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Wiedmer: Bama best, Kentucky worst of SEC’s first weekend

Southern Mississippi running back George Payne tries to keep out of the grip of Kentucky cornerback Chris Westry in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Lexington, Ky. Southern Mississippi won the game 44-35. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)
Southern Mississippi running back George Payne tries to keep out of the grip of Kentucky cornerback Chris Westry in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Lexington, Ky. Southern Mississippi won the game 44-35. (AP Photo/David Stephenson) Southern Mississippi running back George Payne tries to keep out of the grip of Kentucky cornerback Chris Westry in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Lexington, Ky. Southern Mississippi won the game 44-35. (AP Photo/David Stephenson)

By Mark Wiedmer 5 min read

photo Mark Wiedmer

Good thing the Southeastern Conference counts No. 1 Alabama, No. 18 Georgia and unranked Texas A&M among its 14 member institutions that reportedly play college football at its highest level.

Otherwise, the SEC might stand for Significantly Embarrassed Conference rather than Somewhat Embarrassed Conference this morning.

Because most of the rest of the league pretty much stunk up the sport this Labor Day weekend heading into tonight’s showdown in Orlando, Fla., between No. 4 Florida State and No. 11 Ole Miss.

Let the Rebels perform as the majority of their SEC brothers have since Thursday night – when No. 9 Tennessee needed overtime to subdue visiting Appalachian State and South Carolina nipped Vanderbilt on a last-second field goal in one of the least inspiring games ever – and Florida State might win by 40 instead of the spread that had the Seminoles favored by five points.

But it’s doubtless they could look any worse than Kentucky did Saturday night blowing a 35-10 second-quarter lead on its way to a 41-35 loss to visiting Southern Miss, which not only had a new head coach, but a new offensive coordinator in Shannon Dawson, fired by Kentucky at the close of last season.