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Overrated and Underrated: Week 8
We’ve played seven weeks of college football, which means we have figured out quite a bit about who is the real deal and who are the pretenders. As teams approach and pass the halfway point on their schedule, we’ve got a much better idea where everyone stands than we did a few weeks ago, but at this point of the year, we still have to adjust our expectations from time to time. Here’s a look at what teams, players and things are overrated and underrated around the SEC.
OVERRATED
KYLE FIELD — Don’t get us wrong, the place is a sparkling palace loaded with tradition, and there might not be a better place in the country to watch a game. But as a homefield advantage for the Aggies, it has been overrated. Texas A&M is now 1-6 at Kyle Field against ranked teams under Kevin Sumlin, the lone win being against Mississippi State this season. Texas A&M fans are getting antsy for a big win at home, and as amazing as Kyle Field is as a venue, it hasn’t been intimidating in the least to the likes of LSU or Alabama.
YOUNG QUARTERBACKS — It’s oh so exciting to land a blue chip quarterback prospect, but it’s easy to forget they aren’t all Johnny Manziels who can step in and win a Heisman Trophy in their debut season. Young QBs such as Missouri freshman Drew Lock, Texas A&M sophomore Kyle Allen and freshman Kyler Murray will probably go on to long, successful careers, but they have suffered some growing pains lately. Saturday showed us there is no substitute for a seasoned veteran taking snaps such as Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott or Memphis’ Paxton Lynch.
HEISMAN CAMPAIGNS — Leonard Fournette is really, really good, but didn’t we all know in the back of our mind it was far too early to hand him the Heisman Trophy after the first few weeks? He certainly hasn’t lost it at this point, but living in a world that requires day-to-day analysis of the race has us jumping the gun on picking a winner every year. It certainly wasn’t fair to hand the Heisman to Fournette when Derrick Henry was mounting a pretty darn impressive resume for himself. Who knows what other players might emerge in the coming weeks? Guessing the winner is fun, but let’s stop acting like it’s decided a few weeks in.
UNDERRATED
MISSISSIPPI STATE — The Bulldogs may not win the SEC West or be in the playoff picture the way they were a year ago, but Mississippi State could still be a factor in the division race. The Bulldogs sit at 5-2 and 1-2 in the SEC with games against Kentucky and Missouri coming up. Wins in those games could leave them 3-2 in the SEC heading into a matchup with Alabama. Suddenly that’s a big game for both teams. With Prescott at quarterback, you can’t count the Bulldogs out.
MISSOURI’S DEFENSE — It’s a down year at Mizzou, and the offensive struggles have dominated the conversation, but the fact is the Tigers haven’t been blown out because their defense keeps them in every game. Kentrell Brothers is an absolute tackling machine and could be on the way to an All-American season. The Tigers haven’t given up more than 21 points all season and have split a pair of 9-6 contests. If Missouri is going to have any success this year, it’s going to be by stopping the other team, not outscoring it.
DERRICK HENRY — It’s actually fairly amazing that Henry’s accomplishments haven’t gotten a more national acclaim. He’s scored a touchdown every week and could go over 1,000 yards this weekend. There are factors at play. Nick Chubb got the preseason hype and Fournette earned plenty of attention early on. Henry also isn’t a big talker or self-promoter, but his play has certainly done the talking for him.