In Week 5, the SEC owned the headlines. Whether it was the matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs or the bad beat Ole Miss suffered against the Kentucky Wildcats, there was plenty of excitement to go around.
As we prepare for Week 6 of the 2024 college football season, there’s a ton of storyline to follow, especially within the SEC.
The strongest conference in college football will look to feature a handful of teams in the newly formatted College Football Playoff, but teams will have to prove themselves first in the gauntlet that is the SEC in-conference schedule.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly of the SEC as we enter Week 6.
The Good
After escaping an improbable comeback that Georgia almost mounted, Alabama will hit the road to take on Vanderbilt. With the win, the Crimson Tide took over the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll Top-25, dethroning the Texas Longhorns. There’s plenty of football left to play in the 2024 season, but Alabama seems primed to hold onto that spot unless they suffer a loss at some point on the road. As things stand, the SEC has a pretty strong grip on the top 10 in the rankings.
The Bad
Ole Miss appeared to be one of the strongest teams in the nation, with their offense destroying opposing defenses and the Rebels’ defense looking strong. Unfortunately, Lane Kiffin and his team could not get past Kentucky, which played a tight game and earned the win in the final minutes of the game. It’s not a season-defining loss for Ole Miss, but it certainly hurts the team’s resume. That being said, there is plenty of time to bounce back and redeem themselves.
The Ugly
The Auburn Tigers looked like they were set to win against the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 5, but fell apart toward the end and lost the matchup. Hugh Freeze needs to figure something out fast to keep the team from trending downward. They’ll have their work cut out for them in Week 6 as they take on a Georgia team fresh off of a disappointing loss.