“The Week Ahead” is our weekly Monday piece, covering any relevant news from the weekend and taking a first look at all the games coming up this weekend.
Week 5 News
What’s KJ Jefferson’s status? Jefferson left the fourth quarter of the Alabama game after Sam Pittman said he “hit his head.” That sounds concussion-y. All levels of football are being extra careful about concussions in the wake of Tua Tagovailoa’s awful injury against the Bengals on Thursday. If Jefferson doesn’t clear concussion protocol, then either Cade Fortin or Malik Hornsby will start against Mississippi State. Fortin actually looked decent as a passer. He completed just 4 of 10 passes and his downfield throws weren’t very accurate, but he has a quick release and throws with good crispness, making him ideal for RPOs.
Hogs out of AP Poll, Cincinnati in. Arkansas didn’t drop out because of the Alabama game. I think it was more due to Texas A&M throwing up all over itself in Starkville. That was a bad loss that will look worse at the end of the season, I fear.
Of course, Cincinnati jumping back into the poll seems silly. Cincinnati is 4-1 because they’ve played Kennesaw State, Miami of Ohio, Indiana, and Tulsa since losing in Fayetteville. The Hogs would be 4-0 with that schedule, too.
Bret Bielema gets Paul Chryst fired. Illinois’ 34-10 win in Madison turned out to be Paul Chryst’s final game. He went 67-26 in seven-plus seasons with three Big Ten West titles. The Badgers are just 2-3, but that seems like an insanely-quick trigger. Coaches can’t have bad seasons anymore. Chryst just got an extension in January and has a $20 million buyout, though Wisconsin’s athletic director says the school agreed to pay a significantly reduced amount.
Bielema, on the other hand, is one of the frontrunners for national coach of the year. The Illini are 4-1, and per Bill Connelly’s SP+ model, they have a 70% chance of reaching seven wins. They might be the favorites in a wide-open Big Ten West. Barry Lunney is doing a nice job of running the offense – keep an eye on him if Kendal Briles leaves after the season – while DC Ryan Walters is probably the Broyles Award leader at this point. Our models say the Illini have the 6th-best defense in the nation.
Bryan Harsin watch continues. Harsin is still Auburn’s coach. The Tigers jumped on LSU 17-0 but didn’t score again in a 21-17 loss. Auburn is 4-2 but might not win another SEC game if they can’t beat the Hogs on the Plains in a few weeks. They still have to play Georgia (this weekend), Alabama, and Ole Miss. The risk of not firing Harsin after the LSU game is that if Auburn somehow beats Georgia, it becomes much harder to dismiss him anytime soon.
Recent posts
- Box Score Breakdown: Arkansas 24, Auburn 14
- The Day After: Week 4
- Matchup Analysis: Auburn
- The Week Ahead: Week 4
- Box Score Breakdown: Arkansas 37, UAB 27
Week 6 in the SEC
Missouri at Florida. Eli Drinkwitz managed to cool down the heat on him last weekend, as Mizzou hung around to the end with Georgia before falling, 26-22. The Tiger defense is actually pretty good. The offense played well against Georgia but still has a lot of issues. Mizzou really needs this game, as a loss makes bowl eligibility unlikely, as they would need to go 3-2 in the SEC over their final five. Florida’s Billy Napier will feel some major heat if the Gators lose this one, though Florida’s remaining schedule is more forgiving.
Auburn at Georgia. Will this be it for Harsin? Georgia looked bad in Columbia but will likely be refocused for this rivalry. The Bulldogs are favored by nearly 30 points.
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt’s offense is better this year, but it’s hard to give them a chance, even at home.
South Carolina at Kentucky. Spencer Rattler gets another chance to show off against an SEC opponent. He threw for 387 yards against Arkansas but has not looked great otherwise. This is a potential measuring stick by proxy game to compare Arkansas and Kentucky.
Texas A&M at Alabama. This was the most-hyped game of the offseason due to Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher’s war of words, and now Alabama is favored by 24 points. Aggie QB Max Johnson is hurt, so it looks like the Aggies get to pick between interception-prone Haynes King and true freshman Conner Weigman. Good luck!
Watch These
Arkansas at Mississippi State (11 am, SEC Network). Arkansas can still go 9-3… or 6-6. This game will tell us a lot about how the Hogs will finish. It’s not a great matchup for the Razorback defense, but the Bulldog defense is far from elite. We’ll have an in-depth preview later this week.
Tennessee at LSU (11 am, ESPN). Tennessee’s toughest test yet will be in Death Valley, where they get the benefit of an 11 am kickoff. LSU’s Jayden Daniels-led offense is fine but not great, but the Tiger defense is easily the toughest Tennessee has seen so far. This game provides a fun clash of styles.
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