SEC Football: Takeaways for Each Team from Week 8

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

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Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

After another crazy weekend of SEC football, it is time to identify the biggest takeaways for each team.

Week 8 of SEC football has come and gone, and it brought with it a harsh reality. While many still felt the SEC was as dominant as last year, we must agree that the SEC is experiencing a down year. The conference just doesn’t have as many high quality teams as it usually does.

The state of Mississippi is now concerned with bowl eligibility, as is most of the SEC East. Arkansas regressed and Texas A&M became the most recent ‘tough test’ to fall short in their attempt to topple Alabama. That isn’t to say it was a bad weekend for all, however.

As previously stated, Alabama continued their dominant ways — unlike their Big 10 counterpart Ohio State. In addition, LSU has positioned themselves as an actual threat to Alabama for the first time in years.

Which teams are licking their wounds after week 8? What teams are still vying for an SEC Football Championship Berth? Read on to find just that and much more as we breakdown the takeaways for all 14 teams around SEC Football.

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Missouri Tigers

Congratulations Missouri Football. The Tigers have officially become an embarrassment to SEC Football. After catching the SEC East in a massive slump and winning the division twice, the Tigers have regressed tremendously.

Barry Odom was known for his defense. Mizzou, though, gave up 51 points to Middle Tennessee Saturday. 51 points. To Middle Tennessee. And lost.

Congratulations Barry Odom. You now know what it feels like to sit on the hot seat.

Impact Moving Forward

-Can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel mode

Expectations aren’t the same in Columbia as they are around much of the SEC, but Mizzou fans expect better than this. Barry Odom took over for a legend in Gary Pinkel, which was always going to be tough. Things are going to be monumentally hard, though, with his team now sitting at 2-5.

Thankfully, though, the Tigers play in the SEC East. As a result, Odom’s crew still has some winnable games left on the schedule. If the Tigers can pull out two wins between Kentucky, South Carolina and Vanderbilt (I doubt it), Odom will have rebuilt a ton of momentum.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, though, the season ends with Tennessee and Arkansas. 4 wins is the best this club can hope for.

Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt

Congratulations Vanderbilt! The Commodores certainly are not the worst team in the SEC East this year. Coupled with their shocking win over Georgia, this 18-point win over Tennessee State establishes Vandy as a somewhat competitive SEC football team.

I know, it sounds like I’m patronizing the Commodores. I can assure everyone, though, that I’m genuinely excited for Derek Mason and Co. I hope he can keep the positivity going strong and sneak into a bowl game.

With the remaining schedule, though, I can’t see that happening.

Impact Moving Forward

-A lot of good vibes and no one has to get fired

Vanderbilt fans just witnessed the Commodores win two games in a row. Had the Commodores come out on top in any of their one score losses (South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky), we’d be talking about a potential bowl game. Instead, though, we can all be happy that they’re beginning to break through.

Vanderbilt will be favored to beat Missouri, but big underdogs against Auburn Ole Miss and Tennessee. While 5-7 will be heartbreakingly close to a bowl, it is still good to see this team progressing.

. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky Wildcats

After an embarrassing season-opening loss to Southern Miss, the Wildcats have quietly won 4 of their last 5 with games against Missouri and Austin Peay remaining.

Shhhhh everyone…

Kentucky may actually make it to a bowl game this year.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Don’t jinx it.

If you’re not understanding my hesitancy to talk about that possibility, check out the Wildcats 2014 and 2015 schedules.

Come on Kentucky, SEC football needs as many bowl teams as possible this year.

Impact Moving Forward

-Impossible to tell

Kentucky beat Mississippi State, but loss to Southern Miss. Stoops has taken control of the defense, but no one knows what to think of this Wildcat team. 2014 and 2015 both saw the Wildcats get incredibly close to a bowl game.

Both seasons ended in disappointment.

Will 2016 be different? I predicted Kentucky would represent in SEC football in a bowl game over the summer. With games against Missouri and Austin Peay remaining, I feel good about the projection.

But after seeing Stoops and Co the last few seasons, I feel leery about feeling good about it.

Yup.

SEC football is nuts.

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Dan Mullen, it was a good run.

I don’t think Mullen will be fired after this year, but I also don’t think he’ll go to a bowl game for a school-record 7th straight year. The defense is too erratic and the offense just doesn’t have enough help.

Much like when Dak Prescott was leading the Bulldogs through SEC football, Nick Fitzgerald is expected to lead the passing and rushing attacks. Unfortunately for Mullen, though, Fitzgerald isn’t Prescott. That’s no knock on Fitzgerald, as not many QBs are as good as the Mississippi State legend.

Impact Moving Forward

-Fire Mullen movement growing

It’s not that Mississippi State is 2-5. Many SEC football teams are experiencing a disappointing season this year. The difference for MSU, though, is Mullen’s calling card during his tenure has been beating the teams he is ‘supposed’ to. After losing to South Alabama and Kentucky, though, Mullen doesn’t have a calling card.

He doesn’t have a pay as you go plan, a credit line or a government phone. Mullen is out of options this year and needs to begin building toward next year.

Mississippi State has had too much success to fire him after one season. If a repeat occurs next year, though, all bets are off.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina Gamecocks

UMass played a second close game against an SEC opponent, but South Carolina pulled out the victory. While only beating UMass by 6 points isn’t ideal, it puts the Gamecocks at 3-4 with a pair of winnable games ahead of them.

Will Muschamp wasn’t expected to be a miracle worker in one season, but somehow sneaking into a bowl game would do wonders for his early tenure at South Carolina. In order for that to happen, South Carolian would need to knock off either Tennessee, Florida or Clemson in addition to Missouri and Western Carolina. While I don’t see that scenario as likely, the fact that we’re even talking about it speaks to the job Muschamp is doing with the mess he inherited.

Impact Moving Forward

-Renewed hope

Although the final score is too close for comfort, Freshman quarterback Jake Bentley threw for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his first collegiate game. If Bentley can provide that level of consistency in SEC football, the Gamecocks could shock the world and find their way into a bowl game this season.

Regardless of whether it happens or not, fans are hopeful that it could. Alum are going to begin reinvesting in the program under Muschamp.

Hope is a powerful force. Muschamp will need to improve on his record next year, of course, but the Gamecocks are building momentum into the recruiting season. We’ve seen what Muschamp can do with momentum in recruiting.

Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Arkansas Razorbacks

What?

What in the?

Huh?

A week after a thrilling victory over Ole Miss, Arkansas laid an absolute dud and was destroyed at the hands of Auburn.

The biggest takeaway from this game on the Arkansas side is the absolute embarrassment of Rawleigh Williams. A week after using a devastating rushing attack to topple an SEC West foe, Williams was held to 22 yards on 13 carries.

If Auburn exposed how to stop the Razorback’s run game, this could be a long end to Bielema and Co.’s season.

Impact Moving Forward

-Growing frustration

It appears that Bielema is destined to be a slightly less successful version of Mark Richt. Every time it appears the Razorbacks are on the cusp of greatness, something like this happens.

Arkansas will consistently win 7-9 games and have a shot at an SEC Football Championship from time to tie. Will that be enough for Arkansas fans? I think not.

There is actually a better SEC football comparison for Bielema than Richt, and he’s always ready for some ‘heppin’ time.

Houston.

Dale.

Nutt.

Sorry Razorbacks, it appears your team is in a cycle of mediocrity right now.

Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn Tigers

What? What in the? Huh?

It is amazing how different an impact the exact same intro can be given the circumstances, but that’s why we love SEC Football.

Auburn began the season 1-2 and needed a last minute review to escape to 2-2 by barely beating a pre-Orgeron LSU. This team has now embarrassed two SEC West foes with a combined score of 94-17.

I’m not sure what is going on in Auburn, but the rest of the SEC West better watch out.

Impact Moving Forward

-Serious belief

Fans and SEC football experts didn’t know what to make of Auburn after seeing the Tigers demolish Mississippi State. After seeing them destroy a better Arkansas team with a worse score, though, there isn’t much left to doubt.

The tigers should run the table on their way to the Iron Bowl in what could wind up being a top-10 matchup. Auburn doesn’t pass the ball and the best rush defense they face pre-Bama is Vanderbilt.

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Texas A&M Aggies

It really wasn’t fair to Aggie fans all week. Texas A&M hasn’t had a chance against Alabama since Johnny Manziel left to be more famous, and Saturday was no different.

All week I proclaimed my doubts. This team needed two overtimes to dispose of Tennessee AT HOME, only beat South Carolina by 11 and needed everything they had to knock off UCLA by 7 points.

Why so many in the media hyped this matchup is beyond me. Maybe now we can all recognize that SEC football is experiencing a down year and Texas A&M is just better than a lot of mediocre teams.

I doubt it though, as LSU will be the next team to get the pre-Bama hype treatment. But dang those Tigers look good.

Impact Moving Forward

-Little to none

No one really expected TAMU to knock off Alabama. The Aggies represented themselves well, though, even taking the lead for a brief sting. Texas A&M has games with New Mexico State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, UTSA and LSU. As a result, 10 wins and a New Year’s Six Bowl game is not out of the realm of possibility.

With preseason expectations being what they were, I believe almost any Aggie would call that a successful season.

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss Rebels

To be fair, the Rebels have experienced a bevy of injuries and play on of the hardest schedules in America.

That, though, is no longer an excuse when a coach is in his 5th year. Freeze’s team was embarrassed in the second half of a rivalry game in the SEC West. More than just a few fans will be frustrated all year with the display at Death Valley Saturday night.

Impact Moving Forward

-New coaches time

Hugh Freeze isn’t going anywhere. Members of his staff, though, need to go.

Ole Miss has been fine offensively all season. Losing both of your starting tackles, like the Rebels did Saturday, will always cause problems. Ole Miss, though, hasn’t been relevant on defense since Derek Mason taught everyone how to attack Wommack’s 4-2-5 last year.

Wommack has had ample time to adjust his defense and hasn’t. It is time for Freeze to make the tough call and encourage his long-time staff member to retire.

If Freeze refuses, he can likely hang up rebuilding Ole Miss into a consistent contender.

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

LSU Tigers

My goodness Leonard Fournette is impressive. Fournette carved up an SEC football defense like he was playing against high schoolers. Who cares if Ole Miss has a terrible defense. It is still full of SEC football players.

This LSU team has quickly become very dangerous under Orgeron and quarterback Danny Etling. Although Alabama is next and this team already lost two games, it is easy to see why so many expected the Tigers to contend for a National Championship this year. It is also easy to see why Les Miles had to be let go.

Speaking of which…

Impact Moving Forward

-Playing with fire

LSU likely never entertained the idea of making Ed Orgeron a head SEC football coach for the second time a month ago. Now, though, LSU is playing with fire.

Orgeron delivered a big time win in primetime against a division rival. He has also helped the offense explode into something powerful that uses all the athletes Miles helped recruit.

Ed Orgeron is a Louisiana native and well-liked in Baton Rouge. If the Tigers are not careful they may not have a choice but to remove the interim label from Orgeron’s title.

Then again, if LSU beats Alabama this year — I don’t think anyone associated with LSU will want anyone else.

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Alabama Crimson Tide

Another overly-hyped opponent, another dominant SEC football win for Alabama. While SEC football is experiencing a down year overall, Alabama looks as good as ever.

Jalen Hurts has provided Lane Tiffin with a playmaking quarterback and the defense/special teams of Alabama just keep scoring as well. While the Tide’s biggest tests still remain, their 8-0 start has been nothing short of impressive.

Impact Moving Forward

-Momentum surge heading into LSU prep

Whether or not Texas A&M was deserving of the hype, it was given. Alabama heard it too, and beating soundly beating such a hyped opponent will continue to build the confidence and swagger of this Alabama team.

Jalen Hurts will need his A-game the next time the Tide take the field, though, as the LSU Tigers are going to be ready to pounce on any mistake he or the Crimson Tide make.