Thank you, Syracuse.

The Orange’s Friday the 13th upset of No. 2 Clemson and No. 8 Washington State’s subsequent egg-laying contest at Cal removed two more unbeatens from the equation and added more steam to the SEC’s case that it deserves two Playoff teams.

Assuming, of course, neither Alabama nor Georgia stumbles until their anticipated showdown in Atlanta. The possibility of those two entering the SEC Championship Game ranked No. 1 and No. 2 just got a whole lot more realistic.

How far will Clemson fall? We’ll find out Sunday. But we still have a full day to get through. And while the point spreads don’t exactly scream upset potential, Clemson was a 21-point favorite last night. Washington State was more than a two-touchdown favorite.

You never know. Even if we don’t get a poll-shaking upset, today’s schedule still offers plenty of intrigue.

Here are the five best storylines in the SEC in Week 7.

1. Can Jarrett Guarantano save Butch Jones’ job?

No pressure there, right, kid?

No excuses, either. We’re five years removed from pinning lackluster offensive performances or conservative play-calling on an inexperienced, young quarterback.

Get them ready. And go.

In Jones’ case, he’s had a year and a half to get Guarantano ready for his first college start. If he falls flat, that’s yet another indictment of Jones’ coaching ability, especially considering how poorly Quinten Dormady has played despite being under Jones’ guidance for three years.

It’s fair to say this game is the biggest of Jones’ career. It’s absolutely a must-win. He can’t survive another 0-3 start to SEC play, another loss to South Carolina, another loss to Will Muschamp.

The glimmer of hope? Guarantano appears to be a better fit for Jones’ system. If he lights up South Carolina today, suddenly there is optimism. There would be cries for why Jones didn’t make the switch sooner, of course, but at least the future would look brighter (until their trip to Tuscaloosa next week, anyway).

Tennessee has been described as a dumpster fire, but it’s not all terrible.

Through all of this mess, the Vols have the No. 1 recruiting class in the SEC, No. 6 in the nation. Granted, it’s October and who knows whether the Vols will be able to keep that class together. But the top two recruits in Tennessee — and six of the top nine — have committed to the Vols, if not necessarily Jones.

Most analysts don’t think Jones will be there next year, anyway. But if he loses today, we might be talking about whether he might be at the Vols’ next practice.

2. Will Nick Saban ever use Tua Tagovailoa as a pinch-passer?

Had this thought last week, after Jalen Hurts butchered Alabama’s final possession of the first half. In obvious passing situations, Hurts tucked and ran twice. Bama needed chunk plays to move quickly into field goal position. Hurts didn’t really give them a chance. I’m as big of a Hurts fan as they come, but he mismanaged that situation.

As I was watching, I wondered why Saban, in that specific situation, didn’t go to Tagovailoa. Without question, Tagovailoa provided the better opportunity to push the ball down field.

This is Hurts’ team, unquestionably, and overall, he provides the best chance at success. But thus far Tagovailoa has shown he’s certainly the more willing passer and arguably the better passer.

If Bama gets in the same situation today or later this year, will Saban go to Tagovailoa as a pinch-passer? That’s something I’ll be watching.

3. Kellen Mond vs. Feleipe Franks

Kevin Sumlin can thank Mond for cooling off his hot seat.

Quarterback play is the biggest reason the temperature continues to rise on Jim McElwain’s.

Sumlin is trusting Mond more and more every week. The two throws he made in a comeback attempt against Alabama were as good as any two throws we’ve seen in the SEC this season. Rushed, but not hurried, he threw two ropes for gains of 32 and 39 yards.

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

I’m still waiting on McElwain to fully trust Franks, to let him take two deep shots per quarter.

The Gators have won some close games, but they don’t seem any closer to establishing an identity. I wish McElwain would trust Franks’ arm as much as I do.

Quit playing to win every game 17-16, because sometimes, one bad snap is all it takes to turn victory into defeat.

4. Can Auburn handle prosperity?

The Tigers are surging again, up to No. 10 in the AP Poll. Considering their only loss was a one-score game at Clemson without their best offensive player, you could easily argue they deserve to be higher.

But … we’ve talked up the Tigers before, only to be let down.

LSU is getting healthier. Last week at Florida, it finally played the physical style of game that has long defined the program.

An LSU win would surprise me, but I want to see if Auburn can send a message with a statement victory.

5. Georgia, Washington and the AP Poll position

Georgia is ranked No. 4, the highest its been since it climbed to No. 3 in 2012.

The Bulldogs are 30-point favorites to whip visiting Missouri tonight. With Clemson’s loss, the Dawgs are in prime position to climb to No. 3 Sunday.

But …

No. 5 Washington (6-0) is an 18-point favorite at Arizona State. The Huskies —
a Playoff team last year, remember — are yapping about a lack of respect, being behind Georgia. Do they have a case? Not really; their only non-conference game against another Power 5 team was Rutgers. Washington won 30-14. The next week, Rutgers lost to Eastern Michigan. A juggernaut, Rutgers is not.

But noise draws attention, and Chris Peterson’s recent spat with ESPN was all about generating buzz.

Voters will be watching the scoreboard tonight, if not the actual games. Margins matter.

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