Week five in the SEC was just as chaotic as the previous week, providing us with meltdowns, upsets and some incredible performances. Here's how I rank each SEC team after week five:
14. Vanderbilt Commodores
The Commodores were able to win their second game of the season against Middle Tennessee in week five. Ralph Webb led Vanderbilt with 25 carries for 155 rushing yards and a score. Derek Mason's team allowed Middle Tennessee to keep the game close, turning the ball over three times (two interceptions and one fumble). The Commodores go into their week six bye with a 2-3 record.
13. South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks lost their third-straight SEC game of the season to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday. South Carolina kept the game close, trailing 17-10 going into the half, but true freshman Lorenzo Nunez threw three costly interceptions that allowed Missouri to come out on top 24-10. A lot of questions have yet to be answered about this team, and Steve Spurrier will have to figure something out with LSU coming to Columbia this weekend.
12. Tennessee Volunteers
The Vols lost another heartbreaker in week five, where they blew yet another double digit lead to what many thought was an inferior team. A lot of fans are beginning to question head coach Butch Jones' philosophy, and I can't blame them. Tennessee will try to pick up the pieces, as they host the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium in week six.
11. Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks ended a three-game skid against Tennessee, in a game where Arkansas showed a lot of perseverance after trailing 14-0 in the first quarter. Alex Collins turned in his third-straight game with over 150 yards rushing and added two touchdowns to help the Hogs get their first SEC win. Arkansas continues conference play in week six when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama.
10. Missouri Tigers
Missouri started true freshman quarterback Drew Lock, who led them to a 24-10 win against South Carolina. This game was the first time in SEC history where two true freshman quarterbacks faced off against each other as starters. Lock was efficient against the Gamecocks, completing 21-of-28 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers host the Florida Gators in week six action.
9. Kentucky Wildcats
A win's a win, right? The Wildcats were able to overcome a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter to take the Eastern Kentucky Colonels to overtime, where the Kentucky was able to pull out a victory. The win puts the Wildcats at 4-1 on the season going into a week six bye. They host Auburn in a Thursday night matchup to kick off week seven.
8. Auburn Tigers
The Tigers defeated San Jose State by two touchdowns in a 35-21 week five win. Peyton Barber found the end zone five times in this game, and Auburn only threw the football a grand total of 10 times with freshman Sean White. Auburn goes into a bye week before facing the Kentucky Wildcats in week seven.
7. Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs lost a tough conference game to Texas A&M in week five. Mississippi State coughed up two costly fumbles that allowed the Aggies to cash in on scoring opportunities. Dak Prescott, however, extended his streak to 225 passing attempts without an interception. The Bulldogs, now 1-2 in conference play, host non-conference opponent Troy in week six.
6. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia lost a huge matchup against Alabama in a 38-10 loss in Sanford Stadium in week five. This was the first conference loss for Georgia, who now sit at 4-1 on the season (2-1 in conference play). Nick Chubb was able to rush for 100 yards, breaking Herschel Walker's school record of 12-straight games with 100-plus yards on the ground. The Bulldogs will travel to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in week six.
5. Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels were shocked in Gainesville, losing 38-10 to the Florida Gators. The Gators forced Ole Miss to turn the ball over four times in a game where the Rebels couldn't seem to find any sort of rhythm on offense. The loss drops Ole Miss to 4-1 (2-1 in conference play), as they'll look to recover when they host New Mexico State at home in week six.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide grabbed a much-needed win against Georgia and proved that there's still a chance that we could see them in the playoff. Derrick Henry rushed for over 140 yards with a touchdown, but Alabama's defense and special teams stole the show with touchdowns off a blocked punt and a interception return. The Tide will try to go 2-1 in conference play in week six when they host Arkansas.
3. Florida Gators
The Gators proved that they are a legitimate contender out of the SEC East in week five, shocking the Ole Miss Rebels in a 38-10 win in The Swamp. Florida jumped out to a big lead early, outscoring the Rebels 25-0 heading into the half. The Gators are now 5-0 (3-0 in SEC play) heading into a week six road trip to face the Missouri Tigers.
2. Texas A&M Aggies
A&M keeps winning, and the Aggies beat another SEC West rival in week five with their 30-17 win over Mississippi State. This game featured an interesting call where Aggies' wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones was ejected on a targeting call in the second quarter. Texas A&M is now 5-0 (2-0 in SEC play) going into their bye week during week six. After the bye, the Aggies host Alabama in week seven.
1. LSU Tigers
The Tigers started off a little shaky against Eastern Michigan, only taking a six-point lead into the half. Leonard Fournette, however, posted another astounding performance and became the first running back in SEC history to rush for over 200 yards in three consecutive games in LSU's 44-22 win. The Tigers remain undefeated, and they'll travel to Columbia, South Carolina to play the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks in week six.
As always, thanks for reading! Be sure to follow me on Twitter @griffaldo.
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