I’m gonna be honest with y’all. The Week 8 slate in the SEC is the worst that we’ve had yet.

That’s partially the byproduct of having 5 SEC teams on bye, and it’s partially the byproduct of certain teams not being at that elite level.

I mean, if there was ever a day in which you could pull off a little stroll out to the pumpkin patch with your significant other, early Saturday afternoon is it. That’s not to say I’m not totally fired up for Arkansas Pine Bluff-Arkansas as the lone noon game in the SEC. Any excuse to watch that Hog ground attack is a good one.

But let’s be real. There’s a certain appeal that’s lacking for this slate. And to be fair, we’ve had a wild start to SEC play. I’d argue that we just had 3 excellent slates heading into this one, so we/I shouldn’t complain.

Maybe, though, that means we’re setting ourselves up for chaos. Could Tennessee beat Alabama for the first time since the George Bush administration? Could LSU pull a rabbit out of its lost hat and stun Ole Miss in Oxford? Will Vandy … win an SEC football game?!

That’s why they play the games.

Let’s dig into that, um, “thin” Week 8 slate with some early impressions:

Arkansas Pine Bluff vs. Arkansas — Now would be a good time for that non-Treylon Burks receiver to emerge

Remember how we asked that question a ton when Mike Woods surprisingly transferred to Oklahoma after the spring game? Well, we’re still searching for an answer. Burks is incredible, but the rest of the Arkansas receiving room has been a disappointment. Burks has nearly 3 times as many catches and yards as the next-closest Arkansas pass-catcher, Tyson Morris, who is averaging 2 catches for 34 yards per game.

In the Hogs’ last real cupcake matchup of the year, Warren Thompson, De’Vion Warren or Trey Knox emerging would be a sight for sore eyes after 3 consecutive losses (Sam Pittman moved Knox to tight end earlier in the year to try and get more production out of the position). I wouldn’t expect to see a whole lot of KJ Jefferson designed runs in a matchup like this, which means he should be throwing out of the pocket a lot. Arkansas is still playing to get into a better-than-average bowl for the first time in 5 years, and Saturday would be an ideal time to finally establish that No. 2 pass-catcher.

LSU vs. Ole Miss — If he’s healthy, Matt Corral should feast on this decimated LSU secondary

I know that’s not really gonna be the storyline. It’s all about what LSU will look like after this Ed Orgeron news emerged, and whether Lane Kiffin would seriously think about bolting for Baton Rouge. But more noteworthy is how Corral looks against an LSU secondary that won’t have Derek Stingley Jr., Eli Ricks and Major Burns. Corral doesn’t make decisions like Emory Jones or Anthony Richardson, both of whom turned the ball over in inexplicable ways on Saturday in an upset loss to LSU.

Corral ran the ball a whopping 30 times on Saturday night at Tennessee, and he got his leg rolled up on late. I’d assume that Jeff Lebby and Kiffin would ideally like to have him attacking downfield as opposed to using his legs, especially if LSU is vulnerable on the back end. Corral is a much different quarterback than the one who had 5 interceptions against LSU in Death Valley last year.

That Arkansas game was a huge hurdle for Corral to clear after his 6-interception game in 2020. Don’t be surprised if LSU sparks a similar fire in the Heisman Trophy favorite.

MSU vs. Vanderbilt — Don’t sleep on the impact of what this means for Mike Leach

So in case you didn’t realize this, Mike Leach’s offense has yet to hit 30 points against a Power 5 team this year. MSU’s only game hitting that mark was the Louisiana Tech mess, which included a furious rally after falling behind 34-14 in the fourth quarter. Let’s also keep in mind that MSU is 3-3 with these remaining games:

  • at Vandy
  • vs. No. 15 Kentucky
  • at Arkansas
  • at No. 19 Auburn
  • vs. FCS Tennessee State
  • vs. No. 12 Ole Miss

Are we sure that MSU is winning 3 of those games and going to a bowl game? That’s really what Leach is fighting for because if you recall, contracts in the state of Mississippi cannot be longer than 4 years. That’s part of the reason Joe Moorhead was fired after Year 2. Leach’s contract only runs through 2023, which makes it unlikely he’d enter the 2022 season without an extension. This is all worth remembering because if MSU looks like it can’t separate itself from Vandy, things could get ugly for Leach in a hurry.

South Carolina vs. Texas A&M — This Zeb Noland thing is just wild

I compared it early in the year to Stetson Bennett IV’s 2020 moment for Georgia, so I suppose it’s only fitting that Noland’s story didn’t end when we thought it would. Credit Shane Beamer for putting Noland in when Luke Doty couldn’t get anything going on Saturday when South Carolina needed a 2-minute drive just to survive against Vandy. Also credit Beamer for again turning to the grad assistant to be his QB1 against A&M. Whether Doty’s re-injured foot truly impacted that decision, I’m not sure.

What does that mean for Noland? Well, he’ll face an A&M defensive line that might remind him of the one he saw at Georgia. DeMarvin Leal and the Aggies dominated that Alabama offensive line, which isn’t a world-beater, but it’s certainly better than the Gamecocks’ struggling group. Regardless of what happens, let’s process the fact that Noland is going to be getting his 4th start of the season. What was supposed to be a 1-2 week story is now a thing in Columbia. Just as we all predicted.

Tennessee vs. Alabama — That spread is … telling

The line is Alabama -27.5. Yeah. Trust me, Tide fans. I’m fully aware of your team having won this matchup 14 consecutive years, the past 5 of which were all by at least 22 points. Nobody is denying how lopsided the rivalry is. I’m surprised there’s such a significant spread when we don’t know the status of Hendon Hooker, who left Saturday night’s thriller against Ole Miss with an apparent right leg injury. Is it possible that the oddsmakers are assuming it’ll be Joe Milton as the signal-caller? Otherwise, +27.5 feels like a ton of points to give a Tennessee team that has actually looked pretty respectable in SEC play so far.

And sure, it helped that Alabama stomped MSU in Starkville. Will Anderson played like an All-American, Bryce Young diced up everything Zach Arnett threw at him and the Tide rolled in a hostile atmosphere. But that spread still suggests that Tennessee won’t be at full strength. We know that in addition to Hooker’s late exit, Tiyon Evans was out on Saturday night, and top offensive lineman Cade Mays went down as well. It’s entirely possible that the oddsmakers are bracing for a banged up Tennessee team to struggle mightily against the Tide yet again.

The victory cigars will be ready to roll on Saturday night.