SEC desperation rankings: Well, that escalated quickly
Week 5 might not bring the marquee, blockbuster SEC matchups that we’re used to, but there’s still plenty on the line. Some teams are feeling really good about where they’re at, and other teams … not so much. So we ranked the 10 teams playing this weekend in order of how desperate they are heading into Saturday, and provided a scale so you can get a sense of their level of desperation.
From most to least desperate, here are the official Week 5 SEC Desperation Rankings:
1. South Carolina
Desperation level: Trying to reconnect with a high school crush on Facebook.
Nobody is feeling the pressure more than Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks on Saturday. Muschamp’s hot seat seems to be getting hotter each week and the holes he’s punching in locker walls are probably only getting bigger. South Carolina is already 1-3, and a loss to Kentucky to bring them to 1-4 would just about put a wrap on the Gamecocks’ season.
2. Texas A&M
Desperation level: Betting on preseason football games.
In theory, the Aggies shouldn’t have to worry too much about beating Arkansas on Saturday.. but if they did lose that game, it would send the A&M fan base to previously thought to be unreachable levels of despair. With how the Aggies’ schedule works out, just making it to a bowl game might become a challenge. If you drop one against the worst team in the SEC West, it’ll be a long offseason for Jimbo Fisher and his beloved buyout.
3. Kentucky
Desperation level: Buying a Corvette in you mid-50s.
Kentucky football really needs some good news. They’ve lost 2 very winnable games in a row and took a week of bad press just because Kash Daniel might have tried to rip off a Florida quarterback’s ankle. Now they face another easily winnable game against South Carolina. If Kentucky doesn’t win this one, … well, basketball starts soon.
4. Vanderbilt
Desperation level: Minor League baseball promotions.
Vandy gave up a lot of points against LSU, and that might be the understatement of the year. The rest of the SEC slate looks to be pretty rough on the Commodores, so a win against Northern Illinois could provide a rare moment to celebrate in 2019. If that doesn’t happen, well, good luck.
5. Auburn
Desperation level: Eating the new KFC fried donut sandwich.
Auburn is setting itself up to be every bit the contender that Alabama, Georgia and LSU are, but a loss to Mississippi State could upend all that. You would think that Auburn would be well aware of that and be way more confident than desperate, but this is Auburn after all. Weird things happen.
6. Arkansas
Desperation level: Starting a podcast.
Trying to beat A&M is a hard task, and you can’t realistically expect the Razorbacks to pull it off. On the flip side, if not now, when? Chad Morris has to be in a panic mode after how this season has started, and A&M could be a winnable game if the Hogs play their best. Still, you can’t expect much.
7. Mississippi State
Desperation level: Getting really into Fortnite in your 30s.
Joe Moorhead and Co. have to feel pretty good about where they’re at, and no matter what happens against Auburn, that probably won’t change. Sure, it would be nice to get a signature win and knock off a division rival. But are they desperate? Nah.
8. Alabama
Desperation level: Visiting your old high school.
If you think Alabama gets nervous about regular season SEC games anymore, you haven’t been watching. You know the script, Tua will throw at least 2 50-yard touchdowns in the 1st quarter to his receiving corps that is more worried about rock, paper, scissors than beating the Ole Miss secondary. By the 3rd quarter he’ll be on the bench and it’ll all be chill. Alabama is anything but desperate.
9. Florida
Desperation level: Going to a Jimmy Buffett concert.
Florida has plenty of time to be desperate later in the year, but for now the Gators can play a stress-free game of football on Saturday and gear up for a massive one vs. Auburn next Saturday. Besides, how can you ever be desperate with the #TraskHive leading your team.
10. Ole Miss
Desperation level: Absolutely none.
Only one team should be desperate for a win against Alabama this year, and they’re in Athens. Ole Miss can lose by 70 on Saturday and no one would blame them. It’s not the worst spot to be in. Sure, the Rebs and this coaching staff still have plenty of questions to answer this season, but none of them involve Alabama
I’m not sure that Texas A&M fans should be desperate. They’ve been mildly disappointing, but they’ve lost to two great teams. They’re fine.
If they lose this one, they won’t feel so fine. I expect them to win though. Just about everybody does.
With LSU, Bama and UGA still on the schedule, I’d say the desperation level is ratcheting up. They really needed a win or two against the meat of this schedule to validate Fisher’s $75M, but the team hasn’t looked good in the first two big games. Sitting on two losses already and staring down the barrel at 3 more top-5 teams has got to be unsettling. After all the money spent, recruiting wins, and fan anticipation, a Sumlinesque 7-5 regular season is very possible. Going 8-4 would now be a significant achievement.
That’s if they beat the teams before they get to UGA, LSU, and Alabama.
I don’t think the money is a huge part of the equation. It’s a very large school with die-hard supporters, so the salary is what it is.
I would like to see the passing game get over the hump, though, because that’s the only real issue with the team. When Mond’s not overthrowing wide open receivers, the receivers are dropping the ball. When you can’t throw and catch the ball effectively, it’s easy for opposing teams to load up the box against the run.
We’ve seen that unit play well, so I still expect things will fall into place, but we’re getting into the meat of the season and haven’t yet seen the team put together a full game yet.
I don’t know that Aggies really rank high on a “desperation” scale at this point, but there’s definitely a bit of anxiety.
The premise just seems foreign to me. To rank A&M that high on this scale “if they lose” to a team they are favored to win against by three touchdowns feels premature. Play the game and then make your judgement.
Yeah, we are in the second year with a new coach so while we may have been excited about the results last year we still understand he had a lot of work to do to change the physicality and overall roster to better fit his style. If we are at this point next year or the following and still can’t compete consistently then the desperation level may go up, but currently we would be much lower on this list.
I don’t understand this thinking from Aggie fans. You’re in the second year and brushing off the poor results because it’s only the second year and acting like $75 million is nothing. Dan Mullen got half that much money and took a 4 win team that was fat, weak, and out of shape and getting manhandled by group of 5 and FCS teams, and completely changed their entire mentality and physicality in his first offseason and is 14-3 so far. Thats the type of results or even better, that you should be expecting out of a coach that’s getting a guaranteed $75 million. Coaches getting that kind’ve money shouldn’t need 3 4 or 5 years to turn things around.
In all sincerity, Joe Marks, I don’t see Clemson or Auburn on your team’s list of Mullen’s wins either, although I do see Auburn, LSU, and Georgia looming in the not-too-distant future. If you’d like to brag about Mullen after those games, I’ll be all ears.
Joe Marks – Mullins plays in the SEC E. Its not that we lost, because it was to #1 and #7. At least not yet.
Dan Mullen $6+ million/year (= half of 7.5 million?). I live among these Gator fans. It’s not always easy.
I guess he is talking this week only although he projects out on some teams. Worthless article. On me I should have known.
I’ve seen similar worthless “what if” stuff from this guy.
“Now they [Kentucky] face another easily winnable game against South Carolina.”
They might indeed win, but it will not be “easily”.
Look for multiple personal fouls, ejections — maybe including coaches.
Nothing but ugliness from the stands.
Muschamp will have doubled his highway-patrol bodyguards, I would think.
I would think SC and Kentucky are about in the same boat. Neither fanbase will take the loss well. A loss pretty much ends SC’s season before the halfway point. Their fans on this site had pretty high hopes before the season started. Lose here, and their chances of going to a bowl game are pretty much over. Kentucky is only a little better off because they do have Louisville instead of Clemson, but this loss would be painful.
Kentucky should beat South Carolina. Who else in college football could have a quarterback that went 15 for 41 passing and be assured he would start the following week?
They ran 70 plays against Mississippi State, and 42 were passed. Complete 15 of them. Doesn’t that equal just about zero (0) yards for 27 plays?
I know Benny ain’t around any more but weren’t we told how Smoke, Rodriquez and the other back were more than capable of taking up the slack?
With Arkansas, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt left on the schedule, they’ll be fone.
Raises all around!
They should definitely increase Stoop’s buyout by another 5-10 million.
Except for Tennessee of course.
They could be 1-11 and the 1 would be a win over Kentucky.
Did someone get paid to write this?
Lighten up, Frances. It’s supposed to be a light piece, not War and Peace. I know different folks have their funny bones in different places but if you don’t find this stuff amusing anymore, maybe you should cruise on over to TeamSpeedKills.com.
“Lighten up, Frances” dang, I think you’re as old as me. Not sure these youngsters will get that. A great line
At Tennessee, It could be worse . It could be raining.
Oh, yeah. I’m old enough for that one.
Touch me, and i’ll Kill ya
HA!!
I experienced this exact thing at work two weeks ago. I jokingly said “Lighten up, Frances” to a co worker and basically everyone in the room just stared at me. (all younger than 35.)
Even when I said, “Stripes?” I got blank stares…. SMH . ha
That makes me sad
Mmmmmm…that heap bad, Kemo Sabe.
I thought tax-paying Americans weren’t allowed to make Fortnite jokes anymore.
There’s definitely a lot of pressure for Auburn to win this one. I don’t think I would call it desperation, but it’s the type of game Gus has struggled with in the past. If he wants to prove he’s “New and Improved”, he needs to lay the wood to Miss State.
… and, CHECK.
Interested to see just how good y’all are.
Slamming the Bulldogs was a great start but you have one of the nastiest schedules in the country from this point.
“You would think that Auburn would be well aware of that and be way more confident than desperate, but this is Auburn after all. Weird things happen.”
Truer words Mr. Barber. Truer words.
No OnE iS mOrE dEsPeRaTe tHan DaNcInG MuLLeT aNd ThE cRaCkHeAd tURdS.
ThEy kEEp fAllInG beHiND UGa iN reCruiTInG eVeRy SinGLe DaY.
LOoK UGa jUsT siGnEd aNoThR 5 sTaR.
MuLLeT gOt a 3 sTaR iNsTeAd.
TuRdS tO rEsUmE tHeIr LoSinG wAyS nExT wEEk.
LOsE tO 3 TiGeRs, lOsE tO SAKerLIna, LoSe tO BiG bAd DAWgs.
DeSpErAtIon iN tHe tRaIlEr pArK.
Corch- How long did this take to type?
Hint: Time stands still when you pop the pills he pops.
Another ransom note from the class clown
Joe Marks, you’re absolutely correct
Mizzou fans are desperate for the team not to follow a bye with an L.
Just remember that Mizzou wasn’t invited into the SEC for any athletic merit or prestige. They were invited SOLELY to penetrate & capture the Kansas City & St. Louis TV markets….
it was all about increasing the SEC’s TV ratings which dictates the dollar amount of the SEC’s TV contracts with CBS & ESPN. It was all about the all mighty dollar.
REPLY
A misfit from Day 1
The fact that they are playing the top 4 teams in the nation in one year is no excuse not to beat at least 2 of those 4 given a) Jimbos salary and b) Jimbos buyout. It’s not looking good for College Station if they can’t manage even 1 of those.