The Best and Worst of Week 3 in the SEC
Like a bookmark that is currently being used, Week 3 of the college football season is now in the books. Teams are starting to show their true identities, both good and bad, as the competition continues to heat up.
As we begin to learn more about teams and players each week, let's take a look at who's hot and who's not in the SEC.
Who's Hot
Alabama Crimson Tide
College football fans had been waiting to see how Alabama would look in its first true test in the post-Saban world, and the Tide did not disappoint. Alabama dominated Wisconsin on the road in a tough environment, showing that they are still a force in the college football landscape.
Jalen Milroe let the naysayers know with five total touchdowns on the day while the Crimson Tide defense held the Badgers to just 290 yards on their way to a 42-10 victory. Freshman WR Ryan Williams continued to impress by posting 78 receiving yards and a score. The young gun has caught a TD in each of his first three games at the college level.
Next on the schedule is historical walkover BYE before the Crimson Tide's monumental clash against Georgia the following week.
Arch Manning
Could there be some drama brewing in Austin? College football's most famous backup Arch Manning entered the game against UTSA in the first half after starter Quinn Ewers left with an oblique strain. All Manning did was throw for 223 yards and 4 TDs on 12 attempts while adding a 67 yard TD on the ground.
College football fans, especially SEC fans, have never been known to be reasoble and level-headed. Many Texas fans are already calling for Manning to be the permanent starter, even with Ewers playing at an elite level so far this year.
Head Coach Steve Sarkisian has said that Ewers will be listed as week-to-week for now. With Texas' next two game coming against UL Monroe and Mississippi State (who just got blasted at home by Toledo), Manning will likely get significant playing time as the Horns will want to be cautious with Ewers.
If Manning does start the next two games and lights the opponents up, it will be interesting to see what Sarkisian does when Ewers returns fully healthy.
Tennessee and Ole Miss offenses
Tennessee and Ole Miss continued their torrid paces on offense by putting up 71 and 40 points, respectively, against their week 3 opponents. Tennessee did so at home against a heavily overmatched Kent State squad, while Ole Miss did their damage on the road against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest.
These two teams are first and second in the country in both yards per game and points per game, with Ole Miss leading the former and Tennessee leading the ladder. Ole Miss will most certainly continue their pace with Georgia Southern being their next opponent (no offense). Tennessee will face a more difficult test as they travel to Oklahoma for their first road game of the year in what will also be a homecoming for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel.
Brian Kelly
Although the LSU head coach did a good job in leading his team to a comeback victory over South Carolina, this is more a reference to how heated he gets on the sidelines during the game. The camera operators cannot help but show his reaction to everything negative that happens to LSU because his reactions are priceless.
His beet red face is a brilliant combination of sunburn and anger, and we love to see it.
Who's Not Hot
Mark Stoops
Sparky Mark Stoops had a great opportunity for a program-altering win in Lexington Saturday night, but ultimately squandered it, falling to #1 ranked Georgia 13-12. There is no shame in losing to the top-ranked team by 1 point, but there is shame in not being aggressive when the time comes.
Early in the third quarter while leading 6-3, Kentucky faced a 3rd and 8 from Georgia's 28 yard line. Kentucky ran the ball up the middle for a solid 6 yard gain, bringing up 4th and 2. Without hesitation, Stoops sent out the FG unit for a short attempt, which was easily made, giving the Wildcats a 9-3 lead.
Sure, there is always value in taking points. Something is always better than nothing. But you also need to be able to read the game and trust your team. Kentucky was putting together a great drive and had a prime opportunity to take a 10-point lead with a TD. A double-digit lead at home against the #1 ranked team in the country would light up an already electric crowd. If you want to pull off a massive upset, you have to be willing to take some chances. With the way Kentucky had been moving the ball that drive and the way the Kentucky defense had stifled Georgia's offense all night, that was a perfect opportunity to take the game away.
Coach Stoops has been under fire the past couple years for his inability to take the program to the next level. He seems content to let Kentucky cruise at the current pace while racking in bonuses for reaching bowl games. When given maybe his best opportunity to take the next step, Stoops once again played not to lose, which he did by 1 point.
Florida
Billy Napier's coaching seat has reached an unprecedented level of hot. With the Gators now sitting at 1-2 following the loss to Texas A&M and one of the most difficult schedules imaginable on the horizon, nothing is going right in the Swamp land.
Desperately needing a win, Florida faced off against a first-year head coach and backup QB in the friendly confines of their home stadium, and got whooped. The final score of 20-33 is a little misleading as the Gators trailed 7-33 late in the third quarter.
Freshman QB and potential program-saving player DJ Lagway struggled mightily, completing 6/13 passes for 54 yards and two interceptions, while being sacked for a total of -20 yards. As the boos rained down upon Napier's soft head, it became easy to imagine a not-so-distant future in which he is no longer employed.
Mississippi State
I don't even know what to say about this one. Mississippi State was a 10.5 point home favorite over Toledo, a MAC school to whom the Bulldogs paid a fat stack to come play in Starkville. The Bulldogs then rolled over (like a good boy) and got embarrassed at home, 17-41. MSU was down 3-35 in the 3rd quarter!
The cowbells were silenced early as first year coach Jeff Lebby now finds himself 1-2, and things are about to get much worse. After hosting Florida, their next two game are at #1 Texas and at #2 Georgia. They will later play at #6 Tennessee, at home against #7 Missouri, and finish the season at #5 Ole Miss. That means MSU will play 5 of the current top-7 teams in the AP poll. Sheesh.
I wonder if any of those teams are better than Toledo?
Of note: Vanderbilt most certainly could have their own section here following their loss to Georgia State, but I have decided to spare them since they already exceeded season expectations by beating Virginia Tech, and because Vandy fans, as rare as they may be, are usually pretty nice.