There were 8 conference matchups between SEC members in Week 8. That means every SEC school battled a conference foe last Saturday. No bye weeks, no buy games. Just gladiators taking on other gladiators. And the results were legendary.
Six 1-possession games. Two overtime games. There were offensive fireworks, dominant defensive performances, and multiple brutal special teams mistakes (maybe don’t punt to Ryan Niblett, Kentucky?).
Neither of the Longhorns’ impressive returns made this list, but countless other jaw-dropping plays did. Here are the snaps that dictated the outcome of the SEC’s Week 8 games more than any other.
Games are listed in order of approximate start time. Plays mentioned are based on win probability added, via ESPN analytics. Unfortunately, there is no overtime data available for Texas-Kentucky or Missouri-Auburn.
No. 10 LSU vs. No. 17 Vanderbilt (31-24 Vanderbilt)
Play: 6:52, Q3, LSU 38-yard line. Garrett Nussmeier pass complete to Zavion Thomas for 62 yards, touchdown. 2-point conversion is GOOD. 24-21 Vanderbilt (+19.6% for LSU).
Vanderbilt hosted a top 10 opponent in Week 8, and — according to ESPN analytics — never had less than a 50% chance of winning. What Clark Lea has done in Nashville is absolutely incredible. The last time the Commodores were an AP top 10 football team themselves, prior to this week, was Oct. 18, 1947 (George Strait hadn’t been born yet!). The date of Saturday’s game vs. LSU, that pushed them back into the top 10? Oct. 18, 2025.
No. 14 Oklahoma vs. South Carolina (26-7 Oklahoma)
Play: 6:43 Q1, 4th-and-1, Oklahoma 45-yard line. Rahsul Faison runs 36 yards to Oklahoma 9-yard line. First down (+12.1% for South Carolina).
This run was the Gamecocks’ only 20-plus yard gain against the Sooners. It represents roughly 16% of South Carolina‘s total yardage (224) in the game. Oklahoma‘s defense allowed just 7 yards on 8 goal-to-go plays. Replicating this performance against Ole Miss in Week 9 will be difficult, but could be necessary for the Sooners — who face 5 top-20 teams to end the season — to remain in the College Football Playoff chase.
No. 4 Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (45-42 Texas A&M)
Play: 11:30 Q4, 2nd-and-Goal, Texas A&M 4-yard line. Taylen Green pass complete to Jaden Platt for 4 yards, touchdown. 2-point conversions is GOOD. 38-35 Texas A&M (+12.2% for Arkansas).
The Aggies’ defense hadn’t given up more than 17 points vs. an SEC team until the Razorbacks hung 42 on them. Arkansas‘s offense has only scored less than 30 points 1 time (vs. Notre Dame), so that’s not necessarily something to be ashamed of. Mike Elko‘s squad has won offensive shootouts and defensive slugfests this season. Saturday’s matchup in Baton Rouge against LSU feels destined to be the latter.
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Georgia (43-35 Georgia)
Play: 14:46 Q3, 2nd-and-10, Ole Miss 25-yard line. Trinidad Chambliss pass complete to De’Zhaun Stribling for 75 yards, touchdown. 28-20 Ole Miss (+22.4% for Ole Miss).
The Bulldogs gave up 355 total yards and 5 touchdowns on the Rebels’ first 5 drives on Saturday. Those possessions spanned the first 3 quarters. In the fourth quarter, Georgia ceded only 13 yards on 11 Ole Miss snaps. Kirby Smart may be the best coach at making in-game adjustments in the country. A failed fourth down vs. Alabama saddled the Bulldogs with a loss, but barring a negative result against someone other than Texas or Georgia Tech, they’ll be in the CFP once again.
Mississippi State vs. Florida (23-21 Florida)
Play: 0:21 Q4, 2nd-and-10, Florida 29-yard line. Blake Shapen pass INTERCEPTED by Michael Boireau, returned to Florida 34-yard line. First down Florida (+59.0%).
The Gators did everything they could to give this one to the Bulldogs, who had entered play having lost 14 straight SEC contests. But in the end, Florida‘s defense stepped up and found a way to extend Mississippi State‘s dismay. The last-second stand wasn’t enough to save Billy Napier‘s job, though. Meanwhile, Jeff Lebby‘s next chance for an SEC victory comes Saturday vs. Texas.
No. 21 Texas vs. Kentucky (16-13 Texas, OT)
Play: 0:09 Q4, 2nd-and-10, Texas 27-yard line. Jacob Kauwe 45-yard Field Goal is GOOD. Game tied 13-13 (+20.5% for Kentucky).
Calling the Longhorns fortunate to leave Lexington without a loss is a massive understatement. Texas was the worst team Power 4 team — by net success rate margin — to win in Week 8. Had Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning been playing anybody but Kentucky, their CFP odds would be practically zero right now. Instead, they’re headed to Starkville with the 14th-best chance (38.9%) of making the bracket, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. ESPN analytics did not have win probability for overtime plays in this game.
No. 11 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Alabama (37-20 Alabama)
Play: 0:09 Q2, Alabama 1-yard line. Joey Aguilar pass INTERCEPTED by Zabien Brown, returned 99 yards, touchdown. 23-7 Alabama (+15.9%).
The Volunteers appeared to have a chance against the Crimson Tide… until they threw it away. Alabama outscored Tennessee 16-0 across the final 7:35 of the first half on Saturday night. Beyond that, they essentially played to a draw. Maybe there’s a moral victory for the Vols in that. Regardless, Josh Heupel‘s team now has just an 18.4% chance to earn a College Football Playoff berth, according to ESPN’s FPI. From here on out, it’s 1 game at a time, starting at Kentucky this weekend.
No. 16 Missouri vs. Auburn (20-17 Missouri, OT)
Play: 0:26 Q4, 1st-and-10, Auburn 30-yard line. Beau Pribula SACKED by Keyron Crawford for 7-yard loss. (+20.6% for Auburn).
Auburn has, intentionally or not, been inventing new ways to lose this year. The Tigers have gotten help from the officials in some of these pain-inducing experiments. Other times, like Week 8, where they missed 3 field goals, they do it all on their own. We have no idea what is going to happen when Auburn and Arkansas tussle in Fayetteville this weekend. But, if we had to harbor a guess, we’d say someone is going to be left holding the remnants of their hair after an excruciating late-game development. ESPN analytics did not have win probability for overtime plays in this game.
