Despite a smaller-than-usual slate of SEC games, Week 6 did not disappoint. There was another classic showdown in front of a national audience and plenty of action to go around.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all aspects of the weekend were perfect.
Here’s who disappointed us the most in Week 6.
SEC contingency plans: The biggest off-field story involved how the SEC would react to Hurricane Matthew’s trajectory. The impending storm was a major threat to much of the southern East Coast and caused a change in two scheduled games. Nobody is faulting the conference for placing the well-being of those communities above football games, but the timetable of the decisions and secondary plans leave a lot to be desired.
South Carolina and Georgia moved their game to Sunday and avoided any major issues in scheduling, but the schools and conference lingered on a decision and announced the plans much later than the expected time. Florida and LSU have yet to find a solution to their game, which could have major division implications, and there appears to be more talk than action at this point.
Arkansas professor: Arkansas’ Saturday night showdown with Alabama was a big game for the Razorbacks. It’s understandable then that some fans were frustrated when the Crimson Tide jumped out to a 35-17 lead before halftime. Those feelings continued to build throughout the 49-30 loss and led one fan to yell obscenities at Arkansas coach Bret Bielema as he left the field.
Later it was revealed that the fan was an associate professor at the school named Lawton Nalley. He was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct and removed from the stadium. Football is a passionate game, and some fans wear their emotions on their sleeve, but screaming obscenities at a coach in front of kids isn’t cool. Especially if you’re a professor.
Tennessee’s turnovers: The much-anticipated matchup between undefeated Tennessee and undefeated Texas A&M certainly lived up to the hype. The Vols mounted another incredible comeback and took the Aggies into overtime despite numerous injuries and a 14-point deficit with under four minutes remaining in the game.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment for Tennessee fans were the seven turnovers committed by the Vols. That Butch Jones’ team was even able to take that game into overtime despite turning the ball over so often is an accomplishment in and of itself. Tennessee was on the brink of making yet another big statement on national television, but turnovers prevented that from happening.
Jacob Eason: There haven’t been many growing pains for the true freshman quarterback, but Eason had more than a few against South Carolina. On a blustery day in Columbia, the Georgia quarterback completed only 5 of his 17 pass attempts for a meager 29 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Fortunately for Eason, the Bulldogs’ running backs more than picked up the slack in the 28-14 win.
In his team’s heartbreaking loss to Tennessee, Eason tossed a perfect go-ahead pass that was destined to go down in Georgia lore. The following week, he struggled to find any of his targets and looked uncomfortable in the pocket. Such is the life of a true freshman quarterback in the SEC.
