MMQB Week 10 Edition

So things did not go to well in the Palmetto State. Here is a quick rundown of the what was good and what was not for the Bulldogs.

The Good: Outside of Mississippi State's first offensive possession, there was not a whole lot to like about the Bulldogs' offense. The defense put up a pretty strong effort. Do not let the 36 points fool you. The defense was put in terrible positions all game long by offensive ineptness.

While most of the game will fall in the bad or ugly category, there were a few good things. Dan Mullen showed some fire for the first time in a long time. He got after players and coaches at the end of the first half, but unfortunately, it did not seem to translate into second half results.

Dan Mullen also showed some good by using Evan Sobiesk as the place kicker in the game instead of Devon Bell. Mullen said Sobiesk had earned it in practice. Even though it has been controversial, one cannot argue with Devon Bell's punting statistics from Saturday.

The Bad: As one could guess, when the focus of the good is on special teams and a fired up coach, the bad and the ugly could be heavy. For the most part, Dak Prescott looked a bit lost against South Carolina. Make any excuse that you will for his interceptions, they were all bad throws. We now know that Prescott most likely was playing with a heavy heart, and given the situation with his mother's passing Sunday, there could not much be a way that Prescott was in the right frame of ind to have a good performance.

Offensively, the Bulldogs never seemed to get into any kind of real rhythm, and in spite of an ugly first half, the team was still within striking distance to open the second quarter.

Turnovers doomed Mississippi State, and that is evident in the 20 points South Carolina scored off of turnovers.

The Ugly: The last few minutes of the first half and the opening of the second half were absolutely an embarrassment. That was the word that Mullen used in his halftime interview with John Correro. He was right.

Mississippi State squandered an opportunity at the end of the first half by wasting time outs and making a bad pass. There is no way a pass can be thrown short of the sticks and in the field of play at that point. Everyone that Mullen lit into after that sequence deserved it.

The bad thing is that did not make things better. The Bulldogs again showed that they are allergic to second half football, and they showed it quick fashion. South Carolina made a mockery of kicking off to open the second half, and the Bulldogs had an amazing opportunity to tie the Gamecocks to open the second half. Instead, Mississippi State meekly turned the ball over. That was the point that most Bulldog fans felt the words "game over" come to mind.

The next few weeks will be interesting to watch as unhappiness in the Mississippi State fan base mounts. Was Mullen's fire an example of a fed up coach or one that feels his job is in jeopardy?

SEC RESULTS

Georgia 23, Florida 20: The Gators mounted a last second charge, but came up short in a cocktail party where everyone probably needed the cocktails.

No. 8 Auburn 35, Arkansas 17: In a game that featured unacknowledged "eff yous" between the coaches, the Tigers picked up a win over an Arkansas team that is falling apart.

No. 10 Missouri 31, Tennessee 3: The Tigers rebounded from a heartbreaking loss to win a big game in their quest to make it to the SEC championship game. The Missouri fans deserve a feather in the cap for showering Andrew Baggett with a loud cheer when introduced.

Kentucky 48, Alabama State 14: The Wildcats picked up their second win of the season by defeating their SWAC foe. They also managed to become the first SEC team to allow a SWAC school to tie them after breaking the opening tie of the game.

Texas A&M 57, UTEP 7: The Miners are not very good and the Aggies are. This is what happens.

SEC Power Rankings

1. Alabama: How much has the rest of the country come to recognize Alabama as the top power in college football? The Florida State fans started a "We want Bama" chant last night. Keep on winning Florida State, you might get them.

2. Auburn: This feels absolutely wrong, and yet it may be right. Yes, Auburn lost to LSU, but this team seems to be improving while LSU might be stuck in neutral. Should Auburn win out and should Armageddon happen in college football, the Tigers could be playing for the BCS championship.

3. South Carolina: Had the Gamecocks avoided some injuries, they might have been in the driver's seat for the SEC East and hoping to sneak into the BCS championship game. That does not look like it will happen, but this is still a solid team.

4. Missouri: The Tigers are still in control of the SEC East, and much like Auburn, they have to be cheering for a doomsday scenario in this final season of the BCS.

5. LSU: Everyone has seemed to forget about the Tigers a bit after their loss to Ole Miss. With Alabama and Texas A&M still on the schedule, they can be back in a big way quick. While the hopes for a national title are gone, LSU would love to get another "home" game in the Sugar Bowl, and those hopes could come true with a strong finish to the season.

6. Texas A&M: The Aggies also seem to be flying under the radar. If they had a better defense, they might be at the top of this ranking.

7. Ole Miss: The Rebels have looked good as of late, and following the narrow loss to Texas A&M, Ole Miss should be riding a four-game winning streak into their matchup with the Missouri Tigers.

8. Georgia: Fans of the Bulldogs have to be wondering what happened to their season. If not for a couple of close losses and a large number of injuries, this may have been the year for Georgia.

9. Vanderbilt: Yes, the Commodores beat the Bulldogs, but they have not done much else in the SEC. With injuries factored in and the entire season so far, Georgia is a slightly better ball club. That said, Vanderbilt should finish the season with no fewer than seven wins, and with a bowl game, may reach nine wins on the season. Adios Coach Franklin.

10. Florida: The Gators and their offensive woes are well documented. They have now started to show cracks in the defense as well. Rumors are already swirling that Will Muschamp will be fired (even a fake one Saturday), but what should be for sure is that his seat is getting hot.

11. Tennessee: There may not be a tougher team to figure out than Tennessee. To have a chance this team needs to be healthy. When they are not, they are not very good.

12: Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have yet to play a complete game, and their best win of the season is one that they had to hang on to against Bowling Green. That makes it hard to have the Bulldogs any higher on this list.

13. Arkansas: The only thing Razorback fans can say at this point is, "Well, at least we aren't Kentucky,"

14: Kentucky: After allowing Alabama State to tie them during the game (the first time ever in a SEC vs. SWAC matchup)....well, what do they care...basketball has started. Wait, that exhibition was pretty ugly too. YIKES!

Five Things I Thought This Weekend

1. It would be fabulous if the National Playoff was in effect for this year. It looks like there will be three deserving teams, and a fourth will probably emerge.

2. No one is talking about Baylor, but that could change in the next three weeks. Should the Bears win Thursday night, the chorus of those singing their praises will get louder. This is not a Bears team that does not play defense. Poke these Bears at your own risk.

3. What a strange World Series this year. Seeing a game end on obstruction and then on a pick off was odd. Too bad the only major league baseball I watched came from highlights. Once the league proved to be a fraud, I could not get back into it. Yes, wrestling is scripted, but at least it admits it.

4. What will Bulldog fans do if both Mississippi State and Louisiana go into a tailspin to close the year? It would make the coaching talk change for sure.

5. College basketball is cranking up everywhere this week. Should be fun to see how much the Bulldogs have matured since last year.