SEC Week 12 Round Up: Oklahoma Shocks Bama, Georgia Crushes Texas, South Carolina Blows 27-Point Lead

Week 12 provided no shortage of drama as well as more uncertainty in the College Football Playoff hunt. The SEC cannibalism continues, and the conference remains the most wide-open that it has ever been. With two games remaining in the regular season, here are some takeaways from an action-packed weekend. 

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Nine-ranked SEC teams 

Despite weekly whining from media members in the Big Ten, the SEC has nine ranked teams in the AP Top 25, more than any other conference. Here’s a list of the currently ranked SEC teams. 

Texas A&M, No. 3, 10-0

Georgia, No. 4, 9-1

Ole Miss, No. 5, 10-1

Oklahoma, No. 8, 8-2

Alabama, No. 10, 8-2 

Vanderbilt, No. 12, 8-2

Texas, No. 17, 7-3

Tennessee, No. 20, 7-3 

Of these nine teams, six are currently in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot. With A&M, Georgia, and Ole Miss looking like locks, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Vanderbilt are all in a dogfight to get selected. It remains to be seen whether the Committee will let in more than 4 SEC teams into the field. 

Oklahoma holds off Alabama in shocking win

Oklahoma shocked the College Football world with a 23-21 win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, breaking a 17-game home win streak for the Crimson Tide. Alabama had multiple chances to win the game, but was its own worst enemy throughout the day.

 After giving up an opening drive field goal to Oklahoma, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson made his worst decision of the year while the Crimson Tide were driving towards the end of the first quarter. On first and 10 at the Oklahoma 23, Simpson dropped back and threw a pick-6, his second interception all year, to make it 10-0 Oklahoma. 

While Alabama got a rushing touchdown from Daniel Hill to cut the score to 10-7, Alabama could not maintain control of the game. After forcing an Oklahoma punt on the next defensive series, Ryan Williams fumbled at the end of a punt return, and the Sooners recovered. After a stellar freshman year, it may be time to pump the brakes on the narrative that Ryan Williams is a generational receiver. When he’s been healthy this season, Williams has failed to break out, and Saturday’s fumble was a full display of his immaturity. 

Williams’ fumble allowed Oklahoma to regain control of the game. Two plays later, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer ran for a 20-yard touchdown, the Sooners’ only offensive touchdown of the game, to make it 17-7. 

Miscues decided the game for Alabama. Turnovers (a pick-6 and two lost fumbles), bad clock management, and a lack of execution doomed the Crimson Tide, which failed to take advantage of a limited Oklahoma offense that managed just 6 points in the second half and held Sooners quarterback John Mateer to 15/23 passing for just 138 yards and 23 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

After taking the lead 21-20 following another Daniel Hill rushing touchdown with 7:27 remaining in the third quarter, Alabama went scoreless in the fourth quarter. All Oklahoma needed in the fourth quarter was a 24-yard field goal to seal the victory with 13:44 left in the game. Alabama had the ball with a chance to win with 56 seconds remaining, and Simpson’s pass to receiver Ryan Williams fell incomplete on fourth and six. 

Although Alabama and Oklahoma’s offenses were at times ineffective, the Sooners’ defense looked elite on Saturday. The Sooners sacked Simpson 4 times, had a pick-6, and held Alabama to 5/13 on third down and just 80 rushing yards. The pick-6 proved monumental for Oklahoma as the Sooners only generated 212 total yards of offense. 

For Alabama, this was a game to forget on offense. Ty Simpson had his worst game of the season. Simpson finished with 28/42 passing for 326 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Tight end Josh Cuevas led Alabama’s pass catchers with 6 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Daniel Hill had 15 rushes for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

With the loss, Alabama can no longer sleepwalk through the end of the regular season. After a tune-up game against Eastern Illinois, the Crimson Tide travels to Auburn for the Iron Bowl against a revived Tigers team looking to spoil their season. If Alabama plays like it did on Saturday, it will leave Auburn with a loss. 

Oklahoma has an intriguing game coming up on Saturday against Missouri at home. Missouri has one of the best defenses in the SEC and one of the conference’s most dynamic running backs in Ahmad Hardy. Although Oklahoma fans may be eyeing the playoffs, the Sooners still need to prove that they can score offensive touchdowns. It is worth noting that Mateer has yet to throw a touchdown pass in November, and his last passing touchdown came against Ole Miss on October 25. Missouri is a team that takes good care of the football and will likely use a game plan against Mateer that is similar to Vanderbilt’s game against the Tigers earlier this season. After Missouri, the Sooners face LSU, another physical defense, at home to end the season. 

Georgia crushes Texas 

One bright spot for Commodores fans this weekend was Georgia‘s 35-10 beatdown of Texas. As much as I don’t like to admit it (adults barking at people is weird and annoying), this season has been one of Kirby Smart’s better coaching jobs, considering all the talent that has departed from Georgia over the last few years. 

After nearly blowing a massive lead against Vanderbilt, Texas did not look ready after its bye week. The Longhorns went 2/12 on third down and ran for just 23 yards. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian was thoroughly outcoached by Smart on multiple occasions, most notably during an onside kick with 14:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. The perfectly executed onside, which Georgia recovered with no resistance, was a Nick Saban special. One has to wonder if Smart saw something on film from the end of the Vanderbilt Texas game when the Commodores nearly recovered a late onside kick. It was the second consecutive game for Texas where the team was not ready to handle an onside kick, and the Longhorns paid the price. 

Texas’ problems were most glaring under center. Arch Manning looked lost at times and showed some mechanical issues that had been present since the start of the season. On multiple throws, Manning did not complete his follow-through, and multiple fastballs sailed past his pass catchers when he tried to throw down the field. Manning finished with 27/43 passing with 253 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Receiver Ryan Wingo had 9 catches for 62 yards and the Longhorns’ lone touchdown. 

Quarterback looked just fine for the Bulldogs as Gunner Stockton turned in one of his best performances of the season. In a gigantic spot, Stockton completed 24/29 passes for 229 yards with 4C touchdowns and one interception. Stockton was also efficient on the ground with 6 carries for 29 yards and a rushing touchdown. 

Saturday night captured Georgia’s offense perfectly. There was no elite performer, but Stockton hit three different pass catches for touchdowns, receiver London Humphreys, receiver Noah Thomas for two scores, and tight end Lawson Luckie. Nate Frazier led the Bulldogs’ backfield with 6 carries and 72 yards. 

Georgia is now in the driver’s seat for a CFP berth with a tune-up game against Charlotte before an end-of-season matchup against a feisty Georgia Tech team. Barring further chaos across the board, Texas is now likely to be eliminated from the CFP race with a 25-point loss on the road. The Longhorns now have games against Arkansas and Texas A&M to close out the season. 

Missouri dusts Mississippi State 

Missouri turned in one of its best performances of the season in a 49-27 shellacking of Mississippi. Although the Tigers are out of the CFP Playoff race, Missouri was able to get its run game back into a rhythm. Ahmad Hardy exploded for 25 carries for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, and freshman Matt Zollers completed 8/15 passes for 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. On the day, the Tigers finished with seven total touchdowns, five offensive to go along with two pick-6s and five sacks. With many teams checking out once their CFP hopes die, it is a testament to the coaching staff that Missouri is still playing so hard. 

On Saturday, Mississippi State blew another chance at bowl eligibility. Quarterback Blake Shapen was not sharp and completed 19/33 passes for 199 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. While Shapen did finish with 2 rushing touchdowns, his ball security remains an ongoing issue for the Bulldogs. 

This coming Saturday, Missouri has a chance to knock its hated former Big 12 rival, Oklahoma, out of the CFP race with a win on Saturday. Heading into the game, there is speculation that Beau Pribula may return. Look for Missouri to force Sooners quarterback John Mateer to win the game with his arm and make him throw into tight windows. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have a bye week before ending their season with the Egg Bowl in Oxford. 

South Carolina blows 27-point lead and helps A&M remain undefeated 

South Carolina wasted a golden opportunity on Saturday afternoon and blew a 27-point halftime lead against Texas A&M  in a 31-30 loss. Heading into halftime, Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed looked entirely out of sorts with 2 interceptions and just 6 completions. After a dismal season, Gamecocks Head Coach Shane Beamer looked like he was going to produce a much-needed statement win to change the momentum of his program. 

And then the second half happened. Texas A&M’s offense caught fire for 21 third-quarter points off 27-yard, 39-yard, and 14-yard touchdown passes from Reed. With 10:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, running back EJ Smith ran in a 4-yard touchdown to win the game. With less than two minutes remaining, Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers had a chance to win the game and took a sack on third and 12 on the South Carolina 25 yard line. On fourth and 16, Sellers decided to scramble instead of throwing beyond the sticks and was brought down. 

The second half was a tale of two quarterbacks. Reed recovered from an atrocious start and completed 22/39 passes for 439 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Meanwhile, Sellers finished with 15/30 completions for 246 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception. Despite the massive lead, Sellers could not get the needed first downs and kill the clock to seal the game. 

South Carolina faces Coastal Carolina and Clemson to finish off the season. A&M has a tune-up against Samford before finishing off the year against Texas. 

LSU wins rock fight against Arkansas 

Arkansas had a chance on Saturday to get its third win finally, but once again came up short in a 23-22 loss to LSU. 

The Razorbacks started hot with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and a rushing touchdown by quarterback Taylen Green. In the second quarter, LSU roared back with a 27-yard touchdown from Caden Durham and three field goals all over 40-plus yards from kicker Dylan Ramos. The Razorbacks’ last points came on a 9-yard Mike Washington run with 4:02 remaining in the third quarter, followed by a successful two-point conversion. With 7:53 remaining, backup quarterback Michael Van Bruen threw a game-winning 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bauer Sharp. 

Quarterback play was the story on Saturday as Taylen Green completed just 11/19 passes on the road for 165 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. For LSU, Van Buren completed 23/31 passes for 221 yards and 1 touchdown to make LSU bowl eligible. 

Arkansas faces Texas and then Missouri to close out the season, while LSU faces Western Kentucky and Oklahoma in its final two games. 

Kentucky headed to a bowl? 

The Kentucky Wildcats are now one win away from bowl eligibility after a 42-10 victory in Lexington over Tennessee Tech, who is now 10-1. 

The Wildcats’ ground game dominated with 207 total rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. Running back Dantre Dowdell has 13 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Seth McGowan had 17 carries for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Cutter Boley completed 18-21 passes for 236 yards and 1 touchdown and had 24 rushing yards and a touchdown. Golden Eagles quarterback Kekoa Visperas completed 13/21 passes for 112 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Kentucky was able to move the ball despite going just 4/10 on third down. 

Kentucky heads into Nashville with the chance to spoil Vanderbilt’s season against a Commodore team highly motivated coming off a bye. While there have been numerous personnel changes for both teams, Saturday’s game is a bit of a revenge game for Diego Pavia, who was injured in Vanderbilt’s victory over Kentucky last season. Kentucky closes out the season against Louisville, giving the Wildcats another chance to win their sixth game if they lose in Nashville. 

Tennessee rolls New Mexico State 

Tennessee got itself another cupcake victory and pummeled New Mexico State 42-9 on Saturday. 

Quarterback Joey Aguilar completed 17/23 passes for 204 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Aguilar is now up to 10 interceptions on the year, just in time for the holidays. The Volunteers were led by running back Dean Bishop, who finished with 16 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown, and receiver Braylon Staley, who finished with 5 catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. 

Tennessee has a chance to break its long losing streak in the Swamp against Florida this weekend before hosting Vanderbilt to close out the season. 

Ole Miss holds off Florida 

“Close game Lane” Kiffin was at it again after the Rebels held off the Gators, 34-24. 

2025 has been the year in which Lane Kiffin has appeared to exorcise many of his demons involving losses in close games. The Rebels trailed 24-20 at halftime and seemed to be on their heels. Ole Miss then went on two bookend drives in the fourth quarter, finished by a 1-yard Kewan Lacy run and a 4-yard Kewan Lacy run to secure the win. 

Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss completed 26/35 passes for 301 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception for the Rebels. Kewan Lacy had himself a dominant day on the ground with 31 carries for 2224 yards and 3 touchdowns. 

Saturday was yet another game for Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, where the sophomore had trouble closing. Lagway completed 16/31 passes for 1 touchdown and an interception and had a rushing touchdown. Jadan Baugh had 15 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown for the Gators, who have just three wins all year. 

Florida finishes out the year against Tennessee and Florida State, while Ole Miss is on a bye week before taking on Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. 

Stay tuned for next week’s SEC Round, our second-to-last edition of the year!