The SEC has been full of surprises recently. The SEC is sure to entertain between its upsets, team rallies and fan participation. Despite only having two teams in the top 10, the conference has still been active among the top 25. Georgia and Alabama remain at the top, but some key competitions resulted in the rise and fall among SEC teams within the top 25. Georgia and Alabama appear to be at the front of the pack regarding projected SEC involvement in the College Football Playoff, due to ranking, overall record and talent. Four individual contests from the past week will be discussed.

Arkansas vs Auburn

The No. 17-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks hosted the unranked Auburn Tigers. Scoring for both sides was mostly even until the fourth quarter. Auburn outscored Arkansas 10-0 in the fourth quarter giving it the edge in the 38-23 victory. The Tigers retain a respectable 5-2 record overall while the Razorbacks fall to 4-3. The once-No. 8 Razorbacks fell out of the top 25 with the loss to the Tigers. Conversely, the now-No. 19 Tigers earned their way back into the rankings.

LSU vs Florida

The LSU Tigers hosted the No. 20 Florida Gators in a high-scoring, competitive game. The Tigers had a dominant second and fourth quarter, which aided them in their 49-42 victory. LSU outscored Florida 21-7 in the second quarter and 14-7 in the fourth quarter. Florida fell to 4-3 overall while LSU improved to 4-3. The Tigers dethroned the Gators from the rankings, but remain unranked as well. The contest was entertaining, but neither team will make noise relating to the conference championship or College Football Playoff.

Georgia vs Kentucky

The Georgia Bulldogs performed well in what was their most difficult game yet. Georgia beat Auburn the week prior, but Kentucky was the better team by ranking and record. The 30-13 final score reflected the difference between the competition. The Wildcats lost to the Bulldogs by seven less points than the Tigers did. Georgia defeated Auburn 34-10. The defeat was Kentucky’s first loss this season as Georgia remains undefeated. The Wildcats are now 6-1 overall and the Bulldogs are 7-0.

Tennessee vs Ole Miss

The Tennessee Volunteers hosted the No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels. This game between the Volunteers and Rebels involved some fan participation. Both plastic and glass bottles, as well as a golf ball, were thrown on the field and at players, coaches and cheerleaders. Numerous outlets have reported on the incident and photos show the debris on the field. Despite the effort of the Volunteer fans, Ole Miss managed to hold on as it earned a 31-26 victory. The Rebels led 31-19 moving into the fourth quarter with just enough of an edge to prevent a last-minute loss. Tennessee only scored seven points in the fourth quarter. Tennessee fell to 4-3 overall and Ole Miss improved to 5-1. The Rebels are now the No. 12-ranked team in the nation while the Volunteers remain unranked.

Upcoming contest – Ole Miss vs LSU

The LSU Tigers will travel to Ole Miss after their high-scoring victory against the Florida Gators. Ole Miss won a close game against Tennessee even with the difficult environment created by the fans. Both the Rebels and Tigers will have momentum moving into the contest, which will make for an interesting game. LSU will surely be prepared to take down another ranked opponent while Ole Miss will push to continue its impressive season performance.

Neil Conley is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email nzc5252@psu.edu.