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With Week 7 of college football action in the books, we decided to take a look at what the media buzz is around the nation regarding the SEC:
EDWARD ASCHOFF, ESPN
Unbeaten LSU remains atop ESPN’s SEC power rankings after the Tigers’ narrow 35-28 victory over Florida in Week 7. Thanks to Les Miles’ gutsy call to fake a field goal and score a game-winning touchdown against the Gators, and the fact that Alabama has been on fire since losing to Ole Miss, Aschoff starts his piece off by proposing a question that SEC fans are probably familiar with at this point.
“Why does it feel as if the SEC Western Division — and likely the SEC — is going to come down to Alabama and LSU?”
NICOLE AUERBACH, USA TODAY SPORTS
If someone didn’t know who LSU running back Leonard Fournette is, first they would have to be asked to come out from under the rock they’ve been living under, and then Fournette’s unmatched skill could easily be summed up in Auerbach’s lede to her article that actually points out that the Tigers’ success is because of more than just the Heisman front-runner.
Auerbach writes:
“The English language does not have enough words to describe the breathtaking talent that is Leonard Fournette.”
Auerbach goes on to quote LSU quarterback Brandon Harris, who is fed up with the lack of respect the Tigers passing game is getting.
“I can’t stand it,” Harris said Saturday night, after he was 13 of 19 for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns. “I can’t stand it. I play with a chip on my shoulder every single week. I say this over and over again, and I say this real humbly: This team knows how talented we are passing the ball; everybody knows what I can do throwing the football …
“It really hurts when people say all we have is a running game, this and that. That’s so much motivation. Keep saying that. Keep doubting me. I love it.”
In her Snap Judgements for Week 7, Auerbach states that Texas A&M has yet to join the upper echelon of SEC teams.
Auerbach writes that the Aggies’ new-and-improved defense hasn’t brought the team to new heights like many of their fans had hoped for.
“Of course, the SEC West is generally considered the toughest division in college football, so it shouldn’t be easy to emerge as one of its elite teams. But Texas A&M was supposed to contend, especially with its improved defense and new defensive coordinator. Instead, we’ll likely have to wait till next year.”
ANDY STAPLES, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Harris’ comments might have been heard by Staples, who gave the LSU quarterback plenty of credit for the Tigers’ win over Florida in his Instant Analysis. After breaking down how special teams stepped up to help LSU win the game, Staples then pegs the Tigers offense as being anything but unbalanced, or as he writes, “one-dimensional.”
Staples writes:
“LSU is not a one-man offense, and that should scare the daylights out of the Tigers’ upcoming opponents. Quarterback Brandon Harris hadn’t been asked to do much until Saturday night, but Florida’s defense has good enough athletes at cornerback that the Gators could afford to load the box more than most to stop Leonard Fournette. Florida slowed Fournette — well, 5.8 yards a carry is below the season average of 8.6 Fournette had entering Saturday — but the Tigers responded by unleashing Harris.”
JERRY HINNEN, CBS SPORTS
It might be a bit of an overreaction, but Hinnen uses Memphis’ Week 7 win over Ole Miss as an example to fuel the argument that the American Athletic Conference can compete with the SEC in football. Hinnen doesn’t honestly believe the AAC is better than the SEC from top to bottom, but he does point to the fact that the AAC currently has three undefeated teams with some big wins against Power 5 conference teams with the Tigers’ win over Ole Miss as the premier performance.
Hinnen writes:
“The AAC has already made some noise with three undefeated teams — Temple and Houston joining Memphis among those ranks — and upsets of the likes of Penn State and Miami. But this is the biggest win for the league this season and will have Memphis in pole position for the Group of Five’s automatic New Year’s Six berth.”
Hinnen also sums up the Rebels’ downward spiral since beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa earlier this season.
“The bottom line is that a team that fancies itself an SEC West contender can’t drop games at a Group of Five team, no matter how well-coached (and it seems a good bet this will be Justin Fuente’s last season with the Tigers). Through its first three games, Ole Miss looked like one of the best teams in the country. Now, it might not be one of the top three teams in its own division.”
Pat Donohue is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @SportsDownPat.
