SEC net ypp, Week 5

Five weeks in, here’s the conference order by net yards per play, with the offensive ypp and defensive ypp, respectively, in parenthesis.  As I’ve been doing, I also show the week-to-week change in the net figure (stats via cfbstats.com.)

1. Alabama:  2.39 (8.18; 5.79) [net change:  +.07]
2. Florida:  1.29 (7.61; 6.32) [net change:  DNP]
3. Georgia:  0.67 (5.42; 4.75) [net change: DNP]
4. Mississippi State: 0.52 (5.08; 4.56) [net change:  DNP]
5. TAMU:  0.47 (6.43; 5.96) [net change:  DNP]
6. Kentucky:  0.23 (5.10; 4.87) [net change:  -.05]
7. Auburn:  0.10 (5.53; 5.43) [net change:  +.09]
8. Arkansas:  -0.16 (4.85; 5.01) [net change:  DNP]
9. Missouri:  -0.26 (5.67; 5.93) [net change: -.17]
10. South Carolina:  -0.39 (5.60; 5.99) [net change:  +.06]
11. LSU:  -0.61 (6.56; 7.17) [net change:  +.05]
12. Ole Miss:  -0.85 (6.50; 7.35) [net change:  +.14]
13. Tennessee:  -0.93 (4.88; 5.81) [net change:  -.55]
14. Vanderbilt:  -3.30 (3.95; 7.25) [net change:  DNP]

Here’s the current order for turnover margin.

• +6:  LSU, Arkansas
• +3:  Kentucky, Alabama
• +2:  Auburn, South Carolina
• +1:  Georgia
• -1:  Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
• -4:  Missouri
• -5:  Ole Miss
• -10:  Mississippi State

And, observations:

• The outliers are a story:  Alabama and Vandy in net ypp and LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi State in turnover margin.
• The net ypp numbers are starting to stabilize week over week.  Except for Tennessee’s, that is.
• The Egg Bowl is gonna be a mess, isn’t it?
• Bookends:  LSU and South Carolina both improved their net ypp and that’s also the case for Auburn and Ole Miss.
• Meanwhile, Kentucky’s and Missouri’s both declined.

Today’s stat of the day

Apparently, defense is optional for the Laner ($$):

Every Ole Miss opponent has scored a season-high point total against the Rebels.

Florida scored 51, Kentucky scored 41, Alabama scored 63, Arkansas scored 33 and Auburn scored 35. Those are all season-highs for those teams.

Quite the body of work there.

Could’a been a contendah.

So, Jake Rowe, in defending the proposition that Georgia has a legitimate chance to make it to this season’s CFP, has this to say about its Achilles heel:

It has been said numerous times over the past year that it takes elite offense driven by elite quarterback play to win a National Championship. There are examples to support that and few would argue against it being the best way. No matter who plays the quarterback position at Georgia, it’s almost certainly not in the arsenal this year. Bulldog fans would love for it to be, but it’s just not.

That doesn’t mean the Bulldogs can’t push some boundaries as far as the performance of its overall offense. They don’t have to be some grand exception to the rule and defy all of these insurmountable odds to be a great offense. It’s just going to take improvement and consistency. It starts with whoever plays the quarterback position. Right now that guy is Stetson Bennett IV and minds have already been made up about him, but the feeling inside UGA’s building is that he can play at a much higher level than we’ve seen thus far. He has to take care of the football, use the entire field, and make the defense pay for game planning to take away what he likes to do by crossing up his tendencies.  [Emphasis added.]

Easier said than done, I’m afraid.  Especially when the head coach goes on record saying the offense has to do a better job of helping him.

Currently fourth in the SEC in defensive yards per rush, Kentucky has done a decent job defending the run this season.  I don’t think it takes a strategic genius to expect that the ‘Cats are going to load up to stop Georgia’s running game and make Bennett beat them throwing the ball.  On top of that, UK is also good at limiting explosive passing plays, only allowing a total of three completions of 30 yards or more so far (UGA has allowed six, by comparison).

This week’s game has all the hallmarks of being a grinder, in other words.  Assuming the Dawgs stay out of turnover trouble — Kentucky has yet to win a game in which it wasn’t in positive turnover margin territory — that would suit Smart just fine, even if it doesn’t add much to Bennett’s development.

Georgia has attempted 47, 28, 27 and 40 passes in its four games, an average of 35.5 per game.  I would be surprised if Bennett attempts even 25 throws come Saturday.

Which calls for a reader poll…

SEC Power Poll, Week 5

Every week, I keep hoping the conference waters will become a little less muddy.

I’m still waiting.

1. Alabama.  Will Waddle’s season-ending injury become a factor?  It wasn’t Saturday.
2. Georgia.  With each week’s passing, I understand why pulling in the reins for the remainder of the regular season is so tempting for Kirby Smart.
3. Texas A&M.  The Aggies’ chances to run the table didn’t take much of a hit, assuming they can keep up with LSU’s offense.
4. Florida.  Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see how shutting down the program for a week during the regular season isn’t going to hurt the Gators, at least a little, in the short run.
5. LSU.  This team will go as far as outscoring Bo Pelini will take it.
6. Auburn.  If Gus’ rabbit’s foot were an SEC team, I’d rank it third in this week’s Power Poll.
7. Missouri.  Looks like the Tigers found a quarterback.
8. Arkansas.  The Hogs are here because the bottom of the East is a dumpster fire again.
9. South Carolina.  The ‘Cocks averaged 7.9 yards per play and lost by 28.
10. Kentucky.  Can’t blame turnovers for the loss, just a totally ineffective offense.
11. Ole Miss.  Yeah, they got hosed, but if it’s in the service of keeping Malzahn employed as Auburn’s head coach, I’m good with it.
12. Mississippi State.  Next stop, Tuscaloosa.  Leach versus Saban has the potential to be entertaining.  The game, though, probably not so much.
13. Tennessee.  Even the Vol faithful aren’t buying Pruitt’s “remain calm, all is well” act.
14. Vanderbilt.  So you’re saying there’s a chance against Tennessee?

Fabris Pool results, Week 8

This week, a logjam at the top and a tiebreaker:

Congrats to 4boysbrew for pulling it out over a crowd.

There’s a tie at the top of the seasonal standings, too.

Coming attraction

Big week in the SEC. Thrilled to be on @GeorgiaFootball and @UKFootball Saturday with @JRodgers11 and @colecubelic. Old school, smash mouth football.

— Tom Hart (@tom_hart) October 25, 2020

Fuck, I hate spoilers.

Todd, meet manball.

Ah, shit, Kirby.

Smart indicated Georgia’s offense, which ranked sixth in the SEC, might work to tone things down a bit moving forward.

“We can’t get in a boat race where we’re trying to outscore people,” Smart said. “We have to play our brand of football and help Stetson (Bennett) with the people around him, is probably the No. 1 thing.”

He’s playing a team this week that Mizzou held to 145 yards of total offense, so Georgia can dog paddle instead of boat racing and win comfortably.  But does anybody besides Smart think this team can beat Alabama without being able to keep up with them in scoring?

Blowed up

If The Princess Bride’s Fezzik played college football, I imagine this is what his blocking would look like.

Start your morning off with more of the JJ Pegues destruction…
This is a true freshman. pic.twitter.com/mNg4hpPMgg

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) October 25, 2020

Bobo blames Boom.

Honestly, I have no idea how this is even possible.

South Carolina threw for 10.6 yards per attempt, had one running back go for 10.5 per rush (12/126) and another 7.0 per rush (7/49), only turned it over once, and lost 52-24. Muschamp, man.

— David Wunderlich (@Year2) October 25, 2020

Before you go there, turnover margin in the game was zero.

Nailed it.

College football pundits discussing LSU’s offense after Joe Brady’s departure:  Steve Ensminger sux!  The Tigers won’t be able to produce any points now that college football’s greatest offensive mind has left for the NFL!

Steve Ensminger:  hold my beer, dipshits.

LSU's true freshman QB tonight in his first career game:

209 rating

Joe Burrow in the greatest passing season in the history of college or professional football:

202 rating lol

— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) October 25, 2020