Divisions would be useful this year.

As we wait for the SEC to transition to a 9-game conference schedule, there is a strange void in determining who will meet up in Atlanta on December 6. Because all 16 teams are eligible, and we have no dividing lines to make the race neat and tidy on at least one side, we still have 11 schools that maintain a mathematical chance of winning the league. Somehow, that includes Florida, who just fired its coach but only has two conference losses.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, or a failure of the schedule-makers – though it is pretty disheartening that this is the one year in history we’re dying for a Vanderbilt-Georgia matchup and it likely won’t happen. It’s just another odd quirk in the chaotic year that 2025 has given us.

Week Eight didn’t give us much more clarity on the situation, either, as we now have two undefeated teams and six(!) one-loss programs still trucking.

Things are going to stay messy for the foreseeable future, as the league contenders start to hit the teeth of their schedules. As bad as things feel in Baton Rouge and Knoxville today, those schools still have plenty of opportunities to get back in the hunt.

It’s entirely possible we won’t know either of the teams lining up in the Benz until the final week of the regular season, which also opens the door for plenty of politicking and parading around the at-large playoff spots.

No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt

Another reminder that we’re in a very different SEC now: Vanderbilt knocked off a top ten LSU team and the student section didn’t even think about rushing the field.

The Commodores aren’t just a fun story trailing the outsized character of Diego Pavia anymore, they controlled both lines of scrimmage on Saturday and generally just beat the Tigers with hammers for 60 minutes. Nick Saban put it pretty well on College Gameday (*Pat McAfee trigger warning ahead*) when he said it’s hard to wrap your head around that this is just a good team now.

No. 14 Oklahoma at South Carolina

Oh hey, John Mateer is healthy again. Praise be to Dr. Steven Shin.

There isn’t much left to say about South Carolina anymore, this once-promising season is just a bummer.

No. 4 Texas A&M at Arkansas

The Hogs look genuinely feisty again, and you have to think Bobby Petrino is going to knock off at least one win at some point, but Texas A&M remains the conference standard-bearer for now with another close win on the road.

No. 5 Ole Miss at No. 9 Georgia

Georgia employed an approach that Spencer Hall once ascribed to Kalen DeBoer’s Washington teams, that of a “Muppets Band Defense” – where nothing seems to go right until it absolutely has to, and then magic happens. The Bulldogs gave up every available yard to Ole Miss through three quarters – to the tune of five consecutive touchdowns – and then gave up just 13 yards (with 12 of those on one play) the rest of the way.

Mississippi State at Florida

Florida won this game and their coach got fired anyway, which feels like all you really need to know.

No. 21 Texas at Kentucky

Kentucky ran the single worst play sequence I’ve ever seen in an overtime drive. Almost no one should kick field goals in OT as an underdog, but Kentucky absolutely should have if that was their best idea.

No. 6 Alabama vs No. 11 Tennessee

Self-inflicted mistakes by the Vols kept this one from being as close as it deserved. Alabama ends up with a comfortable win and assumes the role as conference favorite even if they’re behind A&M in the standings, and the Volunteers probably need to win out to keep their playoff hopes alive.

No. 16 Missouri at Auburn

Text from a friend who is married to an Auburn grad: “Wish I could get the hours of my life back spent watching that game last night.” The War Eagle Tigers have a genuinely awesome defense, and can’t summon anything on the other side of the ball to help out.

Louisville 24, No. 2 Miami 21

Carson Beck remains Carson Beck until proven otherwise.

Arizona State 26, No. 7 Texas Tech 22

It feels like Texas Tech completely slid under the radar in rising up the rankings each week, but a tough showing (with a backup quarterback) is going to ensure that no one really watches them play until conference championship weekend – which is basically exactly what Arizona State did last year.

UAB 31, No. 22 Memphis 24

Firing Trent Dilfer: good!

No. 12 Georgia Tech 27, Duke 18

Tech absolutely deserved to lose this game, and instead might now be the ACC favorites?

If you have two quarterbacks, you should probably find a way to use them. Ole Miss lined up both QBs for a crucial fourth down conversion and completely baffled the Georgia defense.