SEC Round-Up: Best and worst SEC performances thus far

We're at the mid-point of the college football season (close enough), so here’s a look at the best and maybe not so great showings in the Southeastern Conference.

Best offensive player: Alabama quarterback Tau Tagovailoa is on the way to winning the Heisman Trophy. He’s passed for 1,760 yards and an SEC-leading 21 touchdowns without yet playing in the fourth quarter. Think about that. He’s sat out the equivalent of 1 3/4 games. He’s averaging 83 passing yards per quarter. Had he played all seven full games he’d be on pace to have thrown for 2,324 yards, which would lead all SEC passers.

Best defensive player: Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen is the kind of player for which every offense must account. He leads the SEC in tackles for loss, has posted six sacks and 37 tackles overall. He also has three passes defended. He’s the best player on the nation’s 11th-ranked defense.

Best special teams player: There’s no doubt it’s Texas A&M punter Braden Mann, who figures to break NCAA records for punting average and 60-yard punts. Mann is averaging 54.5 yards per punt and has 12 punts of at least 60 yards. The NCAA record is 13. He also routinely booms kickoffs out of the end zone.

Matt Sachs, TexAgs

Jace Sternberger has made a lot of noise through his first seven games this season.

Best newcomer: Another pretty easy choice for the Aggies. Tight end Jace Sternberger, a junior college transfer, is on everyone’s midyear All-American teams. He leads all tight ends with 496 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Best game: Texas A&M’s 28-26 loss to Clemson in Week Two is an easy choice. The teams combined of 914 yards of total offense, but there were numerous big defensive plays, too. The difference turned out to be a failed two-point conversion attempt in the last minute. It might not have come to that if not for a controversial call which ruled a fumble by A&M receiver Quartney Davis was out of the end zone even though replays showed it appear to go out of bounds before crossing the Clemson goal line. Of course, for those who would demand a conference game be listed here the top game would be LSU’s come-from-behind 22-21 victory over Auburn.

Most pleasant surprise: Kentucky was expected to have a solid year, but few would anticipate the Wildcats would be 5-1 and ranked 14th at the midway point. Kentucky is a bona fide contender to win the SEC East. The Wildcats also defeated Florida for the first time in 31 years.

Biggest disappointment: Auburn opened the season ranked ninth and seemed to validate that with a 21-16 victory over Washington. Since then, the Tigers have lost to LSU, Mississippi State and (egad) Tennessee to fall out of the national rankings. With Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama remaining on the schedule, Auburn could finish 6-6 … or worse. The running game is stagnant. Pass defense is mediocre at best.

Best win: LSU’s 36-16 destruction of Georgia made skeptics finally accept the fact the No. 5 Tigers of coach Ed Orgeron really are a forced with which to be reckoned.

Worst loss: Arkansas, pick one. Blowing a big lead and falling to (3-4) Colorado State is bad. But getting blown out 44-17 by North Texas is worse. Upsets happen, but SEC teams are not supposed to lose by four touchdowns to Conference-USA opponents. Adding insult to injury, North Texas executed perhaps the most memorable play in the first half of the season — a fake fair catch that went for a 90-yard punt return touchdown.

Who’s hot: LSU’s secondary is on a roll. The Tigers have allowed no more than 209 passing yards to five of their last six opponents. None of the last three opposing starting quarterbacks — Jordan Ta’amu, Feleipe Franks and Jake Fromm — completed better than 50 percent of their passing attempts. The Tigers also have at least one interception in every game.  Further, two LSU defensive backs — cornerback Greedy Williams and safety Grant Delpit — were named on ESPN’s midseason All-American team.

Who’s not: The Ole Miss run defense just keeps getting worse. Last week the Rebels allowed 299 rushing yards to Arkansas. Ole Miss is last in the SEC in run defense with an average of allowing 210.4 yards per game. But it’s actually worse. That figure includes games against Texas Tech, Kent State and ULM which all rushed for 164 yards or fewer. Against three SEC teams (Alabama, LSU and Arkansas) the Rebels allow an average of 263.3 yards.

Keep an eye on: No doubt Benny Snell is determined to rebound from a mediocre 60-yard rushing performance against Texas A&M. He has a chance to bounce back in a big way against Vanderbilt, which is ranks 13th in the SEC in run defense. Last season Snell rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns against the Commodores. Don’t be surprised if the equals or exceeds those totals.

The pressure is on: Auburn rebuilt offensive line can’t pass code. The Tigers have struggled in pass protection and the running game is anemic. They next face Ole Miss which has an average pass rush and an abysmal run defense. If the Tigers’ line has issues against Ole Miss then this season is a lost cause. It may be anyway.

Best matchup: Nick Fitzgerald looked like his old self in Mississippi State’s 23-9 victory over Auburn on Oct. 6. He attempted a season-low 17 passes while rushing for a season-high 195 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Auburn. If his rushing resurgence continues, the Bulldogs can challenge LSU, which is 26th in the nation in run defense. The Tigers have allowed more than 150 rushing yards just once this season. Interestingly, that was in their only loss when Florida rushed for 215.

This week’s games: Alabama at Tennessee; Tulsa at Arkansas; Auburn at Ole Miss; Vanderbilt at Kentucky; Mississippi State at LSU; Memphis at Missouri