Biscuits & SEC Rivalry Week game-by-game recaps 2024
A fitting rivalry week to close out an unpredictable regular season in the SEC.
By: Bossman, Hammer
Wow, what a season in the SEC. The only team to make it through the regular season with less than one loss was Texas, and they will meet Georgia in Atlanta this coming weekend for the SEC Title game. There was more upsets and parody in the SEC and across college football than we’ve seen in quite some time. It made for an incredibly entertaining, fun and simultaneously heartbreaking season and we couldn’t turn away. Now it’s time for postseason play. We’ve got so much more fun football remaining before we put a bow on the 2024 season.
Here’s how the crew fared in Week 14:
With the regular season wrapped up, Bossman made up his two-game deficit on Hammer to tie for the overall picks record. The Waco Kid held onto his lead and won the regular season picks against the spread. It’s been a great year, and we’re excited to see how the postseason shakes out as the picks will continue through conference title, bowl season, and the CFP.
Let’s dive into the recaps.
Bossman: Another game where Ole Miss played around with their food. I should have known, picking the under this year has been lucrative, and a 20.5-point spread in favor of Ole Miss after they laid an egg at Florida should have been easy money. Instead I picked the Rebs to cover, stupidly. Mississippi State played valiantly in the first half, going into the locker room down just three points. In the end, though, Ole Miss was too much and was able to grind out a win against their hated rival. Let the spinzone begin for Lane Kiffin with the playoff committee.
Hammer: Not much to recap here, truthfully. Mississippi State was outmatched, and despite scoring 14 points in the first quarter, never really had a chance here. Like many rivalry games we saw this weekend, this one was pretty competitive but ultimately Ole Miss suffocated the Bulldogs and got out with a comfy win. Jaxson Dart set the all-time Ole Miss passing record and finished his career at Ole Miss on a high note winning another Egg Bowl.
Bossman: My goodness what a freakin’ game. I stayed up and watched every minute of this one because I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Haynes King and the Yellow Jackets played an incredible game and nearly pulled off the unthinkable. They had Georgia dead to rights but it was one of those that you felt Georgia was never fully out of it because, well…they’re Georgia. Still, the Ramblin’ Wreck pushed the Dawgs to the brink, going round for round into 8 OTs with a college football heavyweight. Brent Key is building something really special in Atlanta, don’t sleep on the Jackets going forward. Credit to Kirby Smart and the Dawgs for stepping up and getting a win as they head into the SEC title game. Last thing I’ll say - bring back the old OT rules!
Hammer: Wow, 8 overtimes!! This game was a roller coaster ride from hell and Georgia did everything they could to lose. But they found a way to win. Georgia Tech dominated this game for 54 minutes and then it all flipped. The Yellow Jackets led 17-0 at halftime and held onto that lead until late in the fourth quarter. When the Bulldogs needed it most, their offense came alive. Behind 27-13 with under six minutes remaining, Carson Beck led Georgia on two touchdown drives and tied the game at 27 with one minute remaining. Overtime was a complete cluster as both teams traded a couple of touchdowns before trading two-point conversion attempts with poor execution. Ultimately, Georgia got it done and prevailed 44-42. Epic victory for Georgia and a gutting loss for Georgia Tech. Haynes King had an all-time performance in this one, finishing 26/36 for 303 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 110 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Carson Beck got rid of his turnover virus, at least for this game, throwing for 297 yards and 5 TDs. The Bulldogs were incredibly lucky to escape with a win here, but at the end of the day, they got the W and move on to the SEC title.
Bossman: Pretty simple: the Vols took care of business. It looked like Tennessee might fumble away their playoff chances when Vandy jumped out to a 17-7 lead, but the Vols stormed back and took the lead 24-17 before halftime and never looked back. Vandy hung tough for most of the game and it’s a testament to where that program is now. They’re pesky and they don’t give up - they’re no longer a pushover. Overall, though, the Vols were the better team and racked up 538 total yards with Nico Iamaleava picking apart the Commodores secondary for 257 yards, four TDs and an INT. Dylan Sampson also had a day, averaging seven YPC on his way to 178 yards on 25 carries. See you in the playoff, Vols.
Hammer: A workmanlike win for the Vols here. Vandy got out to a hot start thanks to returning the opening kick off for a TD and scoring on their first drive. But after that 14-0 start, it was all Tennessee. The Vols outgained Vandy on the day 538 to 213. Diego Pavia was bottled up for the most part by a stout Vol defense. Nico Iamaleava had one of his best games of the year, going 18/26 for 257 yards and four TDs with one pick. Dylan Sampson continued to bulldoze opposing defenses and finished with 178 yards on 25 carries. All in all, a good win for Tennessee to finish 10-2.
Bossman: This one was a fun defensive battle to watch, with a few big plays that determined the game. LaNorris Sellers didn’t have his best day through the air, so instead he just turned into a Sherman tank and bullied the Clemson defense in a ground war to the tune of 166 yards and two TDs. I’m not kidding when I say bullied either, the kid forced 18 missed tackles by the Tigers defense. Ridiculous. On the Clemson side, Cade Klubnik played a solid game until the final drive when he threw a costly interception that sealed the game for South Carolina. Clemson was in field goal range to tie it up, but Klubnik threw a bad ball behind RB Phil Mafah, who got a hand on it, but tipped it up just enough for Demetrius Knight to dive and catch the ball. When it comes down to it, Klubnik has been a solid QB but has had trouble winning big games in his time at Clemson. The Gamecocks are the hottest team in the nation, and now they’ll take their fate from the College Football Playoff committee.
Hammer: I predicted a close game, and that’s exactly what we got. It was even lower scoring than I anticipated, but I knew Dabo would have the Tigers ready. Both offenses played fairly well but turnovers came back to bite both teams with South Carolina turning it over three times and Clemson twice. Ultimately, LaNorris Sellers put the Gamecocks on his back and carried them to a victory on the road against a good Clemson team. Trailing 14-10, Sellers scampered 20 yards for the go ahead touchdown with just over one minute remaining. On Clemson’s ensuing drive, Klubnik was picked off inside the red zone to seal the game for South Carolina. On the day, Sellers was a one man wrecking crew, rushing for 166 yards and two TDs on 16 carries, while throwing for 164 yards on 13/21 attempts. Going 9-3 at South Carolina is a hell of a year and Shame Beamer and that program should be extremely proud. A great way to cap off a great season.
Bossman: I thought this one would be a close Louisville win, and that the Cardinals would barely cover. Instead, the Wildcats quit and Louisville took them behind the woodshed for one final humiliation in 2024. Kentucky turned the ball over five times, including a scoop-and-score for Louisville. The Cardinals ran for 358 yards and four TDs on this Kentucky defense that early in the year was good against the run. No longer. It’s honestly a mess in Lexington right now. There QB situation is a disaster and the defense has fallen off a cliff. It’s one of the worst years that Mark Stoops has had at Kentucky, and the future is not looking so bright at the moment. Louisville is not a bad team, but Kentucky should not be losing to them by 27 at home, especially when they’ve owned this rivalry in recent years. Go Blue are heading in reverse, fast.
Hammer: Shame on me. I thought the SEC superiority and rivalry aspect would show up in this game and allow Kentucky to get an upset win at home. I also thought Kentucky starting Cutter Boley might inject some life into this team. I was wrong on all counts. Boley looked awful, going 6/15 for 48 yards and two interceptions before being benched. And Kentucky got absolutely bullied by Lousiville on the lines of scrimmage, making me look like a fool for trusting a team based on the conference they play in to be stout up front. The Cardinals ran for 358 yards in this game on 51 carries. They only completed nine passes and put up 41 points. Kentucky was bad all year and they finished the season on a sour note. It looked like they gave up and couldn't wait to get into the offseason to end this nightmare.
Bossman: After their big win over Texas A&M, I thought Auburn had more fight in them than we saw on Saturday. It was 28-6 by the end of the third quarter and essentially over as Bama controlled this game for 60 minutes, despite some mistakes. I mean, the Tide turned the ball over four times and still won the game by two touchdowns. In part, that’s because the turnover bug came back to bite Auburn as Payton Thorne threw a pick as did Jarquez Hunter on a trick play. The Tide were extremely efficient on third down, going 12/18, while Auburn could hardly buy a first down from behind the sticks, going just 4/12. Alabama may somehow still be headed to the playoff while Auburn has a ton to get right in the offseason in order to climb the SEC pecking order.
Hammer: If I had told you that Alabama would turn the ball over four times to Auburn’s two coming into this game, I bet you would have thought this one would’ve been closer. I know I would have, and I predicted it to be a lot closer. Silly me, though, because Hugh Freeze continues to be a complete idiot and not give Jarquez Hunter the ball. Auburn is 3-0 in the 3 games that Hunter has gotten at least 20 carries. In this one, Freeze gave him the ball just 13 times and even had him try to throw the ball on a ridiculous trick play that resulted in an interception. I cannot tell you how pissed off I would be if I was an Auburn fan. Just unthinkable play calling all year from Freeze. For Bama, JAlen Milroe was decent through the air, but made his hay on the ground like usual. Milroe ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. This was a good win for Bama to keep their playoff hopes alive, and extremely important for DeBoer to get his first win in the Iron Bowl. But my lasting memory of this game will be Freeze throwing the ball 42 times and only giving Jarquez Hunter 13 carries.
Bossman: A sleepy game buried on SEC Network played in a snow globe, this game turned out to be awesome. The conditions were difficult for both teams as there was snow on the field for the entire game. I nearly called the score here, picking Mizzou 27-21. Nailed it. Two things mattered in this game: Mizzou had Brady Cook and Arkansas did not, and the Hogs turned the ball over twice which led to 14 points for the Tigers. It’s not even that Cook had a spectacular game, he played okay by the stats. However, the kid is a leader and a gamer, and he just wins. When it mattered most, he came up with a 30-yard rushing TD that put Mizzou ahead for good. I also have to shout out Theo Wease, who caught four balls for 100 yards, including a 70-yard bomb early in the fourth quarter that led to a field goal. Solid win for Mizzou who despite their serious flaws, still somehow got to 9-3. Impressive job by Eli Drinkwitz this year who proved me wrong after I left them for dead after the A&M blowout.
Hammer: This rivalry is slept on in SEC circles. It’s not thought of as a big rivalry, but these two schools don’t like one another. However, part of the reason that it’s not thought of as a big rivalry is because Missouri has been beating Arkansas’ ass. Since this game started happening annually in 2014, Mizzou is 9-2 against Arkansas. This year was just business as usual. It was a hard fought game and Missouri made the plays at the end to win. The Tigers also won the turnover battle 2-0, so Arkansas suffered yet another one score loss where they lost the turnover battle. Brady Cook deserves a shoutout for being a warrior all year and battling injuries. Seeing him scamper 30 yards for the game winning touchdown through the snow was a reminder of why we love college football. Missouri has won 19 regular season games with Cook starting these last two years, and that is a great run for the Tigers. Eli Drinkwitz and that program deserve a serious shoutout for what they have accomplished the last two years.
Bossman: Is it even fair to bag on Florida State at this point? The Seminoles are bad bad. The fall of the Noles needs to be studied. There are many issues in Tallahassee, but there is not a better example of how much one player can mean to a team, and how important a QB is to a team, than Florida State. With Jordan Travis, the Noles are elite. Without him and with DJ Uiagalelei at QB (big miss), this team couldn’t even muster three wins. Florida did what they were supposed to do, putting the Seminoles out of their misery.
Hammer: Good win for Florida. I don’t need to beat the dead horse of FSU more than they have been beaten already. They quit in September. But for Billy Napier and Florida to win seven games with that schedule and how the season started, that’s a hell of a season. Good rivalry win to close out a solid season in Gainesville. The Gators have a lot to be excited about moving forward.
Bossman: NUSS BOMB. Garrett Nussmeier went off in this one, going for 277 yards and three TDs. Chris Hilton was the biggest recipient of Nussmeier’s passing prowess, nabbing two receptions that were both TDs, including a 45-yarder. I expected more fight out of OU after their big win over Alabama, but LSU’s weapons on the outside were too much for the Sooner defense. The game was within reach for OU at the half, as LSU took a 24-17 lead into halftime, but LSU put it out of reach early in the fourth quarter with a field goal to go up 34-17. The LSU defense shut down the OU offense in the second half and didn’t allow another point. Coach Yost would be proud. Not another yard! Solid win for LSU to close out the season, who didn’t quit despite being disappointed at missing their goals. After the game, Brian Kelly made some comments about the Tigers being in the national championship next season. Hey, maybe! But they better do a ton of work in the portal to fix that defense or we’ll be looking at 8-4 again. Pressure’s on in Baton Rouge.
Hammer: Shame on me for buying into Oklahoma after their win over Alabama. I should’ve known they emptied the clip in Norman and showed up to Baton Rouge with no bullets. LSU brought the Sooner offense back to reality and held them to only 277 total yards. Jackson Arnold never found any rhythm and was under pressure all day from the Tiger front seven, who tallied 10 TFLs and 4 sacks. Garrett Nussmeier closed out the regular season on a high note, throwing for 277 yards and three TDs on 22/31 attempts. LSU simply had too much firepower for Oklahoma, and the Sooners tank was empty. Good win to close the year for LSU.
Bossman: My main takeaway from this game is that Texas was the bigger, more physical team in this game and it wasn’t particularly close. For all the talk about Texas A&M’s defensive line, the Texas offensive line held their own in this own allowing just one sack. On defense, the Horns had three sacks and six TFLs, imposing their will on the Aggies and frustrating Marcel Reed all night. If you had told me before the game that A&M holds Texas to 17 points, I’d tell you the Aggies win the game. Instead, the A&M defense and special teams kept A&M in the game, but the offense was so anemic they couldn’t even muster a point. Texas was obviously the better team on the field and despite what many thought about them shrinking in the Kyle Field environment, they seemed unphased. A&M isn’t that far off from Texas in terms of talent gap, but there is a noticeable size difference between the two programs. Sarkisian has built a real machine in Austin and it looks like they’ll be a problem in the SEC for years to come.
Hammer: What a performance from Texas. As an Aggie grad, this result crushed me. But there isn’t much to say other than Texas was the better team. They came into a charged-up Kyle Field and simply took care of business. The Longhorns won the battle up front on both lines of scrimmage, and A&M had no answer. The Aggie offense mustered 0 points as their only points came on a pick-six. Texas let A&M hand around all night with turnovers and a blocked punt, but the Aggie offense was never going to do anything. Some of that is the fault of the Aggies, but the Longhorns deserve a ton of credit here. They bottled up Marcel Reed and the A&M run game, holding the Aggies to 102 yards on 32 carries. Meanwhile, Texas ran for 243 yards on 47 carries. At the end of the day, Texas just handled their damn business and A&M couldn’t make the plays they needed to when it mattered most. A tough pill to swallow for A&M, and a testament to the program that Sark has built in Austin.
