Biscuits & SEC Week 13 game-by-game recaps 2024
This is one of the wildest weekends in the SEC I can recall. I’m sure some recency bias is baked into this, but the fact remains this was a volcanic Saturday in the SEC. Three teams staring playoff bids right in face fell to inferior, bottom half of the SEC programs. Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M all went down, drastically shaking up the SEC title and CFP picture.
With all the volatility we saw this weekend, it's no surprise the boys struggled with picks. If you saw the Ole Miss, Alabama, and Texas A&M upsets coming, kudos to you. Clearly, we did not. Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Hammer is clinging to a two-game lead in the straight-up department (while trailing miserably ATS), and the Waco Kid has a two-game lead against the spread. Still, plenty of time to see some shake-up.
Let’s hit the reaps.
Bossman: I did not see this one coming at all. With DJ Lagway playing, I thought Florida could put up a fight for a half, but I figured the Ole Miss defense would be able to get home against a sub-100% Lagway. To show just how chaotic this year has been, it was the Florida defense that outplayed the Rebels. The Gators tallied nine TFLs and four sacks to Ole Miss’s three sacks and five TFLs. DJ Lagway hardly used his legs at all, yet was steady and poised in the pocket, throwing for 184 yards and two TDs. Jaxson Dart was fairly efficient, but he unraveled late in the fourth quarter, throwing two picks on back-to-back drives. The Rebs Achilles heel in this game was third and fourth down. They were 3/14 on third down and went 2/4 on fourth down. However, both of those stuffed fourth downs came deep inside the Florida red zone, costing the Rebs at least six points. It’s fun when you’re winning as a riverboat gambler, but not so fun when you’re losing.
Hammer: There is no other way to categorize this game other than an epic failure by Ole Miss. Yes, Florida is a talented team that has been playing better lately, especially with DJ Lagway. Plus, this game was in Gainesville. But none of those factors explain what we saw here. Florida played well in this game, but if Ole Miss hadn’t shot themselves in the foot, they win this game. I hate blaming the losing team and not giving credit to the winners, but I can’t help it here. All Ole Miss had to do to make the inaugural 12-team CFP beat a 5-5 Florida team and a 2-8 Mississippi State team. But they laid an egg, and the Gators took advantage. Jaxson Dart had a terrible game, going 24/41 for 321 yards, two TDs, and two costly picks when Ole Miss needed a touchdown to tie. The Ole Miss run game also struggled mightily. JJ Pegues, a defensive lineman, had six carries, two of which came on fourth down where he was stuffed. Florida played the perfect game here, just keeping Ole Miss at arm’s length and waiting for them to fold under the pressure. It was a great win for Billy Napier as he builds momentum for 2025 and a crushing loss for the Rebels.
Bossman: No big surprise here, the Longhorns take care of business and move on. Survive and advance, baby. It was 24-7 at halftime and pretty much over by then, though you would have liked to see Texas keep their foot on the gas a little more in the second half. One thing to watch for Texas: they were just 6/14 on third down, something they’ll need to be better about if they plan to beat Texas A&M next Saturday in Kyle Field.
Hammer: Ho hum, Texas beats up on another SEC bottom dweller at home. I have been hard on Texas for their easy schedule this year, and that is warranted. Their schedule has been very weak, especially by SEC standards. Texas has played six of the seven worst teams in the SEC standings. The only team ranked in the top half of the SEC they have played was Georgia, and they lost by 15 points at home. However, Texas has handled their business and beaten teams they should have, which is more than most of their SEC brethren can say. Kentucky had no chance in this game, only mustering seven offensive points thanks to a pick-six that got them to 14. The first real road test for Texas comes this weekend against Texas A&M at Kyle Field and we’ll see how they fare.
Bossman: Another one here with no surprise. Mississippi State showed some life in the middle of the season, but they’ve since fallen back to the bottom. With just a few games left in the Brady Cook era, I didn’t see Mizzou falling to this iteration of the Mississippi State Bulldogs…and they didn’t. Fine win for Mizzou, whatever. Next.
Hammer: Good win on the road for Missouri following the crushing loss to South Carolina a week ago. The Tigers got off the mat, went on the road, and won an SEC game by 19 points. Eli Drinkwitz has done a solid job this year despite sky-high expectations. That said, Mississippi State still really stinks. They fight hard for Jeff Lebby, but they do not have the personnel to compete in the SEC right now, and this was just the latest example. Good on Mizzou for taking care of business.
Bossman: I was the only one on SEC After Dark who picked Oklahoma to cover the spread here…but I did not foresee the Sooner beatdown that took place in Norman. Jalen Milroe unraveled, throwing three picks in the second half, including a pick-six that put OU up 24-3. The Bama defense also opened up like a dam that hadn’t been opened in 30 years, giving up 257 rushing yards to Oklahoma. I mean, Jackson Arnold only threw the ball 11 times for 68 yards. What?? People will freak out over the bad call that took an Alabama TD off the board, and it was terrible, but Alabama still loses this game even with that score. Is this the way it’s going to be under the DaBoer regime in Tuscaloosa? Super highs and low lows? We’ll see, but this one was a total head-scratcher. Huge win for Venables and co., one they can build on.
Hammer: What in the hell happened here? No one in America saw this coming. Sure, Oklahoma winning isn’t the craziest thing you’ve ever heard. This same Alabama team lost to Vanderbilt after all. But Oklahoma winning 24-3 is an outcome that shocked everyone. Good for the Sooners and Brent Venables, who have had a really tough first year in the SEC. Sitting at 5-5, with one of the worst offenses in the conference, Oklahoma’s season was firmly off the rails. That is not a program that is used to fighting and clawing their way to bowl eligibility, yet here they were. But instead of feeling sorry for themselves, and quitting, they went out there and dominated a top-10 Alabama team and crushed any hopes of a CFP berth for Alabama. That takes a ton of heart and dedication and I really respect that from Brent Venables and that team. They made Jalen Milroe look like a middle school QB. Milroe was totally lost all night, throwing for 164 yards with no TDs and three interceptions (including a pick 6) . They also held him to 7 yards rushing on 15 carries. Just a masterclass of how to defend an explosive player like Milroe. And on the other side of the ball, Oklahoma just said screw it we aren’t even going to try to throw the ball. Our offensive line can’t pass block, we have no WRs due to injury, so let’s just run the damn ball. And by God, it worked! The Sooners ran for 257 yards on 50 carries, while only throwing the ball 12 times! Amazing. Jackson Arnold played a hell of a game and led the team in rushing with 131 yards on 25 carries. Have a game, big fella!
Bossman: Another shocking result from Week 13. I thought A&M would get the job done, barely, on the road, but I knew the Aggies were walking into a trap. The clip of Mike Elko saying the team was “focused on Texas…I mean Auburn,” were played ad nauseam on social media, and it turns out the Aggies weren’t ready for the trap in Auburn, Alabama. Jordan-Hare is a wasp nest, doesn’t matter if the Tigers are 2-10 or 10-2. “That place is haunted,” as Nick Saban said. Peyton Thorne looked like a Heisman candidate for a half as they jumped the Aggies, taking a 21-7 lead into halftime. A&M stormed back in the second half, taking the lead 31-28 with four minutes to play in the game. Auburn kicked a field goal to take it to overtime before outlasting the Aggies in four OTs. This game had it all, but three things stand out. For the Aggies, Auburn gave them every chance to win the game, and they failed to seize the opportunities. Even with that disappointment, they have a QB for the future in Marcel Reed. This kid is poised, never flinches, takes things in stride, and is a true leader. He’ll be great if they can keep coaching him up in the passing game. For Auburn, it’s a huge win. This roster is talented, and if they can keep it together and add to it through recruiting and the portal, be wary of the Tigers in 2025. Cheers to the winners.
Hammer: Compared to the other two teams who suffered crushing upsets this weekend in Alabama and Ole Miss, at least A&M put up a fight. The Aggies ended up losing in quadruple overtime, thanks to a dropped pass and the ridiculous penalty kick style way we now determine games in overtime with alternating two-point conversions, which is a travesty by the way. But back to the game, A&M just ran into a hungry and motivated Auburn team. Hugh Freeze and this Auburn team were due for a big upset, and the Aggies just found themselves on the wrong end of it on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare. Hugh Freeze magically remembered he had Jarquez Hunter on his team and decided to hand him the ball 28 times. Hunter finished with 130 yards and three touchdowns. I don’t know why Freeze has refused to give Hunter the ball all season long, but unfortunately for A&M, he got the ball in this one and he made it count. The real story here was Auburn jumping out to a 21-0 lead. The Aggies start so slowly and it has come back to bite them twice now. The Aggies defense has also been a letdown as the season has gone on. Auburn is a decent offense, but you can’t give up 469 yards and 43 points on the road in the SEC and expect to win. Ultimately, A&M was not ready for this game and despite competing hard and nearly pulling off a stunning comeback, they came up short and will have to quickly forget this game and prepare for Texas.
Bossman: I thought this one would be close, and it was. Vanderbilt loves to lull you into a mudfight and they did that again in this one, making LSU earn it. This one wasn’t over until the fat lady sang. Garrett Nussmeier had a solid game throwing for over 330 yards, distributing the ball to nine different receivers. Diego Pavia played his heart out again but it just wasn’t enough this time in Death Valley.
Hammer: Vandy did what they do best here, and drug LSU into a knife fight. To LSU’s credit, they found a way to win. This game was won on third down. LSU went 8/13 on third down and Vandy went 2/10. That is how LSU was able to win the time of possession battle, something Vandy excels at. Garrett Nussmeier had a nice bounce-back game here as well, finally not turning the ball over. Nuss finished the night with 332 yards and one TD on 28/37 attempts. Good for LSU to get the win here and avoid a four-game losing streak. They needed this desperately as LSU fans were chanting “Fire Kelly” early in the game.
