College Football: The Most Exciting Games in the Country Are Played in the SEC

Today, two college football games stood out above the others.

In terms of offense, the crowds, suspense and sheer entertainment value, Mississippi State's loss to Auburn and South Carolina's win in Georgia were as epic as any games played this Saturday. Football purists might decry the occasional lack of defense, but no on can say these games were not fun to watch.

In general, no game featuring two SEC teams isn't.

South Carolina, the 12th-ranked team in the nation, was expected to make quick work of Georgia on their way to claiming the SEC East. However, the Bulldogs' offense had something to say about that.

Quarterback Aaron Murray threw for four touchdowns on his way to 248 yards, and running back Isaiah Crowell rushed for another 118. It could be argued that the Georgia offense outplayed South Carolina's, but a number of timely scores for the Gamecocks kept them from being upset.

Melvin Ingram, a 276-pound defensive end, had a hand in two of them.

Late in the first half, Ingram ran the ball 68 yards into the end zone after a fake punt. And In the final minutes, he scooped a fumble and ran it in for the deciding score. In a last-ditch effort to get back into the game, Georgia's onside kick was recovered by none other than Ingram.

Can anyone say "game ball?"

Georgia's offense was prolific, but they simply could not recover from their turnovers and misreads.  

In Alabama, however, turnovers were not a problem. A pick was thrown for a score by each opposing quarterback, essentially canceling them out.

Auburn's defense gave up 531 yards, but new quarterback Barrett Trotter and running back Michael Dyer made sure to counter-punch. Trotter threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and Dyer had two scores of his own on a 150-yard night.  

They effectively answered the question of what the Tigers offense would do without Heisman-winner Cam Newton.

And with so much offense on both sides, this one came down to the final seconds.

On the final play of the game, Mississippi State was down 41-34 and staring at the Tigers' end zone from 2nd-and goal. With 10 seconds to go, Bulldogs' quarterback Chris Relf decided to bring the ball in himself but was turned back violently by the Tigers' defensive line.

By the end, all 10 seconds had ticked off the clock. Ballgame.  

Mississippi State's visit to Auburn featured two touchdowns in the first five minutes, and did not slow down from there.  

Conversely, South Carolina's win over Georgia saw 39 points scored in the final period. Either way, both games were nail-biters that gave us just a small taste of what the SEC has in store for us this year.

Personally, I can't wait.