Week 9 provided clarity to the SEC East race, but it was a big ol’ pause button for those counting down the seconds until we get Alabama at LSU.

Maybe that’s why I spent part of last week diving into Tua Tagovailoa’s numbers. What I did learn? A lot. Most of all, momma, it just ain’t fair.

On that and everything else that mattered most in and around the SEC in Week 9:

10. Tua vs. DBU … let’s get it on

So we’ve spent a good bit of time each week finding new ways to put what Tua Tagovailoa is doing into perspective.

Frankly, I still don’t think enough people fully appreciate everything he accomplished in Alabama’s first eight games, the historic pace, the decimal point precision, the ease at which the crooked numbers appeared.

Here are 2 in particular that tell the story of a man chasing history.

There wasn’t room in the tweet, but I broke down all 10 QBs who threw at least 35 TD passes in a season. Wuerffel set the SEC record with 39 TD passes in 1996, finding the end zone once on every 9.23 attempts. Andre Woodson broke TD record in 2007. Woodson threw 40 — 1 in every 12.95 attempts. Lock then broke that last year, but with a slightly higher ratio than Wuerffel.

Nick Saban would have to turn Tagovailoa loose in the Tide’s final 5, 6 or 7 games for him to make a run at the SEC single-season TD record. But his pace through 8 games is equal parts historic and ridiculous. It’s beyond comprehension, really. At this point, a poor performance would be a 2-touchdown day that required 30 throws — in other words, Tim Couch’s pace in 1997 or 1998.

But, wait, there’s more. Tagovailoa isn’t piling on hapless opponents with a bunch of 3-yard, play-action fake TD tosses.

His average TD pass has covered 35.64 yards.

There’s a reason, four weeks ago, I said I’d seen enough: That Tagovailoa already is the greatest SEC quarterback in history.

Anticipation makes college football great. I don’t know that I’ve looked forward to a regular season game more than the one next Saturday night at Death Valley.

9. At least, until one of these two scenarios plays out in 2019 …

I launched the Jalen Hurts to Auburn transfer train before the season. That’s gotta happen. The 2019 Iron Bowl, featuring two quarterbacks with Playoff pedigrees? That too good not to happen.

But what if Ed Orgeron also is able to flip Alabama commit Tualia Tagovailoa — and give us a Sibling Rivalry next year?

Our columnist, Connor O’Gara, wrote a sensational piece last week about Alabama’s brewing QB controversy — Tua’s little brother vs. Bear Bryant’s great-grandson. The obvious hitch in what would be the greatest QB controversy in college football history is that both have to follow through and sign with the Tide.

Orgeron attended the Tualia vs. Paul Tyson nationally-televised showdown Friday night. Tagovailoa totaled 5 TDs and 400 total yards to rally Thompson High past Tyson’s Hewitt-Trussville team, 63-49.

Tua Tagovailoa also was there, watching his younger brother celebrate senior night. Tua and Coach O exchanged a high-five and spoke. Coach O also spoke with Tualia’s family.

Recruiting never ends. Especially in this league. Especially in that rivalry.

8. Taking care of business is better than getting worked

Eight more ranked teams lost to unranked teams Saturday, including Texas and Washington. None was as consequential as Ohio State’s loss to Purdue in Week 8. But all of these upsets continue a trend and provided another reminder as to what separates Alabama from the rest of the college football world.

It is this: Alabama doesn’t lose to unranked teams. Ever. The Tide haven’t lost to an unranked team since 2007.

Compare that to several other Playoff contenders, which have suffered one or more losses to unranked teams just in the past 3 seasons:

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As unbalanced as the schedules are, it’s important to remember that everybody except Alabama slips up from time to time against mediocre teams. Keep that in mind when you watch the first Playoff ranking show Tuesday night and the analysts start hammering Bama’s schedule.

Everybody plays weak teams. Bama just doesn’t lose to them.

Speaking of how real Playoff contenders beat up on unranked cupcakes … did you see what Trevor Lawrence and Clemson did to Florida State? I did. And …

7. Trevor Lawrence is a huge problem and he’s not going away

Two years ago, true freshman Jalen Hurts led Alabama to the National Championship Game.

Last year, true freshman Tua Tagovailoa rescued Alabama and beat Georgia in the National Championship Game. Had he not done so, true freshman Jake Fromm would have led Georgia to its first national title since Herschel carried the Dawgs to the 1980 crown.

I think you know where I’m going with this …

This year, Clemson true freshman Trevor Lawrence not only is the best quarterback in the ACC, he might already be the second-best quarterback in the country.

Lawrence just did things Saturday to Florida State that Deshaun Watson didn’t. Lawrence threw 4 TD passes against the Seminoles. Kyle Parker in 2009 is the only other Clemson QB to do that against the Noles since 2000. Lawrence matched his career high in that category and set a PR with 314 yards before taking off the fourth quarter. All in his fifth start. On the road, in a stadium the Tigers had never even scored 38 before Saturday.

We are headed toward an absolute shootout in the National Championship Game. Alabama vs. Clemson, Round IV. First one to 50 wins.

And when they meet again in the 2019 National Championship Game — Tua as a junior, Lawrence a sophomore — 50 won’t be nearly enough.

6. If Florida loses to Florida State this year, heaven help us all

The Seminoles just suffered their worst home loss ever. They are an absolute mess. It happens. Heck, it happened to Florida. The Gators won it all in 2008 and had a losing season five years later in 2013.

Florida State won it all in 2013. The Noles very much are in danger of having a losing season five years later in 2018.

If you’re a Gators fan, Saturday’s Cocktail Party stunk, but you probably left Jacksonville smiling that at least you didn’t give up half-a-hundred at home. You can only hope the Seminoles’ stay stuck in reverse as long as Florida did.

This picture is worth 60,000 words.

That’s just perfect.

5. Good on you, Nick Fitzgerald

That was a heck of a bounce-back performance, capped by the 76-yard touchdown run.

We know he can do that. He’s the greatest running quarterback in SEC history. (I know, Auburn fans, but Cam only played one year.)

Saturday was really the first time all year that he threw deep with intent and relative accuracy. As much heat as he’s taken for his wayward command, it was good to see.

Nobody ever questioned his ability to play football. Just his ability to throw.

He silenced a lot of people Saturday night. Including me.

4. The 4 Playoff teams are …

No. 1 Alabama. No. 2 Clemson. No. 3 Notre Dame. No. 4 LSU. No. 5 Oklahoma. No. 6 Georgia. No. 7 Michigan. No. 8 UCF.

This is exactly how the Committee should have it ranked Tuesday. (Except for UCF. I don’t honestly think they’re one of the best 8 teams in the country, but in my 8-team Playoff, I reserve a spot for the best Group of 5.)

The two most intriguing teams to watch will be Notre Dame and Ohio State. The Irish have had a few close calls, but they’re also 3-0 against ranked teams and the only team to beat Michigan.

Ohio State is interesting to watch simply because the Committee has what it needs — a loss — to send the Buckeyes a message about right and wrong. Will they? One can only hope.

3. Hey, Indiana, you won a prize Saturday night!

Kentucky’s comeback win over Mizzou gave the Cats 5 SEC wins. That guaranteed their first winning season in the SEC since 1977. The Wildcats had the longest such drought among Power 5 programs.

Even basketball schools like Kansas, Duke and North Carolina have had winning seasons in their Power 5 conference more recently. Even historically bad football programs like Vanderbilt and Wake Forest have, too.

But the Wildcats no longer have the longest skid.

Their hated neighbor to the north Indiana does. The Hoosiers haven’t posted a winning record in the Big Ten since 1993. Their streak will continue at least another year, too. The Hoosiers already are guaranteed of finishing below .500 in B1G play this season.

2. What to make of Georgia?

Good teams win games comfortably without playing exceptionally well.

Georgia did that Saturday. The Dawgs weren’t impressive for three quarters. Florida held its own up front. The Gators’ run defense, in particular, dominated when Georgia reached the red zone.

But … still. Georgia 36, Florida 17. That has to count for something.

Georgia’s problem is, or at least my problem with Georgia is: There’s no way they repeat that fourth quarter against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

This is a good Bulldogs team. But there are too many flaws to be taken seriously as a Playoff candidate.

Alabama is significantly better than it was last year. So is Clemson. I can’t even pretend to say that about Georgia.

1. Mark Stoops picked a bad time to send a message, and somehow Kentucky still won

Quick background: Benny Snell did not like, at all, some of the play-calling Saturday.

He told Eddie Gran as much.

Big deal, right? Heat of the moment. Play on. Not so fast. Kentucky benched Snell briefly after that, including when it had the ball inside Mizzou’s 5-yard line late in the game. Of course it didn’t score.

In the case of Benny Snell vs. The Coaches of the Commonwealth, the people chose Snell. Oh, man, did they choose Snell.

It’s Sunday and church is just letting out, so I’m not going to reprint some of the things I saw on Twitter, but four-letter words were flying.

I get it. You want to send a message. No player is above the team. Do that after the game, after you win, after you give yourself a chance to stay in the SEC East race. Do that Monday morning with some 4:30 a.m. stadium runs.

It worked out. Somehow, it worked out. And it worked out in the most unlikely way — a touchdown pass on the final play.

(Quick aside: Mizzou fans, are you more upset with the pass interference call that set up the final play … or the non-call against C.J. Conrad, who clearly pushed his defender to create separation on his break?

(I thought both could have been called.)

I’m guessing Snell didn’t have an issue with the final play-call, considering Mizzou basically assigned 7 guys to stop his run threat.

Buckle up, Lexington. The SEC East Championship Game is coming to your city.