By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

Matt Smith recaps week eleven in the SEC.

Scores
No. 5 Texas A&M 31, Auburn 20
Missouri 50, Arkansas 48
No. 6 Florida 31, Tennessee 19
Kentucky 41, South Carolina 18
No. 1 Alabama 55, LSU 17

The Big Story
It was Judgement Day for Texas A&M, and the Aggies passed the test. After falling behind Auburn 20-14, thanks in part to a highlight-reel touchdown run by Tigers quarterback Bo Nix, the Aggies outscored Auburn 17-0 over the final quarter-plus to improve to 7-1 and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. 313 yards on the ground against a porous Auburn front seven paved the way, while emerging star tight end Jalen Wydermyer had two touchdown receptions.

Texas A&M hadnt trailed since its Oct. 10 win over Florida, so Saturdays second-half deficit was the first game pressure the Aggies faced in eight weeks. For a program that has been much more bark than bite, skepticism was warranted, but Texas A&M got back to what it does best in scoring on three consecutive drives while forcing two Auburn three-and-outs in between. The Tigers were effective on the ground in averaging 6.5 yards per carry, but only had the ball for just 22 minutes due to the defenses continued inability to stop the run.

The top four teams all won comfortably on Saturday, so Texas A&M wont move from its No. 5 position, but it kept its name alive heading into an interesting game next week against an explosive but potentially depth-challenge Ole Miss team. The Aggies are running the ball well, their defense is making plays, and quarterback Kellen Mond is not making mistakes. They still need help, but this is finally starting to look like the team Jimbo Fisher was paid $75 million to build.

Top Takeaways
*Arkansas and Missouri delivered an absolute classic, as the teams combined for more than 1,200 yards and 98 points in the Tigers wild 50-48 win on a last-second 32-yard field goal from Harrison Mevis, his fifth of the game. Arkansas had taken the lead with less than a minute to go on a two-point conversion that was deflected by a Missouri defender. It was a clean game as well, as neither team turned it over. Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson filled in admirably for an injured Feleipe Franks with 274 passing yards and four total touchdowns. Larry Rountree led the way for the Tigers with 185 rushing yards and three scores.

I felt all week that this game would probably decide who wins SEC Coach of the Year. At 5-3, Missouris Eli Drinkwitz now has the edge with games against Georgia and Mississippi State remaining. Nick Saban doesnt win this award unless there is no other option, but Drinkwitz having a winning season after being picked sixth in the division makes him worthy. Arkansas fans remain thrilled with Sam Pittman, as even a 3-7 finish after next weeks presumed loss to Alabama blows away even the highest of expectations for the 2020 Hogs.

*We knew it was coming. Alabama knew it was coming. Even LSU knew it was coming. The Crimson Tide storm rolled into Baton Rouge on Saturday night and exacted revenge for last seasons home defeat to the Tigers, as Alabama put up 45 first-half points in Tiger Stadium en route to a 55-17 thumping of LSU to move to 9-0 and clinch the SEC West title. DeVonta Smith locked up the Biletnikoff Award with a 231-yard, three-touchdown day in his return to his home state of Louisiana. Najee Harris also found the end zone three times, as he accounted for 145 of Alabamas 265 yards on the ground. Mac Jones completed his first 12 passes, finishing with 385 yards and four touchdowns.

Theres really nothing to nitpick here for Alabama. There were a couple explosive plays from LSU, but outside of a 54-yard touchdown run by John Emery, the Tide allowed just 69 yards on 21 other rushes, adjusted for sacks. This is unquestionably the best team in the country and the clear favorite to win the programs sixth national title under Nick Saban. Alabama will face a top quarterback in two weeks against Florida, which it hasnt since winning a 63-48 shootout over Matt Corral and Ole Miss eight weeks ago, so the only sticking point on the resume right now is the lack of top quarterbacks faced.

Quick Hitters
*Floridas offense was slow out of the gate against a rested Tennessee defense, but Kyle Trask settled in in the second quarter with a pair of touchdown passes to give the Gators a two-score halftime lead. They never looked back, rolling to their 15th win in their last 16 meetings with the Volunteers, 31-19, clinching their first SEC East title since 2016. Florida put the game on Trasks shoulders, running just 11 times during the first three quarters. The Heisman Trophy candidate delivered with another brilliant performance, carving up the Tennessee defense for 433 yards and four touchdowns while completing 71 percent of his passes. The pass rush came alive with six sacks, but Florida cant count on that against Alabama in two weeks. The back end of the defense is going to have to play its best game of the season for the Gators to have a chance in Atlanta.

*For as unpredictable of a program as it is, Auburn felt very much like a 6-4 team heading into the season. They would of course lose in Athens and Tuscaloosa, split home games with LSU and Texas A&M, and suffer a bad road loss at Ole Miss or South Carolina. That appears to be exactly what happened, as the Tigers now sit at 5-4 heading into a game they should win at Mississippi State next Saturday. The Tigers will have lost either four or five games for the sixth time in seven seasons. Thats a holding pattern, and holding patterns generally dont work for head coaches in the SEC. Gus Malzahn isnt going anywhere, but there seems to be zero excitement about the future amongst Auburn fans.

*Kentucky finished off a wild season with a 41-18 win over hapless South Carolina. Chris Rodriguez and A.J. Rose both went over 100 yard, as Kentucky dominated from start to finish. I expected the Wildcats to close the season strong, and they did just that, showing once again how resilient they have been under Mark Stoops after a challenging few weeks for the program on and off the field. 4-6 isnt what Kentucky was hoping for this season, and it wasnt enough to save offensive coordinator Eddie Grans job, but the Wildcats went 4-4 against their original eight opponents, losing both of their added games against Alabama and Ole Miss. The beatdown of Tennessee in Knoxville was a treasured moment for all associated with the program. Stability reigns in Lexington.

*With Billy Napier removing himself from consideration, it looks like South Carolina will announce Oklahoma assistant Shane Beamer as its next head coach, as first reported by The Athletic on Saturday night. Beamer is an interesting choice given his last name and his work with Dan Mullen, Steve Spurrier, Kirby Smart and Lincoln Riley, in addition to his legendary father, Frank. Beamers appeal was likely aided by both his last name as well as some other non-coordinators (Ed Orgeron, Sam Pittman) having success as head coaches, as delegating control of both sides of the ball has proven effective at other places. Is it a big leap of faith for the Gamecocks? Absolutely. Theres nowhere to go but up, however, and it sure beats hiring a retread like South Carolina did when hiring Will Muschamp.

*The SEC announced its remaining schedule on Friday, and it looks as if theres still a chance for all 70 games to be played. With Ole Miss paused until Wednesday, next weeks Ole Miss-Texas A&M game is at risk, but if the Rebels are able to play, the league will remain on track to finish with six games next weekend, followed by four regular-season games plus the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 19. Kudos once again to the league for their prudence and patience in designing this schedule.

*Bowl Projections? Sure, why not. Here goes nothing.
Sugar (CFP semifinal): Alabama
Orange: Texas A&M
Cotton: Florida
Peach: Georgia
Citrus: Auburn
Outback: Ole Miss
Gator: Missouri
Music City: Tennessee
Liberty: Kentucky
Texas: LSU
Armed Forces: Arkansas
Birmingham: Mississippi State

Around The Nation
*OK, Texas. Now what? With rumors swirling about Tom Hermans future and the potential candidacy of Urban Meyer, the Longhorns went to Kansas State on Saturday and obliterated the Wildcats, who beat Oklahoma back in September, 69-31. Is it enough to save Hermans job? It seems like things are too far in motion to turn back now and retain Herman, but nothing is ever certain in Austin. With recruiting not where it should be, I still think Herman will no longer be the coach after next Saturdays regular-season finale at Kansas.

*Ohio State improved to 5-0 with a 52-12 rout of Michigan State. The question now becomes will the Buckeyes be able to play a sixth game next week to be eligible for the Big Ten Championship Game. Scheduled opponent Michigan has COVID concerns, so that game could be canceled, but with Minnesotas availability also in doubt, a schedule reshuffle could allow Ohio State to play Maryland. The Big Ten could also vote to reduce the minimum number of games for title game eligibility. That will be a huge deal this week, but I dont think it should be. The league should make every effort for Ohio State to play a game, but if it cant, I dont see a need to change the agreed-upon eligibility rules. The Buckeyes playing Wisconsin or Iowa on Dec. 19 should not hurt their CFP chances compared to playing Northwestern in the official Big Ten Championship Game. All three teams are comparable and should look pretty similar on a resume. Also, the Big Tens best path to getting two teams in New Years Six bowls is for Ohio State to not win the conference title, as theyd be guaranteed to earn an at-large selection if unbeaten. The strategy will be interesting to watch as the weeks play out.

*Congrats to Iowa State, which will play in the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time in two weeks against Oklahoma in a rematch of a 37-30 thriller won by the Cyclones on Oct. 3. The Cyclones clinched a bid as it kicked off against West Virginia when Texas beat Kansas State, but they went on to dominate a pesky Mountaineers team, 42-6. Iowa State hasnt won a conference title since 1912, when it won the Missouri Valley Conference. Matt Campbell could be a hot name for the Texas job if it opens and Urban Meyer remains in television, but Cyclones fans should not worry about the future and instead savor a fantastic season that could be capped off with a historic win in Arlington in two weeks.

*Soapbox moment: Everyone loved that No. 12 BYU and No. 18 Coastal Carolina were able to schedule a game on 72 hours notice despite being located 2,000 miles apart. It was a great game, won by the Chanticleers, 22-17, to stay undefeated and hand BYU its first loss. Much of the reaction has been, cwhy cant we do this every year?d. Thats very shortsighted, in my opinion. No season will ever be like this season. Flexible scheduling will never happen in the Power Five. Its plausible in the Group of Five to keep a November weekend open for some inter-conference games, but what would be the goal? Would it help a team get into the CFP? Thats unlikely. What about a second New Years Six bowl bid for the Group of Five? Perhaps. Would the TV money for, say, a game between 10-0 Boise State and 9-1 Appalachian State on Nov. 20 be too great to pass on? I cant see that being the case on a full Saturday of games. Its fun to think about, but its just not very practical in a normal season. That said, congrats to both programs for providing a great game on an otherwise sleepy day of games. BYU has been the model for finding solutions through all this seasons challenges, including being the only western team willing to start its season in September.

A Peek at Next Week
The Big One
Ole Miss at No. 5 Texas A&M, 8 p.m. ET (CBS)
Ole Miss has played only the three worst teams in the SEC since falling to Auburn in a controversial defeat on Oct. 24. Its hard to gauge how good the 4-4 Rebels are because of that, but theres no doubt their offense is capable of getting into the 40s on any defense. Theyll face a good one on Saturday in College Station, with absolutely nothing to lose against a 7-1 Texas A&M team that has everything to lose.

Dont Miss
No. 1 Alabama at Arkansas, Noon ET (ESPN)
LSU at No. 6 Florida, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
No. 12 Georgia at Missouri, Noon ET (SEC Network)

Flip Around
No. 13 Oklahoma at West Virginia, Noon ET (ABC)
Michigan at No. 3 Ohio State, Noon ET (FOX)
Navy at Army, 3 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 20 North Carolina at No. 9 Miami, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
No. 7 Cincinnati at No. 18 Tulsa, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2)