ESPN College Football

The ESPN.com Power Rankings are in so it's time to check out how Chris and I voted in our Top 25 polls this week:

Edward

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Stanford
4. Ohio State
5. Clemson
6. Georgia
7. Texas A&M
8. Louisville
9. Florida State
10. LSU
11. South Carolina
12. UCLA
13. Oklahoma
14. Miami
15. Baylor
16. Michigan
17. Florida
18. Washington
19. Northwestern
20. Texas Tech
21. Arizona State
22. Oklahoma State
23. Fresno State
24. Ole Miss
25. Maryland

Chris

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Clemson
4. Stanford
5. Ohio State
6. Georgia
7. Texas A&M
8. Louisville
9. Florida State
10. South Carolina
11. LSU
12. UCLA
13. Oklahoma
14. Baylor
15. Miami
16. Northwestern
17. Washington
18. Texas Tech
19. Florida
20. Michigan
21. Arizona State
22. Oklahoma State
23. Fresno State
24. Ole Miss
25. Northern Illinois

From defensive struggles to quarterback quandaries to head coach hot-stove talk to even nature walks, there's plenty going on in SEC football this week. Here's a sampling of discussion points from around the league:

• The speed Alabama uses on special teams has helped its kickoff and punt coverage units play better this season.
• Now that they have seen some SEC action, Auburn freshman receivers Marcus Davis and Tony Stevens could play bigger on-field roles moving forward.
• Georgia got a huge defensive stop late to help secure a win over LSU. But if the Bulldogs have national title hopes, their defense can't allow as many points as it did Saturday.
• Texas A&M's defense struggled against Arkansas, but it continued to play hard every snap. And for that, Jackie Sherrill says it deserves credit.
• LSU coach Les Miles said the Tigers have to fix problems in their secondary that contributed to big pass plays allowed in the loss to Georgia.
• South Carolina's ability to close games has to get better and one player -- Jadeveon Clowney -- was making that point clear on the sidelines against Central Florida.
• Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease took his quarterbacks on a nature walk in order to clear their minds during downtime leading up to the Gators' game against Kentucky.
• Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze is moving on from the Tyler Siskey controversy and will not ask the SEC to investigate the issue.
• Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said he saw a "feisty, aggressive, angry, competitive" spirit in quarterback Brandon Allen, who returned from a shoulder injury on Saturday against Texas A&M.
• Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, who attended a Volunteers practice last week, said "it's going to take time" and that Butch Jones "has got lots of challenges" ahead of him in getting Tennessee back where it wants to be.
• Missouri has revenge on its mind against Vanderbilt, a team to which the Tigers lost 19-15 at home last season.
• Kentucky coach Mark Stoops would love to have a definitive answer at quarterback but feels it's "reckless" to name a starter right now just for the sake of naming one.
• James Franklin's name is a hot one being thrown around for the USC job, but the Vanderbilt coach deflected questions on the topic on Monday, saying he's focused on Missouri.

By now you're probably well-versed in the Zach Mettenberger homecoming angle from last Saturday's Georgia-LSU game. You might even be tired of it.

But considering the circumstances surrounding the game -- his return to play against the program he grew up cheering for, where his mother still works, despite his having been kicked off Georgia's team in 2010 following an offseason arrest -- LSU's quarterback is a no-brainer as the SEC's top performer on Saturday.

His typically powerful running game was accomplishing very little and his defense was completely ineffective. That left it up to Mettenberger and his talented team of wide receivers to help the Tigers stay in the game, and they did, scratching back to take the lead late in the fourth quarter before Georgia ultimately scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:47 to play, giving the Bulldogs a 44-41 victory.

Mettenberger had one final opportunity to complete his homecoming with a storybook ending, but his fourth-down pass sailed high and Georgia escaped with the win.

Nonetheless, Mettenberger --already one of the most improved quarterbacks in college football this season == delivered the finest performance of his career, completing 23 of 37 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns.

He showed no signs of distraction following a week of questions about emotional conflicts and previous off-the-field issues when he returned to the stadium where he once hoped to become a star wearing red and black. It would have been understandable if Mettenberger turned in a tight performance under such circumstances, but it was quite the opposite.

Yes it was in a losing effort, but Mettenberger's play against Georgia was about as impressive as it gets.

Senior offensive guard Garrett Brumfield (Baton Rouge, La./University Laboratory High) was presented his honorary game jersey on Friday during the American Family Insurance Selection Tour for the 2014 Under Armour All-America High School Football Game.

Brumfield is the No. 102 ranked prospect in the ESPN 300, and the No. 4 offensive guard in the Class of 2014. He committed to LSU over Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Texas A&M and Miami (FL).

“I’m really excited to be able to be a part of the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game,” Brumfield said. “It’s a great opportunity, and I can’t wait to go out in January and compete against some of the best guys in the country.”

The decision to play in the Under Armour All-America Game was a simple one.

“I accepted the invitation because of the guys who have played before me. My teammate last year, Tim Williams, Julio Jones has played, actually one of my idols, La'el Collins, played in the Under Armour Game. Being able to follow in those guys’ footsteps was a great opportunity. For me to be an Under Armour All-American, it’s a great opportunity. I feel like I’ll get to come out and compete against literally the best guys in the country. There is going to be great talent out there, and great competition. I’m really excited for it.

Blessed with the understanding of hard work and talent maximization, Brumfield feels like his selection was due to a combination of work and talent.

“I honestly feel like I was picked because I’ve showed that drive, that hard work ... that I can go out and compete and play well against the rest of the guys. I’ve shown I have the character, the physical ability and the talent to go out and play against those guys.”

The 2014 Under Armour All-America Game is set for 4 p.m. ET Jan. 2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and will be televised on ESPN.

Everybody is still recovering from the weekend that was in the SEC. Let's see what people are saying about the top games and performances from Week 5.

• Alabama started the season 3-0, but it didn’t look like the No. 1 team in the nation. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide finally played with passion in a shutout victory over Ole Miss.
• Saturday’s loss to Alabama wasn’t pretty, but all things considered, the Ole Miss defense held its own against the Tide.
• When former roommates Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger competed against each other on Saturday, it was Murray who got the last laugh as Georgia defeated LSU in a shootout.
• Mettenberger and Murray will meet again -- if not in December, in the near future on Sunday.
• LSU coach Les Miles always covers for his players, in victory or defeat, but he can’t cover for the Tigers' defensive woes against Georgia.
• With Johnny Manziel and a balanced rushing attack, the Texas A&M offense keeps getting better, but eventually the Aggies will need their young defense to mature.
• South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is hopeful that quarterback Connor Shaw will return in two weeks. In the meantime, Dylan Thompson will start for the Gamecocks.
• The Florida coaches raved about running back Matt Jones coming into the season. They knew they weren't wrong. Jones stepped up for the Gators with a career-high 176 yards against Kentucky on Saturday.
• Auburn has had a week to prepare for what could be its biggest game of the season.
• For better or worse, Justin Worley is Tennessee’s quarterback. Coach Butch Jones stuck with Worley in Saturday’s win over South Alabama.

Anybody hot … or not?

It’s that time again as we review the week that was in the SEC.

GLOWING EMBERS

Alabama’s intel: Alabama’s defense was already fired up thanks to what the Tide perceived as smack talk by some of the Ole Miss players leading up to the game. Let’s face it: There’s a fine line sometimes between a player answering a question honestly and his comments mushrooming into full-blown bulletin board material. Either way, the Alabama defense was amped by some of the things Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace was quoted as saying earlier in the week, even though what Wallace said was pretty tame. We’re not exactly talking about any “Archie who?” banter here. But where the Crimson Tide really stuck it to the Rebels was with a little inside intel thanks to Tyler Siskey, Alabama’s assistant director of football operations. Siskey was on the Ole Miss staff last season as director of recruiting development. He was in the Alabama coaches' booth for the game with a set of binoculars, and even though Ole Miss changed up its signals, there weren’t many times that the Tide were fooled by what the Rebels were doing offensively. As ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge noted during the broadcast, Siskey’s knowledge of the Ole Miss offense was a big asset to an already imposing Alabama defense in its preparation for the game. The Tide might not have had the Rebels’ signals, but they were sure locked in to the Rebels’ tendencies on offense and played lights-out in shutting out a Hugh Freeze-coached team for the first time in his college career.

HOT

Missouri cornerback E.J. Gaines: When you start reeling off the top cornerbacks in this league, don’t forget about Gaines. He’s off to a terrific start to the season. In the 41-19 win over Arkansas State, he had nine total tackles, including one for loss, and his third interception of the season to set up Missouri’s final touchdown. Gaines is more than just a cover guy. He leads the Tigers with 19 solo tackles.

NOT

LSU’s defense: The Tigers have a way to go defensively. When you lose as many good defensive players early to the NFL draft as they have over the last couple of years, that kind of talent drain has a way of catching up with even the best defenses. Veteran coordinator John Chavis knew this defense would be a work in progress, but seeing all the blown coverages in the 44-41 loss at Georgia and wide-open receivers running free in the LSU secondary was difficult for anybody on that LSU staff to stomach.

HOT

Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray: So much for the “can’t win the big game” label. Murray has been fabulous in Georgia’s two wins over top-10 teams this season, with eight touchdown passes and just one interception. There’s no substitute for his experience, and it shows in the way he’s carving apart defenses right now.

NOT

SEC defenses: Only one SEC team (Florida at No. 2) is ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense this week. For that matter, only two are ranked in the top 20. Mississippi State is 20th. In scoring defense, Alabama is still among the national leaders at No. 13. The offenses have taken center stage this season in the SEC, and suddenly the defenses are trying to catch up. Keep in mind, too, that six of the seven national champions during the SEC’s streak have finished in the top 10 nationally in total defense.

HOT

South Carolina running back Mike Davis: He’s the SEC’s rushing leader heading into the month of October and seemingly gets better every week. He carried the Gamecocks in the 28-25 win over UCF after Connor Shaw went down, and finished with a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns. He has had a run of 50 yards or longer in three of his four games.

NOT

Schedule balance: Talk about a contrast in October schedules. Alabama doesn’t play anyone that should come within 20 points of the Crimson Tide (and that’s being kind) until LSU comes to town on Nov. 9. Arkansas, meanwhile, has Florida, South Carolina and Alabama over the next three weeks, and Florida and Alabama are on the road. Tennessee gets Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama in October. Ole Miss also has a tough October stretch that will go a long way toward shaping the Rebels’ season. They travel to Auburn this weekend and then come back home for back-to-back games against Texas A&M and LSU. Georgia gets a little bit of a break, although the Bulldogs do have to go on the road to face both Tennessee and Vanderbilt in October. Given their September gantlet (three top-10 opponents), nothing should seem too daunting the rest of the way.

FREEZER BURN

Staying healthy: Geez, what a bad week on the injury front for a handful of SEC teams and players. Florida was already reeling after losing starting quarterback Jeff Driskel to a season-ending injury two weeks ago against Tennessee. And then last week in practice, star defensive tackle Dominique Easley was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Easley was playing as well as any defensive lineman in the league. This past weekend, we saw South Carolina quarterback Shaw go down with a right (throwing) shoulder sprain that will sideline him for two to three weeks. Alabama will be without starting center Ryan Kelly for two to three weeks after he suffered an MCL injury to his knee, and Georgia running back Todd Gurley injured his ankle in the win over LSU. Georgia coach Mark Richt said Gurley would be “day-to-day” in preparation for Saturday’s game at Tennessee and wouldn’t need any kind of surgery. The Bulldogs played the final three quarters without Gurley. Texas A&M defensive tackle Kirby Ennis had to leave the Arkansas game with a left knee injury. Depending on the severity of Ennis’ injury, he will have some extra time to recover. The Aggies are off this week before traveling to Ole Miss on Oct. 12.

Well, the top team in our Power Rankings certainly made sure everyone knew exactly why it was No. 1:

1. Alabama (4-0, 2-0 SEC; last week: 1): The Crimson Tide defense was tired of hearing how good it wasn't. It didn't like hearing that Ole Miss was going to score on it. So it shut the Rebels out and held them to just 205 yards of offense and 11 first downs. The Alabama offense rolled up 434 yards of offense as well, quieting a lot of doubters in the process.

2. Georgia (3-1, 2-0 SEC; LW: 4): Well, it's pretty clear that the SEC Eastern Division is now Georgia's to lose. After a thrilling 44-41 win over LSU, the Bulldogs showed that no matter how bad their defense plays, the offense will be there to rescue it. The only real defensive test remaining for this unit is Florida. But can Florida's offense keep up with the Dawgs if they score?

3. Texas A&M (4-1, 1-1 SEC; LW: 3): Like Georgia, the Aggies are equipped with an offense that can bail out its struggling defense. The Razorbacks gave A&M quite the scare in Fayetteville over the weekend, but Johnny Manziel and Co. didn't have much trouble piling on points against a struggling Arkansas defense. Still, that rushing defense has to improve with SEC play heating up.

4. LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC; LW: 2): The Tigers' defense showed its youthful age against Georgia on Saturday, especially in the secondary. Georgia churned out nearly 500 yards and averaged 7 yards per play. It didn't help that the front seven didn't generate enough pressure on Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, who threw four touchdowns. But we learned that LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger is the real deal. He delivered some NFL throws and might have outplayed Murray between the hedges.

5. South Carolina (3-1, 1-1 SEC; LW: 5): I don't know what it is with this South Carolina team. It overcame the loss of starting quarterback Connor Shaw by scoring 28 straight points on UCF Saturday, but then turned around and let the Knights end the game on a 15-0 run. The good news for the Gamecocks is they might have one of the most underrated players in the SEC in running back Mike Davis, who leads the SEC in rushing yards per game (127).

6. Florida (3-1, 2-0 SEC; LW: 7): This is officially Tyler Murphy's team, and he's been solid since replacing Jeff Driskel at quarterback. No one really expects much from the passing game going forward, so the running game has to carry this team (again). It did just that with its 246 yards in the win over Kentucky. That defense might be missing Dominique Easley, but it was fantastic against the Wildcats.

7. Ole Miss (3-1, 1-1 SEC; LW: 6): Quarterback Bo Wallace took some heat for saying the Rebels' offense would score some points on Alabama. Well, he ended up scoring for the Crimson Tide with his safety in the fourth quarter. The high-flying offense we saw in the first three games didn't make it to Tuscaloosa, and now the Rebels are gearing up for a crucial conference game at Auburn this weekend.

8. Missouri (4-0, 0-0 SEC; LW: 8): We still don't know a ton about this team, but the Tigers scored at will against their nonconference foes, averaging 45.5 points and 549 yards through the first four games. But SEC play starts now with a trip to Vanderbilt this weekend. We'll find out very soon if there was any substance to the Tigers' fast start to the season.

9. Auburn (3-1, 1-1 SEC; LW: 9): The Tigers had the week off after their loss to LSU. That gave this team time to rest and try to get the passing game in better shape for the Rebels. What Gus Malzahn and his running backs had to be excited about was seeing Ole Miss' defense give up 254 rushing yards and rushing touchdowns of 68 and 50 yards to the Tide.

10. Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-2 SEC; LW: 10): The offense is only getting better, and wide receiver Jordan Matthews is getting closer and closer to breaking SEC records for career receiving yards and career receptions. With eight catches for 115 yards and touchdown in Vandy's 52-24 win over UAB, Matthews has had 100-plus yards or a touchdown in four of Vandy's five games.

11. Arkansas (3-2, 0-1 SEC; LW: 11): After a rough loss at Rutgers, the Hogs made things interesting in their 45-33 loss to the Aggies. This running game bounced back against A&M with 201 yards, while Brandon Allen's return at quarterback led to 282 passing yards. Still, this team has to clean things up on defense. The Aggies averaged 7 yards per play.

12. Mississippi State (2-2, 0-1 SEC; LW 12): The Bulldogs were off after their 62-7 win over Troy. It was an impressive win for a team looking for more of an offensive spark at the beginning of the season. The way quarterback Dak Prescott is playing, this offense has to feel confident going into this weekend's matchup with LSU. But do the Bulldogs have the horses to keep up with an LSU team that has to be frustrated after its loss to Georgia?

13. Tennessee (3-2, 0-1 SEC; LW: 13): Somehow, the Volunteers tried to give it all away late against South Alabama on Saturday. Tennessee was outscored 17-7 in the second half of its 31-24 win and even blocked its own field goal. A win is a win, especially for a program with a new head coach, but the Vols now have to regroup and face a Georgia team capable of scoring 50 in Knoxville this weekend.

14. Kentucky (1-3, 0-1 SEC; LW: 14): The Wildcats' only real positive from Saturday's 24-7 loss to Florida was that their touchdown came on a fake field goal. Other than that, the Gators dominated Mark Stoops' team. When your kicker is your leading rusher in a game (25 yards), you know you have major problems in the playmaking department.