Thursday marked the first day of football in 2015, and the SEC played in three New Year’s Day games.

With a shocking day of games behind us, here’s what we did and didn’t like from the SEC’s outings on Thursday.

What we liked

  • Pinkel’s gutsy calls — Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel left it all on the sidelines against Minnesota on Thursday afternoon, gambling several times in the Tigers’ Citrus Bowl win. Early in the second quarter, backed up deep in their own territory, Pinkel called a risky fake punt that paid off. Later at the start of the second half, Pinkel reeled off a beautifully-executed onside kick to take possession. Pinkel’s aggressiveness in his play calls, combined with a stout Tigers run game, won the game for Mizzou.
  • Nick Marshall’s stellar outing — The senior quarterback was one of the few bight spots for Auburn in the Tigers’ 34-31 loss to Wisconsin. Marshall’s day was highlighted by several beautiful throws, including a 66-yard touchdown pass to Ricardo Louis that hit the junior wideout in stride. The senior finished 15-of-22 for 217 yards and two touchdowns to cap a fantastic two-year career.
  • Mauk guts it out — Fighting injury and a stomach virus, Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk produced another performance we’ve come to expect, fighting out a gutsy performance to lead the Tigers to win No. 11. He wasn’t sexy in doing so, but Mauk used an efficient second half to break the game open for Missouri and secure the win.

What we didn’t like

  • Gordon torches Auburn defense — In case you were wondering, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon is good. The Badgers’ Heisman finalist rushed for an Outback Bowl record 251 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries. He and battery mate Corey Clement combined for 400 yards against a porous Auburn defense. The junior embarrassed an Auburn defense that struggled most all season.
  • SEC West meltdown — LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State did their parts on New Year’s Eve. Auburn and Alabama added to the disappointment on New Year’s Day behind losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State. It’s a bitter end to the season for the nation’s best division, but a welcome sight for college football fans across the nation worn out by the SEC narrative. Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Alabama all gave up a combined 133 points in their bowl games, and for the first time since 2005, a SEC team will be left out of the national championship game.
  • Kiffin’s playcalling — Alabama did plenty of things to lose the game, but after a stellar season injecting life into the Crimson Tide offense, first-year coordinator Lane Kiffin was nothing short of disastrous in his job on Thursday night. Kiffin strayed from the run at crucial times in the game, presumably leaving tailback Derrick Henry itching for the ball in his hands. The night was summed up on a first down play after a 21-yard Ohio State punt in the second half, giving Alabama possession just outside the red zone. Kiffin called a bit of trickeration with quarterback Blake Sims looking for O.J. Howard. Ohio State intercepted Sims in a stunning turn of events.