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After the first Saturday in which the majority of the SEC played conference games, the league picture is starting to take shape.
There’s still some question about the separating the contenders from the pretenders, but we’re starting to get an idea of what the 2016 SEC race might look like.
Which means it’s report card time again. As per our tradition, we’ll give each team a grade and then pick a couple of teams for hall passes (good work) or detention (bad work) on offense, defense, special teams, and coaching.
Overall grades
SEC West
Alabama: A-
Nick Saban avoids a three-game losing streak to Ole Miss by putting up enough big plays to outscore the Rebels. That said, allowing 421 yards passing, even to Chad Kelly, isn’t a great sign for his Tide defense. Running for 7.0 yards per carry, on the other hand, is a great sign, even if ‘Bama had to rely on a quarterback to do it.
Texas A&M: B+
The Aggies were somehow an underdog to Auburn, and a balanced attack with 6.2 yards per carry helped them grind out a win in a game in which they were 2-for-15 on third downs. The Aggies look like the biggest remaining threat to Alabama.
Arkansas: B+
Arkansas did what it should have done against Texas State — run and pass at will, and hold the Bobcats to 83 total yards. This game doesn’t demonstrate much, except good focus from the Razorbacks.
LSU: B-
The good news is that Leonard Fournette was back to the tune of 147 rushing yards and two scores. The bad news was that LSU turned a 23-3 halftime crushing into a 23-20 ugly win.
Oh ma GAHH. Go easy on em, Leonard Fournette! pic.twitter.com/DtDZ3qm5eJ
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) September 17, 2016
Ole Miss: B-
There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the Rebels were good enough to jump out 24-3 on Alabama. The bad news is that they blew another 20-point lead and lost again, so the Rebels have to be the most impressive 1-2 team in America.
Auburn: C
In one game against terrible competition, Sean White looked great. Otherwise, he’s done nothing to distinguish himself at QB and the Tigers look like a very talented 6-6 team.
Mississippi State: C
Dan Mullen put together a lot of second half grit turning a game that could have been embarrassing into a three-point loss against LSU. But the Bulldogs had just 270 total yards, including 1.8 yards per carry on the ground.
SEC East
Florida: B+
The Gators’ offense was fairly pedestrian, particularly with Luke Del Rio knocked out of the game, but holding North Texas to 53 total yards, and allowing 4.7 points per game on the year so far demonstrates that the defense might be the bar through which the SEC East title hunt must pass.
Georgia: B
UGA went to Missouri and won a significant road game, with 2018 Heisman winner Jacob Eason emerging as a hero. (It’s a lock.) But the Bulldogs were outgained by 62 yards, and are a few plays from being 1-2 or even 0-3. Have to shape up.
South Carolina: B
If Will Muschamp had been told he’d be 2-1 three games in, it would’ve been a pleasant surprise. But getting outgained by 207 yards by East Carolina is more than a little disconcerting.
Kentucky: C+
Dual-threat QB Stephen Johnson was great in relief, and UK put up almost 700 yards of offense. But they also gave up 500 yards and 40-plus points for the third consecutive game.
Missouri: C+
Drew Lock threw for 376 yards and three scores on UGA, which seems to demonstrate that the Mizzou passing offense is the best in the East. But it’s the defense that has let them down early this season.
Tennessee: C-
The phrase trap game was invented for this one, but getting outpassed by Ohio U. isn’t exactly a feather in the Volunteers’ cap. Tennessee’s defense has been very hit and miss, and the growing injury list isn’t helping. At all.
Vanderbilt: D+
Losing to Georgia Tech wasn’t shocking, but Ralph Webb being a non-factor and the defense allowing 511 yards might be. Looking like a long season.
Offense
Hall Pass
Alabama: The Tide went for 48 points on Ole Miss, and racked up 334 yards rushing. Jalen Hurts had a huge game, using his dual-threat abilities to win his first true road game. Lane Kiffin is living large today.
Kentucky: Sure, New Mexico State isn’t the ’85 Bears, but when starting QB Drew Barker was hurt on the third play of the game, even the biggest of optimists wouldn’t have called for 692 total yards, including 311 in the air. UK may have found an identity with backup QB Stephen Johnson.
Detention
Vanderbilt: Seven points lands you here. Also, how earth Ralph Webb is used so poorly that he ends up with 69 yards and a long run of 14 yards is beyond comprehension.
Auburn: The run game was an improvement, but it’s hard to believe that Auburn is going to develop into a decent passing team, occasional huge hiccups of yardage against awful teams aside.
Defense
Hall Pass
Florida: Sure, it’s North Texas. But -0.5 yards per rush? Six completed passes? 53 total yards for the game? The Florida defense has looked great against bad competition in the first three weeks.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks were outgained by over 200 yards, which is normally the stuff of detention. But they figured out how to patch together a win despite that horrible stat line, which instead gets them a surprising hall pass.
Detention
Vanderbilt: The triple option is hard to work out in a week of practice, which explains 289 rushing yards. But 222 passing yards to an option team? Detention!
Kentucky: Beginning the season by allowing 500+ yards per week and 40+ points per week is tough to explain, especially when two of the first three opponents are Southern Mississippi and New Mexico State.
Special Teams
Hall Pass
Alabama: Eddie Jackson’s 85-yard punt return score looms large in a five-point comeback win. Adam Griffith made a couple of field goals and neutralized Ole Miss on kick returns.
Texas A&M: Game ball to kicker Daniel LaCamera, who was 5-for-5 on field goals, which is pretty important in a 13-point win.
Detention
Georgia: William Ham’s two missed field goals (one from 23 yards!) nearly cost the Bulldogs, who couldn’t afford to leave points on the board. Bulldog kickoffs and punts were less than great as well.
Tennessee: Unlike Georgia, UT’s issues had little effect on the game, but the Vols were mediocre in all phases against an inferior Ohio team, which is not Butch Jones’s usual modus operandi.
Coaching
Hall Pass
Alabama: He just wins — different ways, different teams, same result.
Texas A&M: Kevin Sumlin’s team hasn’t completely clicked, but they’re multi-faceted enough to be the most interesting team in the league.
Detention
Vanderbilt: Getting gashed on defense and looking hopeless on offense isn’t the way to extend the Derek Mason era.
Auburn: Continued offensive struggles at Auburn could end up undermining any confidence in the Gus bus, which is a shame because there’s an insane amount of young talent here.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
