Rivalry Week is here, and with it, the curious Southern tradition of embracing the bonds of family and friends while breaking bread on Thanksgiving only to put aside family allegiances for the allure of tribal flags on rivalry weekend.

It’s the greatest weekend during the best regular season in sports.

Of course, like your crazy uncle talking politics at Thanksgiving supper, the effects of last weekend’s Chaos Saturday will linger around the SEC a long while.

Florida shook the SEC foundation first, bullying No. 9 Ole Miss in a 24-17 win that gave Billy Napier 2 more wins over ranked opponents than the No. 3 Texas Longhorns have all season. In September, Napier’s future at Florida felt like fait accompli. Now, with budding superstar DJ Lagway at quarterback and an improving defense chock full of underclassmen, the Gators’ impressive November feels more like a prelude than a postlude.

Texas did get its best win of the season by crushing Florida, though playing and beating the Gators without Lagway is a bit like winning a EA Sports NCAA Football game on “Freshman” level difficulty. The Gators are 4-0 in games Lagway has started and finished and yes, this week’s “List” reflects that reality.

The Gators’ win was just the beginning.

Oklahoma had 1 SEC win entering Saturday night’s game against No. 7 Alabama.

Naturally, then, they dominated the Crimson Tide on both lines of scrimmage and put the game to bed when a decoy wideout for the Tide missed a block making Jalen Milroe look awful on a game-sealing pick-6. Milroe finished the evening with rumors swirling about concussion protocol; Alabama’s Playoff hopes ended the night on life support. If Milroe can’t go in the Iron Bowl, things may go from disappointing to devastating on the Capstone.

Mike Elko told the media the other upset would happen.

Sure, his “We are completely focused on Texas” remark was a Freudian slip.

But despite Hugh Freeze and Auburn’s best efforts at blowing yet another huge lead (Auburn led 21-0!), the Aggies fell in 4 overtimes on The Plains. Would Texas A&M have traded a crude oil field for the opportunity to battle Texas for a spot in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta on the final weekend of the season? Absolutely. And maybe, to borrow from Daniel Plainview, A&M just needed their men well rested to bring in this well. But drinking Auburn’s milkshake would have widened the Aggies’ margin for Playoff error.

It was a week of Chaos on “The List,” too.

There isn’t be a change at the top before Rivalry Week, but there are 4 new faces in the Top 10. That’s a record this late in the season, and proof of how parity in the SEC means parity in “The List,” too. As always, we begin each week with Honorable Mentions, limited to 2 per school.

Special shout out and “List” thoughts and prayers this week to Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson, who has spent the entire year either in “the List” or in honorable mentions. Lawson suffered a serious injury against Oklahoma and will not suit up again this season. Get well soon, Deontae.

Last week’s “List” is here, for those at home who care and who know they could rank the best 10 players in America’s best conference without any arguable omissions. Trust us, it’s easy!

Alabama: Deontae Lawson, LB; Jihaad Campbell, LB. Arkansas: Landon Jackson, DL; Andrew Armstrong, WR. Auburn: Jalen McLeod, DL; Jerrin Thompson, S. Florida: Caleb Banks, DT; Jeremy Crawshaw, P. Georgia: Jared Wilson, OL; Malaki Starks, S. Kentucky: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB; Maxwell Hairston, DB. LSU: Will Campbell, OT; Aaron Anderson, WR. Mississippi State: Isaac Smith, S. Missouri: Corey Flagg Jr., LB; Luther Burden III, WR. Oklahoma: R Mason Thomas, DL; Kip Lewis, LB. Ole Miss: Walter Nolen, DT; Princely Umanmielen, Edge. South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers, QB; Kyle Kennard, Edge. Tennessee: Cooper Mays, C; Jermod McCoy, DB. Texas: Andrew Mukuba, DB; Kelvin Banks Jr., OT. Texas A&M: Ar’maj Reed-Adams, OL; Nic Scourton, Edge. Vanderbilt: CJ Taylor, S; Diego Pavia, QB.

10. DJ Lagway, QB (Florida)

The Gators are 4-0 in games Lagway has started and finished, including 2 consecutive wins over ranked opponents. Lagway made immense throws under pressure from the vaunted Ole Miss front, including this strike to Elijhah Badger with Jared Ivey draped all over him on Florida’s opening touchdown drive.

“Credit DJ. He made big play after big play. He made throws under pressure that no other SEC quarterback has been able to make against us. He’s a poised kid. A special player,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said after the game.

A week after thoroughly outplaying Garrett Nussmeier, Lagway outplayed Jaxson Dart to help Florida reach bowl eligibility. Lagway leads the SEC in average depth of target (11.8) and ranks 2nd in yards per attempt (10.9). The freshman star and the Gators get 2-9 rival Florida State on Saturday. The game will be Lagway’s first start on the road. With a win, he’ll become the first Florida true freshman quarterback to win 5 times as a starter in school history. What a start to his Florida career for the 2023 Gatorade Prep Player of the Year.

9. Jarquez Hunter, RB (Auburn)

Hunter went berserk in Auburn’s upset of No. 15 Texas A&M, picking up 153 total yards and scoring 3 touchdowns in a much-needed win. It was a perfect Senior Night for a player who is climbing the Auburn record books each week.

The Tigers head to the Iron Bowl with a puncher’s chance thanks largely to Hunter, who ranks 2nd in the SEC in rushing with 1,145 yards while averaging almost a full yard per carry more than the SEC’s rushing leader, Dylan Sampson. With 155 yards receiving, Hunter joins Sampson as one of 2 SEC running backs to gain over 1,300 yards from scrimmage in 2024.

8. James Pearce Jr., Edge (Tennessee)

The SEC leader in quarterback pressures (49) added 2 sacks to his tally in Tennessee’s rout of UTEP on Saturday. Pearce is the unquestioned best football player on a defense we don’t talk about enough: The Volunteers rank 4th in SP+ defense, 5th in success rate defense, and 6th in total defense entering their rivalry week tilt against Vanderbilt. Pearce’s 8 sacks rank 6th in the SEC, but he leads the nation in pressure rate — meaning when Pearce rushes the passer, he gets home more often than any player in America.

7. Anthony Hill Jr., LB (Texas)

The young Texas linebacker earned SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors along with Florida’s Bryce Thornton after an 11-tackle performance against Kentucky that included 4 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Hill Jr. has been a production machine for a Texas defense that ranks 2nd in the FBS in total defense (247.5 ypg), passing yards allowed (143.5 ypg), passing efficiency defense (93.51), passes intercepted (17) and first down defense (162), while ranking 3rd in scoring defense. On the season, Hill Jr. has 79 tackles and 7.5 sacks, both of which rank top 10 in the SEC.

6. Jalon Walker, LB (Georgia)

The Butkus Award finalist heads into Georgia’s Clean Old Fashioned Hate matchup with Georgia Tech with 49 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and a pass deflection, all respectable numbers. But like so many Kirby Smart All-Americans before him, Walker’s influence is felt most schematically. The Dawgs move Walker all around the field, forcing offenses to account for him on every snap. Teams bring “Max” protection concepts against Georgia on 18.4% of snaps, per Stats Solutions, the highest grade in the SEC. Much of that has to do with the ability of Walker to change how coordinators must approach Georgia’s front 7. This is the best player on one of the nation’s best defense.

5. Jaxson Dart, QB (Ole Miss)

The Ole Miss senior generated 394 yards in defeat Saturday at Florida, leading the Rebels in rushing yards (71) and throwing for 323 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dart remains the SEC’s leader in passing yards, yards per attempt and touchdowns, and he trails only Florida’s 2 starters, Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway, in completion percentage (Mertz) and average depth of target (Lagway) among conference quarterbacks. Dart’s 2 4th-quarter interceptions are what will be remembered from this game, but he still left The Swamp the highest-rated quarterback in the country in passing efficiency and PFF grade — a testament to just how good he’s been in his final year in Oxford.

4. Armand Membou, OT (Missouri)

The SEC’s best offensive linemen, per PFF, Membou paved the way for 475 yards in Mizzou’s 39-20 win over Mississippi State.

Membou grades out as the SEC’s best run blocking tackle and is 2nd as a pass blocker, behind only Texas All-American and Honorable Mention “Listee” Kelvin Banks Jr. He’s the lone SEC tackle who has played over 250 snaps this season without allowing a sack.

3. Jahdae Barron, CB (Texas)

Barron surrendered 1 reception on 3 targets in Texas’ 31-14 win over Kentucky on Saturday.

Barron enters the Texas A&M game with just a 9.5% missed tackle rate as well, best among SEC corners. Barron and the Texas defense rank 2nd in SP+ defense, 3rd in success rate defense and 2nd in pass efficiency defense, behind only fellow Playoff contender Notre Dame.

2. Nick Emmanwori, S (South Carolina)

The Thorpe Award frontrunner is tied with Barron for the SEC lead in interceptions (4) and has taken a nation-leading 2 to the house. That number would be 3 but for a phantom call against LSU earlier this season. Emmanwori’s 76 tackles also rank in the top 10 in the SEC. The Gamecocks’ captain will lead the nation’s most improved defense into Saturday’s game at Death Valley. If the Gamecocks prevail, a Playoff berth is a realistic possibility.

1. Dylan Sampson, RB (Tennessee)

Has Sampson put “The List” title to bed? No. Did he do any harm in a cupcake week against UTEP? Also no. Sampson ran for 77 yards and a touchdown and caught 2 passes for 25 yards before exiting the game for some well-earned rest ahead of this weekend’s tilt with Vanderbilt.

Sampson is the SEC’s leading rusher by 162 yards and his 22 rushing touchdowns rank 3rd in college football, behind Boise State Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty and Army star Bryson Daily. A sensational season that should end on college football’s grandest stage.