The state of every SEC fan base entering Week 8
Last week brought a reckoning to the SEC with Georgia’s shocking loss, Joe Burrow’s masterful performance and whatever it was Vanderbilt was doing.
Week 8’s lineup is short any marquee headliners but brings plenty of trap games and opportunities for teams to shock the nation. Unless you’re Tennessee. Let’s check in with all the SEC fan bases and see how they’re feeling heading into Week 8.
Alabama
The Tide are the No. 1 team in the country, yet somehow still feel underrated and underappreciated. That probably won’t change when they play Tennessee this weekend, but just the fact that Bama can intimidate the SEC into giving them a night game is enough of win to be happy and move on.
Arkansas
The Razorbacks lost narrowly last week to Kentucky in the Hard to Watch Bowl: Presented by Charles Barkley’s Golf Swing. So now the best chance to get an SEC win is most likely behind them and there’s nothing else to do but enjoy the ride. At least it should be over soon.
Auburn
After a bye week to sit in the corner and think about what they did against Florida, the Tigers now have a huge opportunity to redeem themselves and get right back in the thick of the Playoff discussion. It just won’t be this week against Arkansas. It’ll be 2 weeks from now vs. LSU. For this week the goal is to not get injured, get Bo Nix’s confidence back up, and hope whatever Arkansas is dealing with isn’t contagious.
Florida
For about 50 minutes last week, Kyle Trask and the Gators’ offense were fighting shot for shot with LSU. At the end of the day, it was a quality loss and you know the Playoff committee loves those. Plus it’s a lot more than what Georgia can say. …
Georgia
No amount of money the Georgia athletic department can spend can fight off the Atlanta sports curse. It gets the best of us, even Rodrigo Blankenship. But the good news is there’s still hope. The bad news though, is Kirby Smart will still be making late-game decisions.
Kentucky
What’s the sound of one man beating an SEC team by himself? Just watch Lynn Bowden’s performance against Arkansas last week and you’ll know. Unfortunately, you can’t play Arkansas every week. Even more unfortunately, you play Georgia this week. Let’s hope Bowden has 300 more yards in him.
LSU
Any doubt about the Tigers have to be erased after the big win against Florida last week. Joe Burrow, the running back and receiving corps, and the big men up front combined to give a masterful performance against one of the best defenses in the country. Just don’t ask about LSU’s defense.
Mississippi State
There’s nothing like building momentum for one of your biggest games of the year by … losing to Tennessee by double digits … after a bye. Ouch. At least a national television audience will get to watch this offense maybe get past midfield a few times.
Missouri
Don’t look now, but this is starting to feel like one of those sneaky Mizzou wins the East type years, right? Everything seems to be going wrong (injuries, the NCAA, etc.) yet the Tigers keep winning and the 2 other top teams in the East just lost. As long as Wyoming doesn’t make it to Atlanta, Mizzou seems to be in pretty good shape.
Ole Miss
Sure, losing isn’t great. But watching John Rhys Plumlee shock opposing defenses with his speed almost makes up for it. Hopefully one day they’ll teach him to pass. Or they can keep playing Matt Corral and continue to be mediocre to bad forever. Who knows what will happen.
South Carolina
The one thing we can safely predict about Will Muschamp football teams is that they are very unpredictable. And Carolina fans got to see the good kind of unpredictable last Saturday. I mean not even Cocky would have been bold enough to predict the Gamecocks could go into Athens and beat UGA with a 3rd-stringer. But it happened and now you get the chance to do it again this week. One piece of advice: Don’t expect anything.
Texas A&M
Nobody in college football is better at knowing they’re completely outmatched but making the game look somewhat respectable than Jimbo Fisher. So in that respect, it was another masterful performance last week. This week the Aggies hope to be on the other end of it vs. Ole Miss, and if they can pull it off, the dream of a trip to the Independence Bowl is still within grasp.
Tennessee
Who’s laughing now? If you don’t count the Florida and Georgia games, Tennessee has won its past 2 games by a total of 65-10. Vols are back, baby! Now it’s time to take a big sip of coffee and see who Tennessee plays this weekend … oh, no.
Vanderbilt
When you really think about it, football is a pretty dumb sport. I mean what a waste of time. Not even worth looking up to see how Vandy did last week. Trust us, don’t do it.
There are a lot of ouches in there.
Definitely one of the better of this series. “The dream of a trip to the Independence Bowl is still within grasp” made me laugh.
yeah that was good
Winning the SEC East is winning the East. It’s all done in front of millions of people and a great many cameras. Nothing “sneaky” about it.
What’s “snarky” is another question here.
No I disagree, it was pretty sneaky how we scheduled OURkansas and they scheduled Aubie. I think we really snuk one by the ole snooker table there, if we get blown up by UGA and still win the EAST the crying in th e peach state will be mammoth.
The principal parts of the verb “to sneak” are
sneak, sneaked, sneaked
“As long as Wyoming doesn’t make it to atlanta”… har har har
maybe Wyoming should be the honorary East champ.
That was actually a really good column. Witty and funny. Keep it up and yes Mizzou just keeps on winning but GA, UF and Mizzou have a little round robin tourney coming up so it will play out.
Round robin statement may be premature. MU always finds a way to Munson things up when they have momentum.
Mizzou will go into the last regular season game just needing a win over lowly Arky and…..
poof
“GA, UF and Mizzou have a little round robin tourney”
exactly (what I said yesterday) see:
Missouri football: 5 things I want to see at Vanderbilt
We needed Ga to drop a game somewhere, like last weeks UScar fiasco, now we can back into Atlanta w/ a loss to you or UGA, based on our week schedule. The cocktale party looms large either way.
Our weak, week schedule.
UCF was SEC West/Conference Champ/National Champ for beating Auburn who beat Alabama a couple of years ago; therefore, Wyoming is East champ if Mizzou wins.
And the SEC will accept that as fact, as they did then of course, because they NOW can’t seem to let a loss go either. Hypocrisy is a dish best served cold.
You still talking about food?
HungerstrikeU…
Arrkkk, I’m hungry father duma$$, feed me, aarrkkk!
Missouri fans still referring to the SEC as “they” just shows even you don’t believe you belong.
I’m NOT the team. Loyal fan.
I don’t understand your point. I’m talking about fans.
Not on.
Exactly what I was thinking. And then he says that he’s not the team. As long as they continue to have that attitude they will never bring home National Championships. That’s why it means more in the south.
Not on the team is what I initially meant and corrected once pointed out. I don’t believe championships are won by fan projection like you two, but whatever. Sounds like the pronoun discussion has made it’s way into Southern football circles.
Captain, I paid for room, tuition, meals, etc. when I was a student at UGA and now I pay for tickets, parking, etc.
My money helps the football program, and that’s why I say “we”.
Frankly, I can’t imagine saying “they” about my beloved Bulldogs.
Then don’t. It’s no skin off my back.
It has nothing to do with being on the team. Lots of Missouri fans have a complex when it comes to the SEC. That’s why they say they.
I welcome the unwelcome mat in the SEC, and glad to be in the SEC to enjoy upsetting some overhyped apple carts here.
“Not belonging” in the SEC is actually very flattering, in more ways than one.
Why doesn’t the media and the league office know this, you’ve told them every day since 2011. It’s tough to feel more insignificant every day for 8 years ( but imagine what it’s like to only have bt ‘s tiny pen cil ).
Alabama beat UGA, who smacked Auburn in the SECCG, so that wipes out that point immediately.
Nothing like a picture of a ScAr chick holding up a big Cock sign. Gatorbait.
Whining Mizzou fans. Funny stuff, the Wyoming thing is fair, you guys should be undefeated. Miles above where we are currently.
I quite obviously can’t speak for the rest of my school’s fans, but I had a good laugh at the Wyoming joke.
you can say we or they, we all know. the ones that have problem police the site constantly.