ESPN College Football

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- When it comes to questions about coaching job hot stove speculation, Kevin Sumlin has his answers down pat.

He should. He has been through this drill before.

On Tuesday the Texas A&M head coach fielded questions regarding the latest rumor that he will be near or at the top of the wish list for USC, which fired Lane Kiffin in the wee hours on Sunday morning.

"That's always going to be around," Sumlin said. "They only talk about coaches two ways: one of them is you're not going to be around and the other way is you're either moving on or something else is happening. As long as I'm not in that first conversation, you're doing something right."

Sumlin has become adept at saying a lot without saying much. But then again, this is not his first time around the coaching rumor mill.

During his first head coaching tenure at Houston, speculation surrounded his name on several occasions. After the 2009 season, when the Cougars won 10 games, Sumlin's name was linked to several jobs, including Tennessee, Cincinnati and Kansas, but he eventually signed a contract extension to stay at Houston.

After the 2011 season, the rumors ramped up again but that time he did leave, eventually accepting the A&M job. Late that season, it seemed as if almost every opening had Sumlin's name speculated as a potential candidate.

In five-plus seasons, Sumlin has a 50-20 career record. He's one of the most highly-respected names in the industry and even brushed off overtures from NFL teams last offseason.

But Sumlin's right: no matter what he says, the public will speculate on his future when a "big job" comes open, college or pro. And Texas A&M fans have to get used to that, because it's the price that comes with success.

"If they're not talking about you at all, there probably are some other issues," Sumlin said Tuesday. "That's part of it. That's always going to be the case I hope. It means that you're winning and that you're winning the right way and you're doing things that are helpful and being real positive about it. So from my standpoint, it's not a job to manage, I just don't even approach it."

USC isn't the first and won't be the last job rumor involving Sumlin. The NFL might be a bigger threat than another college program. He's at a ripe age (49) to give it a shot if he wants -- not too young, not too old -- and would still have time to return to the college game if he takes the dive but doesn't like it or doesn't succeed.

He has plenty of qualities sought after in coaches. He can relate to current players and high school recruits as well as his fellow coaches. He can make decisions and manage like a CEO but also has the knowledge to dive into the X’s and O’s of the game. His charisma is evident and it projects a positive image from him and his program.

"He has the ability to relate to 15-, 16- or 17-year-olds and then, in the next meeting, he can sit down with a 70-year-old donor and relate to both of those pretty distinct audiences like they've been long lost best friends," A&M senior associate athletic director for external affairs Jason Cook said. "Not a lot of people can do that, but he can do that and bridge that gap."

After the Aggies' 11-2 inaugural SEC campaign, Texas A&M gave Sumlin a contract extension in January that lasts through the 2017 season and pays Sumlin $3.1 million a year currently. The contract includes a $2 million buyout if it’s terminated before March 31, 2014, and that buyout is reduced by $400,000 on March 31 of each following year. The school is also in the process of renovating Kyle Field to the tune of $450 million. Since Sumlin became head coach, the Aggies have added other expensive items: a new football-only weight room, a nutrition center and they renovated the lobby of the football complex. Resources aren't a problem in Aggieland and they're playing in the best conference in college football. It's a pretty good job in its own right.

Is that enough? The only people who truly knows what makes Sumlin tick and what personal and future goals he has are him and his family.

But while the rumors swirl outside, don’t expect this to become a distraction inside the program, at least not in the near future. The team has enough on its plate trying to get through the SEC schedule without having to worry about the future of their head coach. And let’s face it, the Aggies have had bigger distractions this season, from all the talk surrounding Johnny Manziel to the NCAA's investigation into an autograph controversy surrounding the Heisman Trophy winner to unprecedented buildup for the Sept. 14 clash against Alabama. Focus wasn't an issue for the team then, so this likely won't become an issue anytime soon.

Still, Sumlin’s name is one of the hottest in coaching circles right now. That speaks volumes to how he's viewed, considering he doesn't have a conference championship or BCS bowl appearance attached to his name yet. He has shown he can win though, and A&M is back in the national college football conversation in large part because of Sumlin and Manziel.

It's natural for fans to fret over whether their coach is staying or going. But for now, the Aggies will have to get used to it, because that's what happens when you win.

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.

Texas A&M is 4-1 after its first five games of the season. The Aggies split their first two SEC games and get a brief break with an open date this weekend. With the bulk of their league schedule coming up after the off week, let's analyze where the Aggies are and what's ahead:

The good

Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans: These two had high expectations coming into the season based on their 2012 performances, and you could argue that they have exceeded them thus far in 2013, especially Evans. The sophomore receiver is making his case to be considered among the best receivers in the country, if not the best. Only Oregon State's Brandin Cooks has more receiving yards than Evans' 691, but Evans's schedule includes Alabama, which he torched for a school-record 279 yards. Manziel ranks in the top 10 nationally in several categories, including total offense, passing efficiency, QBR, touchdowns responsible for and passing yards. He has made a concerted effort to become a better pocket passer, showing more patience when dropping back, but it hasn't taken away from his signature scrambling ability that makes him such an offensive force. If the Aggies continue to win and these two continue to play as they have, one could make the argument that both deserve to be in the Heisman Trophy discussion.

The offensive line and running game: There were some questions coming into the season about how the Aggies' offensive line would fare after losing Luke Joeckel to the NFL draft and center Patrick Lewis to graduation. So far, the Aggies have continued to shine in this area. The protection provided to Manziel when he passes has been stellar, and the Aggies have not had much trouble running the football, averaging 221.4 yards per game. On Saturday against Arkansas, the Aggies actually had more rushing yards than passing. And the last two weeks, we've seen the coaching staff use all four scholarship running backs (Ben Malena, Tra Carson, Trey Williams and Brandon Williams) effectively. Malena continues to be a steady force, Carson has provided a hammer who can break tackles and get short yardage but is explosive enough to get chunks as well, and the Williamses are both explosive talents with a lot of speed.

Deshazor Everett: The junior defensive back has been the Aggies' best defensive player this year. Though cornerback is his usual home, he moved to safety for the last two weeks to help alleviate some issues in the secondary. He performed well in both positions, is second on the team with 31 tackles and leads the team with two interceptions, including a pick-six against Arkansas. If the Aggies had more Everetts, their defense would be better off.

Play-calling: The offensive staff, led by offensive coordinator and play-caller Clarence McKinney has done a solid job of ensuring the offense utilizes its many weapons. There has been plenty of balance in the play calls (Texas A&M has run the ball 202 times and attempted 179 passes), the pace of the offense remains high, and it appears the Aggies have had an answer for almost anything opposing defenses have thrown at them. The one game in which the Aggies came up short was due to two turnovers against No. 1 Alabama.

The bad

The defense: To say the Aggies have struggled defensively is an understatement. Texas A&M is 112th nationally in yards allowed per game (476.8), 109th in yards allowed per play (6.59), 107th in rushing yards allowed per game (214.8) and 94th in passing yards allowed per game (262). Some of those struggles were the result of missing personnel in the first two games because of suspensions, but that's not an excuse anymore. Alabama and Arkansas both moved the ball with relative ease against the unit. In the second half against Arkansas on Saturday, the A&M defense did show the ability to get some key stops and make a few plays, so that might be encouraging, but it will have to build on that when it faces Ole Miss on Oct. 12.

The kicking game: The Aggies had to make a change at place-kicker, removing Taylor Bertolet from PAT and field-goal duty and replacing him with walk-on Josh Lambo. The issues haven't just been with the actual kickers, but there were also a couple of botched holds in the first four games. Leaving points on the board might not cost Texas A&M against nonconference foes like Sam Houston State or SMU, but it will cost them in SEC play if it continues to happen. Is Lambo the answer? He had a solid day on Saturday against Arkansas, going 6-for-6 on PATs and hitting a 39-yard field goal. So far he's 2-for-2 on field goals and 7-for-8 on PATs with his only miss coming as the result of a fumbled hold.

What's ahead

Texas A&M has a chance to heal up some injuries this week, which is critical after three starters -- defensive tackle Kirby Ennis, linebacker Darian Claiborne and Evans -- got banged up. Safety Floyd Raven, who has been out with a collarbone injury, continues to make progress in hopes of a return before long.

With the meat of the SEC schedule coming up, the Aggies have to get better on defense if they hope to realize some of their season goals. The offense continues to put up 40 points per game, but if for some reason it has an off night, A&M has to be able to rely on the D to help it pull through. Aside from the kicking game, special teams has been solid overall, and if Lambo is the answer at place-kicker, that's a positive for A&M moving forward.

Perhaps most notably, the drama is behind the Aggies. The constant headlines and media circus that followed the team, specifically Manziel, is in the rearview mirror. Led by Kevin Sumlin, the Aggies handled it well and didn't allow it to distract them from the task at hand.

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.

Not much movement in this week's SEC bowl projections.

Alabama's shutout win over Ole Miss and LSU's shootout loss at Georgia shed some light on the true pecking order in the SEC West. And while we gave some thought to moving Georgia up a spot into a BCS bowl, the Aggies haven't done anything to lose the honor just yet.

VIZIO BCS National Championship Game, Jan. 6: Alabama
Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2: Texas A&M
Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1: Georgia
AT&T Cotton Bowl, Jan. 3: LSU
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1: South Carolina
Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31: Florida
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, Jan. 1: Ole Miss
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Dec. 30: Missouri
AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31: Auburn
BBVA Compass Bowl, Jan. 4: Vanderbilt
AdvoCare V100 Bowl, Dec. 31: Arkansas

It was another wild weekend in the SEC. Here are five things we learned around the conference in Week 5.

Georgia and LSU are title contenders: Everything about the game lived up to the hype. Well, except maybe the defenses, but we'll get to that later. LSU and Georgia nonetheless played a game for the ages Saturday afternoon, with quarterbacks Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray trading blows seemingly every time their teams got the football. Georgia ultimately prevailed, of course, but it's impossible to walk away not feeling like both teams are well positioned to make a run at an SEC championship. It's only LSU's first loss, and we've seen how that's no deterrent to making a run at the postseason. The Tigers will get their shot at No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 9. And Georgia, by winning, avoided a dreaded second loss on its resume. The Bulldogs seasoning-opening loss to Clemson actually might end up adding some style points in the end. With Florida's offense struggling and South Carolina playing inconsistent football, Mark Richt has to feel good about his program's position in the East.

Get used to high scoring games: Calm down all you doomsday sayers: The SEC isn't imploding before your very eyes. Yes, it is very unusual to see this many shootouts in a league that's long prided itself on dominating defense. Georgia and LSU used to win in knockdown drag-outs, but Saturday was so much different as the schools combined for 943 yards and 85 points. But what happened in Athens, Ga., wasn't the final nail in the coffin of SEC defenses. Let the season progress. Mettenberger and Murray are two of the best passers in the country, and the LSU and Georgia defenses are very young. They're talented. They'll learn. And they're not going to be happy with what happened, neither one of them. Alabama pitched a shutout against a high powered Ole Miss offense, and Florida gave up just one touchdown to Kentucky. When it comes to defense, maybe not all is lost. Not yet.

Alabama showed why its No. 1: The week was all about questioning Alabama -- everything from the secondary to the offensive line to whether the Tide was actually worthy of being ranked No. 1. Nick Saban asked for positivity from his fan base and warned against playing to expectations. Alabama's head coach wasn't worried about answering any one question in particular, just the simple matter of whether his team could beat No. 21 Ole Miss. As it turns out, his team won and answered most of the questions in the process. The Tide's defense was dominant once again, pitching a shutout against Ole Miss' high powered offense, and the offense, which couldn't move the ball consistently or effectively on the ground before, suddenly rediscovered both. Alabama ran for a season-high 254 yards against the Rebels and moved the chains, converting on 8 of 17 third-downs. In short, Alabama looked like itself again, thumping a ranked team at home.

Mike Davis belongs in the conversation: He doesn't usually come up much when discussing the league's top tailbacks. T.J. Yeldon and Todd Gurley usually dominate that conversation. But Mike Davis' name belongs in that group. The South Carolina sophomore has earned his stripes through four games this season, rushing for 508 yards and six touchdowns. The Gamecocks needed every one of his 167 yards Saturday afternoon against UCF, 150 of which came in the second half of the 3-point win on the road in Orlando.

Tennessee is a ways off: This was supposed to be the much needed breather before returning to its gauntlet of a schedule. The Vols, fresh off beatings at the hands of Oregon and Florida in consecutive weeks, couldn't get out of their own way against lowly South Alabama at home on Saturday, winning by the skin of their teeth, 31-24. Maybe they were looking ahead to Georgia and South Carolina, which come to town the following two weeks. Whatever the reason, Butch Jones shouldn't be happy. Tennessee wasted a 24-point lead before holding on with a late interception on fourth-and-goal. Justin Worley and the Vols offense turned the ball over three times and were just 4 of 11 on third downs.

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — There are plenty of things to take away from Texas A&M's 45-33 road win over Arkansas on Saturday. Here are three:

The Aggies can -- and will -- use four backs: Saturday marked the second consecutive week the Aggies had all four running backs healthy and available, and it was probably the best utilization of all four. Tra Carson, Ben Malena, Brandon Williams and Trey Williams combined for 203 rushing yards. Trey Williams had perhaps his best game to date, rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and flashing the quickness and elusiveness that made him such a coveted recruit. He had a 100-yard game last year against Auburn, but that was in a 63-21 victory; Williams got it done in crunch time on Saturday. Carson continues to be a force, using his 230-pound frame to break tackles and get yards after contact. He finished with 64 yards, second-best on the night.

The defense still needs a lot of work: The Aggies were gashed in the running game (201 yards, 6.7 per carry) and gave up plenty of big passing plays. Arkansas averaged 7.3 yards per play on Saturday. Injuries are hitting the unit as well, with tackle Kirby Ennis and middle linebacker Darian Claiborne both leaving the game. They did show resiliency, coming up with key stops in the second half, and that's encouraging, but this unit has a lot of work to do if A&M hopes to beat better SEC teams later in the season.

The road is still kind to the Aggies: Since Kevin Sumlin took over as head coach, Texas A&M has yet to lose away from Kyle Field. They have won seven consecutive true road games and eight games away from Kyle Field since the start of last season. Pulling out wins in a place like Razorback Stadium, with 72,000-plus fans doing hog calls and making a lot of noise, is never easy, but the Aggies continue to take care of business on their road trips.

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Texas A&M pulled out a 45-33 road win over Arkansas on Saturday night to improve to 4-1, 1-1 in SEC play. Let's look at some of the key performances and hand out some helmet stickers:

A&M offensive line: This group was stellar on Saturday. They paved the way for 523 offensive yards, including 262 rushing. They helped A&M dominate the second half and anchored two scoring drives that consisted of all running plays. They protected quarterback Johnny Manziel well, allowing only one sack, which was more of a result of an extended scramble than it was protection. Trey Williams, Tra Carson, Ben Malena and Brandon Williams combined for 203 rushing yards behind the front five. After having some mistakes and penalties last week, the quintet of Jake Matthews, Jarvis Harrison, Mike Matthews, Germain Ifedi and Cedric Ogbuehi cleaned those things up and put together a strong effort.

Deshazor Everett: The junior defensive back is establishing himself as the best player on this A&M defense, and he came up with the biggest defensive play on Saturday night, a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown on Arkansas' first drive of the second half. It helped A&M extend their lead to 31-20 when the Razorbacks could have gone down field and taking their first lead. He has done whatever defensive coordinator Mark Snyder and secondary coach Marcel Yates have asked of him, and his move to safety is helping the back end of the defense immensely.

Mike Evans: He caught a 51-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage and caught two first-half touchdowns, including a jump ball in the end zone where he came up limping. The injury didn't keep him out of action long though; Evans came back to play the remainder of the game and even appeared on special teams. Last season he toughed out many a game with a hamstring injury, so it shouldn't be surprising that he didn't stay off the field long. He finished with six catches for 116 yards.

Week 5 in the SEC provided what could have been the game of the year between Georgia and LSU. The nation’s No. 1 team played up to its ranking, and there were plenty of impressive performances across the league. It’s time to hand out the helmet stickers.

Aaron Murray, QB Georgia: It wasn’t long ago when Murray was labeled the quarterback who couldn’t win the big game. It’s time to throw that away. The senior finished 20-of-34 for 298 yards and five total touchdowns in Georgia’s biggest game of the year. He has always been productive -- he could soon become the SEC’s most productive quarterback of all time -- but add the clutch factor and there’s no reason not to think he’s a top contender for the Heisman this year. The Bulldogs control their own destiny in the SEC East, and Murray and company would love nothing more than a chance to avenge last year’s loss to Alabama in the conference championship. They have to get through Florida first.

Zach Mettenberger, QB LSU: It doesn’t matter how well somebody plays, there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser. Unfortunately for Mettenberger, he finished on the losing side Saturday, but the former Georgia quarterback played admirably against his former team. He finished 23-of-37 for 372 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Down the stretch, he made clutch throw after clutch throw to keep the Tigers in the game. LSU wide receivers Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry had close to 300 yards receiving between them, but it starts with Mettenberger. He had a terrific homecoming but came up just short.

The Alabama secondary: Before the game, Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace said he thought they could score on anybody. Evidently not Alabama. The No. 1 team in the nation shut out the Rebels, 25-0. Wallace singled out the Crimson Tide cornerbacks, saying they weren’t exactly first-rounders, but Deion Belue and Eddie Jackson stepped up on Saturday. Jackson, a true freshman, was especially impressive locking up Wallace’s favorite target Donte Moncrief for most of the game. He also came down with the Tide’s lone interception. As a whole, the UA secondary held Ole Miss to just 159 yards through the air.

Mike Davis, RB South Carolina: At halftime, it didn’t look good for South Carolina. The Gamecocks trailed Central Florida, 10-0, and quarterback Connor Shaw was lost for the game with a shoulder injury. But Davis didn’t care. He put his team on his back and carried it to victory. It started with a 53-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter, the first points of the game for the Gamecocks. He scored twice more in the fourth quarter to extend the lead and put the game away. The sophomore back finished with 26 carries for 167 yards and three touchdowns as South Carolina survived a difficult road test.

The Texas A&M offensive line: Johnny Manziel gets most of the credit for Texas A&M’s high-powered offense, but it was the offensive line that absolutely dominated Arkansas up front on Saturday. The Aggies rushed for 262 yards against the Razorbacks, averaging six yards per carry. No one player reached 100 yards rushing, but Trey Williams and Tra Carson played well down the stretch, and starting running back Ben Malena scored twice. Manziel still finished with 261 yards and two touchdowns through the air and another 59 yards on the ground, but it all started with the offensive line.