Top SEC Football Storylines Heading into November

With every passing week of the college football season, the SEC storylines continue to heat up.

Will the state of Mississippi overpower the state of Alabama in the SEC West? Can Missouri earn an unlikely repeat as SEC East champions? Will Todd Gurley’s return be just in time or a little too late?

These are the kind of questions fans of the SEC want to know. 

Join B/R as we take a closer look at these and other storylines around the conference.

Arkansas Is a Good Spoiler Pick

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Williams has excelled this season.

With all the attention focused on the top five teams in the SEC West, everybody seems to be forgetting about the season Arkansas has been having.

Don’t be fooled by the team's 0-4 record in the SEC, this is a much better Razorbacks squad from a year ago—particularly the rushing attack, which ranks No. 16 in the nation (258.9 YPG).

Behind the running back tandem of Jonathan Williams (122 carries, 830 yards, 10 TD) and Alex Collins (118 carries, 747 yards, 9 TD), Arkansas has played some of the top dogs in the conference pretty tough.

In fact, it lost to Alabama by one point, took Texas A&M to overtime and fought back hard against Georgia when it looked like it would be a blowout game.

Over the next month, the Razorbacks will face Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss and Missouri. Don’t be surprised if the team ends the SEC hopes of at least one of those teams.

Kentucky Looking to Re-Discover Glass Slippers

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The Wildcats will look to get back on the winning track.

After racing out to a 5-1 record, the Wildcats were one of the Cinderella stories of the SEC.

Backed by better-than-expected play from quarterback Patrick Towles and a stout defense, the team was quickly proving it should be mentioned in the same breath as some of the other top teams in the conference. However, a 41-3 whooping at the hands of LSU and a loss to Mississippi State in back-to-back weeks changed the narrative.

Now, at 5-3, Kentucky is looking to save its fading season and waning SEC East title hopes.

Fortunately, the team faces the two teams ahead of them in the SEC East—Missouri and Georgia—over the next two weeks. If the Wildcats can beat both, it’s a whole new ballgame in the SEC East.

Quarterback Carousel in College Station

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Hill has made too many mistakes in recent weeks.

Quarterback Kenny Hill quickly burst onto the scene for the Aggies, throwing for 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions during the Aggies' first five starts.

However, over the last three games, it’s all fallen apart.

In three consecutive losses to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama, Hill has struggled. He’s thrown for 904 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions on 68.1 percent passing while being sacked 11 times.

With a bye week to think things over, it appears head coach Kevin Sumlin has decided to try a new face under center, per Channel 11 television out of Dallas.

There’s no doubt Kyle Allen, a true freshman, is up for the task.

"Kyle asked me if this was for real, and I said, 'yeah, it is,'" said Texas A&M offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, via The Dallas Morning News' Kate Hairopoulos. "And he was like, 'Good, because, I’m going to try to go get it.'"

Thus far, the Scottsdale, Arizona, native has only thrown 38 passes for 264 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. However, it was all in mop-up duty.

A 5-star recruit out of Desert Mountain High, Allen was the No. 1-overall ranked quarterback in last year’s class. He certainly has all the potential to make some noise.

South Carolina in Danger of Missing a Bowl Game?

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It's been a rough season for the Ol' Ball Coach.

What began as a season full of promise, Top 10 ranking and all, has quickly fallen apart for the Gamecocks.

A season-opening loss to Texas A&M, 52-28, at home quickly got the ball rolling. Although a thrilling 38-35 victory over then-No. 6 Georgia two weeks later helped calm things down, South Carolina has now lost three of its last four games.

At 4-4 (2-4 SEC), not only is an SEC East title out of the picture, but the Gamecocks will also be lucky to even qualify for a bowl.

Out of the team’s four remaining games, only the Nov. 22 meeting with South Alabama looks to be a lock for a win. Other than that, the team hosts a better-than-expected Tennessee squad this weekend, travels to take on Florida on Nov. 15 and travels again on Nov. 29 to face Clemson.

Given the kind of season South Carolina has been having, it’s hard to say with positivity that the team can win two of those games to reach bowl eligibility.

How Long Can Georgia Live Without Gurley?

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Fans have rallied around Gurley.

The Bulldogs received some bad news when the NCAA announced on Thursday that it would be upholding the four-game suspension of running back Todd Gurley, per ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.

Gurley—who was suspended for his role in an autograph scandal—has sat out the last two games for Georgia and will miss the next two.

Georgia released a statement Thursday:

"

We are very disappointed in tonight's decision by the Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee regarding our appeal on Todd Gurley's eligibility reinstatement. We believe our case to the NCAA for Todd's immediate reinstatement was strong and compelling. However, we now have exhausted all available options and look forward to Todd's return to competition on Nov. 15. The full attention of Bulldog Nation now needs to be focused on our team and Saturday's important game against Florida.

"

Prior to the suspension, Gurley was arguably the best player in college football. In five games, the junior rushed for 773 yards and eight touchdowns on 94 carries, while adding another score via a 100-yard kickoff return.

In his absence, true freshman Nick Chubb has stepped up to the plate, rushing for 345 yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries. However, the Bulldogs will surely be wishing they had their standout back during a two-game stretch that includes the annual rivalry showdown with Florida and a trip to Kentucky on Nov. 8.

Gurley should be back in time for the pivotal showdown with Auburn on Nov. 15. But could it be too late?

Both Divisions Still Very Much Up for Grabs

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The Tigers are looking for a second consecutive SEC East title.

In recent years, by the time November rolls around, we’ve been able to have a very good idea who will come out on top in both the SEC East and SEC West.

That has not been the case this season.

The SEC West is especially a mess, with five of the seven teams still with a realistic shot of winning the division. Mississippi State currently leads with a 4-0 record in the conference, but Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn all trail with just one conference loss, while LSU is still in play with two losses.

There are still five matchups to be played between those top five teams in the month of November, meaning the SEC West is still very much up for grabs.

In the SEC East, it’s a two-team race with both Missouri and Georgia sitting with one loss in the conference. The Bulldogs have the edge, as they won the head-to-head meeting earlier in the year.

However, it isn’t all smooth sailing for Georgia. The team still has to play Florida this weekend, travel to Kentucky and hosts Auburn. Meanwhile, Missouri is looking at a four-game stretch of Kentucky, at Texas A&M, at Tennessee and Arkansas.

Both races should come down to the final weeks.

High Expectations for 2014 Iron Bowl

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Who could forget the pandemonium from the last time these two played?

When the Tide and Tigers met on the gridiron last season, the eyes of every college football fan was upon them. The game certainly lived up to the hype.

That may not be the case this time around.

For starters, the Egg Bowl—featuring a clash between Mississippi State and Ole Miss—will be played on the same Saturday. Furthermore, both Alabama and Auburn haven’t quite looked as dominant as they did last season.

The Tide are breaking in a new quarterback and have shown vulnerabilities on the defensive end. On the other hand, the Tigers rushing attack isn’t nearly as potent as it was a year ago, and quarterback Nick Marshall has made some questionable decisions during games thus far.

Still, don’t expect this game to be a complete letdown.

Both teams are currently situated in the top six in the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings. Not only will the SEC West title possibly be on the line, but a slot in the CFP will be, too.

It may not have the twists and turns of the 2013 version between these two rivals, but this will once again be a game to watch.

State of Mississippi Riding High

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The Bulldogs have been a story to watch.

When the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings were revealed earlier this week, three out of the top four teams belonged to the SEC West.

Two of those three—Mississippi State and Ole Miss—hailed from the state of Mississippi.

In a conference largely dominated by the state of Alabama in recent years, the revelation comes as a shock. In fact, both the Mississippi squads are responsible for both Auburn's and Alabama’s only losses of the season. 

But are the Bulldogs and Rebels for real?

We will get a good feel for that in November, as Mississippi State plays a tougher-than-expected Arkansas squad this weekend, followed by a road trip to take on the Crimson Tide on Nov. 15. Meanwhile, Ole Miss hosts the Tigers this weekend and will travel to take on the Razorbacks on Nov. 22.

Of course, the two meet in their annual showdown on Nov. 29, in what should be one of the most memorable Egg Bowls in the history of the rivalry.

All stats, recruiting information and rankings used in this article are courtesy of CFBStats.com and 247Sports.

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