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Happy Thanksgiving!
On this holiday, let’s take a look at what each SEC team and its fan base should be thankful for:
Alabama: Crimson Tide fans should be thankful that the Arkansas Razorbacks pulled off a miracle overtime victory over Ole Miss. If it wasn’t for a fourth-and-25 conversion that involved Razorbacks TE Hunter Henry blindly flinging the ball backward to RB Alex Collins, who picked the ball up off the bounce and ran it for a 31-yard gain, Alabama might not go to the SEC Championship Game with a victory over Auburn. But because Arkansas beat Ole Miss, Alabama can win the SEC and have an opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff.
Florida: The Gators have to be thankful to be 10-1 despite struggling to score points against Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Florida Atlantic. The Gators’ kicking game is terrible, but it still hasn’t cost them a game. Picked by many pundits to finish fourth in the East, Florida won the division under first-year head coach Jim McElwain.
Ole Miss: This was not the type of season that Ole Miss was hoping for with losses to Florida, Memphis and Arkansas, but there is still a lot for Rebels fans to be thankful for. It wasn’t all that long ago that Ole Miss was trying to fight its way out of the basement in the SEC West. The fact that Ole Miss has defeated Alabama two years in a row and has been one of the better teams in the SEC is plenty to be grateful for.
Tennessee: Losing four games by a combined 17 points is a tough pill to swallow, but Tennessee is on the verge of having its first eight-win regular season since 2007. That’s a something the Volunteers should be happy about. Tennessee’s program has made progress during Butch Jones’ three years as head coach.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks should be thankful that they recovered from a terrible start to the regular season. After losses to Toledo and Texas Tech and Texas A&M, the season could have gone all downhill. But Arkansas found a way to recover, winning five of its last seven games.
LSU: Three losses in a row after being the College Football Playoff Committee’s No. 2-ranked team is not a good way to end the season. But this team is young and very talented. The Tigers should be in the playoff picture for the whole entire season next year.
Georgia: The Bulldogs should be thankful that nine wins in the regular season is considered a “bad” result for them. Do they realize how many college football programs would love to have nine wins?
Texas A&M: The Aggies have the pieces to be a great team next year. DE Myles Garrett is ferocious. WR Christian Kirk is one of the best freshman wide receivers in the country. If QBs Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen continue to improve, this team is going to be tough to beat.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs should be thankful that Dak Prescott was their starting quarterback for the past two years. The guy has been fun to watch, and he helped bring Mississippi State’s program to new heights.
Auburn: The Tigers should be thankful that they are bowl eligible. They easily could have lost to Jacksonville State or Kentucky this season.
Vanderbilt: After last year’s struggles, the Commodores will finish fourth in the East. That’s a huge improvement and reason for optimism.
Kentucky: Despite poor play the the past five weeks, Kentucky still has a chance to become bowl eligible with a win against Louisville on Saturday.
Missouri: The Tigers should be thankful that Gary Pinkel has been their coach for the past 15 seasons. Before Pinkel got to Missouri, the Tigers had just two winning seasons from 1984-2000. Pinkel guided Missouri to 10 winning seasons from 2000-14. He also won five divisional titles with the Tigers (three in the Big 12, two in the SEC).
South Carolina: It has been a bad season for the Gamecocks. Their city was flooded. Steve Spurrier resigned. They lost to The Citadel. But be thankful that this nightmare of a season is almost over. Be thankful that next season will be a fresh start with a new coach.
Chase Erickson is a contributing writer for SDS. He covers Tennessee. Follow him on Twitter @ChaseDownField.
