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.

AUBURN, Ala. -- When running back Cameron Artis-Payne arrived at Auburn in January, there were high expectations. He was ranked No. 35 in the ESPN Junior College 100 and No. 2 at his position. In the spring game, he rushed for 117 yards and took home offensive MVP honors.

However, he’s been relegated to running-back-by-committee duties this season with fellow backs Corey Grant and Tre Mason. In the last game against LSU, he took a backseat to Mason who carried the ball 26 times for 132 yards. Meanwhile, Artis-Payne had just seven carries.

“Tre was hot,” head coach Gus Malzahn said. “You could tell he was running good, running strong, so we just kind of stayed with the hot hand. The good thing for us is that we’ve got three guys that we feel good about. Obviously, Tre is the most experienced guy in that group, and he just did an outstanding job and made some very tough yards.”

Don’t expect Artis-Payne to get discouraged. He’s been part of a three-back system before.

Back in 2005, the Pennsylvania native was a sophomore at Bishop McDevitt High School where he and fellow classmate Mike Jones backed up a guy named LeSean McCoy. Jones went on to play at Syracuse while McCoy has established himself as one of the top running backs in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“To coach a guy that some say is the best or one of the top three running backs in the NFL right now, and then coach another kid that went up and played at Syracuse and another kid that’s playing at Auburn, you feel pretty good as a coach,” McDevitt coach Jeff Weachter said. “You had a chance to have all those kids all in the same backfield. We knew back then that it was a special group.”

Now, eight years and five schools later, Artis-Payne finds himself in a similar situation at Auburn. His former coach believes Auburn is a perfect fit for him.

“Everybody is going to more of a two-or-three-back set just to keep their guys fresh,” Weachter said. “With Cameron, he’s a between-the-tackles runner. He’s a physical runner. So it’s good. It’s not wearing him down.

“… It looks like the two kids are real nice complements to each other.”

Through four games, Artis-Payne has rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. In week two, he rushed for a career-high 102 yards against Arkansas State and scored his first touchdown with the Tigers.

Artis-Payne reminds some of former Tigers running back Ben Tate, and it’s not just because they both have No. 44 with the Tigers. Tate, a big, strong back who has surprising quickness like Artis-Payne played under Malzahn during his senior season at Auburn and rushed for 1,362 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Tate was drafted in the second round by the Houston Texans, and now he finds himself in his own backfield timeshare, splitting carries with NFL star Arian Foster.

“Sometimes it's tough,” Tate said. “But at the same time, there are positives to it as well. You're fresher at the end of games, and you're more liable to make a longer run because you're fresher towards the end of the game. That's when teams are getting tired.”

Tate is making the most of his opportunity with the Texans, and Artis-Payne plans to do the same while he’s at Auburn. He knows his number could be called at any time, and no matter the situation, he needs to be ready to deliver.

“You can't just be satisfied with mediocre play by anybody on any certain play,” Artis-Payne said. “We're aiming to be the best and that's what Coach Malzahn wants from us. We're aiming for perfection at this point.”

All three running backs are likely to be called on this weekend when Auburn hosts No. 24 Ole Miss in an SEC West battle.

“We’ve got three running backs that we feel very good about,” Malzahn said. “Week to week, we’ll see what they’re giving us. Week to week could be a little different.”

Danny Kanell discusses Georgia tailback Todd Gurley's injured ankle.

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

ATHENS, Ga. -- There was never any mystery about where the question marks existed on this Georgia team. With the bulk of a record-setting offense returning, the progress of a wholly reconstructed defense would likely make the biggest difference in whether the Bulldogs reach their championship goals.

Georgia's first four games showed exactly why those questions were valid, as Todd Grantham's group that had glaring holes to fill at every level typically struggled mightily against the nation's most challenging September schedule. And yet even when statistics -- and the eyeball test -- might paint an ugly picture of Georgia's current defensive capabilities, Grantham's group has done just enough to help keep the Bulldogs' division, conference and BCS title hopes alive.

"I believe that we showed up at the crucial time when we really needed to," said Georgia defensive lineman Ray Drew, who had a key pass breakup on LSU's final drive during the Bulldogs' 44-41 win last Saturday. "There were some things that happened that if we could go back and change, we would. But I'm happy with the outcome."

That has been a common theme thus far. No. 6 Georgia (3-1, 2-0 SEC) has won three in a row -- including wins against then-No. 6 South Carolina and LSU, also ranked sixth when it lost to the Bulldogs -- following a season-opening loss at Clemson. In each of those victories, a defense that looked helpless for much of the game came up with key fourth-down stops on the opponent's final possession that helped put away the win.

"It just shows our potential and shows what our future holds," said outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, whose team visits Tennessee (3-2, 0-1) on Saturday. "If we can play like that 24/7, consistently, we have a hell of a defense and that's just going to get us where we want to go."

They're not anywhere near that potential yet, however. So let's take a look at some things Georgia's defense is doing right -- and what it absolutely must improve -- if the Bulldogs are to approach the defensive results they still believe they're capable of achieving.

To read the rest of the story from David Ching, click here.

Danny Kanell weighs in on whether Alabama is the best team in college football, let alone the SEC, and identifies his best under-the-radar team.

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.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It's safe to assume that Eddie Jackson understands the opportunity ahead of him at Alabama. He can't say as much publicly because of the school's policy prohibiting freshmen from speaking to the media. But given all he's already gone through, it would be a wonder if he didn't look back on his road to Tuscaloosa and comprehend the enormous turnaround it took for him to get there.

It's a wonder he's wearing Alabama's signature crimson helmet in the first place. The fact that he's starting at cornerback for the defending national champions is something even more implausible considering where he was at this time last year.

Jackson needed a change of scenery before any of the chips fell into place. He likely learned the value of a fresh start from his brother, Demar Dorsey, a former blue-chip defensive back prospect who signed a letter of intent to play for Michigan in 2010 but never made it to Ann Arbor. Dorsey's past included poor grades and three felony charges that robbed him of the opportunity to play at a BCS-level football program. He failed to meet Michigan's standard for admission, announced he would transfer to Louisville, failed to make it there because of more issues and eventually landed at Grand Rapids Community College. Dorsey was supposed to transfer to Hawaii in 2012, but he never reached the Big Island and today is not listed on Hawaii's roster.

Wayne Blair knew of Dorsey's story when Jackson walked into his office at Boyd Anderson High in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., looking to transfer after becoming academically ineligible at his previous school. Blair saw Dorsey's "pitfalls" up close at nearby University School, where he was an assistant in 2009. He took a chance on Jackson, who was then a junior with serious eligibility issues. His grades were "way below normal standards," said Blair, who helped get Jackson eligible just in time for spring football.

Blair's investment and Jackson's hard work paid off instantly.

"He played free safety for us at the time," Blair said of the spring game against University School, a national powerhouse. "He had an interception, he returned one for a touchdown and then had another interception. And I realized then that I had something really, really special on my hands."

Jackson, though, had no college offers at the start of his senior season. Blair worked the phones, calling contacts at all the major conferences looking for someone to take a flier on his wide receiver/defensive back, a tall kid with enormous raw potential. Blair said he told them, "I got a guy that if I can get him NCAA eligible, you might want to go ahead and put your vested interest into him." Of course, no one took him seriously.

What Jackson did on the football field as a senior caught their attention, though, making him an increasingly rare sight in college recruiting: a late-blossoming prospect.

"Every game he either did something extraordinary offensively or completely excellent defensively or on special teams," Blair said. "And the buzz started growing as we had ourselves a good year. We went into the playoffs and he went off."

Jackson's grandmother passed away early in Boyd Anderson's postseason run. Blair said that's when "he went from good to great within a two-week span."

Blair had to chuckle when he retold his "folklore of Eddie Jackson" by telephone this week. He remembered how Florida State offered Jackson as a wide receiver, LSU wanted him as a defensive back and Miami looked at him as a wide receiver. Alabama had him strictly as a cornerback, though, drawn to his raw athleticism and 6-foot-1 frame.

"We thought Eddie was a good player," Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday. "There were some academic questions and some of those things. We're always looking for longer corners, guys that have got a little bit more size. We had Maurice [Smith], who had committed to us. We were still looking for somebody else and we found Eddie. We'd known about Eddie, but we weren't sure we were going to be able to recruit him. As soon as we found out that he would be qualified and all that, we really jumped on him."

Being able to work closely with Saban, who coaches cornerbacks one-on-one at Alabama, was part of what swayed Jackson to sign with the Tide. The other factor was timing. With last season's top corner for Alabama, Dee Milliner, likely to enter the NFL draft and not much behind him in terms of depth, Jackson and Blair saw an opportunity to play right away.

"I knew he'd probably be jumping into the starting lineup; I just didn't know when," Blair said. "I was thinking by Week 6. Low and behold, here we are."

Blair's prediction was off by two weeks. Jackson accomplished the improbable, learning enough of Alabama's complicated defensive scheme by Week 4 that he was inserted into the starting lineup against Colorado State.

A week later he proved that his first start wasn't a fluke opportunity against a cupcake opponent, starting again against No. 21 Ole Miss. On Saturday, Jackson was fourth on the team in tackles, had two pass breakups and a key interception against the Rebels, prompting senior cornerback Deion Belue after the game to say, "We finally found a piece to our secondary so that we all can come together."

"He fit in perfectly," said safety Vinnie Sunseri. "Having Jarrick [Williams] and Deion [Belue] back was a huge part of it, too, but Eddie in there, and him getting comfortable and getting that one pick, kind of gave him that confidence booster that he needed. He played unbelievable. I was so proud of him."

Jackson's first-half interception was a defining moment. The rookie corner whiffed on Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss' veteran wideout, on the previous play, allowing a 36-yard gain and a first down. Coach Hugh Freeze then reached into his bag of tricks, calling for a backward pass to Laquon Treadwell, who looked toward Jackson's side of the field for a pass. But Jackson didn't bite on the fake, stuck to his assignment and secured the ball for the takeaway.

"He did everything perfect," Sunseri said. "He jammed the guy off the line, stayed, stepped in the divider, and he threw one right to him and he got the pick. It was a great momentum swing for us."

Saban, who covets long, aggressive corners such as Jackson, was pleased. He and his staff had been searching for an answer at the position after John Fulton and Cyrus Jones were torched by Texas A&M and Mike Evans, and in Jackson it appears they've found someone to work with. He's still just a freshman, but he's already done more in one game than all but Belue, Alabama's top on-ball defender.

"He played well," Saban said of Jackson. "Made a couple of mistakes, but I thought that most of those were because of communication, which is one of the things that we emphasize, where he wasn't sure about what the call was. But when it came to just his technique and what he was supposed to do and the way he competed in the game, I thought he did a really good job."

Blair, who talks to Jackson regularly, said it's now "his position to lose."

"Before it's all said and done, he could end up being the prototype defensive back like that guy over at Seattle, Richard Sherman," he said. "You have a tall, smart kid with good range, good hips. He can end up being the prototype Coach Saban has been looking for."

Reading into Blair's comments, it's clear he thinks that development could happen quickly. And why shouldn't it? It might seem improbable, but everything about Jackson's journey, going from academically ineligible with no college offers to a top prospect signing a letter of intent with Alabama, has been just that.

Jackson turned it around in a hurry in high school. What's to say he can't take the next step in just as timely a fashion? He's certainly showed he's no stranger to making the most of an opportunity.

If a one-loss team is going to play in the VIZIO BCS National Championship Game this season, Georgia might be as good a bet as any.

But hear this Dawgs fans: You need some help.

The good news for Georgia is that it moved up to No. 6 in the USA Today Poll, one of three components used in the BCS standings.

If the Bulldogs keep winning, they’ve got a great chance to move up even more, especially with a pair of wins over top 10 opponents.

Remember, too, that only twice during the SEC’s streak of seven straight national championships has the team winning it all finished unbeaten.

The Bulldogs are explosive enough offensively to beat anybody in the country. Obviously, they’re going to need a healthy Todd Gurley the rest of the way. He’s day-to-day for this weekend’s game at Tennessee with a sprained left ankle.

To the Bulldogs’ credit, they played without him for the final three quarters last Saturday and still managed to outlast LSU 44-41. But it’s difficult to see them winning out (and winning the SEC championship) if Gurley’s not close to 100 percent. Keith Marshall is a heck of a talent at running back, but Gurley gives that offense a different dimension when he’s on the field.

Georgia also must continue to grow up on defense if the Bulldogs are going to have a chance to navigate their way to Pasadena. They’ve played 10 true freshmen on defense this season, and three are starters. Of the 22 players listed on their defensive two-deep, 16 are freshmen and sophomores.

So it’s not exactly a surprise that they’ve given up an average of 32.5 points per game, which ranks last in the SEC in scoring defense. To be fair, they’ve also played three top-10 foes.

The key will be how much that defense improves over the next month because the offense, as good as it’s been, can’t be expected to score 35-plus points every game.

But what else needs to happen for the Bulldogs to get to where they came within a tipped pass of potentially getting to last season and playing for the national title?

Here’s a quick checklist:

• They need to win out, and they probably need to do so impressively, particularly over the teams they’re expected to beat. Otherwise, some of the unbeaten teams behind them in the polls (Florida State, Louisville and Oklahoma) could easily pass them.
• Clemson has to lose somewhere along the way. There’s no way Georgia gets into the BCS National Championship Game over an unbeaten Clemson team, which opened the season with a 38-35 win over Georgia. The best chances for Clemson to go down (and no, Dabo, I didn’t say pull a Clemson) are Oct. 19 against Florida State at home, Oct. 26 at Maryland and Nov. 30 at South Carolina. The Gamecocks have won four straight over the Tigers.
• If Florida State were to beat Clemson, then Georgia would likely need the Seminoles to lose at some point. Florida State faces Maryland at home this weekend. Miami visits Tallahassee on Nov. 2, and Florida State closes the regular season on Nov. 30 with a trip to Florida.
• Oregon and Stanford play each other on Nov. 7, so one of those teams is going to have a loss. Both are currently ranked ahead of Georgia. An unbeaten Pac-12 champion would be a lock to fill one of the spots in the BCS National Championship Game.
• Having Ohio State stumble would also be helpful to the Bulldogs. The Buckeyes play at No. 16 Northwestern this weekend. If they get out of Evanston unscathed, it’s hard to see a loss on their schedule, although they do have to play at Michigan this season.
• The ideal scenario for Georgia would be for Alabama to win out and be No. 1 in the country heading into the SEC championship game. That way, Georgia would have a chance to score massive points with the voters in the two human polls (and with the computers) by taking down the Crimson Tide on that last weekend before the final BCS standings are released. It’s supposed to be your entire body of work that voters consider when casting their ballots, but last impressions always seem to carry a little extra weight with those final ballots.

In sum, there’s so much football remaining before we get to that first weekend in December that it’s impossible to predict who will still be standing in the national championship race. But if Georgia is indeed going to make a run as a one-loss team, UGA fans probably need to root against Clemson, against Ohio State and for Alabama … at least until the SEC championship game.

Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley has played his last down for the Gators. The senior suffered a season-ending knee injury last week, but rather than apply for a medical redshirt and receive another year of college eligibility, Easley plans to enter the NFL draft in 2014.

The 6-foot-2, 285-pound star has had a history of injury problems. He tore the ACL and medial meniscus in his right knee during practice last Tuesday. He tore the ACL in his left knee in November 2011. Still, Florida coach Will Muschamp believes the NFL is “the best move for him right now.”

“He’ll have plenty of interest,” Muschamp said. “He’ll be a productive guy on the next level. He’s a really good football player. He’s extremely intelligent. He gets the game. His tape speaks for itself and how he plays the game and approaches the game. He’ll be fine. There will be a lot of organizations that want him in their organization.”

Easley nearly joined teammates Matt Elam, Sharrif Floyd, Jelani Jenkins and Jordan Reed in leaving school early after last season, but he opted to return and finish out his career with the Gators. He was projected as a mid-round selection had he left.

During his career with the Gators, Easley finished with 72 tackles, including 18 for a loss and 5.5 sacks.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Top-ranked Alabama had its best defensive performance of the season Saturday when it dominated No. 24 Ole Miss from start to finish, shutting down the Rebels' high powered offense in a 25-0 shutout. But that got people asking questions, especially after UA director of player development Tyler Siskey was shown wearing binoculars in the coaches' booth by television cameras.

Siskey, who came over from Ole Miss' staff during this past offseason, was not stealing his former team's signals and was not coaching, according to UA coach Nick Saban.

"He didn't really assist in the game plan and he wasn't on a headset," Saban said when asked whether it was common for noncoaching staff members to assist during the game. "He didn't talk to anybody during the game. I don't know if there's any rule that says he can't go into the press box and watch the games. And he wasn't in any different position than he's ever been in a game."

Ole Miss, which entered Saturday averaging 490 yards of offense and 38 points per game, was held scoreless with just 205 yards of total offense. The Rebels were rebuffed on a number of fourth-and-short opportunities and even had a safety against them late in the game.

"I don't know where he typically is, but certainly I'll say that Alabama had a wonderful defensive plan for us," Ole Miss coach Freeze told reporters in Oxford, Miss. He hired Siskey to head his recruiting operation last February. "Give them a lot of credit for the work that they put in, in preparing for us, whether it was in the summertime or whether it was just in the week."

(Read the full post)

Another good chat. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Really, I couldn't. It literally would have been impossible.

Here's the chat wrap for anyone who was too busy getting snacks out of the vending machine at work for lunch and missed our session:

Greg (Fayetteville, Ar)
Do you see Arkansas winning any games the next three weeks? Also how do they make up the schedule? I mean come on ... A&M, Florida, South Carolina, and Alabama in four straight weeks!

Edward Aschoff (12:05 PM)
Hey, sometimes the schedule gods can be cruel in this league. It's going to be really tough for this team to pull off a win during the next three games, but I think the South Carolina game is the most winnable. I'm not sure Arkansas can move the ball against Florida, and that fan base is pretty fired up about Tyler Murphy. That's a night game in the Swamp ... South Carolina is at home, and I think the Hogs can move the ball against South Carolina's defense. But can the defense slow down Mike Davis? I think we might have 600 total rushing yards in that game.

---

CC (Atlanta)
Nice call on LSU's defense Ed. Do they pay you do this?

Edward Aschoff (12:07 PM)
Too much apparently. I even talked to a draft scout who told me not to buy into LSU's defense, especially the front seven. I should have listened. The Tigers just got outplayed and pushed around. The secondary has major issues. The defensive line didn't even show up. I don't see me picking against the Bulldogs anytime soon, and I'm not as high on this LSU defense BUT that UGA offense is pretty darn good, so we still have a long way to go.

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Charles (St. Louis Metroeast)
Hey Ed. Welcome to a new week! Mizzou is 4-0 and heading to Vandy this weekend. Right now the line has Vandy by 1. Last time they played each other Mizzou won by one with a decimated O-line, injured QB, and question marks for RB. They're all healthy at this point. That being the case, do you see the line for this game the same way or way off in Mizzou's favor?

Edward Aschoff (12:10 PM)
Actually, Vandy won 19-15 last year against Mizzou. I think Vandy has every right to be favored in this game because it's played a tougher schedule. I really like what Mizzou has done to this point, but you have to consider the competition too. We really don't know what to expect from the Tigers right now. But they are confident and healthy. That wasn't the case this far into the season last year.

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Mike (Baton Rouge)
Ed, what's with all the talk about the demise of SEC defenses? The idea that there is some culture shift in the SEC is ridiculous. These defenses don't look great, but look at how many SEC defenders went in the first two rounds of the draft. Also, AJ McCarron, Zach Mettenberger, Johnny Manziel, and Aaron Murray are all legitimate pro prospects. How good are these guys? Its the end of Week 5, and each of their teams still control their own destiny within the conference and nationally. Once the veteran quarterbacks leave for the NFL and these young defenses have time to mature, we'll once again hear chatter from the national pundits that there is no offense down South.

Edward Aschoff (12:12 PM)
I actually agree with you about the offenses right now. The play at QB has been superb, but I think you'll see the defenses rebound next year. Think about how young UGA and A&M are on defense right now. Then think about the veteran QBs throwing the ball. Manziel and Mettenberger had their best games of their careers in losses this year. That's crazy. The defenses will be fine. This is one year where Florida must be kicking itself for not having an intimidating offense. Just look at THAT defense.

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JJ (Ga)
What a great Saturday! Saw you at the game, and I told you Georgia's D would hold up the run pretty good and that Zach was going to have a field day, and there were a lot of wide open recievers. If Georgia tightens up in the secondary do you believe they become a good defense? And how about Josh Harvey-Clemons and Leonard Floyd? They played great.

Edward Aschoff (12:13 PM)
The Bulldogs have all the talent to be good on defense, but man is it bad right now. There were some big players here and there, but Mettenberger did almost anything he wanted to do against that unit. But does it matter right now? The Bulldogs proved they can win a shootout, so it might not matter what that defense looks like. The rest of the schedule isn't daunting at all.

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.

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.