The first quarters of most SEC teams’ seasons are in the books. The grade books, that is. Time to hand out grades for the week that was, and then honor a few top students for the best work in offense, defense and special teams — as well as calling out those who might need to head to detention in the same areas.

SEC WEST GRADES

Mississippi State: A

Life after Dak was pretty tough in 2016, but those tough losses that piled up for State are turning into big wins this year. Beating the No. 12 team in the country is impressive. Outgaining LSU by 195 yards, dominating time of possession, and winning by 30? Well, that’s the kind of thing that moves you to the head of the class.

Alabama: B

They are human. Even in the midst of dominating another opponent, Alabama had stretches where its focus seemed to waver. It’s a reminder that whoever the other team on the field is, the Tide’s main opponent is themselves. The guess here is that Nick Saban keeps them winning that matchup.

Auburn: C

This was an almost unbearably sloppy performance by a very talented Auburn team that is playing like it has no interest in winning meaningful football games. Yes, 510 yards of total offense was an improvement over the Clemson game, but turning the ball over five times is a precedent they don’t need to follow.

Texas A&M: C-

After a couple of the most nondescript halves of football imaginable, the Aggies woke up in the second half against Louisiana to post a solid 45-21 win. Maybe the second half A&M team is the real one; if so, they’ll make this season interesting. But maybe the one that trailed a Sun Belt team by a touchdown at halftime is the real one. We shall see.

Ole Miss: C-

Some day, in 10 years, people will look back on Shea Patterson’s college career and wonder how his teams were so bad. It’s not Shea’s fault. He’s all he should be. But defense is very much optional in Oxford, and a running game is a rumor (1.8 yards per carry Saturday night). It’s going to make for the most entertaining 5-7 season you can imagine.

LSU: D+

Two weeks in, this season looked so promising. The West is down — other than Alabama, and apparently Mississippi State. The Ed Orgeron Era was going so smoothly that reasonable people wondered what the football world thought could ever go wrong. This is what could go wrong. A young team looked rudderless. The new offense looked a lot like the old offense, at least in terms of production. Those 5-star recruits on defense got gashed again and again by a 2-star quarterback. This was a big step back — the good news is the West is still pretty open for improvement.

Arkansas: Incomplete

The Razorbacks had the week off. This makes two weeks in a row that they didn’t play a football game.

SEC EAST GRADES

Vanderbilt: A-

Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Why not the Commodores? They don’t do anything pretty, but they line up, play defense, and coax out just enough offense to win. That was the blueprint for their 14-7 win over Kansas State. The KSU Wildcats can roll up offense in a hurry, although you wouldn’t have known it by this game. Vandy’s lack of big-play offense will hurt if it ever falls behind in a game — but so far, the strategy of not falling behind is working pretty well.

Kentucky: A-

A road win as a near-touchdown underdog was a big step for Kentucky. On the downside, the Wildcats opened the game by giving up a 68-yard touchdown, throwing an interception on their second offensive play, and losing a fumble in the first quarter. The good news? Those errors aside, Kentucky played like survivors — tough on defense, opportunistic on offense, not the kind of team anybody wants to play against.

Georgia: B+

With every game they play, the Bulldogs subtly post signs that they might be who we thought they were. The Samford game finally brought the ground-hammering most of us expected, with UGA winning the rushing battle 284-22. Can the Bulldogs maintain focus against good competition? The jury is still out on that one.

Florida: C+

If you ever wondered why the East has fallen — what happened to the proud traditions of the top programs in the division — I hope you watched this game. Once upon a time, the Tennessee/Florida game was the SEC’s gold standard in high-level rivalries. You tuned in and watched future pros make big plays. Now? Now you get three quarters of a 6-3 game and a fourth quarter with each team shooting itself in the foot, then handing the other team the gun. The Gators won, but still have major problems.

South Carolina: C-

For the fourth year in a row, South Carolina lost to Kentucky. Will Muschamp and company can paint that any way they want, but until they can hold their own with Kentucky, the Gamecocks aren’t going to be a player in the East race. Woefully bad kicking, untimely penalties and a penchant for shooting themselves in the foot took the wind out of Carolina’s sails.

Tennessee: D

John Kelly was a beast. He’s been stuck behind a bunch of underperforming backs in Knoxville, but UT will turn him loose this year, and while he’s not always a highlight-reel guy, he is a playmaker. The bad news is that there aren’t many others. And if I’m running offense against Butch Jones, after UGA last year and this game, how am I not taking a few shots at a vertical play? It’s like a human being coaching in a video game. Want to beat UT late? THROW IT DEEP.

Missouri: F

Everybody has a bad day. But even on a bad day, on their home field, the Missouri Tigers should not lose 35-3 against a Purdue team that was 9-39 in the last four years and was playing its third game under new coach Jeff Brohm. The Tigers were bad in all phases of the game, and may be playing in front of a couple hundred people in Columbia by November. This team is an embarrassment.

Hall passes

OFFENSE
Mississippi State: Putting up 465 yards is a good day. Doing it to LSU? Well, that’s hall pass material right there. Gaining 5.9 yards per carry on the ground was especially impressive.

Georgia: It was a fairly dull day offensively in the SEC. Give the Bulldogs credit for 459 yards, including 5.3 yards per carry and 175 passing yards on just 15 attempts.

DEFENSE
Vanderbilt: Jesse Ertz and the No. 18 team in the country came to Vandy and were held to 277 yards and seven points. K-State hit some plays in the run game (201 yards, 5.7 yards per carry), but Vandy held it to 4 for 16 on third down.

Kentucky: South Carolina ended up with 358 yards, but most were of the dink-and-dunk variety. Carolina was 3 for 12 on third down, and the UK defense had two crucial fourth-and-short stops. Not easy to do on the road.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kentucky: A perfect 3-for-3 on field goals for Austin MacGinnis, plus keeping Carolina from breaking any big plays were key parts of UK’s 10-point victory.

Florida: A good day for both kickers and a key kickoff return for Tyrie Cleveland all paved the way for Feliepe’s miracle.

Detention

OFFENSE
Missouri: Fired their defensive coordinator, then watched the offense put up 203 yards and a field goal. At home. Against Purdue.

Auburn: A week after getting embarrassed by Clemson, Auburn did gain 510 yards. They also turned the ball over five times, scored 24 points against an FCS team, and were still in a competitive game in the fourth quarter.

DEFENSE
Tennessee: The Vols had their moments, holding Florida to under 400 yards and forcing three turnovers. But you can’t turn Tyrie Cleveland loose for the game-winning touchdown. You just CAN’T do that!

Ole Miss: Cal has been a bit offensively challenged this season, but they rolled up 399 yards and made every big play down the stretch. Part of that goes on the opposing defense.

SPECIAL TEAMS
South Carolina: Going 0-for-3 on field goals did nothing to help Carolina. When Kentucky kicked away from Deebo Samuel, USC’s special teams suddenly didn’t look so special.

Tennessee: Three big missed field goals kept Florida in a game it had no business winning.