Joel Klatt isn’t ready to hand the SEC’s No. 2 spot to anyone just yet.
With Week 8 in the books and November looming, Klatt said he’s still trying to sort out a conference that has plenty of quality but no obvious answer behind Georgia. He called the Bulldogs the league’s best team, despite the loss to Auburn, but said he has trouble trusting anyone else right now.
“We’re about to be in November… [and] I have no idea who I trust in this league,” Klatt said on his show. “I think Georgia’s the best team in the SEC, even though they lost to Auburn.
Who’s the second-best team? Ceiling-wise, it’s probably Texas.
Consistency-wise, it’s probably Kentucky.”
Texas and Kentucky both have cases, but in different ways. Klatt pointed to the Longhorns’ high-end résumé and matched that against the Wildcats’ steadier body of work.
Texas has the bigger wins, but also multiple losses. Kentucky, meanwhile, has only one defeat.
He also threw LSU into the conversation as a team that could climb into that spot. Klatt wondered aloud whether the Tigers might end up there, especially with Texas coming to Baton Rouge.
“Who do I think [the SEC’s second-best team] going to be? LSU?”
Klatt asked. “They get Texas at home… we’ll see if LSU can [win] that.”
Before LSU can worry about Texas, Lane Kiffin and Co. have a tougher immediate test in Week 10, when they face Alabama. The Crimson Tide and Tigers are set for a 3:30 p.m.
ET kickoff on Nov. 7.
In Other News...
Georgia Backfield Just Got An Encouraging Chauncey Bowens Update
Georgias backfield has been waiting on Chauncey Bowens, and there is at least some encouraging movement after a two-game absence. The running back has been dealing with an injury described as being between the toes, and his return to practice this week offered a sign that the recovery is heading in the right direction. He has been working through agility drills, which is a step forward for a group that has had to keep adjusting without him.
Bowens still is not cleared for full contact or game action, so the Florida matchup appears to come too soon. Even so, the fact that he is back on the field at all gives Georgia reason to think he may factor in later this season, depending on how the injury responds over the next stretch. For a team trying to manage depth in the backfield, that kind of progress matters, even if the finish line is still a little ways off. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias Auburn Loss Exposed A Problem Kirby Smart Cant Ignore
Georgias home loss to an unranked opponent was the kind of setback that can linger well beyond one Saturday in Athens, especially when the details point to self-inflicted damage. Costly penalties and turnovers helped drag the Bulldogs into an avoidable defeat, and even with some bright individual performances, the overall picture was hard to miss for Kirby Smart and his staff.
Freshman receiver Craig Dandridge gave the offense a spark with a team-high 88 receiving yards, while linebacker Raylen Wilson turned in a busy day with 10 solo tackles and a sack. Still, the most jarring number belonged to Auburns Byrum Brown, whose 115 rushing yards topped Georgias entire ground game, a mismatch that underscored a problem the Bulldogs cant afford to shrug off as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fans Are Suddenly Eyeing Sanford Stadium For A Huge Reveal
Georgia fans have spent the day trying to decode a simple butterfly image posted by the athletic departments official social media accounts, and the lack of explanation only added to the buzz. In Athens, even a vague tease can turn into a full-blown guessing game, especially when it appears tied to Sanford Stadium and the kind of announcement that could bring a different crowd to campus for a big fall reveal.
One theory making the rounds points to a concert by Grammy-nominated artist Noah Kahan, with the butterfly imagery echoing what is on his tour website and a countdown timer adding to the speculation. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the clock is clearly ticking, and Georgia fans will not have to wait long to find out whether the tease is about football, music, or something else entirely. [Read more 🡒]