Things are getting spicy in the SEC. Week 5 continued to provide a picture of who the real players are in the SEC while also fogging the window just a tad. Is Georgia for real? What’s up with Bryce Young? Are Ole Miss and Tennessee true contenders for an SEC Championship and playoff berth?

Time to scan the SEC from Week 5 and see what we learned.

Why Don’t You Play Somebody?

Florida and South Carolina played a cupcake in week 5. In attempt to reach bowl eligibility, each team handled their inferior opponents with ease, teaching us nothing about either program moving forward. Each team is now 3 wins away from that 6 win mark. If both take care of business against Missouri and Vanderbilt, their head to head matchup in November will likely decide who goes to a bowl and who stays home.

Close! But No Cigar

Was I the only one pulling for Mizzou to do the unthinkable and knock off #1 Georgia? My wife, who cares zero about college football, noticed my intense attention on this game and said “Georgia is going to win.” I nodded in affirmation, knowing the inevitable was on the way. I believe it tells us more about Mizzou than Georgia, but Georgia fans should start to sweat considering their last two performances.

Bryan “Dumpster Fire” Harsin is currently atop the hottest seat in the SEC. Fingers crossed he is still employed in two weeks. With an opportunity to snatch some momentum for his program with a solid SEC win, the Auburn Tigers were close, but receive no cigars after their loss to the LSU Tigers.

Mississippi Matters

Ole Miss and Mississippi State both came away with impressive victories in Week 5. Both were betting favorites, but the game still has to be played on the field. Texas A&M has been overrated from day 1 so that win is slightly less impressive than the Rebs’ win over Kentucky, but nonetheless, the state of Mississippi will have a major impact on the final standings in the SEC.

Tough Scene

Arkansas’ hope to reach the playoffs and/or the SEC title game have been put to rest. The Hogs made it interesting when they pulled within 5, 28-23, and Bryce Young was out with injury. Sadly, the Razorback defense wasn’t very sharp allowing Jamhyr Gibbs to bust off two separate 70+ yard runs for a score.

The obviously, legally not purchased team of Texas A&M is reeling. The fighting Jimbos would do well to finish third in the SEC West at this point. Their offense stinks and are potentially looking at 2-3 more losses before the season is up. What was the point of firing Kevin Sumlin in exchange for the exact same results? The toughest of scenes.

The Alabama Crimson Tide may have won a big game Saturday, but they took a big hit with the injury to Heisman winner Bryce Young. Young suffered a sprained AC joint which could dramatically alter the Tide’s season. They likely still do not have to worry about the Aggies, but that game in Knoxville in two weeks looks a lot more interesting now.