Fan base heartburn is beginning to permeate the league, especially in the East where more than one first-year coach is piling up the losses. Meanwhile some new contributors on defense join some old stalwarts.

Speaking of the East, while one tandem is struggling to bust out of a slump at Georgia, another at Florida is rounding into form.

Here is this week’s overrated, underrated and properly rated:

Overrated

Butch Jones’ handle on the program: Jalen Hurd became the 12th player from the 2014 signing class to leave the program, which raised plenty of questions about the state of the Tennessee program. While Jones might still have his pulse on the internal state of the program, and aims to calm a fan base, there are lingering questions about his rabbit ears given his admitted charting of media storylines.

Georgia’s running game: When Nick Chubb struggles to this degree, his health is quickly called into question. Kirby Smart calmed fears, but how is the Bulldogs’ rushing attack, expected to be among the best in the league, eighth? No one could have figured that Kentucky, Mississippi State and Missouri would all average more yards per game this late in the season. On top of that, Georgia is in a five-way tie for the least amount of rushing TDs (11) in the league. Chubb has just 60 yards rushing in the past two games, and Sony Michel has just 30.

Underrated

Adrian Middleton: Middleton might not even be the second most well-known player on the Kentucky defensive line, but his key stop on a Missouri 3rd-and-1 to force a punt was a game-changer in the Wildcats’ win. He had four tackles overall, but the larger point for Kentucky’s future is the sophomore has started the past seven games.

Jamarcus King: While Chris Lammons garners more attention in the Gamecocks’ secondary, King made a splash against Tennessee with two interceptions. They each turned the momentum in South Carolina’s favor, or snuffed any Tennessee comeback hopes. He’s now tied with Lammons for the team lead in picks with three.

Properly rated

Kamryn Pettway: The SEC’s leading rusher has come a long way from down the depth chart and now leads the SEC in rushing. He has six TDs in the past three games where he also picked up 597 yards. What’s more, he has 933 rushing yards in just six games, and averages 6.3 yards per carry. Pettway is the first Auburn running back to have 150 or more yards in three consecutive regular season games since Carnell “Cadillac” Williams did it in 2003.

Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson: While the debate rages about who’s the better Florida cornerback, their performance Saturday in bottling up the Georgia offense helped the pass rush get to Jacob Eason. Tabor is tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions, while Wilson has three, and Tabor even added a sack Saturday. The fact that they don’t have many defensive statistics simply speaks to opponents staying away from them. But make no mistake, they’re the No. 1 and 1A reasons Florida leads the league in pass defense.