Week 12 of the College Football season gave us an incredible weekend slate of games, especially in the SEC. This weekend brought us 2 massive clashes between Playoff contenders as Alabama hosted Oklahoma and Georgia hosted Texas in an SEC Championship rematch. We also got two incredible storylines as South Carolina blew a massive lead against Texas A&M while Lane Kiffin played the school that's begging him to coach their team in Florida.
This weekend in the SEC drastically changed the race for the College Football Playoff, along with the race for the SEC Championship. These final few weeks are shaping up to be dramatic, making for an exciting end to another incredible season in the SEC.
Power Ranking the SEC: Georgia and Oklahoma flip the race
Even as Arkansas faced an LSU team that fired its head coach and offensive coordinator while playing without Garrett Nussmeier, Bobby Petrino couldn't find his first win as the interim. The Razorbacks started red hot with a 14-0 lead, and then the rest of the day, they could hardly get anything going on offense. This team clearly has a ton of flaws, and the entire focus is on nailing the next hire who will need to overhaul the program.
After a disappointing overtime loss against Vanderbilt last week, Auburn spent the weekend on the bye. These final two games of the season are about fighting to make a bowl game, and this stretch will serve as an audition for DJ Durkin, who is a candidate in Auburn's search for a Head Coach. The Iron Bowl has become crucial for Alabama, and an Auburn win could make Durkin the front runner for the job.
Jeff Lebby's team started to show some promise, but games like the one they played on Saturday Night show that this team still has a long way to improve. The Bulldogs allowed Ahmad Hardy to run all over them as he picked up 300 yards on 25 carries for 12.0 yards per carry. The offense couldn't get anything going on the ground, and Blake Shapen threw a pair of interceptions, which is a recipe for disaster.
Even in a disappointing season, it looked like Shane Beamer's team was going to pick up its biggest win of the season, taking a massive 30-3 lead at halftime. In the second half, this team showed you all of their flaws as the offense couldn't hit the same big plays they found in the first half, while Texas A&M got whatever they needed, scoring the final 28 points. Shane Beamer clearly needs to overhaul a lot of this roster and the coaching staff this offseason, as he clearly doesn't have the right mix.
The Florida Gators are one of the most frustrating teams to watch as they can lay an egg against Kentucky, look like the best team in the Country in the first half against Ole Miss, and then get shut out in the 2nd half. This team has a ton of exciting young talent to be excited about, but the Gators next head coach needs to do whatever he can to keep it in place.
The LSU Tigers snapped their 3-game losing streak with a close win to keep the Golden Boot in Baton Rouge. Without Garrett Nussmeier, the Tigers' offense was able to score 23 points with a well-balanced attack as they didn't turn the ball over. The Tigers' defense truly came up big in this game with a stellar showing, holding Arkansas to 2 scores on offense while forcing 3 turnovers.
The Kentucky Wildcats got to take a break from the tough SEC schedule to dominate Tennessee Tech on Saturday. Cutter Boley continues to impress each week as he went 18-21 for 236 yards and a score, adding 24 yards and a score with his legs. This team has played much better down the stretch, and picking off Vanderbilt or Louisville to go bowling would be great for the pressure on Mark Stoops.
Eli Drinkwitz's team was able to snap its 3-game losing streak, picking up a dominant win over Mississippi State. Beau Pribula is injured, and Matt Zollers was still struggling, but the Tigers' rushing attack was dominant as Ahmad Hardy rushed for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns on 25 carries. The injury to Beau Pribula derailed this team's hopes of making the Playoff, but they continue to battle with some encouraging performances for next season.
The Tennessee Volunteers got to take their frustrations from the Oklahoma loss out on New Mexico State in a 42-9 win. Joey Aguilar accounted for 3 touchdowns, while the other running backs scored the other 3 touchdowns. The Volunteers are more likely than not well out of Playoff contention but finishing 9-3 would continue to build momentum under Josh Heupel.
After escaping Auburn with a thrilling overtime win, Vanderbilt spent the weekend on the bye as they prepare for the final stretch of the season. At 8-2 on the season, Vanderbilt is still in the mix for an At-Large bid to the College Football Playoff, but they'll need some help, along with wins over Kentucky and Tennessee.
Steve Sarkisian's team watched their Playoff hopes go out the window as Kirby Smart's team dominated the 4th quarter. Texas couldn't run the ball once again, and it put all the pressure on Arch Manning, who didn't get a ton of help with the Longhorns' offensive line woes and dropped passes. This team was a preseason darling, but all the pieces Texas needed to step up this season, just haven't developed as needed.
The Alabama Crimson Tide dominated the box score, but you can't throw a pick 6, fumble a punt, and miss a field goal and expect to win big games in the SEC. Kalen DeBoer's team now has to avoid slipping up against Eastern Illinois or Auburn if they're going to make the Playoff. Kalen DeBoer's team had been playing with fire the last few weeks, and they finally got burned.
All Brent Venables' team needed was to have their backs against the wall as they picked up a second upset win in a row going on the road and knocking off 4th-ranked Alabama. Oklahoma didn't need to force anything as they took advantage of the Crimson Tide's lengthy list of mistakes to win the game. This win should put Oklahoma right inside the Playoff bubble, and they'll need to beat Missouri and LSU, which is certainly possible to finish 10-2.
As Florida fans were begging Lane Kiffin to coach their team, the Rebels found themselves in a battle with the Gators. Lane Kiffin had the advantage as he had Kewan Lacy on his team, with the veteran running back scoring 3 times with 224 yards. The Rebels left a ton of points on the field, which they'll need to clean up, but they're headed to the College Football Playoff even if they lose the Egg Bowl.
Kirby Smart's team had a vintage performance on Saturday Night as they grinded the Texas Longhorns into submission. After a 6-minute touchdown drive stretching the lead to 11, Kirby Smart rolled the dice, kicking an onside kick, and it panned out, allowing Georgia to burn another 5 minutes off the clock, extending the lead to 18. This Georgia team is growing immensely, and no one is going to want to draw this group in the Playoff.
In the first half, it looked like Texas A&M was going to suffer a shocking blowout loss as South Carolina took a 30-3 lead into the half. In the second half, Mike Elko got to see the true grit of his team as they rallied to pull off the shocking comeback win. The Aggies will have to play much cleaner going forward, but escaping with a win was critical for the Aggies' hopes in the Playoff.