One undefeated team, many questions.

That describes the Southeastern Conference season after eight weeks.

LSU is unbeaten, but they have two big tests ahead. There is a coaching vacancy, there is a Heisman candidate and there are surprises and disappointments throughout the league.

We’re not sure what will happen going forward, but here are a few things we have learned so far:

END ZONE OFF LIMITS

Saturday is Halloween, but it seems to have been a spooky time all year in Columbia, Mo.

Perhaps the Missouri offense thinks the end zone is haunted or if it gets there someone in a hockey mask will be waiting with a chainsaw. Whatever the reason, we have to feel for the Tigers defense.

Missouri has held its opposition to 10 or fewer points five times this season. In those games, Mizzou is 3-2. The Tigers were able to beat Southeast Missouri and South Carolina handily and escaped UConn.

But a 9-6 loss to Georgia and a 10-3 defeat to Vanderbilt has taught us one thing — if a team scores a touchdown and kicks a field goal, they are in good shape against Mizzou.

SOUTH CAROLINA FACING A DIFFERENT COMPETITION

The Gamecocks face tough competition week in and week out in the SEC. Not only do they face the teams in the East, but South Carolina had to face LSU and now go to Texas A&M. Hey, they even have to play No. 3 Clemson to end the season.

It is after that rivalry game, a new competition begins.

South Carolina has to replace Steve Spurrier who either resigned, retired or just decided to play the back nine for as long as he wants. When the Head Ball Coach hung up his visor, the brass in Columbia started its list of candidates and probably thought it could just pick and choose a new coach.

Maybe. Probably not.

Now the other USC (Southern California) is looking for a coach, as is Miami (Fla.). In addition, there are now openings in the Big Ten at Illinois and Maryland. Even UCF has a vacancy in the recruiting heaven of Orlando.

Some names around the SEC that have popped up in regards to the Gamecocks’ gig include Kirby Smart, John Chavis and Mario Cristobal. There have been rumblings Mark Stoops might not be averse to leaving Kentucky as its head coach.

Here is the challenge for South Carolina: it must show its vacancy is more attractive than the others. Southern Cal has a lot of holes, but there are players on the West Coast. Illinois and Maryland might be closer to making it to a conference title than South Carolina. Miami and UCF are gorgeous places to live.

We will learn how well athletic director Ray Tanner can sell his program.

WE NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT THIS GUY

Everybody knows Leonard Fournette. Nick Chubb is still discussed despite being out with an injury. Derrick Henry at Alabama, Peyton Barber at Auburn and Alex Collins from Arkansas get mentioned as elite backs.

But what about Jalen Hurd from Tennessee?

The sophomore ran for 92 yards against Alabama. He averages 94.9 per game and has scored eight touchdowns.

Hurd’s lowest rush total this year was against Western Carolina of all teams. But, he only had 11 carries in that game. He has 664 yards this season with a game-high of 123 yards against Bowling Green and 109 yards against Oklahoma.

This guy is pretty good.

THIS KID HAS A HEAD ON HIS SHOULDERS

Auburn lost to Arkansas last week in four overtimes. If the Tigers receivers had held onto the ball early in the game, it probably would not have gone into extra periods.

But freshman quarterback Sean White did not say what most Auburn fans believe: if the receivers had caught the ball, Toomer’s Corner is the site of the Saturday night party.

Instead, this kid took the high road and did not throw his teammates under the bus.

“They made a lot of great plays, too,” White said of his receivers to AuburnTigers.com after the loss. “It’s part of the game. I’m sure I made some bad throws. It was a team thing.”

As the offense prepared to take the field as time was winding down, even the Auburn kicker (who nailed the game-tying field goal with four seconds left) showed his confidence in the redshirt freshman.

“With no timeouts, we knew we needed a field goal. (Kicker) Daniel Carlson told me, ‘Just get me close, I’ll make the field goal.'”

Auburn, you’re in good shape in the future with this young man.