2021 November Report Cards

Introduction

Below, we give our season-to-date grades for each school. In addition to offensive and defensive grades, we compare each team’s performance to our November expectations, which heavily influences their overall grades. Let us know what you think of our November Report Cards on social media!

Alabama 

Offense: C | Defense: A | Meeting Expectations: B | Overall: B

Brendan Paschal: The recurring theme for Alabama this year has been its inability to put away games. The Crimson Tide have won three of their four November matchups by a touchdown or less, despite playing inferior opponents all month. One of the biggest issues has been in the run game, which was exposed against LSU – the Tide finished with six rushing yards on 26 attempts, for an average of 0.2 yard per carry (in case you’re wondering, 0.2 yards is the equivalent of 7.2 inches). Things didn’t get much better against Auburn, where the Tide averaged 1.9 per carry for a total of 71 yards on 37 attempts. It has been years, decades even, since Alabama has struggled to move the ball on the ground. That said, winners find a way to win. The Tide easily could have lost to LSU and should have lost to Auburn, but instead, Alabama is 11-1 and heading to Atlanta. Defensive star and outside linebacker Will Anderson currently leads the nation in sacks (14.5), and his name has been thrown out there for a Heisman invitation. 

Arkansas

Offense: A | Defense: B | Meeting Expectations: A  | Overall: A

Max McDougald: The month of October was a step back for Arkansas, but November was the opposite for the Razorbacks. In November, they had wins over Mississippi State, LSU, and Missouri. And the lone loss was an absolute battle with Alabama. The defense in particular showed improvement this month – Barry Odom’s group held both Mississippi State and Missouri under 20 points. And the offensive side of the ball showed improvement as well, with Arkansas scoring 30 or more points in three of its four games. And while the offense didn’t put up video game-like numbers like earlier in the season, it was gritty and did just enough to beat both Mississippi State and LSU by three points each. After losing three consecutive games in October, the Razorbacks reversed the narrative to close out the regular season going 3-1 in November and finishing in the top 25.

Auburn

Offense: C | Defense: C | Meeting Expectations: F | Overall: D

John Lamm: What an odd month for Auburn. Coming into the month, I had predicted they would go 3-1 and would not be shocked if they beat Alabama. Amazingly, they went 0-4, but the Iron Bowl was the best game they played. With that said, what killed Auburn this month was blown leads. After being beaten handily by Texas A&M in early November, they led each subsequent opponent by double digits at some point during the game. A big disappointment for the Tigers this month was that running back Tank Bigsby only had one big game, which was against South Carolina; he was held to under 70 yards in each of their other three games. The inability to run the ball, along with the injury to quarterback Bo Nix in the Mississippi State game, was a big reason this team lost four in a row. But you have to wonder how different things would feel for the Tigers right now if they had just been able to hold on late in the Iron Bowl for the win. There would have been a lot of momentum going into bowl season and into next year, but instead they now are just hoping to win a bowl to end their losing streak and finish above .500.

Florida

Offense: D  | Defense: D | Meeting Expectations: D | Overall: D

Chris Paschal: Despite Florida’s end-of-season victory over rival Florida State, the month of November was nothing short of a disaster. That disaster culminated in the firing of a one-time Gator savior, head coach Dan Mullen. Mullen’s routinely bizarre and brash behavior had run its course in Gainesville. I truly believe that if Mullen did the little things correct (e.g., singing the alma mater following games, not acting like a lunatic on the sidelines, not celebrating a narrow victory over Samford), he would have survived this season. Alas, he did not, and while I believe Mullen could have weathered the 2021 storm, the product on the field was disastrous either way. Quarterback Emory Jones threw more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three) in the Gators’ three November contests against Power Five opponents. The Gators lost to a reeling South Carolina team 40-17. The Gators lost in overtime to an overmatched Missouri team. The Gators barely beat a pedestrian FCS program (Samford) in a 70-52 shootout. The month of November was ugly for the Gators, and after what was a promising September, Florida will finish the season with two straight grades of D overall, the only program to achieve that mark. 

Georgia

Offense: A | Defense: A | Meeting Expectations: A | Overall: A

John: Georgia had yet another perfect month of football, finishing the regular season 12-0. The defense was only tested once in November, against Tennessee. Even then, while the Bulldogs gave up over 300 yards passing to the Vols, they were able to force two turnovers and limit Tennessee to 17 points (the second-fewest points the Vols scored all year) in yet another blowout win. In the entire month, the Bulldogs only gave up a combined 30 points in four games. What really impressed me in November, though, was the play of quarterback Stetson Bennett. He threw for nine touchdowns and only one interception this month, and he is now playing the most consistent football of his college career. And while freshman tight end Brock Bowers has played extremely well all season, the final two games of the season were definitely his best. He had a total of 198 receiving yards with four touchdowns in November and is proving to be quite possibly the best tight end in the country. 

Kentucky

Offense: A | Defense: A  | Meeting Expectations: B  | Overall: A

Max: After splitting their four games in October, the Wildcats rebounded to go 3-1 in November. The offense led the way, with Kentucky averaging just under 47 points per game for the month and finishing the regular season with a 52-21 beatdown of in-state rival (and three-point favorite) Louisville. On the other side of the ball, the only game in the month of November where the Wildcat defense failed to show up was in the sole loss of the month against Tennessee, when Kentucky gave up 45 points to the high-tempo Tennessee offense in a 45-42 shootout. For the year, the Wildcats finished 9-3, in second place in the SEC East, and ranked in the top 25. Expectations were high for this team going into the season but to see it actually manifested is special. Most people took an “I will have to see it to believe it” approach because of the history of Kentucky, but on the back of Mark Stoops, the Wildcats proved everyone wrong. What he has done with Kentucky football shows just how good a coach he is. With the coaching carousel spinning all around the country, Stoops solidified his position and agreed to a contract extension through 2027, making the Wildcats a formidable threat for years to come. 

LSU

Offense: C | Defense: A | Meeting Expectations: B | Overall: B

Brendan: After receiving a “withdraw-fail” grade in October, the Tigers certainly turned things around in November. The defense allowed an average of 18.5 points per game this month and kept LSU in games against Alabama and Arkansas. In fact, if a few plays had gone their way, the Tigers could have gone undefeated in the final month of the regular season. But the offense was once again the kryptonite. Replacing sophomore quarterback Max Johnson with true freshman Garrett Nussmeier was a failed experiment, but it proved the offensive issues had more to do with lack of production up front than with quarterback play. Overall, the Tigers played their hearts out for each other and will send head coach Ed Orgeron off with a fond memory of what LSU football was, not what it currently is.   

Mississippi State

Offense: B | Defense: C | Meeting Expectations: A | Overall: B

Chris: Like every other month of the season, November was an unpredictable and wild month for the Bulldogs, who finished the month 2-2. The highlight was the play of quarterback Will Rogers, who threw 16 touchdowns and only one interception during the month. Rogers had a strong sophomore campaign overall, throwing for just shy of 4,500 yards passing, but the month of November saw historic levels of production by the Brandon, Mississippi native. The game of the year was his performance in a come-from-behind victory over Auburn, when he threw six touchdowns and completed 44 of his 55 pass attempts. Rogers might have been the best offensive performer in the month of November in the SEC. On the other side of the ball, the talented Bulldog defense did not play to its ability in November. Low points included the final Arkansas offensive drive, when the Hogs ran the ball down the field and punched it in against little-to-no resistance by the Bulldog defensive line. Mississippi State finished the season with Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral abusing the Bulldog defense through the air, completing 77% of his passes while rushing the ball 12 times for 45 yards, including a back-breaking touchdown late in the second half). On the whole, though, the Bulldogs stole a road victory over Auburn and finished the season 7-5. While it wasn’t pretty at times, the Bulldogs met expectations not only in November, but on the season as a whole. 

Missouri

Offense: B | Defense: B | Meeting Expectations: A | Overall: B

John: I will have to admit that I thought Missouri was going to go 0-4 in the month of November, but the Tigers instead found a way to gut out two wins and become bowl-eligible. As a whole, the Tiger offense went backward in November, with one notable exception – the play of running back Tyler Badie. Badie has been as good as any running back in the SEC this season and finished the month of November with 615 rushing yards. Outside of his play, the offense struggled. Quarterback Connor Bazelak regressed from September to October and then regressed even more in November, struggling with turnovers and accuracy while battling injuries. On a bright note, the Tiger defense had by far its best month of the season, holding every opponent under 170 rushing yards during the month and holding both Florida and South Carolina under 100 rushing yards in Mizzou’s two wins.

Ole Miss

Offense: A | Defense: A | Meeting Expectations: A | Overall: A 

Brendan: Ole Miss wrapped up the regular season with four double-digit wins as it went undefeated in November. But unlike past months, it wasn’t the offense that brought the Rebels to ten wins in the West. Rather it was a defense that made plays when it mattered. For example, the Rebels’ defense made two interceptions (one for a game-sealing touchdown) in the second half against Texas A&M and held Liberty scoreless in the first, second, and fourth quarters. To cap it off, the Ole Miss defense prevented Mississippi State from scoring a touchdown in the first three quarters of the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night. Not too shabby for a defense that was the laughingstock of college football last year. And on the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Matt Corral turned in one impressive performance after another, as he has done all season.  Corral might not win the Heisman, but his toughness and playmaking ability (both in the air and on the ground) has launched his draft stock into the stratosphere while solidifying his legacy in Oxford.     

South Carolina

Offense: C | Defense: B  | Meeting Expectations: A  | Overall: B

Max: The month of November saw inconsistent play on both sides of the ball by the Gamecocks. Despite those inconsistencies, the Gamecocks were able to go 2-2 for the month and secure bowl eligibility. The two wins for the Gamecocks came against SEC foes Florida and Auburn, while the losses came in poor performances against Missouri and Clemson. Third-string quarterback Jason Brown was thrust into action after an injury to Zeb Noland, performing well against Florida and Auburn but playing poorly in the other two contests. South Carolina’s offensive performance was especially anemic in the last game against Clemson, when the Gamecocks failed to score, capping a regular season in which South Carolina finished 116th out of 130 teams in total offense. (Frankly, the only reason the Gamecocks aren’t getting lower than a C is due to the injuries and lack of talent on that side of the ball.) On defense, the Gamecocks were up and down (are you detecting a pattern here?), defending against the pass effectively but failing to slow down the run against every November opponent except Florida. In the end, though, the Gamecocks were opportunistic and seemed to force turnovers at the right time. They led the SEC in turnovers, which helped this Gamecock team scratch and claw its way to bowl eligibility. 

Tennessee

Offense: A | Defense: C | Meeting Expectations: A | Overall: A

Chris: Tennessee was the feel-good story of the SEC this season, and November was no exception. The Vols beat a Kentucky team that finished second in the SEC East in epic fashion, scoring 45 points in under 15 minutes of gameplay. Take a second and appreciate that statistic. Tennessee also battled hard against Georgia the following weekend, in a game where Neyland felt like it did 20 years ago, according to what I heard from people who attended the game. Tennessee wrapped up November with shellackings of South Alabama and Vanderbilt. The defense, while pedestrian as the season came to a close, punched well above its weight throughout the month of November, especially considering the Vols’ competition early in the month, and the injuries they suffered later in the month. We’ll dissect Tennessee’s performance in more detail in the final report card, but the month of November was representative of the entire season: successful and ahead of schedule.  

Texas A&M

Offense: D | Defense: C | Meeting Expectations: C | Overall: C

Chris: November looked like it would be a tough month for the Aggies, and lo and behold, it was. Texas A&M started the month with a classic, old-fashioned SEC victory over Auburn, in which the Aggie defense played exceptionally. But that would be the last SEC contest where the Aggie defense would be able to carry A&M to victory. The following week in Oxford, A&M played one of its worst halves of football since joining the SEC in 2012 in a 29-19 loss to Ole Miss. In the first half, the Aggies scored zero points, gave up a safety, gained a mere 91 yards of offense, and allowed over 400 yards on defense. Then there was the regular season finale against LSU and Coach O. Against a lame-duck coach, A&M found a way to lose to the Tigers in Baton Rouge on a las- second touchdown pass. While A&M teams of years past would have accepted (not liked, but accepted) losses to Ole Miss and LSU, this A&M team was poised to finish the season looking like the team everyone expected in the preseason. Instead, the Aggies limped to the finish line and failed to meet expectations not only for the month of November, but the season as a whole. Despite the lackluster conclusion to the season, Jimbo Fisher continues to stockpile talent in A&M through strong recruiting efforts. Eventually, though, recruiting needs to translate into winning. 

Vanderbilt

Offense: C | Defense: C | Meeting Expectations: B | Overall: C

Max: It would be completely unfair of me to tank Vanderbilt’s report card grades after the Commodores went 0-3 in the month of November. The expectations for this month were low, as Vanderbilt had three difficult opponents  – Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. Despite the losses, this team showed fight. The Commodore offense didn’t light it up this month, but scoring 55 points against three quality opponents was more than most people would expect. , As for the Commodore defense, these three November opponents presented the toughest task Vanderbilt faced all year. The defense fought hard in all three contests, but a lack of talent and depth ultimately led to the Commodore defense getting worn down. Although the outcomes of the games were pretty much preordained, you have to give the Commodores credit for the energy and fight they played with, which is the reason they received a “B” in meeting expectations. They could have easily folded, but this team battled and they showed fight which is a testament to the culture that Clark Lea is building in Nashville. 

Clemson 

Offense: B | Defense: A | Meeting Expectations: B | Overall: B

Brendan: Last month, I said Clemson was the worst 5-3 team in college football. They certainly changed the narrative in November. Sure, the defense continued to carry a below-average offense, but this month that offense showed considerable improvement. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei played his best game of the year against Louisville, which is shocking considering the Tigers played one of the worst defenses in college football the following week. In fact, Uiagalelei managed to finish with a quarterback rating of 22.5 against Connecticut. However, the run game (led by freshman Will Shipley and sophomore Kobe Pace) carried the offense throughout November. The Tigers turned around what could’ve easily been an 8-4 or even 7-5 season into a respectable 9-3. Although it is definitely not where fans and coaches wanted to be going into the season, this is something to be proud of in November.   

North Carolina

Offense: B | Defense: D| Meeting Expectations: D| Overall: D

John: North Carolina had a very simple philosophy in November – come into each game unprepared to play, get behind by double digits, and then play catch up to try to win. It worked against Wake Forest, forced Pittsburgh into overtime before an eventual loss, and should have led to a win against NC State until a complete last-minute collapse by the secondary and the special teams. That said, I thought that quarterback Sam Howell had a very good month, all things considered. He put his body on the line every game and was a true leader of this team. I also thought both running backs, Ty Chandler and British Brooks, looked great running the football. North Carolina probably should have gone 4-0 this month, but they beat themselves too many times (as they have all season), and it cost them two games. Much like the whole season, this month feels like a blown opportunity for the Tar Heels in Sam Howell’s last season. They just never came into games prepared to play football, and that starts with coaching, which will have to improve if the Tar Heels are ever to reach their potential.