Its no secret that this season hasn't been a normal season in the SEC especially as the Conference added Texas and Oklahoma into the mix. As things currently stand, the only team unbeaten in Conference play is Texas A&M, while the race for Atlanta is packed as there are no longer divisions in the SEC. The craziest part of this season may be that Vanderbilt is actually good with an upset win over Alabama while they played Texas down to the wire.
The conference may just be on the most level playing field we've seen as the emergence of NIL and the Transfer Portal have evened the playing field. The other reason the conference may be on an even playing field is the lack of great quarterback play across the league.
Since 2017, the SEC has had a quarterback make it to New York for the Heisman Ceremony every season. That streak is now in Jeopardy as the SEC doesn't have a true Heisman contender and it'll be difficult for any of the players to work their way back into the conversation.
Quinn Ewers of Texas entered the season as one of the top candidates coming off of a strong season where he led Texas to the College Football Playoff. This season hasn't went according to plan as Ewers has missed games with an injury and his struggles against Georgia have all but eliminated him from the race.
Carson Beck was another top candidate before the season after a great season last year and because he was the quarterback for the presumed top team in the country. Beck's performances in Georgia's big games will keep him from getting to New York as he threw three interceptions against Texas without a touchdown and three picks against Alabama in a loss.
Speaking of Alabama, Jalen Milroe was a fascinating candidate as he developed down the stretch last season while his dynamic dual threat play style is one that we've seen quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson win the Award with. Instead, after a hot start to the season, Milroe has slowed down with some ugly performances against Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava was seen as a dark horse candidate as a five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood to Michigan rumors intensify as Michigan loses its 4-star quarterback playing in Josh Heupel's offense. Instead Tennessee has won with its defense while Iamaleava has struggled with just eight touchdowns and four interceptions on the season.
Jaxson Dart was a trendy Heisman pick before the season as well but, as the Rebels have struggled against SEC opponents Dart is no longer in contention.
We saw Garrett Nussmeier start the season off hot inserting himself into the Heisman conversation. This past weekend, against Texas A&M, Garrett Nussmeier threw three ugly interceptions and as the Tigers have two losses, it'll take an incredible stretch to even get Nussmeier back into the conversation.
The best players in the Conference are on defense
When you look at each of the team's in the SEC, the majority of these teams are led by their defenses. Georgia has a ton of stars on defense like Malaki Starks, Mykel Williams, and Jalon Walker who lead their team. Texas A&M leads the SEC thanks to its defense which is led by elite edge rusher Nic Scourton. Tennessee is led by edge rusher James Pearce, LSU has gotten massive performances from Whit Weeks and Bradyn Swinson, and South Carolina's defense is led by edge rushers Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart. The conference changed into a league of high flying offenses the past few years but, strong defenses are making a comeback