Just like during every other week of college football, half of the teams that played on Saturday won and the other half lost. But unlike every other week, many of the teams that lost during Week 8 don’t deserve to be on the Not list. In fact, an argument could even be made that they should make it onto the Hot list.

How is that possible? Simple. Even some teams that lost played very strong games. Tennessee held Alabama to just 19 points, and showed some good things on offense in the face of the vaunted Crimson Tide defense. Auburn’s offense confirmed that it had come back to life against Arkansas, pushing the game into overtime after overtime.

As a result, this week’s Hot and Not list were hard to narrow down. Winners and losers were not the only deciding factor. Find out below who made each list:

THE HOT LIST

  • Arkansas’s offense, especially Brandon Allen. The Razorbacks victory over the Auburn Tigers was one of the most hard-fought games of the season so far. Arkansas QB Brandon Allen drove his team down the field with confidence. While Alex Collins led the effort on the ground, Allen again proved that he’s capable of giving Arkansas a solid passing game, throwing for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
  • Mississippi State’s offense, especially Dak Prescott. The Bulldogs gained 586 offensive yards against the Wildcats, and their quarterback alone accounted for 348 passing yards and 117 rushing yards. In fact, Prescott was the heart of the offense, credited with all six of Mississippi State’s touchdowns against Kentucky. He threw for three and rushed for three in a Heisman-worthy performance.
  • Ole Miss’ defense. The Landsharks achieved the redemption they needed after the ugly Memphis loss, and regained much of their confidence on Saturday against Texas A&M. The Rebels defense held the Aggies to 134 passing yards and only 58 rushing yards. Containing Kyle Allen was a mission accomplished. Not only was he sacked twice, hurried six times, and intercepted once. Allen also completed less than 50 percent of his attempts and was held to 88 yards.

THE NOT LIST

  • Alabama’s offensive line. The Crimson Tide looked like they took a step backwards this weekend, especially offensively. Alabama QB Jake Coker was pressured throughout the game as the offensive line struggled to keep Tennessee at bay. He was sacked five times, threw one interception, and narrowly escaped more on some bad passes.
  • Kentucky’s quarterback play. Where did the Wildcats’ high-powered offense go? Right through the hands of their quarterbacks. Patrick Towles struggled to connect with his receivers, but did connect twice with the wrong team. Then Drew Barker came in and had a better completion percentage than Towles, but also threw a pick. Kentucky’s Air Raid offense is entirely dependent on a reliable quarterback who can consistently get it done with his arm. If the Wildcats continue to not have that crucial piece to the puzzle, what will become of their offense?
  • And of course, Missouri. It feels kind of like the Tigers have made advanced reservations for a spot on this list every week, because they never come off of it even when we actively search for someone to replace them. There is just no one worthy (or terrible) enough to take this spot from them. Vanderbilt certainly made clear this Saturday that it doesn’t belong here over Missouri. The Commodores did that by simply scoring a touchdown, something the Tigers have not been able to do in three consecutive games. To quote a well-known meme, “They s’pposed to be SEC?”