By Aaron Moser
Oh missed field goals, you little chaos creators.
Here is how the Southeastern Conference breaks down after Week 7 … 
SEC East
True Contenders: 

1. #22 Missouri 5-1 (2-0)
2. #9 Florida 6-1 (3-1)
3. #10 Georgia 5-1 (2-1)

 On the bubble:

1. South Carolina 3-3 (2-2)

South Carolina was not supposed to be in the game at this point. 
Freshman QB Ryan Hilinksi went down in the third quarter with a sprained knee. The Gamecocks were down to their third-string quarterback Dakereon Joyner.
They were expected to lose by 24, yet found themselves tied with #3 Georgia at the end of regulation. 
Then, at the beginning of overtime, something miraculous happened: Israel Mukuama intercepted Jake Fromm for the second time. South Carolina could win the game with any score.
With a 33-yard chance for glory, Parker White missed the field goal wide right.
Georgia had for sure won the game. White redeemed himself with a 24-yard field goal in the second overtime, but South Carolina was not going to hold Georgia out of the endzone again, right?
Spoiler alert: they did. Suddenly the pressure was on Georgia’s kicker. 
Rodrigo Blankenship, one of the most reliable players in college football, just had to make a 42-yard field goal to keep the game tied and the Bulldogs’ undefeated season alive.
He also missed wide right. 
The Gamecocks pulled off the biggest upset of the college football season so far. 
Georgia’s season is in no way down the drain and, if they can win out, their College Football Playoff aspirations are still attainable. The Bulldogs’ margin of error is just much slimmer now.
With Florida also losing Saturday, Missouri unexpectedly finds them self in the driver’s seat of the SEC East, a position the Tigers have not been in since 2014. 
In the next three weeks, South Carolina will host Florida, Florida will battle Georgia and Missouri will travel to Athens for its first true test of the season. 
Missouri controls their own destiny, but they have a long way to go.
South Carolina is out of the dirt and back in the hunt. 
Florida and Georgia are on the horizon, and they will both be banging on the castle doors soon.
Not happening:

1. Tennessee 2-4 (1-2)
2. Kentucky 3-3 (1-3)
3. Vanderbilt 1-5 (0-3)

Two cheers for Tennessee and Kentucky picking up their first SEC wins. 
Vanderbilt should probably try to find more FCS teams to play until they can compete with teams like UNLV, no offense to UNLV of course. 
SEC West
True Contenders: 

1. #1 Alabama 6-0 (3-0)
2. #2 LSU 6-0 (2-0)
3. #11 Auburn 5-1 (2-1)

Alabama and LSU took care of business against hopeful opponents in Week 7. Similar to the East division, much is still to be determined for these three contenders.
If Auburn loses to LSU in Week 9, their divisional championship hopes will, for all intents and purposes, be dead.   
Not happening:

1. Ole Miss 3-4 (2-2)
2. Mississippi State 3-3 (1-2)
3. Texas A&M 3-3 (1-2)
4. Arkansas 2-4 (0-3) 

Every one of these teams lost in Week 7. 
Last week’s breakdown: https://kcou.fm/week-7-sec-breakdown-the-top-of-the-sec-east-is-going-to-be-just-as-competitive-as-the-west/
Edited by Emma Moloney | [email protected]