The SEC laid claim to an ugly slate of games in Week 8, as four of five SEC showdowns were decided by 29 points or more (the lone exception was Georgia’s 13-point win over Arkansas, but the Bulldogs led that game by 32 points at halftime).

Here’s what we learned about every SEC West team following an unusual weekend of college football in the South.

RELATED: Updated AP Poll | Coaches’ Poll

Alabama Crimson Tide

Week 8 result: Defeated Texas A&M 59-0
What we learned: Alabama made the biggest statement of the weekend with a convincing 59-0 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. The Tide and coach Nick Saban had taken some heat for only beating Arkansas by one point last week, and Saban’s comments on that heat were talked about all week leading up to the game against A&M. ‘Bama used the game against the Aggies as an opportunity to justify its top 10 ranking, dominating in every phase of the game to knock Texas A&M out of the top 25. It’s safe to say we all learned never to question Saban and the Tide until they’re officially out of the playoff picture.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Week 8 result: Lost to Georgia 45-32
What we learned: The Razorbacks taught us that, although they are victims of the difficult SEC West, they’re not as much of a hidden gem as we thought a few weeks ago. Entering Saturday’s action, most thought Arkansas was an 8-9 win team stuck in the nation’s best division, but Arkansas showed it is not quite that good in the loss to the Bulldogs. The Arkansas loss was the first loss by an SEC West team to any team from outside the West, and while the Razorbacks are still good, they’ll take on much more realistic expectations the remainder of the season.

Auburn Tigers

Week 8 result: Bye week
What we learned: Auburn was off this week, so it’s tough to say we learned anything about the Tigers. LSU’s 38-point win over Kentucky certainly makes Auburn looked like a strong contender, as Auburn dismantled LSU 41-7 just a few weeks ago. However, Auburn was a top 10 team then and it is a top 10 team now, so until it takes the field next Saturday we won’t learn much new information about this Tigers team.

LSU Tigers

Week 8 results: Defeated Kentucky 41-3
What we learned: LSU showed us it’s beginning to figure itself out in 2014 following a 38-point win over a one-loss Kentucky team. LSU overwhelmed Kentucky all game, and its defense looked as dominant as it has all season in the win. The Tigers struggled to find their identity early in the season after losing so much talent from its 2013 squad, but it appears to have found that identity in the form of a fast defense and a powerful downhill rushing attack that takes pressure off quarterback Anthony Jennings. The Bayou Bengals are back in the top 25 this week, and they taught us all never to give up on a Les Miles-coached team with half a season left to play.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Week 8 results: Bye week
What we learned: Mississippi State enjoyed a weekend off in Week 8, yet maintained the No. 1 ranking in America even after No. 2 Florida State handed a top 5 Notre Dame team its first loss of the season. Based on those circumstances, we learned Mississippi State is safe atop the rankings, as FSU won’t have another chance at a quality win until the ACC Championship Game. The Bulldogs appear to be a lock at No. 1 until they lose, if that even happens in 2014.

Ole Miss Rebels

Week 8 results: Defeated Tennessee 34-3
What we learned: Saturday’s win over Tennessee taught us that not only is the Ole Miss defense among the best in the nation, it’s also good enough to win SEC games all by itself. The Rebels beat the Vols by 31 points even on a night when Bo Wallace completed a mere 13 of 28 passes, and it controlled the game from start to finish to keep the Rebels’ unbeaten record in tact. Ole Miss still has tough games remaining against Auburn and Mississippi State, and it’ll need its No. 1 scoring defense to put forth strong showings if it hopes to win those games.

Texas A&M Aggies

Week 8 results: Defeated by Alabama 59-0
What we learned: Texas A&M taught us it has been the most overrated team in America this season following a 59-0 rout at the hands of Alabama. The Aggies were once ranked in the top 10 in the country, but they’ve yet to beat a team ranked in this week’s top 25, and have been blown out by three top 10 teams the last three weeks. Losing to highly ranked teams is bound to happen now and again, but for a former top 10 team to drop three straight in as ugly a manner as A&M did shows A&M never deserved to be in the top 10 in the first place. The Aggies are certainly good enough to beat 75 percent of FBS teams, but they’re also nowhere close to competing with the top 25 percent, as evidenced in recent weeks. A 59-point loss to a division foe is embarrassing enough, but to suffer the loss as a ranked team shows A&M has been misunderstood all season.