Questions Ahead of Week 8 of SEC Football
Credit: University of Tennessee Athletics
By Tucker Harlin
As always, here’s a look at the answers to the questions I asked last week.
WAS TENNESSEE’S OFFENSIVE LINE AS BAD AS IT LOOKED IN FAYETTEVILLE? I don’t think so, but it still left much to be desired
HOW DID ALABAMA RESPOND TO A BAD LOSS UNDER A NEW COACH? It won, but not in the fashion Bama fans thought it would.
DID OKLAHOMA’S DEFENSE CAUSE ENOUGH TROUBLE TO STAY IN THE SHOOTOUT? A resounding no in the 34-3 loss.
DID OLE MISS DO WHAT IT NEEDED FOR ITS FIRST WIN IN BATON ROUGE SINCE 2008? No. The offense was underwhelming.
This week, I have four questions ahead of Week 8 of SEC play.
WHICH INCONSISTENT OFFENSE HAS THE BETTER DAY IN NEYLAND STADIUM?
Despite starting 5-1, both Tennessee and Alabama have come down to earth and then some on offense.
Tennessee was scoring in the 50s, 60s, and 70s before SEC play. The Vols average just shy of 21 points per game in SEC play.
Some of the issues are results of porous offensive line play and lack of imaginative play calling. Those problems disappeared last week, but execution wasn’t where it needed to be against Florida.
Alabama is scoring more points than Tennessee in SEC play, but red flags were waving in the win against South Carolina. The Gamecocks turned a two touchdown lead into a five-point deficit due to mistakes Jalen Milroe made in the passing game.
South Carolina has a strong front seven, but so does Tennessee. The Vols also have the environment on their side, making this an even more difficult challenge for the Tide offense.
HOW DOES LIFE WITHOUT MERTZ PLAY OUT IN THE SWAMP?
Ever since Graham Mertz recovered from the concussion he suffered against Miami, Florida has played Mertz on two of every three possessions and coveted freshman D.J. Lagway on the third.
Much to the amazement of non-Florida fans, the offense was functioning better with Mertz calling the shots than Lagway in its wins over Mississippi State and UCF. But this two quarterback system only lasted three games.
Mertz tore his ACL in the loss to Tennessee, and the flow of the game changed for the worst when Lagway played every possession.
So, how does Lagway perform without the security blanket that is Mertz?
Kentucky is no slouch on defense, something Florida knows all too well in its four losses to the Wildcats in the last six seasons.
IS LSU WALKING INTO A TRAP IN FAYETTEVILLE?
All signs are pointing to a trap game for the Bayou Bengals as they head to the Ozarks to square off against Arkansas.
On the Arkansas side, we’ve already seen the Razorbacks generate a Top 10 upset over Tennessee. Couple the win over the Vols with the fact the Razorbacks are off a bye and they look primed for another upset.
LSU is coming off an emotional comeback win over Ole Miss in which it needed overtime. That’s not something you want when your opponent is resting on a bye week
So how does LSU muster enough energy to avoid giving Arkansas its second straight upset victory? We’ll know the answer Saturday night.
WILL QUINN EWERS TEAR APART THE GEORGIA SECONDARY?
This has to be the most frustrated former Bulldogs defensive back Kirby Smart has been with his secondary in his nine seasons as head coach.
Everyone ignored the Alabama game because we were all assuming Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams had established an otherworldly connection. But the concern becomes genuine when you let the second string quarterback on the worst team in the SEC dice you up at home.
Milroe has come down to earth since he beat Georgia, and even before the season I could’ve told you Ewers was a better passer than Milroe.
Ewers already tore apart a defense that features the best corner in the nation at Michigan. Oklahoma also has a legit defense and Ewers only needed a quarter to settle in.
Georgia struggled to contain Isaiah Bond in the SEC championship game last season, and he’s shown evidence he could cause problems again.
Look for Texas to exploit a patchy Georgia defense early in often.
