Three & Out appears every Sunday to recap the week that was in the SEC. In our injury-riddled Week 8 edition, we discuss LSU at Alabama, Tennessee’s questionable quarterback decision and Arkansas’ struggles. ARMAGEDDON IT Trap games? We don't need no stinkin' trap games. Alabama and LSU cruised past Tennessee and Auburn, respectively, in traditional rivalry games that took a back seat on the national level to thanks to 20+ point spreads in each game. Everybody is pointing to November 5. LSU at Alabama. A "national semifinal" game. Armageddon. If there's one thing we learned during the first half of the season, it's that these two teams are mirror images of each other. Both have top tier defenses, stellar running games, coaching staffs that always have their teams prepared and a quarterback that protects the football. How many people thought we'd be saying that about LSU's Jarrett Lee this time three years ago? You wanted it, America, and now you got it. LSU vs. Alabama for all of the Dr. Pepper, Golden Flakes and every other SEC sponsor you can think of. Can't wait.. HOW DO WE SLEEP WHEN THE RED SHIRT’S BURNIN’? Matt Simms has now been replaced as Tennessee's starting quarterback by a true freshman in two consecutive games this season. Only this time, the move has raised several eyebrows. Highly-touted freshman Justin Worley replaced Simms late in the fourth quarter and essentially just handed off to finish the game off, thus burning his red shirt. “We put [Justin] Worley in and it was unfortunate,” said Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley. “We were wanting to put him in to throw it a little bit, but he fumbled the first play and then were on the minus -6 inch line. So he couldn't really have an opportunity." The move means two things: clearly Tennessee doesn't feel that injured quarterback Tyler Bray is definitely coming back this season, and Worley is the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. Why else would you burn a red shirt on a hot shot recruit to hand off late in a blow out? No matter how Tennessee handles its quarterback situation, now the Vols' top two quarterbacks are only spaced by one year of eligibility, which isn't exactly ideal. Maybe Clay Travis was right about Derek Dooley being on the hot seat. HOUSTON NUTT SPECIAL? ALMOST In the SEC this year, it's Alabama, LSU and everybody else. Arkansas proved that by escaping Oxford with a win over Ole Miss, after digging itself a 17-point first half deficit. Great teams don't survive games against teams like Ole Miss, they dominate them. Arkansas did anything but that on Saturday. How did Ole Miss stay in this game? It's offensive line. The Rebels routinely pushed Arkansas' defensive line four yards downfield and gave quarterback Randall Mackey days to throw the ball. That will have to improve if the Razorbacks want to beat South Carolina and LSU's defenses, both of which remain on the schedule. Barrett Sallee covers the SEC for www.CollegeFootballNews.com. He can be reached at barrettsallee@gmail.com, or on Twitter at @BarrettSallee
2011 Three & Out Archive Three & Out – October 23, 2011 Three & Out – October 16, 2011 Three & Out – October 9, 2011 Three & Out – October 2, 2011 Three & Out – September 25, 2011 Three & Out – September 18, 2011 Three & Out – September 11, 2011 Three & Out – September 5, 2011 Three & Out – August 29, 2011 Three & Out – August 22, 2011 Three & Out – August 15, 2011 Three & Out – August 8, 2011 Click Here for the 2011 offseason column archive Click here for the 2010 regular season Three & Out archive
