S-E-Weak: Ole Miss football left to take up torch for weakened SEC | Toppmeyer
Undefeated Ole Miss football has taken up the torch for the SEC West. The Rebels didn’t so much seize the prize. Rather, LSU, Alabama and Texas A&M fumbled it away — too hot to handle — and Ole Miss stumbled upon the baton.
A division once known as college football's toughest looks like an impostor in the final season before the SEC unites as a 16-team conference without divisions.
Florida State cut through LSU in Week 1 like a hot knife. Miami did the same to Texas A&M on Saturday. Questions of whether Bobby Petrino would ignite the Aggies’ offense dominated the offseason. After Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke threw for 374 yards, I’m reconsidering how much former Aggies defensive coordinator Mike Elko, now Duke’s coach, meant to Texas A&M’s more successful years under Jimbo Fisher.
Texas pressed its thumb on Alabama on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium, winning 34-24 in a result that didn’t come off as much of a surprise. Alabama's mystique has slipped away. Now, “losing is a privilege" at Alabama, as offensive lineman JC Latham put it.
That’s the type of squirrelly line you’d hear emanate only from a college football program. Imagine Warren Buffett saying making lousy stock buys are a privilege.
While four SEC West teams remain undefeated, Auburn’s offense remains hidden, requiring a gritty win at California, and Arkansas had its hands full with Kent State. Mississippi State needed five takeaways to beat Arizona in overtime.
No. 19 Ole Miss (2-0), after its 37-20 road win over then-No. 22 Tulane, rules the day — for the moment, anyway — in a division that oddly may find conference games to be a relief.
The Rebels’ performance wasn’t a slam dunk. Tulane exposed concerns about the offensive line. The star running back, Quinshon Judkins, has just 108 yards after two games.
A key moment in Ole Miss' triumph was a false start. That penalty negated what would have been a turnover on downs, allowing Caden Davis to bang through a 56-yard field goal for a two-possession lead in the fourth quarter.
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This win belonged to quarterback Jaxson Dart and an Ole Miss defense that stiffened after halftime after getting gashed for big plays in the first half. Dart supplied timely completions, including all the yardage on a critical 70-yard fourth-quarter drive. On fourth down, he dodged a sack before flicking a touchdown pass to Michael Trigg on the run.
I wouldn’t say the Rebels are now the favorite to win the SEC West, but their games at the end of this month against Alabama and LSU will determine the direction of the division.
Jimbo Fisher heat check
Will Texas A&M's boosters pass the hat and keep passing it until it fills? That's the question that will define the Aggies' future.
After hiring Petrino to save the Aggies’ offense, Fisher doesn’t have many cards left to play. Hiring a new coordinator is among the final moves in the struggling coach playbook.
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There’s one reason Fisher remains employed despite going 5-8 in his last 13 games, including Saturday's 48-33 loss to Miami. Actually, maybe there’s 70-some million reasons, all greenbacks.
Fisher’s buyout would still exceed $77 million in December. Texas A&M is quite literally pot committed. If any school could stomach such a historic payout, though, it’s the Aggies, a revenue behemoth.
The stomach for such a buyout could gain a thicker lining if Texas keeps winning in its leadup to joining the SEC, while the Aggies stumble through the abyss.
Finding believers in Fisher at this moment is like finding a shade in a desert, but can the Aggies’ money men find $77 million under their mattresses?
Three and out
1. Play-by-play radio announcer Andy Burcham counted down the final seconds of Auburn’s late-night road win at Cal with such gusto, you might’ve thought the Tigers had won the Iron Bowl. In truth, this 14-10 result was further suggestion that Auburn doesn’t have its offense figured out. Auburn passed for all of 94 yards. Still, as bad as it got for Auburn the previous two seasons under Bryan Harsin, I can understand why the radio broadcast of Auburn beating any Power Five opponent on the road provided sounds of euphoria.
2. If Georgia’s consecutive national championships weren’t enough to confirm the end of Alabama’s reign, there’s this: After Texas thumped Alabama 34-24, Longhorns fans in Austin chanted, “We want Georgia!”
3. I began with a look at the bumbling SEC West, but the scene isn’t much prettier in the East. Kentucky and Missouri got all they could handle in tight wins over Eastern Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, respectively. Mark Stoops said after a 28-17 triumph that the Wildcats can’t let naysayers steal their joy. Maybe that’s what the SEC is this season: Feeling joyful after slithering past an FCS opponent.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
The "Topp Rope" is his twice-weekly SEC football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: S-E-Weak: Ole Miss football left to take up torch for weakened SEC
