Seven weeks in and it's clear this isn't the 20014 SEC we thought we were getting. The West powers of Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Texas A&M have combined for six losses before October's midpoint and arguably the conference's best individual player -- Georgia's Todd Gurley -- may not play another down this season.
Read that sentence months ago and all would seem lost. But new contenders have risen (we're looking at you, state of Mississippi), along with another that hasn't won more than two SEC games in five years in Kentucky.
This week, Coming Attractions is all about surprises and disappointments -- of both the gridiron and cinematic varieties -- as we head into the season's second half, along with this critic's view on whether these plots have staying power.
It's not just that Mississippi State pulled off the fastest rise to No.1 in the AP poll's 78-year history and No. 3 Ole Miss has its best ranking since Sept. 1964. Alabama was dealt its earliest loss since 2007, Nick Saban's first year, LSU has been beaten twice before mid-October for the first under Les Miles and Auburn ended a streak of seven straight regular-season wins over ranked opponents. The only things that really remain the same are that Texas A&M is 5-2 and 2-2 in-conference for the third straight season and Arkansas is winless in SEC play. These are high times in Starkville and Oxford, which could set up the biggest Egg Bowl in history, but we'd be fools to count out the Alabama schools at this juncture. The Tigers still have No. 3 (Ole Miss), No. 21 (Texas A&M) and No. 10 (Georgia) ahead of them and the Crimson Tide get Mississippi State, and there's of course and Iron Bowl that could get more meaningful as the weeks pass. None of this is to discount what's happening with the Bulldogs and Rebels, it just furthers the narrative of how unbelievably deep this division is. It's looking like it would be a travesty if there's not two West teams in the first College Football Playoff.
Get Your Popcorn: Idaho's not known as a film mecca, and by and large, Mississippi hasn't been the center of college football's toughest division (at least at the same time). But 'Napoleon Dynamite' raked in $46.1 million on a $400,000 budget and the Bulldogs are Rebels are rolling despite the lowest total operating costs in the SEC.
From preseason No. 9 to receiving one measly vote in each of the past two AP polls pretty much says it all, but that wouldn't be doing the Gamecocks' slide justice. A defense that was expected to absorb the losses of Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles has been just plain bad, ranking 92nd overall (441.2 ypg) and is giving up 35 points (100th). Even the Mike Davis-led running game has struggled, totaling 171.8 per (61st). With Furman and South Alabama still ahead, South Carolina (3-3) can still make a run at a bowl, but its not hard to imagine this group struggling with Tennessee or Florida, not to mention No. 24 Clemson, which is expected to have QB DeShaun Watson back from a broken finger. If there's a positive, the Gamecocks have the SEC's best red-zone offense (95 percent), but they're also next-to-last in opportunities, ahead of only Vanderbilt, so take that for what it's worth.
Get Your Popcorn: Kevin Costner making his way through a dystopian future isn't really that different than Steve Spurrier limping through the first half of the season with a dystopian version of the team that had won 11 games in three straight seasons. A strange aside, 'The Postman' took place in 2013 ... so, we're safe, right?
If not for a blown delay of game call against Florida, we could be taking about a 6-0 Kentucky. Still, with one loss, the Wildcats have defied every expectation and Mark Stoops has them one win from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2010. A defining stretch begins this Saturday as Kentucky heads to LSU before facing Mississippi State, Missouri (on the road) and Georgia. It's a run that has the potential to derail the Wildcats' season, but if not for what's happening in the Magnolia State, Big Blue could be the most stunning story in the SEC this season. Meanwhile, Arkansas still hasn't won an SEC game in two years, but there's no denying the Razorbacks are much improved in Bret Bielema's second season. They are 10th in the nation and first in the SEC in rushing (291.7) with the 1-2 punch of Alex Collins (634) and Jonathan Williams (569). Getting to six wins may be difficult with a remaining schedule that includes No. 18 (Georgia), No. 1 (Mississippi State) and No. 3 (Ole Miss), along with LSU and Missouri, but Bielema is building a physical team that is giving opponents fits. Look no further than the last two games (an overtime loss to Texas A&M and a one-point loss to Alabama) for proof of that.
Get Your Popcorn: With the Wildcats 5-1 (and a questionable triple-overtime loss to Florida from being unbeaten), you have to pull a Leonard Shelby and write messages on yourself to remember the Wildcats are seemingly relevant again. Should the Razorbacks get off the snide in SEC play, this scribe may not have any room left.
After 35 straight games of 20 or more points, the Tide have scored 17 and 14 in a loss to Ole Miss and a win over Arkansas, respectively. That amounts to the lowest scoring weeks Alabama has had since posting 12, 14 and 10 in consecutive weeks in 2007. First-year offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin's group is still 18th in the nation at 500 yards per game, but that's largely due to an opening four-game stretch in which the Tide averaged 587 per (which was, in itself, a surprise given the uncertainty at quarterback). They managed 396 against the Rebels and 227 vs. the Razorbacks. What's going on? Blame Blake Sims zeroing in on Amari Cooper way too much (he's amounted for 48.6 percent of Alabama's total receptions), but it all starts with the Tide's inability to establish anything on the ground with veteran center Ryan Kelly out. The last two weeks, Alabama has averaged 3.0 yards per carry and its coincided with a drop in Cooper's production, including a two-catch, 22-yard day against Arkansas. Don't read too much into it if the Tide look drastically better on offense this week -- Texas A&M is 71st in total defense (397) and is 80th against the rush (174.9) -- and luckily for Saban, Kiffin and Co. they have a month before facing Mississippi State. Alabama's third-ranked defense can keep it in games, but this offensively clearly has to find its groove again if the Tide are to have a say in who wins the West.
Get Your Popcorn: In 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,' a disappearing audience trick was one of its major illusions. Alabama's offensive is pulling its own disappearing act and, like 'Burt Wonderstone,' which bombed despite its huge stars -- Steve Carell, Jim Carrey and Steve Buscemi -- the Crimson Tide are slipping with its own big names.
Back in the top 10 after its narrow loss to South Carolina on Sept. 13, Mark Richt's crew has the East title in its sights. The remaining road for Georgia includes only one ranked opponent (No. 6 Auburn), along with struggling Florida, but also has surprising Arkansas -- this Saturday -- and Kentucky. The Bulldogs got through Missouri without much trouble minus Gurley, who is suspended indefinitely while the school investigates possible violations of NCAA rules for allegedly being paid to sign memorabilia. He did return to practice Monday, but there's no timetable on when Gurley will play again. The Bulldogs' running game is still strong, but expecting Nick Chubb to get 40-plus touches -- which he had against the Tigers -- can't be the norm, and while the defense has improved, limiting an opponent to 50 rushing yards and zero third-down conversions -- which it did vs. Missouri -- won't happen week after week. Georgia could well win the East, but this isn't the same team without Gurley, a fact that could cost them as early as Saturday against the physical Razorbacks.
Get Your Popcorn: 'Avatar' is the highest-grossing movie ever in U.S. theaters, Disney is opening Avatar Land and there are three sequels on the way. But ask yourself: was it actually any good? I honestly don't know. It looked good, but the storyline -- it's been called 'Dancing With Wolves' in Space -- was hackneyed. Georgia may win the East, with arguably the easiest path, and if it reaches Atlanta we still may not know if the Bulldogs are any good sans their best player.
