By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

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Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott proved that he is one of the top signal callers in the country.

Take a bow, October 4th. We spent all of September amidst slates of games full of way too many Directional States hyping how important and how much fun you would be. The hype was virtually impossible to live up to, but you did it.

As it usually does, the SEC had the biggest storylines of any conference heading into the day. Three of the leagues six games saw the team leading after three quarters lose. Without further adoxa6

Florida 10, Tennessee 9

The Gators won because: They found their spark. A position switch, especially at quarterback, does more to a team than just change one player. Will Muschamps overdue decision to bench an ineffective Jeff Driskel in favor of Treon Harris brought to life a Gators offense that had gone almost five quarters without scoring. A costly fumble by Tennessees Justin Worley gave Florida a short field, allowing the Gators to close within 9-7 early in the fourth quarter. The Vols had no answers for the Florida defensive front, and one long drive to take a 10-9 lead was all the Gators needed for their 10th straight win in the series.

Mississippi State 48, Texas A&M 31

The Bulldogs won because: They may have the best quarterback in the country. Yes, its still the Texas A&M defense, but Dak Prescott was surgical in carving up the Aggies defense for 336 total yards and five combined rushing and passing touchdowns. Kenny Hill had his worst game as an Aggie, but got little help from a receiving corps that had way, way too many drops. Two Bulldogs fumbles kept Texas A&M in it until midway through the second quarter, but the Bulldogs tightened the screws and turned in one of their biggest wins in program history in a game far less competitive than even the 17-point margin of victory would suggest.

Ole Miss 23, Alabama 17

The Rebels won because: They won the turnover and penalty battles. Eight penalties and a pair of late giveaways cost Alabama in a game that it appeared to be firmly in control of with a 17-6 halftime lead. When Christion Jones fumbled on the kick return following a long game-tying touchdown pass from Bo Wallace to Vince Sanders, Ole Miss remained aggressive despite already being in field-goal range. A lovely pass from Wallace to Jaylen Walton in the corner of the end zone gave the Rebels the lead, but Alabama drove into the red zone before a penalty pushed them back to the 32-yard line. One play later, the game was over, as Blake Sims was intercepted by Senquez Golson in the back of the end zone.

Georgia 44, Vanderbilt 17

The Bulldogs won because: They never gave Vanderbilt a chance. The Commodores played arguably their best game of the year, but Georgia started fast to grab a quick 21-0 lead. Todd Gurleys 25 carries were more than expected the week before a nasty two-game road trip to Missouri and Arkansas, but the 8Dawgs were without both Keith Marshall and Sony Michel. Hutson Mason didnt have to do much, but nor did he help silence the crowd calling for a quarterback change. Its a dynamic to watch over the next few weeks as Georgias schedule ramps up.

Auburn 41, LSU 7

The Tigers won because: When theyre clicking, theyre the most dominant team in the country. Auburn has had its issues with LSU in recent years, but Saturdays game was over not long after it started. Auburn took a 17-0 lead just 12 minutes into the game, as Sammie Coates and Duke Williams showed why theyre the most freakish receiving duo in college football. Oh yeah, the running game still works pretty well too, as Nick Marshall and Cameron Artis-Payne combined for 245 of Auburns 298 yards on the ground. Its gut-check time for LSU, which is unaccustomed to getting blown out, but hasnt even competed in its first two conference games.

Kentucky 45, South Carolina 38

The Wildcats won because: They wanted it more. Its clichxc3xa9, but the concerns for South Carolina heading into the game were that they may be ready to throw in the towel. Combine that with simply not being very good, and you get what happened Saturday night. The Gamecocks led 38-24 in the fourth quarter, but Kentucky closed to within seven and then scored 14 points in 17 seconds, capped by an interception return for a touchdown by star defensive end for Bud Dupree. Three Dylan Thompson interceptions cost South Carolina dearly on a night when both teams running games were dominant.

Game Balls

Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott 3 19-of-25, 259 yards, 2 TD, 77 rushing yards, 3 TD

Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace 3 18-of-31, 251 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Kentucky RB Jojo Kemp 3 17 carries, 131 yards, 3 TD

Quick Hits

*Thats enough, Jeff Driskel. While having all the physical skills you want, the light is simply never going to come on for Driskel. True freshman Treon Harris isnt necessarily the answer, but its time to move on in Gainesville. You could see the renewed energy in the Florida players when Harris finally entered Saturdays game, and that might have been the difference in the 10-9 victory. When its time for athletic director Jeremy Foley to make a decision on the future of Will Muschamp, it will help Muschamp if there is a known quantity in place at quarterback.

*Saturday was Butch Jones 10th loss at Tennessee, but it was the first one for which he needs to shoulder some blame. You cant blow two-score leads in the fourth quarter against one of the SECs worst offenses. Yes, the offensive line mess is mostly Derek Dooleys fault, but the Volunteers needed to close that game out and overcome a mental hurdle against Florida that has haunted them since Phillip Fulmer was still in Knoxville.

*Im inclined to chalk up Texas A&Ms performance as an anomaly as opposed to exposing fundamental flaws. We know the defense isnt very good, but this offense is still going to rock. The offensive line has to get better, and it goes without saying that the drops that plagued the Aggies in Starkville cant continue. The offense will get its sternest test of the year next week against Ole Miss in College Station.

*You probably didnt even notice that Mississippi State was without its best receiver and fourth-year starting center yesterday, did you? Thats a sign of the depth that Dan Mullen has developed, and an indication of just how high this offense can fly when they get Jameon Lewis (foot injury) and Dillon Day (one-game suspension) back.

*If Michigan hasnt begun putting out feelers to Mullens inner circle yet, someone is seriously dropping the ball. (But we know that never happens in Ann Arbor, right?)

*The missed face mask on Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones fumble return for a touchdown just before halftime is inexcusable. Holds and grabs are going to be missed many times over the course of a game, but a face mask, especially one in the open field, shouldnt be. The end result renders the no-call immaterial, but at the time, it appeared to be the break the Crimson Tide needed to be able to exert their will in the second half. Credit Ole Miss for overcoming the no-call, but the plays impact eventually being minimalized doesnt excuse the error.

*This may not sit well in Palo Alto or East Lansing, but the best defense in college football resides in Oxford. Alabama managed just three points in the second half, one game after lighting up a very good Florida defense for more than 600 yards. The Crimson Tide averaged only 3.8 yards per carry on the ground, and Amari Cooper was limited to just 91 yards receiving. Theres another big test ahead next week at Texas A&M, but the Ole Miss defense is good enough to stop any offense in the country.

*Can LSU right the ship before this season completely comes off the rails? Next weeks trip to Florida is probably a must-win, as it is for Will Muschamp as well. The young Tigers figure to be a much different team in November than they are now, but would it be that surprising if LSU goes 5-7? Check the schedule: at Florida, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Alabama, at Arkansas, at Texas A&M. Is going 1-5 in that stretch that unrealistic?

*The quarterback juggling at Vanderbilt has gotten beyond ridiculous. Wade Freebeck started Saturdays game at Georgia, giving way to Stephen Rivers in the second quarter. Rivers played four series and then he too was pulled, with Freebeck being reinserted. Its clear that it doesnt matter who is under center for the Commodores. Derek Mason committed to burning Freebecks redshirt in the third game of the year, and he should stick with the true freshman. This year has been and will continue to be a disaster, but the inability to commit to a quarterback has made it even worse.

*Its more likely that the SEC West champion has two losses than zero losses. No one is getting through that gauntlet unscathed. And perhaps the best team in the division, Auburn, has to go to Georgia. A one-loss SEC champion is obviously a lock for a playoff spot. But if it has two losses? Thats when a game in somewhere like Ames, Iowa or Pullman, Washington becomes must-see television in the South.

*I thought Kentucky could go 5-7, but now the Wildcats are going to have five wins by mid-October after they roll past Louisiana-Monroe next week. Mark Stoops has done an incredible job in Lexington. Take away the missed delay of game call against Florida, and Kentucky could be 5-0 right now and ranked in the Top 25.

*The winner of next weeks Georgia-Missouri game will be in Atlanta on Dec. 6. Or Florida might be. Or Kentucky might be. Beats the heck out of me.

If The Playoffs Started Today

Sugar Bowl: (1) Auburn vs. (4) Ole Miss

Rose Bowl: (2) Mississippi State vs. (3) Florida State

Week 7 Lookahead

What will there be for an encore? The slate isnt quite as juicy next week, but its still loaded. Most of the attention will be on the battle of unbeatens in Starkville, as Auburn visits Mississippi State. Ole Miss travels to Texas A&M for the first time in a conference game, while Alabama makes the long trip to Arkansas looking to recover from its loss in Oxford.

The only inter-division game takes place in Gainesville, as LSU and Florida renew their rivalry. Missouri is the only SEC East team without a conference loss, and could grab a firm hold on the division if it can defeat Georgia in Columbia. The road team has won each of the last two years by 15 points or more.

Tennessee and Vanderbilt step out of conference to lick some wounds against Chattanooga and Charleston Southern, respectively. Kentucky also closes out its non-conference schedule, as the Wildcats attempt to stay hot against Louisiana-Monroe.

South Carolina gets a much-needed bye week after losing back-to-back games.