SEC! SEC! SEC! Top Teams Flex Muscles on the Road
Last week, the Big 12 celebrated a banner day with an impressive showing from top to bottom.
This week, four of the top teams in the SEC scored big victories. Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and LSU all won in impressive fashion on the road.
To begin the college football afternoon, Alabama smoked Arkansas 49-14 in a meeting of NFL coaching has-beens. Most expected the Tide to win this game, but maybe not in such dominating fashion.
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Alabama looks deserving of its top 10 ranking. We will find out more about the Tide next week against Georgia.
Later in the afternoon, Florida's defense and special teams destroyed Tennessee in Knoxville in a rivalry game that's starting to lose its luster. Florida hasn't lost to Tennessee since Urban Meyer took over as coach.
For fans across the Southeast, the action was just getting started.
In the clash of the Tigers, LSU survived a heart-pounding contest on the plains of Auburn and snapped an eight-game home win streak in this series. In the process, LSU may have found its starting quarterback in Jarrett Lee.
While the Tennessee-Florida rivalry may have dropped a notch or two in recent years, the LSU-Auburn rivalry may be a top five rivalry in the SEC.
To finish things up, Georgia showed the rest of the country that their opponents and not the Dawgs should be afraid when they take their show on the road.
Georgia and Knowshon Moreno clobbered Arizona State, 27-10. The Sun Devils' offensive line had fits with the Bulldogs' defense all night long. Moreno had 149 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention Vanderbilt in all the SEC hoopla. Bobby Johnson's squad of Commodores is undefeated. I know that they still have a long way to go before they clinch a winning record, but Vandy cracked the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since 1984.
Ohio State beat the Trojans!
Okay, so it wasn't those Trojans, but Ohio State ushered in the Terrelle Pryor Era. Pryor threw four touchdowns against the men of Troy University.
The Buckeyes have their quarterback for the next three or four years (probably just three).
Don't put Missouri in the Big 12 championship just yet
Don't get me wrong. Chase Daniel has been nothing short of phenomenal. He threw for a ho-hum 439 yards against Buffalo while completing 20 straight passes.
The defense, though, has been less than impressive. This game against Buffalo was 27-21 midway through the third quarter before the Tigers' offense took over.
Against their only quality opponent, Missouri allowed 42 points to Juice Williams and the Illini.
Missouri begins conference play Oct. 4 at Nebraska.
Buy: LSU's Charles Scott as no worse than the second-best running back in the SEC. He became the first LSU running back to gain 100 yards at Auburn. He carved up one of the best defenses in the country for a 6.5 yard average.
Sell: Jimbo Fisher as the key to the Seminoles' return to glory. Florida State's offense has looked erratic in his short tenure in Tallahassee. They scored just a field goal against Wake Forest at home.
I know many LSU fans were thankful when Fisher left Baton Rouge and took his predictable play calling with him.
Games of Interest: Week Five
Alabama @ Georgia
West vs. East. Nick Saban vs. Mark Richt. Unbeaten vs. unbeaten. Two top 10 teams. The schedule filled with landmines continues for Georgia. We will see how Top 10 worthy Alabama really is.
TCU @ Oklahoma
The Sooners won't look past the Horned Frogs in their quest to remain in the top two.
Illinois @ Penn State
ABC hosts this prime time game in the best matchup of the weekend for the Big Ten.
Top 10 Last Week
1. Oklahoma No. 1
2. USC No. 2
3. Georgia No. 3
4. Florida No. 5
5. Missouri No. 4
6. LSU No. 7
7. Texas Tech No. 6
8. Texas No. 9
9. Wisconsin No. 10
10. Alabama NR
Dropped out: No. 8 Auburn
Knocking on the door: Penn State, South Florida, Wake Forest
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