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Who’s that coming down the track?
It isn’t a mean machine in red and black; Week 11 taught us that much.
The Lane Train, however, rolls on toward the College Football Playoff after dominating No. 3 Georgia 28-10 in Oxford on Saturday.
“The List” was rightly taken to task for suggesting after a dire Ole Miss start and Georgia’s opening touchdown that this would be the latest swing and a miss for Lane in a big game — making him an SEC version of James Franklin at Penn State.
https://twitter.com/nwblackmon/status/1855355117605683305
Not my finest hour, people.
Instead, Lane gave Ole Miss the win it needed to thrust itself back into the minds of the College Football Playoff committee and into the current incarnation of the 12-team field.
This week, Georgia is the first team out, which is a salty pill for a team with 2 of the best wins among those being considered: a dominant opening week win over No. 20 Clemson and a comfortable victory at No. 3 Texas.
Should 2-loss Georgia be in the field?
Of course it should.
The SEC is the best conference in the sport and unlike last year, when the Pac-12 and B1G had colorable arguments as the superior league, it isn’t particularly close this season.
Using ESPN’s FPI metric, the SEC has 4 of the nation’s top 5 teams and 5 of the top 10. Using the SP+ efficiency rankings, which account for efficiency based on strength of schedule, the 9th-place team in the SEC — South Carolina — has 3 wins over top 40 SP+ opposition and 2 of their losses came to Top 25 teams by a combined 5 points.
A team that most have written off as “overrated” —Missouri — has 2 losses to teams ranked in the top 15. The Tigers have won every other game and have a magnificent defense.
The SEC is deep, talented, and it has shown that on the grass.
Which makes this week’s College Football Playoff rankings a hot mess.
How are 4 of the top-5 seeded teams from the B1G when only 2 of them — Ohio State and Oregon — have anything resembling a signature win? Indiana is a great story, but the reality is that its best win came over a .500 Michigan team. Penn State has a nice win — at USC — but the Trojans being 5-4 doesn’t help the shine of that win linger much.
Is it boring to come to SDS and read about SEC greatness? Perhaps.
But this year, the data says the SEC is head and shoulders above the rest, regardless of what the Committee is currently thinking.
“The List” proves SEC greatness, too. It’s the most wide open, fluid list since SDS started ranking the best players in the SEC in 2020.
We have another new No. 1 this week—the 5th player to lead the list this season. The stretch run will be immense fun.
As always, Honorable Mentions are first, limited to 2 per school.
One note: Tre Harris, having now missed 3 games, leaves the top 10 for now. For years, we have not listed players injured for more than 2 weeks. Hopefully he gets healthy as the Rebels chase the Playoff down the stretch. I’m sure he’ll return once he’s back.
Alabama: Deontae Lawson, LB; Jalen Milroe, QB. Arkansas: Patrick Kutas, OL; Andrew Armstrong, WR. Auburn: Jalen McLeod, DL; Jarquez Hunter, RB. Florida: Jake Slaughter, C; Jeremy Crawshaw, P. Georgia: Malaki Starks, S; CJ Allen, LB. Kentucky: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB, D’Eryk Jackson, LB. LSU: Will Campbell, OT; Whit Weeks, LB. Mississippi State: Isaac Smith, S. Missouri: Chris McLellan, DT; Armand Membou, OT. Oklahoma: Robert Spears-Jennings, S; Danny Stutsman, LB. Ole Miss: Tre Harris, WR; Jared Ivey, DE. South Carolina: Jalen Kilgore, DB; Kyle Kennard, Edge. Tennessee: Cooper Mays, C; James Pearce Jr., Edge. Texas: Andrew Mukuba, DB; Anthony Hill Jr., LB. Texas A&M: Shemar Stewart, DL; Le’Veon Moss, RB. Vanderbilt: CJ Taylor, S; Jesse Mirco, P.
10. Corey Flagg, LB (Missouri)
Missouri ranks 10th nationally in total defense and 19th in SP+ defense thanks in large part to the play of Flagg, the Miami transfer who has been marvelous all season. Flagg has 57 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and an interception. He also grades out as one of the top linebackers in the country, per PFF. Flagg was all over the field for Mizzou in Saturday night’s win over Oklahoma, collecting 14 tackles in the 30-23 rivalry win. Flagg will be one of multiple defenders on “The List” facing off this weekend when Missouri visits No. 21 South Carolina.
9. Raheim Sanders, RB (South Carolina)
Sanders tallied 178 yards of total offense and 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving) in South Carolina’s impressive 28-7 domination of Vanderbilt in Nashville. Rocket appears to finally have regained the explosive burst he had prior to the rash of injuries that limited his production in 2023 at Arkansas.
https://twitter.com/GamecockFB/status/1855402438385356870
Sanders ranks 4th in the SEC in rushing this season with 696 yards, and he’s added 208 yards as a pass catching option. With 11 touchdowns, Sanders needs just 2 more scores to eclipse the 12 touchdowns he scored in his 1,500+ total offense season in 2022. A great comeback story pushing for All-SEC honors down the stretch.
8. Diego Pavia, QB (Vanderbilt)
A tumble for Pavia after the Commodores mustered just 1 touchdown drive against South Carolina. Pavia’s limited ability to stretch the field haunted the Commodores, as the senior quarterback averaged a season-low 5.4 yards per attempt in defeat. Pavia did run for a team high 65 yards and a touchdown, and he remains 1 of 2 SEC quarterbacks who leads his team in passing and rushing (Jalen Milroe). Will Miles, a football writer and tactician who runs the great site Read and Reaction, has a stat called “yards above replacement” that still points to Pavia’s immense value: Pavia is an above-average passer, with a .57 yards above replacement average. But his 4.0 yards per rush is elite for a quarterback, and it’s his versatility that has Vanderbilt bowl eligible and pushing for a 7- or 8-win season with 2 games against ranked foes remaining down the stretch.
7. Jermod McCoy, CB (Tennessee)
McCoy had 7 tackles in Tennessee’s 33-14 rout of Miss State on Saturday, but it’s his continued dominance in coverage that puts him in the top 10 as the Vols head down the stretch. McCoy’s coverage grade of 84.1 is the highest on a Tennessee defense that ranks 15th nationally against the pass and 6th overall in success rate defense. McCoy ranks 3rd among SEC defensive backs in completion percentage against in 1-on-1 situations (47%) and he’s surrendered just 2 explosive pass plays (20 yards or more) all season. That number matches his interception total of 2. McCoy also leads the Volunteers with 6 pass breakups, an impressive number considering teams are beginning to ignore McCoy (40% fewer targets against over the past 4 games). He anchors a terrific defense.
6. Kelvin Banks, OT (Texas)
Banks pass blocking grade of 92.5 is the best in college football this season, per PFF. He did not allow a pressure in Saturday’s 49-17 blowout win over Florida. Banks and the offensive line held an outstanding Florida pass rush at bay Saturday, allowing senior quarterback Quinn Ewers to have his best game of the season, throwing for 333 yards and 5 touchdowns. On the season, Banks has allowed just 3 pressures (2 against Georgia) and committed 1 holding penalty — the fewest among left tackles in the SEC. An All-American campaign that should end in the College Football Playoff.
5. Jihaad Campbell, LB (Alabama)
Campbell jumps into the Top 5 after a monstrous rivalry game performance on Saturday night in Baton Rouge. Campbell collected 12 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss and a sack in the Crimson Tide’s 42-13 decimation of LSU.
https://twitter.com/ChaseGoodbread/status/1856722062766944624
Over the past 2 games, Campbell has 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Alabama has won those games by the combined score of 76-13. That’s elite.
4. Jaxson Dart, QB (Ole Miss)
The numbers say Dart has been the best quarterback in the SEC this season and after generating 249 total yards and 2 touchdowns in Ole Miss’ win over Georgia, the gap between Dart and Diego Pavia, the 2nd-best by the numbers, continues to grow. In league play, Dart is averaging 10.6 yards per attempt (best in the SEC) with a miniscule interception rate of 1.12%, 2nd-best in the SEC. Dart’s average depth of target of 11.9 is the best in college football, among eligible quarterbacks, which may explain why Dart grades out as the nation’s No. 2 quarterback this season, per PFF, behind only West Point cadet Bryson Daily.
3. Princely Umanmielen, Edge (Ole Miss)
Umanmielen’s rise to stardom shouldn’t surprise anyone. Whatever gruff he got from Florida fans last year ignored the reality of the data, which showed Umanmielen ranking top 5 in the SEC in pressures in 2023, and being vastly improved as an edge setter against the run. Now playing for a good football team and avoiding the double teams he faced consistently with the Gators, Umanmielen is turning in an All-American senior season, making a great deal of money in the process.
https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1856122198932463859
Umanmielen registered 2 sacks in the Rebels’ win over Georgia, upping his season total to 9.5 sacks, good for 2nd in the SEC. Umanmielen also ranks top 5 in the SEC in quarterback pressures, hurries and hits — the only player in the league ranked inside the top 5 in all 4 categories.
2. Dylan Sampson, RB (Tennessee)
Sampson’s staying power at the top of The List is a testament to the junior’s consistency. Sampson added to his SEC rushing lead in Saturday’s 33-14 win over Miss State, bulldozing his way to 149 yards to push his season total over 1,000 yards. Sampson also added another touchdown, pushing his Tennessee modern-era record to 20 with multiple games still remaining. Sampson ranks 3rd in the SEC in rushing success rate and his 5.2 yards per carry against Top 25 opponents ranks 2nd in the SEC, behind only Florida’s Montrell Johnson Jr. A complete back who saves his best for the big moments.
1. Nick Emmanwori, S (South Carolina)
The nation’s most improved team and defense are led by the nation’s best safety. Emmanwori’s coverage grade is the best among safeties in America, per PFF. He also has 60 tackles this season, 4 interceptions (should be 5, but the refs robbed him of one vs. LSU) and 7 pass breakups.
Quite simply… safeties at 6-3 and 227 pounds shouldn’t be able to change direction as smoothly as South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori (#7).
Stud athlete… leads the Gamecocks with 52 total tackles, 4 interceptions, and 6 PBUs. pic.twitter.com/JAFP8hjOCe
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) November 8, 2024
His closing speed and technique will help him hear his name called early in the NFL Draft next spring. For now, he’s the leader of a defense that ranks 15th in SP+ efficiency, 11th in success rate defense, and 12th in total defense. That is a nearly 80-spot improvement from a season ago, when the Gamecocks ranked 90th in total defense and 88th in success rate. With games against offensively challenged Mizzou and FCS Wofford still on tap, Emmanwori and the Gamecocks may improve on those numbers. That should give the Gamecocks captain an opportunity to join Nakobe Dean on the ledger of defenders who finished atop “The List.”
Neil Blackmon covers Florida football and the SEC for SaturdayDownSouth.com. An attorney, he is also a member of the Football and Basketball Writers Associations of America. He also coaches basketball.
