Week 9 in the SEC didn’t bring chaos. It brought control.
Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas all took care of business Saturday, Oct. 31, and the latest rankings reflected it. No.
3 Georgia rolled past No. 20 Florida 27-8 in the rivalry game formerly known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” No.
12 Ole Miss turned a tight halftime game into a runaway against Auburn, and No. 11 Texas stacked back-to-back wins for the first time since the opening month.
Georgia’s win in Atlanta came with a familiar formula: defense, balance and enough offense to stay comfortably ahead. Gunner Stockton threw for just over 100 yards, while the Bulldogs piled up 217 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Ole Miss had to work a little longer to separate from Auburn. Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels led by only five at halftime, then slammed the door with four second-half touchdowns on the way to a 45-15 finish. Chambliss accounted for three total touchdowns in the win.
Texas looked sharp in its matchup with a Mississippi State team playing its first game without Kamario Taylor. Arch Manning completed 16 of 20 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns as the Longhorns kept their momentum going.
South Carolina also made noise on the road, using a dominant second quarter to beat Oklahoma. That result sparked chants of “Fire Arbuckle” in the stands and raised more questions about the man leading the program.
A handful of SEC teams were idle in Week 9 - Kentucky, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee all had byes, along with Vanderbilt - but the league still made a strong showing in both major polls.
In the US LBM Coaches Poll, Miami stayed No. 1, followed by Georgia at No. 2.
Indiana, Utah, UCLA and Notre Dame rounded out the top six. Kentucky checked in at No. 7, with BYU at No. 8 and Alabama at No.
- Texas landed at No.
11, Ole Miss at No. 12, LSU at No. 15 and Tennessee at No.
- Missouri was No. 19, while Florida was unranked in this poll.
The AP Top 25 told a similar story at the top, with Miami first and Georgia second. Utah moved to No.
3, Notre Dame was No. 4, and UCLA and Indiana followed. Kentucky came in at No.
8, Alabama at No. 9, Texas at No. 10 and Ohio State at No.
- Ole Miss sat at No.
12, LSU at No. 15, Tennessee at No. 16 and Missouri at No.
- South Carolina entered at No. 23, while Florida appeared at No.
In Other News...
Georgia's First CFP Spot Could Set An Early Bulldogs Debate
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season arrive Tuesday night, and Georgia is positioned to be part of the early conversation whether the Bulldogs like the attention or not. Miamis narrow win over North Carolina is expected to put the Hurricanes at No. 1, but the rest of the top of the board should be messy enough to keep the selection committee busy, with Ohio State, Georgia and a cluster of other contenders all waiting to see how the opening snapshot shakes out.
For Georgia, the intrigue is less about where the Bulldogs land on one November night and more about what it says about the road ahead. The committee will spend the next month sorting through a crowded field that includes Utah, UCLA, Indiana, Kentucky, BYU, Notre Dame and several SEC teams, with recent results and strength of schedule likely to carry plenty of weight. The final rankings come Dec. 6, when the 12-team field is set, so this first release is really just the start of the debate. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Heads Into Oxford With Everything Suddenly Feeling Less Certain
Georgias trip to Oxford arrives with both teams carrying momentum, but not much room for error. Ole Miss has been dealing with uncertainty around tailback Kewan Lacy because of a shoulder injury, while Georgia is monitoring Ellis Robinson IV after a lower-leg injury, and those absences could shape how this SEC matchup unfolds on both sides of the ball.
For Georgia, the stakes go well beyond one Saturday in the regular season. With the SEC Championship race and College Football Playoff picture both in play, this is the kind of game that can sharpen a rsum or complicate it in a hurry, especially against an Ole Miss team that has already made itself part of the conference conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Exposed A Georgia Problem That Could Still Matter Later
Georgia came out of its bye week and handled Florida 27-8, leaning on a defense that forced four turnovers and helped fuel the scoring margin. The Bulldogs did enough offensively to control the game, finishing with 318 yards, but the passing attack never really found a rhythm, and Gunner Stocktons 13-for-23, 101-yard day reflected how much Georgia relied on everything else around it.
Kirby Smart did not hide from the issue afterward, acknowledging the passing game has to improve as the schedule turns toward opponents with more capable quarterbacks. For a team that can usually survive a sluggish day through defense and field position, that is the part worth watching now, because the next stretch may not be as forgiving if Georgia keeps leaving too much on the table through the air. [Read more 🡒]