Florida overcame a tough game Saturday afternoon to sneak past Vanderbilt, 9-7, and win the SEC East.
No. 2 LSU, meanwhile, let the potential to put a stranglehold of its own on the race in the West slip well out of its hands with a 30-16 loss at No. 4 Alabama.
The Crimson Tide (8-1, 5-1) now leads the chase to face the No. 10 Gators (8-1, 6-1) in Atlanta in December, with the Tigers (7-1, 4-1) suddenly holding just narrow leads on No. 18 Ole Miss (7-3, 4-2), No. 20 Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2) and Arkansas (5-4, 3-2) — and then No.