SEC Football: Takeaways for Each Team from Week 13

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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For any remaining doubters, week 13 was further proof that SEC football is an undoubtedly mediocre conference in 2016.

SEC football has Alabama. The Crimson Tide will likely make the College Football Playoff regardless of their SEC Championship performance. Every other team, however, is slightly above average at best. That isn’t meant to be a compliment, as slightly above average is nowhere near good.

Many SEC football fans will bank on bowl season to redeem the conference. No bowl record, however, can save SEC football from mediocrity. Mississippi State, Missouri and Vanderbilt all trumped teams that were thought to be Top 25 to begin the season. Now, no one knows who the second best team is in SEC football.

As we look at the SEC football rankings, we have to wonder how many teams will make the final top 25. Outside of Alabama and LSU, no team is guaranteed to remained ranked after bowl season.

Welcome to SEC football: 2016 edition.

SEC football is mediocre. The conference may win a national championship, but the conference is still going to look at 2016 as a disappointing year.

Nov 24, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Fans cheer during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M Aggies

LSU 54-Texas A&M 39

Texas A&M has fallen on hard times. The Aggies were ranked No. 4 at the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings, but then the calendar turned to November.

Mississippi ruined Texas A&M’s playoff hopes. The Aggies could have likely represented SEC football in the Sugar bowl. Instead, though, the Aggies will be in a mid-level bowl. Any hopes the Aggies had of being in a major bowl ended Thanksgiving night.

LSU’s Derrius Guice set a new school rushing record with 285 yards on 37 carries, though most of the work was done through the first three quarters. The last few rushes were clearly just meant to break the record, as he saw his average rush dip down.

Impact Moving Forward

-Further Loss of Momentum

Texas A&M had a shot of having a special 2016 season. The loss to LSU killed anything special about the season, as the Aggies lost their rivalry game. Kevin Sumlin’s job is still safe, but his seat is again hot entering the offseason.

It’s got to be a disappointing fall for Texas A&M, but anything could happen next year and Sumlin has earned at least that.

Nov 24, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice (5) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

LSU Tigers

Texas A&M 39-LSU 54

Derrius Guice absolutely embarassed Texas A&M’s rushing defense Thursday. Actually, though, the entire defense had to be embarassed after the performance.

LSU’s defense allowed 39 points, but most of those were allowed after the Tigers turned to prevent mode. Every facet of LSU’s game clicked, and it led to an absolute dismantling of Texas A&M.

Impact Moving Forward

-Yet to be determined

LSU may or may not be happy with the clinic they put on Thursday night. Ed Orgeron likely sealed the LSU job with the dominant offensive performance. If Orgeron has a successful career, LSU fans will look back at this game and smile. If he cannot, though, LSU will look back at that night with frustration.

Nov 25, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks tight end Austin Cantrell (44) is congratulated by wide receiver Drew Morgan (80) after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Arkansas Razorbacks

Missouri 28-Arkansas 24

Arkansas choked. There’s just no other way to put it. After leading Missouri 24-7 going into halftime, the Razorbacks gave up 21 unanswered points to lose their rivalry game. Arkansas losing this game was just another example of the mediocrity of SEC football in 2016.

We thought Arkansas was something special when they beat Ole Miss, but we realize now the Rebels are terrible. None of us predicted that the Razorbacks would fall to Missouri, though. SEC football fans love the line that ‘any team can beat you any Saturday,’ but it has become excessive in 2016.

Impact Moving Forward

-Huge momentum loss

Arkansas finishes with seven wins after starting the season 5-2. The Razorbacks weren’t expected to be great entering 2016, so losses to Alabama and Texas A&M were no big deal. Blowout losses to LSU and Auburn were tough to swallow, but the loss to Missouri is the most disappointing of the season.

Nov 25, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Lock (3) goes under center during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Missouri Tigers

Arkansas 24-Missouri 28

If anyone was still doubting: the Missouri tigers love Barry Odom. One of the new SEC football coaches looked like he’d have a short tenure, but Mizzouri has responded with victories over Vanderbilt and Arkansas.

Few around SEC football expected Missouri to walk away with one conference win this year. Even fewer thought the Tigers could manage two.

Impact Moving Forward

-Momentum gain

While it won’t be a huge boost, Saturday’s rivalry win will help Missouri. It sends the Tigers into the offseason with a rivalry win, and could help win a few key recruiting battles. A 4-8 season cannot be considered a success, but Missouri ended on the right foot.

Nov 26, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze walks onto the field during the second half of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi State won 55-20 Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss Rebels

Mississippi State 55-Ole Miss 20

Ole Miss football was embarrassed.

A team that started in the top 15 lost to an in-state rival with four wins.

It’s going to be a long offseason in Oxford, beginning with finding a new defensive coordinator.

Impact Moving Forward

-Four years undone

Hugh Freeze spent 4 years turning a dumpster fire program into a Sugar Bowl Champion. It has all been undone in just one year, and he has to look in the mirror to figure out why.

Nov 26, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Dezmond Harris (46) and quarterback Nick Fitzgerald (7) celebrate after the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi State won 55-20 Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Ole Miss 20-Mississippi State 55

The Bulldogs have Mississippi State ended their Egg Bowl drought, and absolutely embarrassed Ole Miss at home.

Nick Fitzgerald only completed 8 of 17 passes for 109 yards. Three of his completions went for touchdowns, though, as he played well all night. His real contributions came from his legs, however.

Fitzgerald carried the ball 14 times for 258 yards and two touchdowns. After accounting for 5 touchdowns in the Egg Bowl, maybe Mississippi State fans can give the young man some credit.

Impact Moving Forward

-No hot seat for Dan Mullen

Losing to teams like South Alabama and BYU can get you fired as an SEC football coach. But not when you beat your in-state rival by 35.

Dan Mullen has no worries entering the 2016 offseason.

Nov 26, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp stands on the sidelines during the third quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Clemson Tigers defeated South Carolina Gamecocks 56-7. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina Gamecocks

Clemson 56-South Carolina 7

Maybe Will Muschamp should have treated Thanksgiving more like a holiday. Earlier this week, Muschamp had this to say about the fourth Thursday in November: “Thanksgiving is meal, it’s not a day.”

Maybe his players were burned out. There’s a chance too much film study took place, and players were tuned out. More likely, though, is that players still spoiled themselves Thursday and couldn’t move come Saturday.

Most likely, however, is that Clemson is far more talented than South Carolina. And it showed in a major way.

Impact Moving Forward

-Loss of momentum

No one expected South Carolina to lose to Clemson. Then again, no one expected South Carolina to lose by 49.

Will Muschamp has already exceeded expectations by reaching a bowl in year one at South Carolina, but Saturday showed the team still has a long, long way to go.

Nov 26, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats kicker Austin McGinnis (99) reacts along side wide receiver Kynan Smith (42) after scoring the game winning field goal against the Louisville Cardinals during the second quarter at Papa John

Kentucky Wildcats

Louisville 38-Kentucky 41

Much like South Carolina, we didn’t expect much from the SEC football side of this rivalry. Kentucky won last week to secure a bowl, but saw their losing streak extend to 6 in this series.

Who is surprised? After all, Louisivlle has Lamar Jac…

Wait, what?

Kentucky won!?

Impact Moving Forward

-Huge momentum gain

No one expected Kentucky to shock the world and beat Louisville Saturday. Sure the Cardinals were exposed by Houston, but Kentucky wasn’t that good. Until they were.

Mark Stoops is completely off the hot seat now, and enters the 2016 offseason with tons of momentum.

Nov 26, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain reacts after the loss to the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Gators

Florida State 31-Florida 13

Austin Appleby continued the annual trend of showing Florida cannot win much without their starting quarterback. Florida still wins the SEC East and will meet Alabama in Atlanta, but no one is expecting much. Jim McElwain has taken advantage of a good situation in the SEC East, and should be commended for it.

His efforts against Florida State, however, must improve if Florida fans are going to continue supporting him.

Impact Moving Forward:

-None

Not many people expected a Florida win here. Although the two teams were similarly ranked, Florida State was the heavy favorite. A big part of that was Austin Appleby starting for Florida. Florida couldn’t score touchdowns and fell behind, but that is something many could have predicted.

Nov 26, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) is tripped up by Vanderbilt Commodores cornerback Tre Herndon (31) during the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt won 45-34. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Volunteers

Vanderbilt 45-Tennessee 34

Butch Jones managed to find his way back to the hot seat with this loss. After starting the year 5-0, expectations became unrealistic. Texas A&M and Alabama evened out those expectations, but what followed is unacceptable.

Tennessee failed to meet even the most minimum expectations this year. While the Volunteers finally beat Georgia and Florida, Butch Jones and Co also dropped games to South Carolina and Vanderbilt. After beating Florida and Georgia, it was SEC East or bust.

It turned out to be bust.

Impact Moving Forward

-Impossible to tell

Here’s the thing. Butch Jones and Co will lose a ton of momentum headed into the offseason. Maybe, though, that is a good thing. Tennessee has failed to meet expectations two years in a row. It is possible that scaled back expectations will work to the Volunteer’s favor next year. It also doesn’t hurt that the Vols play in a weak, but improving, SEC East.

Nov 26, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores running back Ralph Webb (7) is carried off the field by offensive lineman Will Holden (74) and offensive lineman Barrett Gouger (56) following a win over Tennessee Volunteers at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt won 45-34. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt Commodores

Tennessee 34-Vanderbilt 45

The 2016 Vanderbilt Commodores are a legit bowl team. No, it isn’t because there aren’t enough bowl eligible teams. Vanderbilt will be representing SEC football due to becoming eligible on their own. The Commodores again got off to a slow start, but have won four of six down the stretch to reach bowl eligibility.

Vandy’s offense was clicking on all cylinders and the defense did enough to hold Tennessee back despite Joshua Dobbs big day. Vanderbilt fans will be talking about this win for years to come.

Impact Moving Forward

-Huge momentum boost

There were still plenty of murmurs that Derek Mason would be shown the door after the Tennessee game. Many programs were likely coveting Mason as their next defensive coordinator. Instead, though, Mason has saved his job and will continue guiding the Commodores. Beginning with a 2016 bowl game, of course.

Nov 26, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs cheerleaders on the field against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Georgia 28-27. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia 27-Georgia Tech 28

Ruh Roh.

Georgia has been incredibly inconsistent this year. While the Bulldogs have had big wins against North Carolina and Auburn, just as many head scratching defeats have taken place. Georgia should not have lost this game, but the Bulldogs choked up a 13 point 4th quarter lead.

If Georgia is going to do well in this rivalry, it cannot give up 164 receiving yards on six receptions to Georgia Tech. The worst part for those that understand the Georgia Tech offense: it came on only ten passing attempts.

Impact Moving Forward:

-Brewing Frustration

Georgia was smacked by Ole Miss and lost to Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. If Kirby Smart wants to remain the head man for long, those things cannot all happen in the same season again.

Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton (20) after the game with Auburn Tigers running back Damian Lewis (30)at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tide defeats the Tigers 30-12. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn Tigers

Alabama 30-Auburn 12

Auburn took advantage of some early miscues from Alabama’s freshman quarterback to give the Tide a scare in the first half. Reality set in at halftime, though, and Alabama cruised to another Iron Bowl victory.

Let’s be honest, though. Anyone who thought Auburn had a chance in this game changed their mind when it was announced that Jeremy Johnson was going to start at quarterback.

Impact Moving Forward:

-None

Yes, Auburn fans are going to be frustrated after yet another loss to Alabama. This season, though, has done enough to keep the Auburn coaching staff employed. Auburn’s loss to Georgia showed us what to expect from the Tigers without Sean White.

Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scrambles up the field against the Auburn Tigers during the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated the Auburn Tigers 30-12. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama Crimson Tide

Auburn 12-Alabama 30

Alabama’s freshman quarterback threw two interceptions in the rivalry game, but it ultimately didn’t matter. Hurts continued rushing and passing the ball effectively, en route to an undefeated regular season for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

SEC football is being carried by Alabama this year. I hate to say it as much as the next person, but it is true. We’ve seen SEC football mock other conferences for being top heavy, but that won’t be happening this year.

Impact Moving Forward

-Slight momentum

Yes, Alabama gains some momentum from this game. The Tide could have lost this game, though, and still gone to the College Football Playoff. That’s just how much better than everyone else the Tide has been this year.