It's Only SEC (but I like it....)
GEORGE SOMERVILLE – THE TOUCHDOWN SEC CORRESPONDENT
week 7
This time last week, I waxed lyrical about the all-time SEC football classic matchup between Alabama and Georgia. Now I am shouting about a Vandy team which took down Alabama! Wait, WHAT?
The SEC football season may be moving quickly, but it has not been short of shocks and surprises. This week across college football ranked teams including Alabama and Tennessee came unstuck against unranked opposition. The college football world was turned on it’s axis!
While there is some room for manoeuvre in the playoff rankings because of the playoff expansion, these defeats have caused chaos. Which is why we love SEC football.
So you will excuse me this week when I focus in on unexpected but awesome news stories around the Commodores and Razorbacks programs!
Oh! And there is the small matter of a Red River Showdown being played this week in Dallas!
So, welcome y’all to our weekly round-up of life in the Southeastern Conference.
Here are this week’s headlines….let’s get started!
this weeks sec headlines
Help our Goalposts are missing!
Nashville, TN
Hot on the heels of Alabama knocking off the Georgia Bulldogs, the Vanderbilt Commodores knocked off the #1 ranked team in the country, Alabama.
The time at the #1 spot was brief for Alabama (7 days to be exact) but that doesn’t really reflect the shock and awe it caused across college football. Let’s not kid ourselves, Vanderbilt are a different team under Clark Lea. However, they are not expected to be a playoff team and Alabama was a three score favourite going into this game.
The Diego Pavia led ‘Dores parted the Crimson Tide straight down the middle and were worthy winners on the day. The scenes thereafter were of epic proportions and honestly why we love college football. No wonder. Up until that point Vanderbilt had not beaten Alabama in over 40 years and Saturday’s victory was their first over any top 5 ranked team in program history. Yes, of all time!
At the game end, First Bank Stadium erupted with Vanderbilt fans spilling onto the field immediately. ESPN’s Alyssa Lang was seen sprinting and avoiding many blocks to get her post game interview with winning QB Pavia.
Not long after, amongst the celebrations, the goalposts came under threat. We have seen this before in the SEC with Alabama usually playing the part of the defeated party. But, to be honest, these high jinks are such an awesome demonstration of the joy that an underdog win brings to college football.
After the goalposts left the stadium, social media did a wonderful job of tracking them on their 3 mile trek from First Bank stadium, along Broadway. through Nashville city centre, to their final resting place in the Cumberland River.
In doing so, the SEC slapped Vanderbilt University with a $100,000 fine for field encroachment, this being Vandy’s first such penalty. But fear not! The Nashville Fire & Rescue Department retrieved the goalposts from the river and they have been chopped into smaller pieces and sold to raise money to cover the fine.
Awesome. Just really awesome.
Down goes 'Bama! EarthCam captured Vanderbilt students celebrating their historic upset over top-ranked Alabama in Nashville on Saturday night moments before the goalpost was thrown in the Cumberland River! đ pic.twitter.com/9tSjO5wQil
— EarthCam (@EarthCam) October 7, 2024
history in the making
Oxford, MS
News of Alabama losing to Vanderbilt spread like wildfire. Given the historic nature of the upset it was no surprise that this was being talked about across the conference.
In fact Lane Kiffin paused his post game press conference to watch the end of the Alabama game.Â
“this is a once in a lifetime thing going on” said Kiffin mid press conference while pointing  to the TV.
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“better watch, we’re not going to see this ever again” said Kiffin alluding to history being made.Â
Which drew a chuckle from the media members in attendance.
Not to detract from Ole Miss’s impressive 27-3 victory over South Carolina, which gets the Rebels back on track. Ole Miss now rolls into Death Valley and Tiger Stadium on Saturday to face the 4-1 LSU Tigers.
However, Ole Miss may have to do this without star wide receiver Tre Harris. Harris was injured in the first half against the Gamecocks and did not reappear after the half-time break.Â
On Monday of this week Kiffin said that Harris would not be fit if the game was that day,
“He couldn’t finish the first half and wasn’t really close to to going back in the second half. He certainly wouldn’t be playing today. we’ve got to get the other guys ready” Â Said Kiffin at his regular Monday press conference.
Rebel fans will be hoping his fitness improves quickly, and before Saturday.
Red River debuts in the SEC!
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Tx
There is no doubt that The Red River Showdown is one of college football’s most colourful and spectacular fixtures in the sporting calendar.
This year we see the annual face-off between the Texas Longshorns and Oklahoma Sooners played in the SEC for the first time.
On top of this, an undefeated Texas takes on a one loss Oklahoma, in what will be a 92,000 sellout crowd at the Cotton Bowl amidst the the Texas State Fair.
Eyebrows were raised during SEC media days in July when Steve Sarkisian and Brent Venables claimed that the Red River Rivalry was the greatest game in college football and bigger than any game in the SEC.
Well, we are about to find out on Saturday.
During the SEC’s HC teleconference this week, Sarkisian was again asked about where he thinks this game sits in the ranking of great college football spectacles. Sarkisian didn’t blink when saying that Red River is the best
“I would argue, this is this is the premier one to be part of” said Sarkisian on Wednesday during the SEC teleconference.
“You hit the nail on the head. I’ve been part of some great games, some great rivalries (but) this one is just so unique”.
Coach Sark went on to describe just what makes this game so special,
“Obviously, being a neutral site, it’s not the home and home – the setting of the game the time of year. A lot of rivalry games are later in the season, but this is happening at this time of the year.
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The way the stadium is set up, the way the locker rooms are set up – there’s so much that goes into it. And then you just think about the history and tradition, the coaches, the players, the teams that have been involved in this game”.
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“it creates such a an amazing environment that, you know, we really try to cherish as a team and and take in.
The Red River showdown will be shown live on Sky Sports NFL on Saturday starting at 8.30pm UK time.Â
Woo Pig Sooie!
Fayetteville, AR
No question that Arkansas HC Sam Pittman has been feeling the heat this season. A little unfair in my opinion, but the pressure was on after last season’s 4-8 (1-7 in conference) finish. The 2023 season was hugely disappointing for an Arkansas team which had promised so much in preseason chatter.
A tough loss to Oklahoma State in week 2 of this season had the critics back at Big Sam’s door. However, since then the Razorbacks have had victories over UAB & Auburn, before a narrow loss to an in-form Texas A&M took them to a 3-2 record going in to play Tennessee.
Few gave the Razorbacks a chance against the Vols, however, Arkansas recorded a historical 19-14 win over the Vols to give them their first home victory over a top-five team since 1999.
With Alabama falling to Vandy, much of the football world’s focus was on Nashville. However, post game Pittman was keen to let people know that the critics can now get off his back,
“I think it’s going to do more for the state who was veering over here, ‘Hey, they’re going to fire their coach. They’re going to do this. When the hell are we getting this guy out of here’, all that stuff,” Pittman said.
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“I think maybe it’ll unite the state a little bit in saying, Hey, this is our guys. Let’s go. Let’s go back them like they did tonight.”
This really was as fantastic a result for Arkansas as it was damaging for Tennessee, who now know they can’t afford too many more slip ups as they chase a coveted playoff slot.
That said, the win for Arkansas came at a cost. With a bye week this weekend, Pittman is keen to try to get some of his banged up players healthy,
âWell, weâre trying to get healthy, first,â Pittman said. âI think thatâs what the bye weeks are for. Obviously, if youâre looking for some positional changes. Getting some guys that havenât played for a lot of the season back”.
Of premier importance to Razorbacks fans was the health of quarterback Taylen Green who left the game in the fourth quarter. Post game Pittman had thought that the QB had damaged ligaments however on Wednesday he confirmed better news,
âWell, we donât think itâs MCL now,â Pittman said. âMore of a bone bruise. Very, very sore on him. Hopefully heâll be back by LSU. Itâll kind of be day-to-day right now, but our diagnosis was there was not any ligament damage.â
Pittman went on to confirm that kicker Kyle Ramsey, who left the game, has a “significant injury” and will miss some time. Ramsey was replaced by Matthew Shipley who will now take over kicking duties.
DeBoer's Wardrobe malfunction
Tuscaloosa, AL
In the SEC you are never more than one losing game away from a crisis. No more so than in Tuscaloosa who were riding high following last weekend’s sensational win over Georgia. A road trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt was a shoe in. Not.
You have read already about the celebrations in Nashville following the Dores sensational victory. For every action there is a reaction and currently, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is feeling the force of that reaction.
Sports talk phone in shows have been packed full of irate Crimson Tide fans berating coaches, players and frankly anyone associated with the football program. It has been an uncomfortable few days for DeBoer and his coaching staff.
While DeBoer’s coaching style is under scrutiny it appears that Alabama’s notoriously fickle fanbase is finding fault with even the smallest things. While everything was rosy a week ago, DeBoer’s  laid back style has come in for criticism. Even his wardrobe. On Saturday in Nashville, DeBoer chose to wear an Alabama short sleeved shirt. No collar. Which seemed to rub the Crimson Tide faithful the wrong way.
On DeBoers Wednesday’s “Hey Coach” radio show a couple of callers made reference to the criticism DeBoer had received for his “casual” approach to game day style.
 “This week I’ve been hearing a lot of naysayers out there talking bad not only about our players, but the fashion police has been out after you. I’m not sure if you knew that or not.” said one caller.
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A further caller said “I do want to say this, I’m calling with a T-shirt on. So I don’t know if I need to have a tie on when I called. You keep doing what you do, Coach. Roll Tide.”
DeBoer didn’t address the “outrage” directly saying only “Word has gotten to me about that.”
Who would want to be a head coach!
Coach Lea Talks to the touchdown
Nashville, TN
Final words in this weeks post are from Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea. I had the opportunity to talk with the Commodores head coach mid week on the SEC teleconference call.
I asked Lea for his thoughts on the performance having had the benefit of a few days to reflect on the win over Alabama. You can listen to Lea’s full answer below. However during his response, Lea acknowledge the benefit of the win to the program, its fans and the Nashville community aside from just the X’s and O’s. This is what Lea had to say,
“It was a lot of fun to have a great celebration with our program with our team, but also our community”.
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The Vanderbilt head coach continued, “you know, I think football college football in particular is, is something that still is so unifying and still so special, such a special part of our cultural fabric”.
Lea is invested in the Vanderbilt program, no doubt. He is not a coach looking to make the next move. While that may happen in time, it is clear that Lea’s sole focus is getting Vanderbilt to the top of the college football tree. Lea also recognises the benefit to the wider Nashville community, a city which has gone transformational growth in recent years.
“for this program to have created such a positive ripple in Nashville, and again in the Vanderbilt community and to have that ripple and that energy extend is is really special and meaningful to me”.
Honestly you can’t help but root for Lea in this role. Vandy football doesn’t easily appear on the radar along with other sports teams like the Titans and the Predators. However, the Vandy Boys baseball team has shown that the interest is there. With First Bank stadium under significant renovation, due to be completed in 2025 the timing is right for Lea to have built a team exciting enough to fill the place.
Exciting times in Nashville!
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED âITâS ONLY SECâ FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UKâS FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.