The SEC stock report is back for our weekly look at who’s trending in the SEC. Some good, some bad, and some diamonds in the rough ready to take off.
Stock Up: Keelon Russell’s stardom
Well that didn’t take long. It took five starts for everyone in the country to see what the Alabama coaching staff saw in Russell when they poached him away from SMU as a recruit. Russell’s stock has soared in the first five games of the season, and he currently has the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman trophy. This week will be his first real test against Georgia, but the last two games the young, budding star has looked like Bryce Young in crimson and white. That’s something even Alabama fans weren’t prepared to see this early.
Stock Down: SEC TV Scheduling
What are we doing here guys? On Monday the SEC released its TV schedule for the October 17 weekend. It will once again feature four games with Top 25 matchups. This is now the second time in a month that has happened. However, two of the four games will each be played in the same time slot. Mississippi State-LSU and Florida-Texas will both be aired in the first window, and Ole Miss-Missouri and Alabama-Tennessee will air in the afternoon window. By the way, the third game in the afternoon window is Georgia-Auburn, the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. That’s about as disrespectful as it gets. Fans are not thrilled, but hey at least we get a night cap of Arkansas at Vanderbilt and Kentucky at Oklahoma.
Just like we all wanted and expected when the season started.
Stock Up: Nostalgia
The schedule may suck, but there is something great about 2:30 CST start times. Also, cheers to the fact that Alabama and Tennessee will be paying homage to their games from the early poll era, and wearing home uniforms on each side. That rules.
Stock Down: Shane Beamer’s Firing squad
It appears that Shane Beamer’s job is safe for now. Despite yet another embarrassing blown lead for South Carolina against Kentucky, reports out of Columbia are that Beamer’s job may be safe for another season. The reasoning behind this move appears to have nothing to do with the belief in things turning around. Rather it’s rooted in fiscal “responsibility.” A better way to describe that is fiscal inability. South Carolina simply does not have the funds to fire Beamer right now, and the $22-28 million buyout coupled with another $20-25 million for investing in a new coach and NIL is off the table.
