The highs and lows of college football were put on full display in Week 10, with climactic matchups across the SEC making the wider College Football Playoff picture clearer. It is at this point in the season — when the fates of some are sealed and others are teetering on the edge of elimination — that regrets and “what-ifs” abound. The Hustler daydreams about what could have been by examining each team’s biggest “what-if” in this week’s rankings.
1. Texas (8-1, 4-1)
What if Arch Manning was starting?
Texas does not have much to complain about this season besides a disheartening loss to Georgia and a near disaster against Vanderbilt. The Longhorns are ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll and are in full control of their destiny. The biggest “what-if” for this team is purely for fun: What if Arch Manning was starting? The sophomore made an appearance in the loss against Georgia and didn’t impress, but his promising starts earlier in the season when Quinn Ewers was sidelined beg the question of where this team would be if he held the reins all season.
2. Tennessee (8-1, 5-1)
What if Tennessee beat Arkansas?
A crushing loss on the road to Arkansas is the only thing keeping Tennessee from being far and away the best team in the SEC. Oregon’s signature win over Ohio State is more impressive than Tennessee’s toppling of Alabama. Still, the Volunteers would no doubt be No. 2 in the nation right now if it weren’t for the fourth-quarter collapse against Arkansas.
3. Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2)
What if Ole Miss had a better secondary?
Lane Kiffin finally got his signature win as Ole Miss head coach with a 28-10 victory over then-No. 2 Georgia in Week 11. The Rebels have had a truly confusing season otherwise, with losses to the SEC’s second-worst team (Kentucky) and a now-sputtering LSU blemishing an otherwise impressive campaign. Brock Vandagriff, who has averaged 151 passing yards per game, threw for a season-best 243 yards in Kentucky’s win over Ole Miss. The only other time the quarterback has eclipsed 200 yards this season was against Ohio University (237). Similarly, Ole Miss’ secondary allowed Garrett Nussmeier to throw for 337 yards in the loss to LSU — the second-most yards Nussmeier has thrown against SEC competition this year. If Ole Miss had a better secondary, their playoff hopes would be much more stable.
4. Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1)
What if Conner Weigman lived up to the hype?
Conner Weigman was the jewel of Jimbo Fisher’s historic (and controversial) 2022 recruiting class. Weigman was supposed to usher in a new era for Texas A&M’s football program, but the quarterback has not met the expectations of being the third-ranked quarterback recruit in his class. Marcel Reed and Weigman shared snaps under center earlier this season, but Reed has since claimed the starting spot for himself. Texas A&M has defied expectations this season, but what is ultimately holding them back from the upper echelon of college football is a star quarterback to lead the charge when other players are stumbling.
5. Alabama (7-2, 4-2)
What if Diego Pavia didn’t exist?
Alabama was on top of the world after beating then-No. 1 Georgia in Week Five, but everything came crumbling back down after it was stunned by Vanderbilt 40-35 the very next week. The Crimson Tide escaped a close game against South Carolina before losing to Tennessee in Week Eight. The Tide might still be undefeated if Diego Pavia and Co. had not spoiled its party — causing it to lose momentum heading into the matchups against the Gamecocks and Volunteers.
6. Georgia (7-2, 5-2)
What if Carson Beck was a true Heisman contender?
Carson Beck was hailed as a Heisman Trophy favorite after an efficient 2023 campaign saw him throw for 24 touchdowns and 3,941 yards on 72.4% pass completion. This season Beck took a huge step back in terms of accuracy, as the senior has thrown 12 interceptions (twice as many as last season) and regressed to a 65.4% completion percentage. A lackluster first half from Beck against Alabam gave the Crimson Tide the lead it needed to upset the then-No. 2 Bulldogs, and a zero-touchdown effort against Ole Miss did his teammates no favors. Beck is still an above-average quarterback with exceptional arm talent, but he has let the Bulldogs down when they needed him most.
7. South Carolina (6-3, 4-3)
What if Kyle Kennard didn’t get two pick-sixes called back?
South Carolina nearly pulled off a huge upset over then-No. 16 LSU in Week Three, but a couple of mental errors by the Gamecocks led to a 36-33 final score in favor of LSU. Two penalties by defensive end Kyle Kennard were the foremost of those errors, as two separate pick-sixes were called back because of Kennard’s actions — a horse collar and a blindside block, respectively. Kicker Alex Herrera missed a 49-yard field goal to send the game to overtime in the final minutes, but Kennard’s lack of discipline ultimately cost the Gamecocks a tone-setting game.
8. LSU (6-3, 3-2)
What if LSU beat USC?
The evening matchup between LSU and USC was one of Week One’s most thrilling games, but the Tigers ultimately drew the short end of the stick in a 27-20 heartbreaker. The game propelled USC into playoff conversations and sent LSU back to the drawing board. The Trojans have since fallen out of the national limelight, while the Tigers have made something of a resurgence. A 42-13 loss at home last week to Alabama all-but eliminated LSU from the CFP, but a Week One victory over then-No. 23 USC would have the Tigers in a much different place.
9. Missouri (7-2, 3-2)
What if Brady Cook and Luther Burden III were their old selves?
Brady Cook and Luther Burden were hailed as one of the best quarterback and wide receiver duos in college football last season, and their return made Missouri a dark-horse candidate for the National Championship coming into this season. The duo have failed to live up to the hype this year, as Burden has only amassed 505 receiving yards through nine games this season (he had 951 at this point last season) and Cook was equally lackluster up until his injury against Alabama in Week Nine. The Tigers, however, are still alive in the CFP race with a 7-2 record. If Cook and Burden lived up to their preseason expectations, Missouri may have still been a serious contender for the National Championship.
10. Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3)
What if Vanderbilt beat Georgia State and Missouri?
It is a bit ridiculous to ask how a team’s season would be different if two whole weeks went differently, but Vanderbilt’s games against Georgia State and Missouri were both entirely winnable. The two losses ultimately came down to last-minute blunders by the Commodores, and because of them, Vanderbilt walked into its matchup with Alabama as a 2-2 team. As a result, the Commodores weren’t even ranked after toppling the then-No. 1 team in the nation. If the Commodores had won their matchups against Georgia and Missouri, their wins against Kentucky, Ball State, Texas and Auburn would have Vanderbilt in the CFP conversation even after the loss to South Carolina. Nonetheless, it is ridiculous to ask how life would be different if two whole weeks went differently.
11. Arkansas (5-4, 3-3)
What if Arkansas had Vanderbilt’s offensive line?
Arkansas has impressed this season, with a 19-14 upset over then-No. 4 Tennessee, a 58-25 blowout of Mississippi State and a hard-fought 21-17 loss to now-No. 15 Texas A&M. The Razorbacks’ offensive line has been the team’s Achilles heel this season, as the unit allowed multiple forced fumbles in the backfield against Texas A&M, including one on a handoff within Arkansas’ 10-yard line. A blocked pass late in the third quarter against LSU was intercepted, effectively putting a previously competitive game to bed. Quarterback Taylen Green is a capable runner, much like Vanderbilt’s Pavia — who has found much success thanks to his proficient offensive line. Green would be much more dangerous if he had a run-blocking offensive line like Vanderbilt’s.
12. Florida (4-5, 2-4)
What if DJ Lagway didn’t get hurt against Georgia?
Florida’s postseason hopes are practically nonexistent: The Gators need two wins between games against No. 21 LSU, No. 10 Ole Miss and Florida State to become bowl-eligible. An upset in Week 10 against then-No. 2 Georgia would have not only salvaged Florida’s bowl hopes but also put a cherry on top of an otherwise bleak season. DJ Lagway was the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2024, according to 247Sports, but spent most of the season behind graduate Graham Mertz until Mertz suffered a season-ending injury. Lagway got the nod against Georgia, and the Gators put up the fight of their lives to enter halftime with a 13-6 lead. However, the top-ranked prospect went down in the second quarter with a hamstring strain, forcing Yale transfer Aidan Warner to take over. Florida ultimately let its lead get away from it, but fans were left wondering: What if Lagway stayed healthy?
13. Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5)
What if Oklahoma had magical healing powers?
Oklahoma entered its first season in the SEC with high expectations, debuting in this preseason’s AP Poll at No. 16. The Sooners have since fallen from grace and now face an uphill battle towards bowl eligibility: They must beat either No. 9 Alabama or No. 21 LSU. 2024 is the year of five-star quarterbacks getting exposed as frauds, but Jackson Arnold’s struggles are not entirely his fault. Injuries have plagued Oklahoma’s wide receiver room, as all five of Arnolds’ top options have missed time this season. Experienced wideout Deion Burks also missed five consecutive games with an undisclosed soft-tissue injury after recording 629 yards and 7 touchdowns at Purdue last season. There seems to be a serious problem with Oklahoma’s conditioning team, as 12 players were inactive last week against Mizzou. If Arnold had more reliable targets week-in, week-out, the Sooners might be in a much better position down the home stretch.
14. Auburn (3-6, 1-5)
What if Auburn got a better quarterback in the portal?
Payton Thorne has been a thorn in Auburn’s side all season. The Michigan State transfer has lost games with untimely turnovers or just been plain bad all season. The lackluster season by Thorne has left the Auburn faithful wondering why Hugh Freeze didn’t find a better signal caller in the portal after Thorne’s mediocre 2023 season. The Tigers are one loss away from oblivion, and Freeze will need to find a fix at the quarterback position that should have come a year earlier.
15. Kentucky (3-6, 1-6)
What if Kentucky went for it on fourth-and-8 against Georgia?
Kentucky punted on fourth-and-8 down 13-12 to then-No. 1 Georgia with three minutes left in the fourth quarter with hope that its defense would get a stop — not a bad bet given the game’s trends up until that point. The only problem was that Kentucky was on Georgia’s 47-yard line and only needed one 8-yard play for a chance to kick a game-winning field goal. While a failure gives Georgia the ball back with dangerous field position, a punt to put the ball back in Georgia’s hands made even less sense. Kentucky now finds itself in a similar situation to Florida, on the cusp of bowl disqualification, reminiscing over what could have been against Georgia.
16. Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6)
What if Mississippi State’s defense was better?
There isn’t much to say for a team at the deepest depths of a rebuild with a first-year coach, but allowing 34.4 points per game (14th-worst in FBS) is not helping Mississippi State’s case. The Bulldogs have failed to recruit blue-chip defensive talents for the past few years, only signing one four-star or better in the past three cycles. Starkville, Mississippi now boasts one of the sparsest defenses in the SEC due to this poor recruiting, and it will take years of work on the recruiting trail to produce an SEC contender. Mississippi State would not be bowling this season even with a good defense, but it would be a step up from 2-8.
