Gridiron Gumbo | SEC Week 7 Recap: games of Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 | Posted Sunday night, Oct. 18, 2026
By Rohn Dixon, reporting from Southwest Louisiana, where the roux is dark, the mosquitoes are organized, and the takes are hotter than a boiling pot at a church crawfish fundraiser
Before We Stir the Pot: A Disclosure
Full transparency, cher: I bleed maroon. Mississippi State is my team, and I’ve been a Bulldog ever since a few LSU road trips to Starkville made me fall for the place. That means two things. One, I know heartbreak like a Cajun knows humidity. Two, in this kitchen State goes in the same pot as everybody else, and this week I turned the burner all the way up on my own boys. You’ll see.
Now, what a Saturday. For the second straight week, the No. 1 team in the country got dunked in the roux by an unranked SEC team. Last week it was Texas falling to Oklahoma. This week Auburn walked into Athens and walked out with Georgia’s crown on a field goal as time expired. Per Sportradar, it’s the first time the AP’s No. 1 team has lost in back-to-back weeks since October 1990. Alabama lost its second straight game, too. Texas lost its second straight. Florida, left for dead two weeks ago, rose up like a gator out of a drainage ditch in Austin. Arkansas finally won an SEC game. And Kentucky, the team that keeps winning games it has no business winning, is now tied with Georgia for first place in the SEC. Mawmaw dropped her rosary twice.
Cajun Commentary: The throne in this league has a revolving door and a squeaky hinge. Nobody’s safe, nobody’s clean, and everybody’s got gumbo on their good shirt.
There were seven SEC-vs-SEC games plus one nonconference game, no SEC games Thursday or Friday, and one team on a bye (South Carolina). By Sunday the SEC still had nine teams in the AP Top 25, but the highest one is Georgia, down at No. 5.
Grab a bowl, a sleeve of saltines, and a can of bug spray. Here’s the whole league.
The Weekend at a Glance
- Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 (Athens)
- No. 14 Tennessee 26, No. 6 Alabama 10 (Knoxville)
- Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 (Austin)
- No. 9 Ole Miss 31, No. 13 Missouri 3 (Oxford)
- No. 15 Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 (Norman)
- No. 22 LSU 31, No. 16 Mississippi State 0 (Baton Rouge)
- Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21 (Nashville)
- Texas A&M 41, The Citadel 0 (College Station)
- Bye: South Carolina
Rankings shown are the AP rankings going into the game. Week 7 lines quoted below are DraftKings closing lines.
AUBURN TIGERS: The Upset Boil of the Year (So Far)
Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 | Auburn now 4-2 (2-2 SEC) | Unranked
Cajun roast: Auburn came into Athens as a 19.5-point underdog (DraftKings closing line). Georgia fans had the victory boudin warming in the slow cooker by kickoff. Auburn ate it, licked the plate, and asked where the cracklins were.
Down 14-0 in the first quarter, Auburn could’ve folded like a cheap lawn chair at a crawfish boil. Instead the Tigers scored 24 straight points, starting with a trick play: Byrum Brown pitched to receiver Christian Neptune, who threw a touchdown pass to Keshaun Singleton. Brown ran it like a 235-pound bulldozer with a learner’s permit: 26 carries, 115 yards and a touchdown, plus 15 of 26 passing for 150 yards and a TD to Chas Nimrod (6 catches, 60 yards). Per Auburn, Brown joins Cam Newton as the only Auburn quarterbacks in 40 years to run for 100 yards against Georgia.
Georgia tied it 24-24 with 2:58 left. Then Cody Sigler forced a fumble in the final minute, Sylvester Smith-Reed jumped on it at the Auburn 44, and Alex McPherson drilled a 34-yarder as time expired. Elijah Melendez was everywhere: 9 tackles, a sack and an interception. Auburn outrushed Georgia 192-113 and committed zero turnovers. First-year coach Alex Golesh now owns Auburn’s first road win over a No. 1 team since 1994.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Auburn is the most dangerous unranked team in the SEC, and nobody wants to see that quarterback coming downhill in November. Eleven penalties for 85 yards, though? Baby, you won in spite of the flags.
Gumbo Grade: A+. Road win, No. 1 opponent, walk-off kick, zero turnovers. Ça c’est bon, and then some.
GEORGIA BULLDOGS: One Week on the Throne, Then Into the Pot
Auburn 27, No. 1 Georgia 24 | Georgia now 6-1 (4-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 5
Cajun roast: Georgia’s stay at No. 1 lasted exactly one week, which is shorter than my cousin’s last diet and only slightly longer than a Mardi Gras parade bead stays on a balcony railing.
It started like a coronation. Georgia went up 14-0 in the first quarter on a 15-yard Dwight Phillips Jr. run and a 24-yard Gunner Stockton touchdown pass to tight end Lawson Luckie. Then the Dawgs stopped cooking and started burning the rice. Auburn scored 24 straight. Georgia rallied with a 42-yard Peyton Woodring field goal and a gutsy 13-play, 94-yard drive that ended on Stockton’s 4-yard TD pass to London Humphreys to tie it with 2:58 left.
Then came the self-inflicted stuff. Georgia turned it over three times, and Kirby Smart was blunt about the penalties: “untimely, uncharacteristic and undisciplined.” A late roughing-the-passer flag helped set up the winning kick. Georgia actually outgained Auburn 440-366, with Stockton throwing for 272 yards and two TDs and Craig Dandridge catching 4 balls for 88 yards. Raylen Wilson had 10 tackles and a sack.
The streaks that died in Athens: nine straight wins over Auburn, and 53 straight wins over unranked teams. Per the AP, No. 1 teams had won 93 straight home games against unranked opponents, going back to 2007. Not anymore.
Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Georgia is still tied for first in the SEC, and most of the league would trade résumés with them in a heartbeat. But you don’t get to lose at home as a 19.5-point favorite (DraftKings closing line) and still call yourself the best team in the country with a straight face.
Gumbo Grade: D+. Outgained the opponent, lost the game. That’s a gumbo with all the right ingredients that somebody left on high heat and walked off to watch the LSU game.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS: Third Saturday in October, and Neyland Keeps Its Streak
No. 14 Tennessee 26, No. 6 Alabama 10 | Tennessee now 6-1 (3-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 11
Cajun roast: Tennessee kicked four field goals in the first half and still won by 16. That’s like going to the crawfish boil, only eating the corn, and still leaving fuller than everybody else.
This was a beatdown dressed up in a modest final score. DeSean Bishop ran 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns, his third straight 100-yard game. George MacIntyre was steady: 21 of 31 for 197 yards, with Mike Matthews catching a career-high 7 passes for 85 yards. Kicker Cooper Ranvier made four first-half field goals (29, 33, 41 and 34 yards).
But the defense was the whole roux. Alabama had 201 total yards, 54 rushing, went 2 of 13 on third down, and turned it over four times. Kayin Lee and Dejuan Lane each picked off a pass. Then Tennessee closed it with a 9-minute, 32-second fourth-quarter drive, the longest of the Josh Heupel era, ending on Bishop’s second 5-yard TD. Tennessee has now won three of its last five against Alabama after losing 15 straight. All three wins came at Neyland.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Tennessee is the most complete team in the SEC right now. The quarterback play is “fine,” the running game is a freight train, and that defense is meaner than a cottonmouth in a crawfish trap.
Gumbo Grade: A. The only thing keeping it from an A+ is settling for field goals four times. Finish those drives, and they’d have needed a mercy rule.
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE: The Tide Has Officially Gone Out
No. 14 Tennessee 26, No. 6 Alabama 10 | Alabama now 5-2 (3-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 13
Cajun roast: Two weeks ago Bama was scoring like a slot machine at the Coushatta. Saturday the offense had the energy of a swamp-tour boat with a dead battery and a gator chewing on the propeller.
This is the first time Alabama has lost back-to-back regular-season games since 2007. Let that soak in like red beans on a Monday. The Tide managed 201 total yards, went 0 for 7 on third down in the first half and 2 for 13 for the game, lost two fumbles, threw two interceptions, and drew 10 penalties for 68 yards. Keelon Russell’s 19-yard touchdown run and a 42-yard Conor Talty field goal right before halftime were the only points. Then the scoreboard went to camp for the weekend.
The defense deserved better. Caleb Woodson made 11 tackles, Bray Hubbard 10, and Ivan Taylor got an interception. They held Tennessee to field goals four times in the first half. But you can’t ask a defense to hold the line all day when the offense keeps handing the other team the ball like it’s passing out king cake at the office.
Cajun Commentary: Ruthless take: Alabama’s two losses came to two very good teams, and they’re still alive for the playoff. But “alive” and “scary” are two different words, and right now nobody in the SEC is scared of this offense. Texas A&M comes to Tuscaloosa next. That’s the ballgame for the season’s mood.
Gumbo Grade: D. The defense keeps it out of F territory. The offense served a bowl of hot water and called it gumbo.
FLORIDA GATORS: Rose Up Out of the Swamp and Bit Somebody
Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 | Florida now 5-2 (3-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 20
Cajun roast: Last week Florida got booed at its own homecoming. This week the Gators went into Austin as a 13.5-point dog (DraftKings closing line) and flashed the upside-down horns on the way off the field. That’s a bigger mood swing than my uncle at an LSU-Alabama watch party.
Quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. made the first start of his college career, in a road game, at a top-10 team, and played like a grown man. He went 22 of 35 for 155 yards and two touchdowns, both to Lacota Dippre, and ran for 41 more. Florida trailed 17-3 in the second quarter, then took over. Dippre’s 7-yard TD made it 17-10 at the half, his 8-yarder capped a 15-play, eight-minute drive in the third, Patrick Durkin kicked a 28-yarder for the lead, and Jadan Baugh (25 carries, 91 yards) punched in an 11-yard touchdown.
Then the defense, ranked last in the SEC coming in, did something wild: it sacked Arch Manning five times (per the AP), held Texas to 272 total yards and 2 of 10 on third down, and Myles Graham’s strip-sack ended Texas’ last possession. Florida won time of possession 38:11 to 21:49 and didn’t turn it over once. It’s the program’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2012.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: first-year coach Jon Sumrall may have just saved Florida’s season. The Gators get a bye, then go to Georgia on Oct. 31. If they bring this defense, the Dawgs had better check under the porch.
Gumbo Grade: A. Comeback, road upset, first-time starter, no turnovers. Ça c’est bon, cher.
TEXAS LONGHORNS: Most Expensive Pot on the Stove, Nothing Inside It
Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24 | Texas now 4-2 (1-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 19
Cajun roast: Texas has the budget of a small oil company and an offense that’s run out of gas two weeks in a row. Somebody check the dipstick in Austin, because something’s leaking.
Texas led 17-3 in the second quarter, thanks to a 32-yard Raleek Brown touchdown run, a Gianni Spetic field goal and a 63-yard punt-return touchdown by Ryan Niblett. Then the Longhorns went into a crawfish hole and didn’t come out. Texas finished with 13 first downs, 272 total yards, 2 of 10 on third down, and held the ball for under 22 minutes. The one bright spot late was a 62-yard completion to Emmett Mosley V that set up a 9-yard TD pass to Cam Coleman, which only made it a three-point game.
On defense, Colin Simmons had four tackles for loss and a sack and Justin Cryer made 11 tackles, but Florida’s 15-play and 14-play scoring drives in the second half wore them down. Steve Sarkisian summed it up himself: “We didn’t play good football today. Kind of bled out.”
Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Texas was No. 1 in the country two weeks ago, and now it’s 1-2 in the SEC and ranked behind Kentucky. That’s not a slump, that’s a whole sinkhole under the camp. Ole Miss comes to Austin next. If that goes sideways, the panic in Austin will be louder than a brass band in a phone booth.
Gumbo Grade: D. A punt-return touchdown and a fast start were all they had. The rest was a cold roux.
OLE MISS REBELS: Homecoming Dinner, and Missouri Was the Main Course
No. 9 Ole Miss 31, No. 13 Missouri 3 | Ole Miss now 5-1 (3-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 7
Cajun roast: Missouri brought over a bunch of former Rebels to make it personal. Ole Miss sent ’em home with a to-go plate and a “thanks for coming, y’all.”
This one was over by halftime. Trinidad Chambliss accounted for four touchdowns: three passes (10 yards to Caleb Odom, 21 to Horatio Fields, 17 to Caleb Cunningham) and a 5-yard run. He went 20 of 36 for 241 yards. The ground game ran over Missouri like a pickup truck over a fire-ant mound: Kewan Lacy had 122 yards on 16 carries, Makhi Frazier added 101 on 15, and Ole Miss piled up 498 total yards, 257 rushing.
The defense might’ve been even better. Missouri came in with a back fresh off two straight 200-yard games, and Ole Miss held the whole Tiger offense to 39 rushing yards on 26 carries. Defensive tackle Will Echoles had a sack, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. Landon Barnes snagged an interception. Per the AP, the Rebels are now 25-1 at home since 2023.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Ole Miss is the SEC team playing the best football in October, period. They lost one game, at Florida, and that Florida team just won in Austin. Pete Golding’s bunch is cooking with a cast-iron pot now.
Gumbo Grade: A. Dominant on both lines against a top-15 team. That’s a dark roux, slow-cooked, served hot.
MISSOURI TIGERS: First-and-Goal at the 2, Zero Points, Long Drive Home
No. 9 Ole Miss 31, No. 13 Missouri 3 | Missouri now 5-2 (2-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 22
Cajun roast: Missouri had first-and-goal at the 2-yard line and came away with nothing. I’ve seen drunk tourists on Bourbon Street find the end zone faster, and they didn’t even have a map.
Here’s the moment the game turned. Trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, Missouri had first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 2. Two runs went backward, a pass fell incomplete, and a 23-yard field goal missed. Ole Miss then scored two touchdowns in a row and led 21-3 at halftime. Missouri didn’t reach the red zone again until the final two minutes. The run game, the heart of this team, produced 39 yards on 26 carries.
There were bright spots. Austin Simmons threw for 339 yards, Donovan Olugbode caught 9 passes for 127 yards, linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez made 13 tackles, and punter Bruno Reus averaged 42.5 yards on seven punts. But an offense that can’t run the ball and can’t score from the 2 is a gumbo pot with a hole in the bottom.
Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Missouri’s only real problem is that it can’t win away from home against good teams. The Tigers are unbeaten at home, and three of their final four games are in Columbia. Eli Drinkwitz said he won’t wallow. Good, because the swamp doesn’t care about your feelings either.
Gumbo Grade: D-. Three points against a top-10 team, and no points from the 2. The pot never got to a boil.
KENTUCKY WILDCATS: The Luckiest Cats in the Bayou, and Now They’re Tied for First
No. 15 Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 | Kentucky now 6-1 (4-1 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 12
Cajun roast: Kentucky wins games like my Uncle T-Boy wins at bourré: nobody at the table can explain how, everybody’s mad about it, and he’s still holding the pot at the end of the night.
Kentucky gained 230 total yards, trailed 13-7 late in the third quarter, and won by eight. The defense did it. The Wildcats intercepted Oklahoma four times: Ty Bryant had two, and Jordan Castell had two, including a 41-yard pick-six with 1:17 left that sealed it. Bryant’s first interception set up the go-ahead drive, which ended on Kenny Minchey’s second touchdown pass of the night. Minchey went 21 of 28 for 158 yards and two TDs, and Grant Godfrey made 15 tackles.
That’s five straight wins, including back-to-back overtime wins over ranked teams before this one. Kentucky’s only loss was to Alabama, and now the Wildcats are tied with Georgia atop the SEC. Read that sentence again slowly. Yes, Kentucky football.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Kentucky is the best “how in the world” team in America, and that’s a compliment. Zero turnovers, opportunistic defense, and nerves of steel. But 230 yards won’t beat Tennessee or Georgia. Enjoy the view from the top, Cats. Bring a lawn chair, because it might be a short visit.
Gumbo Grade: A-. A road SEC win built on four takeaways and zero giveaways. The offense brought store-bought potato salad, but the defense cooked the whole meal.
OKLAHOMA SOONERS: From Beating No. 1 to Handing Out Free Samples
No. 15 Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 | Oklahoma now 3-3 (1-2 SEC) | Unranked
Cajun roast: One week after knocking off No. 1 Texas, Oklahoma threw four interceptions at home. That’s like winning the Mardi Gras king cake baby and choking on it at the parade.
The Sooners outgained Kentucky 346-230, had more first downs (19-14), held the ball longer, and lost by eight because they gave the ball away four times through the air, including the pick-six that ended it. Manny Choice caught 5 passes for 98 yards, Isaiah Sategna III added 8 for 83, and Rocky Beers caught a 20-yard touchdown pass right before halftime. Tate Sandell made field goals from 44 and 26 yards.
The defense was good enough to win. Kentucky had 76 yards and four punts on five straight drives after its opening touchdown, and Jake Kreul had 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. But the AP put it plainly: turnovers once again did in the offense. The run game didn’t help, with 76 rushing yards on the night.
Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: the Texas win was a party, and this was the hangover. A 3-3 team with a top-notch defense and an offense that keeps tossing the ball to the other side is a coin flip every week. Oklahoma goes to Starkville next as a 3-point favorite (DraftKings, as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22), and yes, I’ll be sweating that one.
Gumbo Grade: D+. The defense earned a B. The four interceptions dragged the whole pot down.
LSU TIGERS: Death Valley Served a Full Plate, and Nobody Else Got a Bite
No. 22 LSU 31, No. 16 Mississippi State 0 | LSU now 5-2 (2-2 SEC) | New AP rank: No. 18
Cajun roast: LSU fans have spent all season complaining louder than a fais do-do band with a blown speaker. Saturday the Tigers finally gave ’em something else to yell about.
Credit where it’s due, even from a maroon man. Sam Leavitt played his cleanest game of the season: 31 of 38 for 289 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, his first turnover-free game this year, spreading the ball to nine receivers. Jackson Harris caught 6 passes for 85 yards and two TDs (27 and 17 yards), Eugene Wilson III and Malik Elzy caught the others, and Dilin Jones had 84 rushing yards plus 8 catches for 58. LSU led 21-0 at halftime and converted 8 of 13 third downs.
The defense pitched LSU’s first shutout of an SEC opponent since 2007. TJ Dottery made 12 tackles, Jordan Ross had a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, and Ty Benefield picked off a pass. State got inside the LSU 40 five times and came away with zero, all five ending on failed fourth downs.
Fair is fair, though, so here’s the balance. LSU was outrushed 170-90, and the opponent was missing its starting quarterback and top running back. A week ago this team lost in overtime at Kentucky. Lane Kiffin said it himself: no pity for injuries, and he’s right, but nobody should engrave a trophy off one Saturday.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: if Leavitt keeps throwing it like this and stops giving the ball away, LSU is the most dangerous two-loss team in the league. If not, they’re the most dangerous two-loss team to their own fans’ blood pressure.
Gumbo Grade: A. A clean, convincing shutout of a ranked rival. Not an A+, because the run game was a mosquito bite, not a gator bite.
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS: My Team, My Pot, My Goose Egg
No. 22 LSU 31, No. 16 Mississippi State 0 | Mississippi State now 4-2 (2-2 SEC) | Dropped out of the AP Top 25
Cajun roast: State got inside the LSU 40 five times and came home with zero points. I’ve seen Mawmaw walk out of a casino with more to show for it, and she plays the penny slots with a coupon.
I promised I’d boil my own team hotter than anybody, so here’s the boil. Mississippi State has now lost two straight, each by more than 30 points, and this one was a shutout. Five drives got inside the LSU 40. All five ended on failed fourth-down tries, including one from the LSU 6-yard line. Not one field goal attempt. State went 0 for 5 on fourth down. Jeff Lebby went for it all afternoon and came home broke. The offense drove inside the 20 just once, went 7 of 15 on third down, and committed 7 penalties for 75 yards.
To be fair, State was missing its starting quarterback, Kamario Taylor, and its top running back, Fluff Bothwell. Second-year quarterback Parker Puckett made his first career start in Death Valley, of all places, and went 16 of 26 for 121 yards, with a 33-yard run as his best play. Kolin Wilson ran for 70-plus yards, and State actually outrushed LSU 170-90 and held the ball for more than 30 minutes. On defense, Jett Jefferson made 8 tackles and Marcus Williams had a sack and two tackles for loss. But the defense also gave up 31 of 38 passing to Leavitt.
Cajun Commentary: Ruthless take from the guy who owns the maroon: the injuries are real, but five empty trips inside the 40 is a coaching problem, not a roster problem. Take the points, Coach. Oklahoma comes to Starkville on Saturday, and this team needs a win like a crawfish needs water.
Gumbo Grade: F. I love y’all, but a shutout is a shutout. Mawmaw made me say it.
ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS: The Drought Is Over. Somebody Light the Grill.
Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21 | Arkansas now 3-4 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked
Cajun roast: Arkansas hadn’t won an SEC game since 2024. That’s 14 straight conference losses, which is longer than some marriages in my family.
Finally. The Hogs went to Nashville as 5.5-point underdogs (DraftKings closing line) and snapped a 14-game SEC losing streak. Joker Johnson started it with a 25-yard pick-six, Cam Settles ran for two touchdowns, and quarterback KJ Jackson went 21 of 31 for 251 yards and ran for 58 yards and a TD, including an 8-yarder that gave Arkansas a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter. Settles’ 3-yard score with nine seconds left in the third broke a 21-21 tie for good. Arkansas ran for 187 yards, gained 438 overall, and didn’t turn it over.
When Vanderbilt drove to the Arkansas 29 with 3:46 left, Miguel Mitchell picked it off, and Max Gilbert’s 39-yard field goal iced it. Coach Ryan Silverfield said the win “was for the players,” and after two years of this, they earned every bite.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Arkansas just found its identity, and it’s “run the ball and don’t do anything dumb.” Revolutionary, I know. The Hogs get a bye, then host Missouri on Oct. 31. Bring that run game and they might steal another one.
Gumbo Grade: A-. Road SEC win, zero turnovers, a defensive touchdown and a closing interception. The only thing missing is a passing touchdown. Pass the boudin, Fayetteville.
VANDERBILT COMMODORES: Favored at Home and Still Got Peeled
Arkansas 31, Vanderbilt 21 | Vanderbilt now 3-4 (0-4 SEC) | Unranked
Cajun roast: Vanderbilt was a 5.5-point favorite (DraftKings closing line) at home against a team on a 14-game SEC losing streak, and lost. That’s like losing a staring contest to a crawfish that’s already been boiled.
Vandy now has four straight losses and is 0-4 in the SEC. Jared Curtis threw for 274 yards and a touchdown, a 24-yarder to Junior Sherrill, who had a big night with 8 catches for 99 yards. Sedrick Alexander and Makhilyn Young each ran for a score, and Bryan Longwell made 13 tackles. But two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and one on the final real drive, sank the ship.
The bigger problem is a defense that was supposed to be the strength of this team. Arkansas ran for 187 yards, one week after Ole Miss ran for 196. Clark Lea said, “We’re actively in pursuit of a better performance.” Coach, the whole fan base is in pursuit of that, plus a cold drink.
Cajun Commentary: Ruthless truth: Vandy’s 3-0 start is a memory now, as faded as last year’s Mardi Gras beads in a pickup truck’s rearview mirror. Next up is a trip to Kentucky. Bring a life jacket.
Gumbo Grade: D-. You were the favorite. At home. Against the team with the longest losing streak in the league. Yikes, cher.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES: Scrimmage Saturday at Kyle Field
Texas A&M 41, The Citadel 0 | Texas A&M now 4-3 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked
Cajun roast: After scoring six points at Missouri, A&M scheduled a get-well casserole from the FCS. It was delicious. It was also The Citadel. Don’t post the recipe yet.
A&M did exactly what it was supposed to do. The Aggies scored touchdowns on all four first-half drives, led 28-0 at halftime, and gained 501 total yards. Jamarion Morrow ran for three first-half touchdowns (all short ones, six yards combined), KJ Edwards led all rushers with 116 yards, and Aaron Gregory caught 6 passes for 94 yards and two TDs. Starter Marcel Reed went 8 of 13 for 130 yards and a TD before the backups took over. The defense allowed 183 yards and pitched its second shutout of the season, the first time A&M has had two in the same year since 1993.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: this tells us nothing, and that’s fine. A&M is 1-3 in the SEC and heads to Tuscaloosa as a 13.5-point underdog (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23). That’s when we find out if the offense is fixed or just took a nice nap.
Gumbo Grade: B. You can’t grade higher than a B against an FCS team, but they did everything right. A clean plate is a clean plate.
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS: On a Bye, Somewhere Fishing
Bye week | South Carolina is 3-3 (1-3 SEC) | Unranked
Cajun roast: South Carolina had the best week in the SEC, because it’s the only team that couldn’t lose. Somebody check on Columbia, they might be at the camp with a cooler and a cane pole.
The Gamecocks rested up after a 38-19 win at Florida on Oct. 10, and that win looks a whole lot better now that Florida just won in Austin. Next comes the big one: No. 11 Tennessee in Columbia on Saturday, with South Carolina a 2.5-point favorite (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23).
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: South Carolina at home against Tennessee is the most underrated game of the week. If the Gamecocks bring the Gainesville version, the Vols’ playoff talk gets a whole lot quieter.
Gumbo Grade: B (for Bye). Undefeated this week. Nobody fumbled, nobody got flagged, nobody got embarrassed. Lucky them.
The Power Pot: SEC Power Rankings After Week 7
Ranked by how good each team looks right now, not by brand name or by what the helmets cost. And yes, the maroon team is where it is on merit.
- Tennessee (6-1, 3-1) – Three straight wins, a punishing run game, and a defense that just suffocated Alabama. The only loss was by three to Texas. Hottest pot on the stove.
- Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1) – Held a top-15 team to three points and 39 rushing yards. Playing the best football in the league this month.
- Georgia (6-1, 4-1) – Still tied for first with wins at Alabama and over Oklahoma. The Auburn loss was a home-cooked disaster, but the résumé is still the best in the room.
- Kentucky (6-1, 4-1) – Tied for first, five straight wins, and more lucky charms than a Lafayette pawn shop. The 45-17 home loss to Bama keeps them from the top three.
- Florida (5-2, 3-2) – Wins over Ole Miss, Texas and Auburn. A week ago they looked like roadkill. Now they’re the scariest gator in the ditch.
- LSU (5-2, 2-2) – Lost by eight at Ole Miss and by one at Kentucky, then shut out a ranked rival. If the turnovers stay gone, look out.
- Alabama (5-2, 3-2) – Two straight losses, but they still have wins over Kentucky and South Carolina. The talent’s there. The offense isn’t.
- Auburn (4-2, 2-2) – Toppled No. 1 on the road. Losses to Florida and Tennessee are respectable. Nobody wants this quarterback in November.
- Missouri (5-2, 2-2) – Unbeaten at home, beaten up on the road. First-and-goal at the 2 for zero points is going to haunt their film room.
- Texas (4-2, 1-2) – No. 1 two weeks ago, now has two straight losses and a 1-2 SEC record. The talent says higher. The tape says “get in line.”
- Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2) – Yes, they beat Missouri head-to-head. They also lost the last two by a combined 64 points. I put ’em here myself, and it hurts like stepping on a crawfish claw barefoot.
- Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2) – A win over Texas and a defense that travels, but an offense that keeps giving the ball away.
- South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) – That 38-19 win at Florida keeps aging well. Tennessee at home will tell us the truth.
- Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3) – Beat up an FCS team. Next up is Tuscaloosa, which is not an FCS team.
- Arkansas (3-4, 1-3) – The streak is dead, the run game is alive, and the Hogs are finally out of the basement.
- Vanderbilt (3-4, 0-4) – Four straight losses and a home loss as the favorite. They’ve got the basement all to themselves now.
Cajun Commentary: Hot take: Nos. 1 through 4 are so close you couldn’t slide a crawfish tail between them. Tennessee gets the top spot because it’s the one team that looks better every single week. Ask me again after Saturday in Columbia.
Next Week on the Menu (Saturday, Oct. 24; all times CT)
Kickoff times and TV from ESPN’s schedule; lines are DraftKings numbers as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23 unless noted, and will move.
- No. 18 LSU at Auburn, 11 a.m. (ABC). Tiger vs. Tiger at Jordan-Hare. LSU is favored by 7 (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23), but Auburn just took down No. 1 in Athens. This is the most dangerous early game on the board, and somebody’s mawmaw is going to need her heart pills.
- No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN). South Carolina is a 2.5-point favorite at home (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23), coming off a bye. The Vols’ playoff dreams walk into Williams-Brice. Our sleeper game of the week.
- Texas A&M at No. 13 Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (ABC). Bama is favored by 13.5 (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23) and desperate. A&M is fresh off a scrimmage. If the Tide lose three straight, folks in Tuscaloosa will start burning sage.
- Oklahoma at Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network). OU is a 3-point favorite in Starkville (DraftKings, as of 8:03 PM CT Oct. 22). Both teams need this like a fish needs a bayou. I’m not picking it. I’ll be on my porch, chewing my fingernails.
- No. 7 Ole Miss at No. 19 Texas, 6:30 p.m. (ABC). Game of the week. Texas is a 3.5-point home favorite, which tells you how much respect Austin still gets with the oddsmakers. Lose this, and the Longhorns’ season goes in the trash with the crawfish shells.
- Vanderbilt at No. 12 Kentucky, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network). Kentucky is favored by 10.5 (DraftKings, as of 8:11 AM CT Oct. 23) and has a share of first place to protect. Vandy needs a win like a Cajun needs hot sauce.
- Bye: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri. (Florida at Georgia and Missouri at Arkansas are both Oct. 31.)
Cajun Commentary: Ole Miss-Texas is the marquee game, but LSU-Auburn and Tennessee-South Carolina are the two most likely to blow up the Power Pot. Set the DVR, cher, and hide the remote from your in-laws.
That’s the gumbo for this week, y’all. Laissez les bons temps rouler, take the points when they’re on the table, and don’t forget the bug spray.
Gridiron Gumbo: SEC football, seasoned in Southwest Louisiana.
Sources
Final scores, box scores, standings, AP rankings (Week 8 poll released Oct. 18), next week’s schedule, and betting lines come from ESPN’s scoreboard, game summaries and standings. Scores were cross-checked with CollegeFootballData and with game recaps from the AP and the schools’ official athletics sites (Auburn, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas A&M), plus CBS Sports and SECSports.com, all accessed Oct. 18, 2026.
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