Auburn vs. Jacksonville State
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn reacts to a call during the first half Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
Saturday started off rough for the SEC, and it only got worse as the day went along.
The SEC began the day with 10 of its 14 teams ranked in the top 25 nationally, but at least three of those are likely to drop out entirely -- an a few others drop several slots -- after Saturday's carnage. One SEC lost at home to a MAC team, while two others struggled with entries from the OVC and Sun Belt, respectively.
Still another ranked SEC team blew a 17-point home lead and lost in double overtime. And the conference's highest-profile school didn't exactly blow the doors off a Conference USA opponents.
What follows is not for the squeamish. Here's a recap:
Auburn 27, Jacksonville State 20 (OT)
The Tigers met the Gamecocks for the first time -- and likely last time -- in program history on Saturday, and nearly suffered the most embarrassing loss in school history. However, several JSU mistakes late in regulation and in overtime gift-wrapped an Auburn win. Instead, Auburn was left with the most embarrassing win in school history.
Alabama 37, Middle Tennessee 10
Don't let the final score fool you. The second-ranked Crimson Tide never really found its extra gear on Saturday, struggling defensively for most of the first half, and enduring uneven performances from its quarterbacks. Unlike its cross-state rival, Alabama was never in danger of losing on Saturday, but things are about to get tougher for the Tide.
Toledo 16, Arkansas 12
The Rockets waltzed into Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium and came away with the MAC's first win over the SEC since Northern Illinois knocked off Alabama in 2003. Arkansas totaled 500-plus yards of total offense, but somehow managed just 12 points.
Oklahoma 31, Tennessee 24 (2 OT)
Tennessee led 17-0 in the second quarter and 17-3 after three quarters, but somehow gave up two late touchdowns in regulation and lost in overtime. It was the Volunteers' 28th loss in its last 29 games against ranked teams, proving Butch Jones' team is not quite "back."
Missouri 27, Arkansas State 20
A long-ago agreed-to road game against a Sun Belt team very nearly turned into a disaster for the two-time defending SEC East champs, who had to rally from a 17-10 halftime deficit. Missouri's always-rugged defense stood tall in the second half, but it was still an uninspiring final score.
Florida 31, East Carolina 24
The Gators weren't one of the SEC's ranked teams before Saturday, but didn't do much to inspire future confidence against the Pirates. Nevertheless, Florida trailed at halftime before rallying for the win. Still, the biggest moment of this game was a sideline eruption by the Gators' coach.
Hey, at least Ole Miss and Texas A&M dominated against non-conference competition on Saturday. That's something, right?