It’s a big Tuesday. Sure, it’s Election Day, but who cares about that? It’s time for our weekly stock report in the SEC. Who and what should you be buying stock in, and even more importantly, who and what should you be selling all your shares in?
Stock Down: The state of Arkansas
I don’t mean the actual geographic state itself. I mean, metaphorically, the state of Arkansas is incredibly down right now. The mood, the vibes and the reason for optimism have disappeared from that state faster than opportunity and Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle. What a brutal existence for Arkansas football fans to suffer through right now. In case you missed it earlier this week, it was announced that instead of making necessary changes in the administration or coaching, Arkansas paid millions of dollars to a PR firm to assist in better telling a positive story about Arkansas athletics.
Imagine living in the current world of college athletics, where acquiring talent is a literal arms race and money and resources have a direct correlation to your success. And instead of spending money on fixing all the problems the administration created, the administration used millions to put a gaslighting bandaid over the gaping wound.
Stock Up: LSU
LSU is fascinating right now. By all means, it looks like the team is peaking at the right time and getting healthy for their big November stretch. The Tigers are only ranked No. 15 in the polls ahead of Tuesday night’s CFP rankings. However, they hold the fourth-best odds to win the national title. They also have a 64% chance to make the CFP as long as they finish 3-1 in their final four games. It feels like it took a minute for Lane Kiffin and his squad to get this thing rolling, but coming out of a bye week and heading into the final month of the season, they are one of the most dangerous teams in America.
Stock Down: SEC’s “down” year
There’s no telling whether or not the SEC will get four teams in the CFP this year. It feels pretty certain that they won’t get five like they did a season ago. As of now, it seems that three teams is about right, but that’s not because of a down year. It’s because other conferences are finally feeling the effects of parity as well. Cough, cough Big Ten. It’s hard to go undefeated all year when you have to actually play ranked opponents and teams loaded with NFL talent, especially when you have injuries at key positions. Teams like Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State are learning that the hard way this year.
