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They Supposed to be SEC: Instant Week 8 Reactions from the SEC East

Perhaps the biggest week in college football upsets, particularly in the SEC, and Mizzou winning isn't even amongst them.

Topics for Discussion: A Weird Week; SEC Title Game Matchup; Coach of the Year - Team Speed Kills

People are paying attention. They have been paying attention. Are we ready for the spotlight?

Are we destined to see Alabama vs. Missouri in the SEC Championship Game? Neither the Tide nor the other other Tigers have locked down their place in Atlanta, regardless of what it might have seemed like Saturday. There are still scenarios under which either could miss out on the title bout, though how good the odds are of any of those situations unfolding depends on your perspective. Are the division races all but over? Or should we have learned our lesson this week about making too many assumptions?

Missouri 36, Florida 17: Tigers Control East - Team Speed Kills

The road to the SEC East goes through Columbia, Missouri.
The biggest advantage for Missouri came along the lines in this game. Michael Sam was dominant from start to finish, abusing Florida RT Tyler Moore and causing several false starts just by existing. The Tiger defensive front spent all game in the Gator backfield, giving Tyler Murphy no time to throw and bottling up the Gators' running game on all but one drive. On the flip side, the MU offensive line paved the way for more than 200 yards rushing, with Henry Josey going for 7.6 yards per rush on 18 carries (136 total).

Vanderbilt Defense Comes Up Big, Limits #15 Georgia to 211 Yards in a 31-27 Win - Anchor Of Gold

Remember when Vanderbilt said beating them wasn't that big of a deal?
Vanderbilt beat Georgia for the first time since 2006. Maybe all the Commodores needed to defeat the Bulldogs was the NCAA's new targeting rules. Vandy benefited from a pair of questionable targeting calls that sustained touchdown drives and ultimately made the difference in the 'Dores win Nashville. However, those calls just set the stage for some superlative performances from a team that had been looking for a spark all season. Robinette, who was playing in place of an injured Austyn Carta-Samuels, provided a stable presence behind center that led his team to a 17-0 fourth quarter and a huge statement in his first meaningful action for Vanderbilt. He was buoyed by big plays from Jonathan Krause (five catches, 89 yards) and Jerron Seymour (71 yards, two touchdowns) as Vandy blew up Georgia's momentum and got a huge home win.

Vanderbilt pulled out all the stops, including this trick play, to pull off the upset.


Vanderbilt postgame FML thread. - Dawg Sports

We lost to Vanderbilt, and lost our one remaining good wide receiver in the process. And Josh Harvey-Clemons on defense.

It's easy to understand how Georgia fans feel screwed by the refs after this play resulted in a targeting penalty on Ray Drew:

Missouri 36, Florida 17: Tigers run over battered Gators in Columbia - Alligator Army

Watching the game yesterday I couldn't help but think that the game would have been drastically different if they'd only fielded a quarterback.
Taylor ran for 74 yards on just 12 carries and scored Florida's only touchdown of the day, but after scoring his touchdown on that drive, he got just one more carry, with Florida following his success with a pass-pass-pass three-and-out. And Florida did virtually nothing in the passing game, with a besieged Tyler Murphy getting sacked six times and completing 15 passes for a tidy 92 yards.

Video: Will Muschamp says Florida is "just not a very good football team" - Alligator Army

After Florida's 36-17 loss to Missouri on Saturday, Will Muschamp addressed reporters from somewhere at Missouri's Faurot Field that left wind blowing his hair and the temporary backdrop behind him. And he began with the truth: "(We're) just not a very good football team."

Oh by the way, Mizzou definitely touched a nerve by doing the Gator Chomp:


South Carolina at Tennessee: Gamecocks Choke against Vols - Garnet And Black Attack

The Vols have just completed a stunning upset of the Gamecocks, kicking a field goal to win as time expired, 23-21. Marquez North set up the field goal for the Vols with an amazing catch downfield against Ahmad Christian. Christian played the pass perfectly, but North came down with the ball against the odds. Michael Palardy did the rest. Congrats to the Vols on the first big win of the Butch Jones era.

Jadeveon Clowney is capable of doing things you can't configure video game characters to do


And don't forget, SCAR's offense is pretty damn potent, Mike Davis is a homestar runner:


SIGNED, BUTCH JONES - Rocky Top Talk

The game was every bit as close as it should be to end such a bad streak. In the first half, field position dictated the story: South Carolina was almost always buried deep within their own 20 yard line while Tennessee enjoyed midfield starting positions. A pass to Pig Howard for 12 yards, coupled with a personal foul allowed Tennessee to open scoring with a field goal. South Carolina responded with a 76 yard pass to Byrd to start the second quarter and take the lead 7-3. But as has been the personality of the team this year, Tennessee answered right back with a touchdown drive of their own, both running and passing effectively to set up a touchdown pass to Howard. They then forced a three-and-out by South Carolina and continued to wear down the Gamecock defense, setting up a walk-in 5 yard touchdown run by Rajion Neal.

I know many believe that Tennessee is awful, but a combination of injuries by their opponents and players who can do this:


Make me more and more worried about this game.

The First Inch - Rocky Top Talk

Today wasn't the last inch. There are thousands more to go. The rebuilt foundation of Tennessee Football will come more on the shoulders of current players and incoming recruits than a single win over South Carolina.

Hotty Toddy Gosh Almighty! Ole Miss Beats LSU 27-24 - Red Cup Rebellion

It finally happened. A Hugh Freeze team held on in the fourth quarter to win a marquee matchup against a ranked SEC squad. After three straight losses against solid SEC competition, the Rebels pulled it out to win over the rival LSU Tigers in front of a sold out crowd in Oxford's Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The obvious comparison's between Johnny Manziel and Maty Mauk are too easy, but tell me, does this not kind of remind you of Mauk?


Post Game Thoughts: Our Chickens Came Home To Roost - Good Bull Hunting

This loss has been weeks in the making. Every single demon we've faced this year, bad play calling, poor defense, relying too much on johnny to be johnny and for our OL to be perfect....well it all came back to bite us square in the ass. Kudos to Auburn. They played a helluva game. Their coaching staff put together a damn near perfect game plan. Hats off to Gus Malzahn. He got himself a signature win.

Human After All - Good Bull Hunting - a poem

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Aggie twelve that day:
The score stood 41-38, with but five minutes more to play.
And then when Marshall got a first down, and then scored to take the lead,
A sickly silence fell upon the Aggie fans indeed.
Also, this is the second week where there's been an injury scare for Johnny Manziel, this time due to what looked like a horse-collar tackle: