football history that all the conference games were decided by 17 or more points. This was based on it being a minimum of 5 games, which is what Saturday’s slate was.
In addition to it being blowout city last Saturday in the SEC, it’s also been a good past 2 weeks for betting favorites in SEC games, as those favorites went 9-1 outright during Weeks 8 and 9. South Carolina knocking off favored Oklahoma in Norman last Saturday was the outlier in that 9-1 record, so not only was it a lopsided Saturday last week, it’s been a pretty predictable past few weeks in the conference that prides itself on all that drama.
We’ll see if the SEC drama meter kicks back into high gear in Week 10.
These games aren’t scripted, so there can’t always be close games every Saturday, even in the ultra-competitive SEC.
Last Saturday was the proof of that.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
