Around the SEC: Rebels defeat Arkansas, Aggies take down No. 1 Alabama
OXFORD, Miss. — To quote Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles, “What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-goin’ on here?”
Alabama loses to a team with a second-string quarterback that couldn’t beat Mississippi State? LSU gets drilled by Kentucky? Tennessee is suddenly really good?
Just another day in the Southeastern Conference.
TEXAS A&M 41, NO. 1 ALABAMA 38
So much for that “no former assistant can beat Nick Saban” thing. After losing to Mississippi State and Arkansas, Texas A&M put together its best game in the Jimbo Fisher-era to knock the Tide from atop the polls.
The Crimson Tide dominated the stat sheet, but not the scoreboard.
What will happen to the college football world now that it knows the giant can be slain?
NO. 2 GEORGIA 34, NO. 18 AUBURN 10
After losing to Iowa, Penn State’s narrow win over Auburn at home does not look as impressive as it once did. Georgia, whom some believe was the best team in the nation before Alabama’s loss, looks impressive even with the regal-sounding, second-string quarterback Stetson Bennett IV at the helm of the offense. UGA should get all of the first-place votes in this week’s poll.
So Auburn and Alabama lost to division teams on the same day? At least Troy and UAB won.
NO. 17 OLE MISS 52, NO. 13 ARKANSAS 51
Lane Kiffin has shown he is not afraid to go for it on fourth down. Sam Pittman showed he is not afraid to go for a two-point conversion with the game on the line. What ensued was a tennis match on steriods. One team would take control, then the other would break serve.
The teams combined for about 46 miles of total offense and NO ONE wants to play either of them the rest of the way.
NO. 16 KENTUCKY 42, LSU 21
Is Kentucky that good, or is LSU that bad? It is probably a bit of both. Kentucky is a legitimate threat to Georgia, while the Bayou Bengals are not a threat to Tulane this year. I admit I was wrong when I wrote a few weeks ago that UK coach Mark Stoops had done all he could in Lexington. What happens to the SEC if the Cats can upset UGA?
The only question being asked more is how long does LSU hold onto the memory of a national championship two years ago and decided to part ways with Ed Orgeron?
NO. 20 FLORIDA 42, VANDERBILT 0
On an unpredictable Saturday, this one stuck to the script. The Gators did what they should have done, scoring 42 points in three quarters and Vandy did too, putting up a goose egg. The Commodores likely will not win a conference game and UF will probably lose at least one more.
Hey, at least Florida’s throwback uniforms looked cool. The Gators should keep them.
TENNESSEE 45, SOUTH CAROLINA 20
Josh Heupel has his Volunteers playing well in year one. South Carolina’s Shane Beamer is still in year one. It would appear Tennessee has found its quarterback as Hendon Hooker threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns. With the Ole Miss defense tackling leaving something to be desired, this sets up a scoring contest next week in Knoxville.
MISSOURI 45, NORTH TEXAS 35
Mizzou was the only SEC team to step out of conference and they almost stepped into a pile against North Texas. The Tigers were outscored 21-17 in the fourth quarter, but had built enough of a lead to survive. As much as Tennessee and Arkansas have been a pleasant surprise for the conference, Missouri is on the other end of the spectrum.
But at least they look good compared to LSU.
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
