The stage is set.

Georgia. LSU. The SEC Championship that nobody predicted. Welcome to 2022.

Saturday’s action clinched a pair of division titles, which felt inevitable. After all, last week was division title week. This week was “make it official” week.

That’s not all we learned from Week 11:

Alabama — Would we get ‘meaningless bowl Alabama’ or scorched earth Alabama? Both

I put “meaningless bowl Alabama” in quotations because I often think it’s a default response when Alabama loses any game that doesn’t have national championship implications on the table. That narrative looked like it was going to play out after a 1st quarter in which Alabama was outgained 154-22. It was ugly early. There was no life defensively, and it looked like Lane Kiffin and Co. were about to get whatever they wanted.

But then, we got scorched earth Alabama. Like, “We’ve been to 6 of the last 7 national championships for a reason” Alabama. Bryce Young got some help from Jermaine Burton, and in the ground game, we saw Bill O’Brien actually feed a back … and it wasn’t Jahmyr Gibbs. In fact, Gibbs didn’t see the field in the 2nd half while Jase McClellan got 19 carries. Both units got after it in the trenches and helped avoid consecutive regular-season losses for the 1st time in 15 years. It was Alabama’s 1st win against a top-15 team all year, and it was its 1st such road win since September 2021 against Florida.

We can officially dismiss the “Alabama isn’t motivated” narrative for the rest of the regular season..

Arkansas — KJ Jefferson was never going to start, and it’s probably for the best

You can look at the final score and see that a 13-10 loss could’ve been a different story with QB1 on the field. Alternatively, you could look at how dominant Harold Perkins was and see that it was probably for the best that a banged-up starting quarterback wasn’t exposed to that type of force. I go with the latter on that.

Malik Hornsby couldn’t outrun Perkins, and I’m not sure it would’ve made much of a difference if he did. He was pulled after going 4-for-9 for 23 yards with 3 sacks taken and 18 rushes for 37 yards (it was actually 64 yards, but he had 27 sack yards). Fortin led that touchdown drive with a beautiful throw to Matt Landers, but he had even less of a chance at outrunning Perkins. With Rocket Sanders at less than 100 percent, there really wasn’t much of a shot for the Hogs against the LSU defense when it plays at that level.

Auburn — Cadillac Williams’ purpose is so clear

What if I told you that a sold-out crowd would create a 2nd-to-none atmosphere and that a coach would get a Gatorade bath as the final seconds ticked down? Would you assume it was for a division title? Maybe a win against a top-5 team? Nah. It was none of that. If anything, A&M-Auburn was the polar opposite of a meaningful football game from a micro standpoint.

But Williams’ role for this Auburn program is macro. The passion he brought to the sideline and the energy he created at Jordan-Hare was truly a spectacle. Yes, it was an ugly game. No, it didn’t matter. What mattered was Auburn winning its 1st SEC game since the Mizzou mess, and doing so with Williams leading the fight. He said afterward, “Who don’t wanna come to Auburn? Auburn football gonna be OK. It ain’t dead, baby. It ain’t dead. We comin’.” Man, I believe him. Williams won’t get the head coaching job, but he’s showing whoever does just why that place is so special, after all we heard for the past year was about how big of a dumpster fire it was.

Florida — That offensive identity is locked in

It’s a downhill, 3-headed rushing attack with a quarterback who is much better throwing the ball downfield when operating out of play-action. Simple, right? If not for Anthony Richardson taking a late, meaningless sack, Florida would’ve had 3 players finish with 100 rushing yards in the same game for the 1st time since 1984. Nonetheless, I think Billy Napier will take 374 rushing yards against an SEC defense with a pulse.

A bowl-eligibility-clinching win was never in doubt. Florida created a crease for an 85-yard Trevor Etienne touchdown run, and Montrell Johnson continued to be the back that Napier trusts the most. But quietly, we’re really watching Richardson develop both as a runner and as a passer. That was his 4th consecutive game without an interception after he was picked off at least once in the 5 games before LSU. At the same time, Richardson doesn’t look tentative. He’s much more decisive, and as a result, Florida’s offense looks like a group that has turned the corner.

Georgia — Kearis Jackson is still a crucial member of this team

Once upon a time, I thought Jackson was Georgia’s most valuable receiver. The guy who led the team in receiving in 2020 has watched his role diminish, partially because of injuries and partially because Georgia has several guys who operate out of the slot at a high level, including Saturday star Ladd McConkey. But man, Jackson showed out at an ideal time for UGA on Saturday. He had a huge catch on the left sideline wherein he reminded the masses that he still has some elite body control.

Still, that was his 1st game with 4 catches since, coincidentally, the 2020 MSU game when JT Daniels got his 1st career start. Jackson becoming a reliable target for Stetson Bennett IV down the stretch seems like a pivotal development, especially with AD Mitchell still on the shelf.

Kentucky — Rock bottom wasn’t South Carolina a few weeks ago

It was losing to Vandy. At home. Like, the Vandy squad that hadn’t won an SEC game in the 2020s. Like, the Vandy squad that hadn’t won an SEC road game since 2018, when it went into Arkansas and beat a Year 1 Chad Morris team. Before Saturday, that was Vandy’s only Power 5 road win since the start of 2017.

Yeah, it was that bad.

Why did it happen? A few things. Kentucky’s offense was mainly at fault, though I’d argue a hands-to-the-face penalty that negated a game-sealing interception and a brutal job in coverage on 4th and 11 was also at fault. Against the worst Power 5 passing defense, Will Levis was held to 109 yards and 4.7 yards per attempt. There were so few downfield chances, which could’ve been because of the disastrous offensive line and also because Kentucky has a couple of true freshmen lined up out wide, neither of whom consistently got separation. Whatever the case, Mark Stoops just suffered his worst loss at Kentucky. Easily.

LSU — A true freshman defensive player can win a game by himself

“My God, a freshman.”

Those were my thoughts watching Perkins take over that game and humiliate Arkansas. Don’t get too upset, Georgia fans. Perkins isn’t a “star in the making.” He’s a bona fide star. Arkansas, which had PFF’s top-graded offensive line in America entering the Liberty game, couldn’t stop Perkins. At all. Malik Hornsby and his Tyreek Hill-level speed couldn’t even outrun Perkins. It was perfectly fitting that Perkins ended the game with yet another forced fumble after beating his man off the edge.

Perkins tied the single-game LSU record with 4 (!) sacks, he forced 2 fumbles and he finished with 8 tackles. Oh, and he had a sack/forced fumble taken off the board because Cade Fortin’s arm was slightly going forward. It was an all-time performance. Truly. The former 5-star was the reason that LSU avoided the proverbial hangover game because the Tigers were a disaster offensively for most of the day. And yes, that was a horrendous spot that granted LSU a 1st down in the final 3 minutes. But considering how dominant Perkins was all day, that game was only going to end with him forcing a fumble. Truly remarkable.

Oh, and he did it all after dealing with the flu. Just imagine what Perkins will do when he’s healthy!

Mizzou — So the defense wasn’t totally bullet-proof

I’ve been giving Blake Baker’s group credit all year. Heading into Saturday, I argued why it was one of the most drastic year-to-year turnarounds of any unit in the conference. I mean, the Tigers hadn’t allowed more than 26 points in an SEC game, and that occurrence happened against Georgia, who didn’t score a touchdown until the 4th quarter.

Well, Tennessee’s offense didn’t care about that. It exploded for 724 yards (!) and 66 points, 36 of which came in the final 24 minutes. The wheels totally came off. The coverage busts that Mizzou avoided for a decent chunk of the first half went by the wayside in the second half. A Mizzou team who allowed 5 scrimmage plays of 40 yards all season was hit for 4 such plays on Saturday, all of which came in the second half. It was certainly a setback after it looked like Mizzou was potentially going to keep the Vols’ passing attack somewhat limited with pressure. That faded in a hurry.

MSU — Taking away chairs didn’t wake up the MSU offense

Sorry, Mike Leach.

Yes, the officiating was all over the place. MSU was on the short end of a fumble that was blown dead and a horrendous pass interference call. But still. Let’s not overlook the fact that the MSU offense had 1 touchdown on a day in which Will Rogers attempted his usual 51 passes. MSU had a brutal drop in the end zone late that led to a failed 4th-down conversion attempt in the red zone, but it wouldn’t have changed reality.

Reality is that against sure-handed tackling teams like Georgia and Alabama, the Air Raid doesn’t have much of a chance. It relies so heavily on defenders missing tackles in space, and UGA wasn’t going to do much of that after it nearly played a perfect game against the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense a week earlier. In 3 of the past 4 games, MSU had just 1 offensive touchdown. As a result, the Bulldogs blew any potential chance at a New Year’s 6 bowl.

Ole Miss — I’m not sure we’re gonna see Lane Kiffin beat Nick Saban at Alabama

Think about this. Last year, Kiffin had his program’s best regular-season win total ever with 1 of its 3 best quarterbacks in school history. It yielded a blowout loss to Alabama. This year, Kiffin had his program’s best 9-game start in 60 years, while Alabama had more than 1 regular-season loss pre-Iron Bowl for the 1st time since 2010. Oh, and Kiffin had a 10-0 lead.

Did it matter? Nope. Instead, we saw Alabama make those in-game adjustments (a greater commitment to the ground game, more defensive line push, etc.) while Kiffin whiffed on key 4th downs and spoiled another 2nd-half lead to a top-15 team. It’s fair to wonder if Kiffin is going to ever have the pieces to beat his former boss. I don’t think he wanted Jaxson Dart throwing 31 times, though ideally, Zach Evans would’ve been healthy and able to complement Quinshon Judkins. That seemed costly at the end when a gassed Judkins was on the sideline and Dart was in obvious throwing situations.

Kiffin was clearly frustrated. “It ain’t good enough. We came here to beat Alabama, and we didn’t do it,” he said afterward. He’s 0-for-3 now with 3 very different teams at Ole Miss. I’m not sure that trend is flipping anytime soon.

South Carolina — The Spencer Rattler experiment has been a failure

Yes, I know Marcus Satterfield hasn’t done Rattler any favors. Neither has that offensive line, and neither did MarShawn Lloyd’s continued injury-related absence. But man, that offense is such a tough watch. Six of Rattler’s 8 touchdown passes came against Vandy, South Carolina State and Georgia State. There’s a reason for that. The reads aren’t there, and the decision-making behind a bad offensive line and a bad scheme continues to be, well, bad.

It’s too bad, because the talent and skill players are clearly there. Well, when they’re used properly. I’m not sure Jaheim Bell’s ideal use should be getting carries, and when DK Joyner actually gets to touch the pigskin, good things happen. But Rattler’s lack of progression has been incredibly evident, and on a day when South Carolina’s lone touchdown was off a fake punt (because Beamer Ball never sleeps), we saw Rattler fail to lead a single touchdown drive against the SEC’s 2nd-worst defense. I’m not so sure Luke Doty should be sitting on the bench any longer.

Tennessee — Unless your name is Georgia, you ain’t stopping this offense

On Senior Night, Hendon Hooker and the Vols bounced back in the biggest way. Mind you, it was a 4-point game with 9 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. By day’s end, Tennessee had a single-game program record 724 yards and 66 points. The explosive plays came back in the 2nd half, wherein the Vols had 4 plays of 40 yards. That was without Cedric Tillman, who was banged up coming off a leg injury in the Georgia game.

Yes, the Vols’ defense was gashed, and early, it looked like the underrated Mizzou defensive line was going to give Tennessee some problems up front. But Hooker overcame that and finished the day with 409 total yards (355 passing, 54 rushing) and 4 total touchdowns to keep his Heisman Trophy chances alive. Josh Heupel got back to scheming at an elite level, and no play was a better example than Jalin Hyatt’s walk-in touchdown after he lined up inline behind the line of scrimmage:

That was easily the toughest defense left on the Vols’ remaining slate, which now includes a road game at South Carolina and home against SEC-game-winners Vandy. Answering the bell after the Georgia game was exactly the statement Heupel could’ve hoped to show the selection committee.

Texas A&M — No Devon Achane, but Antonio Johnson’s return kept Auburn alive

Man, the A&M injuries turned a bad situation into an unthinkable situation. Achane showed up in a boot on a night when the Aggies were without 3 starting offensive linemen, they were down to their 3rd-string tight end, Evan Stewart got hurt, Moose Muhammad III was on the sideline without much of an explanation from Jimbo Fisher and, obviously, the Aggies were already without top receiver Ainias Smith for the year.

So naturally, that happened when Johnson, aka the team’s best defensive player, returned after missing 3 games with a hamstring injury. He was phenomenal. The versatile defensive back forced fumbles, he made tackles in space and he was the driving force behind A&M having any chance in that game. If the Aggies had a pulse offensively, Johnson’s play could’ve fueled a victory. He does everything, and it was painfully clear why the veteran starter of 20 games was missed.

Vanderbilt — Mike Wright is exactly what Vandy needed to end the streak

Cheers, Vandy. Y’all waited long enough to say the words, “We won an SEC game this decade.” The fact that it happened on the road against a ranked squad just added to the drama. And speaking of drama, man, Wright seemed to thrive on it. Between the 4th-and-11 bomb he threw to get inside the Kentucky 10, the game-winning dart on the slant and the countless plays he extended with his legs, the Vandy captain was magnificent.

What poise Wright showed after losing his job to a true freshman. His maturity was evident all day, which was exactly what it was gonna take for Vandy to finally end the SEC losing streak at 26. Wright showed that he deserves to have the starting job for the rest of the season, even after AJ Swann returns to full strength.