Sneaky good.

Oh, I thought you asked me “Connor, how would you describe the SEC’s Week 7 slate?”

We’ve got 5 of 6 games that have legitimate intrigue. Sorry Vandy-Georgia. I can’t get there and I won’t apologize for that. But the midway point of the regular season (gasp) is loaded with solid matchups with the big headliner of course being Alabama-Tennessee.

Let’s dig into some first impressions:

Auburn vs. Ole Miss — Can you throw on Auburn? It doesn’t matter

Get this. Auburn is tied for Illinois for the fewest passing touchdowns allowed in FBS with just 2. That’s it. And while the Tigers haven’t exactly faced Bryce Young on a weekly basis, look at the QBs the Tigers faced in Power 5 play:

  • Sean Clifford, Penn State
  • Brady Cook, Mizzou
  • Jayden Daniels, LSU
  • Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia

I know what you’re thinking — doesn’t gameflow impact that? Yes, but the efficiency numbers have been surprisingly rock solid after losing the likes of Roger McCreary and Smoke Monday. The Tigers have allowed just 6.5 yards per attempt and they’re No. 28 in FBS in quarterback rating allowed (116.79). So why then has that not shown up at all on the scoreboard? A few reasons. One is that it’s hard to win ballgames when you have a 0-dimensional offense and you can’t score in the second half. On top of that, the run defense continues to be a nightmare because of Auburn’s lack of depth on the defensive line. Arizona is the only Power 5 team who allowed more rushing touchdowns than Auburn (16), who also surrendered 4.35 yards per carry (No. 91 in FBS).

Now, Ole Miss comes to town. As in, the team who ranks No. 7 nationally in rushing yards per game and is tied with Georgia for No. 1 in FBS with 21 rushing touchdowns. Hence, why Ole Miss is a 14.5-point favorite.

Vandy vs. Georgia — I’d actually like to see UGA throw the ball 25 times with Stetson Bennett IV

It’s been off. For the last 3 weeks, UGA’s passing game efficiency has taken a sharp decline. Bennett failed to average 8.0 yards per attempt against the likes of Kent State, Mizzou and Auburn. So against a Vandy team who ranks dead last in Power 5 with 324 passing yards allowed per game, yeah, I’d like to see UGA air it out a bit. We just watched the Dores get torched by Jonathan Mingo and an inconsistent Jaxson Dart. While it would be taken with a grain of salt, wouldn’t UGA fans breathe a slight sigh of relief to see Bennett have something like a 11-for-13, 200-yard first half?

The Dawgs need to find their passing rhythm if they’re going to have any shot at repeating. AD Mitchell came back against Auburn, but he’s still working his way back from an ankle and, as we found out from Kirby Smart on Saturday, a thumb injury. After Vandy, UGA has the bye week and then the schedule gets real with Florida, Tennessee and at MSU. The Dawgs need to be rounding into form by then or else that path to repeating will be a steep one.

Alabama vs. Tennessee — Let’s find the balance

I’m gonna apply that logic in a few ways, mainly for Tennessee.

Obviously on offense, the Vols are incredibly explosive with the way they can spread you out and attack downfield or run the ball against a gassed defense hoping for a play off. Hendon Hooker and Tennessee rank No. 1 among non-service academies in passing yards per attempt (10.8) all while averaging 207 rushing yards per contest. That’s balance. It’s no surprise that the Vols are No. 1 in FBS in scrimmage plays of 40 yards (14). Against Alabama, you cannot be 1-dimensional. You need that balance to make Will Anderson and Dallas Turner either second-guess themselves on the RPO or you need to be able to adjust based on what they show you.

But where I’d also like to see that balance is the narrative surrounding the program as a whole. The Vols deserve this week of hype, and the fact that College GameDay is making its second trip to Knoxville this season is a testament to the job Josh Heupel has done so far. If the Vols win against Alabama for the first time in the Nick Saban era — whether Bryce Young plays or not — there’s nothing I can do to slow down that hype train. Unfortunately. Alternatively, a blowout loss will have some calling Tennessee “frauds” or making “champions of life” jokes. All I want is some sort of a middle ground. If Tennessee loses this game, it still controls its destiny to Atlanta. If it wins, it doesn’t necessarily mean a title is imminent just because the Vols beat an AP Top 5 team for the first time since 2005.

Balance.

Arkansas vs. BYU — Barry Odom has a job to save

There were high expectations for Odom entering 2022, and understandably so. He returned Bumper Pool and Jalen Catalon while adding the promising Alabama transfer Drew Sanders. There was hope that for the 3rd consecutive year on Sam Pittman’s staff, Odom would lead an improved unit that could perhaps be the backbone of a New Year’s 6 Bowl team. That’s a distant memory after a 1-3 start to SEC play because through 6 games, Arkansas is:

  • A) Without Jalen Catalon for 2022
  • B) No. 108 in scoring defense
  • C) No. 127 in passing defense
  • D) Last in Power 5 in 30-yard pass plays allowed (18)
  • E) All the above

It’s “E.” It’s always “E.”

That’s a problem for Odom, who has been given several raises and extensions to stay at Arkansas. But like we saw with Todd Grantham and the way Dan Mullen’s loyalty proved costly at Florida, there’s a chance that Pittman’s loyalty to Odom will be questioned if a disappointing finish to Year 3 keeps him around for Year 4. Consider that all the more reason why Odom is in need of turning around Arkansas and its dreadful pass defense beginning this weekend in Provo against BYU.

LSU vs. Florida — In Year 1, Brian Kelly and Billy Napier find themselves in extremely similar spots

I got roasted in the offseason for suggesting that LSU and Florida would both go 7-5 with a roller coaster Year 1. Well, I’d argue that both teams are on track for doing just that, albeit with different strengths and weaknesses. Both lack depth and with 2 losses heading into mid-October, we can safely say that neither will be representing their respective divisions in Atlanta. So who has been more impressive? Is it a Florida team who has the Utah win but has looked extremely vulnerable since then? Or is it the LSU team who has the MSU win but just got waxed 40-13 at home by the Tennessee team that Florida hung around against?

It really doesn’t matter for now. What does matter is that both of these coaches continue to develop their quarterbacks, recruit at a top-7 level nationally and show that they can handle the spotlight. That was always going to be the checklist for these Year 1 coaches. As easy as it is to overreact to Year 1 records, history suggests that’s vastly overrated. Bragging rights are always up for grabs with LSU and Florida, but if you’re viewing this game as some future barometer for success, I’d argue you’re overlooking that Kelly and Napier are currently at extremely similar points with a myriad of future decisions that’ll determine their respective destinies.

Mississippi State vs. Kentucky —  7 consecutive home wins in this rivalry has to end … right?

From 2015-21, MSU and Kentucky didn’t have a single road team win this matchup. Whether it was Dan Mullen, Joe Moorhead or Mike Leach, the Bulldogs had 3 different coaches lose in Lexington in that stretch. Go figure that the last time a road team won this matchup, it was when MSU was the No. 1 team in the country. That was also the only time in the 21st century that MSU posted a winning record in SEC play. This year’s squad, which is 5-1 overall having outscored each of the 5 teams it beat by at least 3 scores, is in position to join that club. Of course, MSU has to get over the hump in a game like this in which it enters as a 6.5-point favorite.

We don’t officially know Will Levis’ status, other than he told Jordan Rodgers before the South Carolina game that he’d be back the following Saturday. Without Levis, Kentucky wouldn’t have a chance. With Levis, Kentucky should still be an underdog. MSU has been the better, more disciplined team on both sides of the ball. Both have special teams issues galore, which is partially responsible for this not being a battle of top-15 teams. If Levis is back, Kentucky is plenty capable of turning things around after suffering consecutive losses, but given how dialed in MSU’s offense looks now — Leach is even running it 30-plus times a game! — we could finally see that road losing streak come to an end in this rivalry.