It’s November already, which means the big games are coming and we’ll soon be crowning division champions and figuring out where each team will be spending their holidays. It also means we actually have a good idea which teams and players are legit, and which may have fooled us in the early weeks of the season. Here’s a look at the people, places and things that are overrated and underrated this week in the SEC.
OVERRATED
Bye Weeks — Sure, the coaches love them because of the extra time to prepare, but think of the fans. Last weekend hardly seemed like an SEC Saturday with both Alabama and LSU taking the day off. We get to see them both on the same field this week, which is nice, but maybe the advantage of an extra week to prepare is overblown. It hasn’t helped Bama’s opponents recently.
Anyone’s Demise — At one point this year, there was talk that Alabama’s days as a top program were over. There’s talk of doomsday at Georgia, Auburn, Missouri and elsewhere, but there are so many good players and coaches in the SEC, so they can’t all win every week. There’s a good chance those programs bounce back.
The First Playoff Rankings — Let’s try not to react too strongly one way or another when the rankings are released. Too many things are going to happen in the coming weeks for these to matter that much. The top four teams in the first poll could very well be the ones to make the playoff, but it won’t be because of the first poll. It will be because they kept winning.
UNDERRATED
The Coaching Carousel — South Carolina may be the only SEC job open right now, but it doesn’t mean the opening doesn’t have a big impact on the conference. For instance, consider Alabama as assistants Mario Cristobal and Kirby Smart are both being mentioned for ACC jobs. That has an impact on recruiting, and it would be a big blow to the Tide going forward if they lost two top assistants.
The American Athletic Conference — Just ask Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Strength of schedule, both computer-generated and perceived, will be a big factor in picking four teams for the playoff. Let’s hope that top-tier AAC teams are treated like Power 5 conference opponents for that purpose because Memphis, Houston and Temple have shown they are darn good teams that could compete in conferences such as the ACC and Big Ten.
LSU — Alabama could render this moot, but doesn’t it seem strange that an SEC West team has cruised to an undefeated record at this point, has the Heisman frontrunner and a coach with titles on his resume, and yet it’s only ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll? The Tigers have an opportunity to erase any doubt on Saturday.
