(The State photo/C. Aluka Berry)

SEC links for Monday:

Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register: “Oregon narrowly edged Auburn for the top spot in this week’s Bowl Championship Series standings, holding onto the No. 1 ranking for a fourth week. The Tigers, who defeated Georgia 49-31 on Saturday, trail the Ducks by only 0.0066 points.”

Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News: “After a season-opening game in which it dominated the tempo, the University of Alabama basketball team will face a tougher offensive challenge in its second game tonight. The Troy Trojans, an up-tempo team coached by veteran head coach Don Maestri, will visit the Crimson Tide tonight at 7 p.m. at Coleman Coliseum.”

Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News-Sentinel: “The term “second-half meltdown” came up more than once in Dooley’s news conferences throughout the rough patch. And each time it did, he bristled at the notion that UT was exclusively an underachieving team after halftime. In hindsight, now that it appears UT’s second-half woes have been temporarily remedied heading into Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt (TV: CSS, 7:30 p.m.), Dooley said he felt the same way.”

Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier: “At a shade after 2 a.m. Sunday, South Carolina’s football team returned home to Williams-Brice Stadium. But the Gamecocks, fresh off a 36-14 clobbering of Florida that gave them their first Southeastern Conference division title, weren’t alone. No, they were joined by 3,000 or so fans, eager to celebrate a long-awaited milestone for a program with a notoriously turbulent history.”

David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press: “Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee have combined for 55 Southeastern Conference football championships and 13 Associated Press national titles through the years. This year, they combined for zero wins against SEC East champion South Carolina. “That doesn’t happen very often,” Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said Sunday. “That’s something to be as proud of as winning the Eastern Division.”

Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger: “Sure, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen was not happy about the way his Bulldogs lost to Alabama on Saturday in a 30-10 trouncing in Tuscaloosa. The lack of execution was troublesome, the penalties frustrating. But there is good news among the maddening mistakes and the resulting loss – No. 22 MSU (7-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) has been through this before and the experience of rebounding from losses in the past can only prove positive in the coming days as the Bulldogs prepare for offensive juggernaut No. 13 Arkansas (8-2, 4-2).”

Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger: “Take Saturday’s 52-14 loss at Tennessee. The Rebels were down 21-0 by the end of the first quarter. So while Brandon Bolden collected his fifth 100-yard game of the year, the early hole ensured that it wasn’t enough. So as he watched the little things that led to that early hole in his Sunday morning video review, it only gave Nutt more heartburn. A seemingly promised gameplan down the drain an hour into an otherwise gorgeous afternoon at Neyland Stadium.”

Charles Bennett of the Anniston Star: “Certainly nothing underscores that fact better than Auburn’s 10-for-14 conversion rate on third downs against the Bulldogs, all of which came courtesy of running plays by Newton. On the day, Newton rushed for 151 yards on 30 carries, including touchdown runs of 31 and 1 yards. “I mean, there’s no question,” Chizik said when asked about Newton’s importance. “He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in SEC games, so just everything, whether it’s third-down conversions, what he means in the red zone, what he does in the red zone. He’s just a big part of our offense.”

Randy Rosetta of The Advocate: “Was LSU’s latest victory and ninth of the season perfect? By no means. But the way the Tigers rolled was very indicative of this season. It was a microcosm of what this team is and what it does well. To borrow one of Les Miles’ most famous quotes, LSU is “a damn strong football team” because the Tigers are downright nasty on defense and have special teams that are capable of changing the game in a heartbeat.”

Chris Low of espn.com: “The Georgia players said afterward they don’t think Auburn’s Cam Newton can be stopped. Granted, Georgia has failed to stop a lot of people this season, but Newton is without a doubt the most dominant offensive force to come through the SEC in a long while. Nobody’s suggesting he’s a better player than Tim Tebow. That will all sort itself out. But where Newton separates himself from anybody who’s played football in the SEC in a long time is his ability to beat you so many ways.”

John Clay’s Sidelines

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