We’re a week into the 2011 college football season, which means somebody’s hot and somebody’s not in the SEC. You’ve come to know this little exercise as Hot and Not, and it’s back for another season: GLOWING EMBERS LSU’s resiliency: What distractions? The Tigers ventured into Cowboys Stadium last Saturday with everybody wondering how they could possibly be on top of their game after everything that had happened off the field with quarterback Jordan Jefferson ’s arrest. Never mind that they were playing the No. 3-ranked team in the country, and never mind that they were playing without three offensive starters. They never flinched and methodically took apart Oregon 40-27 in a win that should move the Tigers closer to that top spot in the polls. LSU coach Les Miles is no stranger to dealing with a crisis. Remember the terrible hurricanes in 2005, his first season as LSU’s coach, and the way he guided his team to an 11-2 record despite the Tigers having to move home games and most of the LSU campus serving as a medical triage? It’s obvious that Miles’ teams don’t lose their focus despite what’s happening off the field, and it’s just as obvious that this team has everything it takes — physically and mentally — to win a national championship. HOT South Carolina spur Antonio Allen: He lines up at spur in South Carolina’s defense, which is a hybrid safety/linebacker position. That’s fitting, because the 6-foot-2, 202-pound senior spurred the Gamecocks to a 56-37 win against East Carolina with a career night. He had 16 total tackles and forced two fumbles, both of which he recovered. He returned one of those fumbles 25 yards for a touchdown to help the Gamecocks pull away from the Pirates. NOT Auburn’s defense: Defensive coordinator Ted Roof vowed that he would get it fixed, and there’s a lot of fixing to do. Utah State piled up 27 first downs and 448 yards of total offense last Saturday, but Auburn escaped 42-38 thanks to a perfectly executed onside kick. There are a lot of new faces on that Auburn defense that will have to grow up in a hurry. HOT Mississippi State’s offense: You think the Bulldogs are salivating at the thought of going up against that Auburn defense after the way the Tigers were sliced and diced by Utah State? Granted, Mississippi State did its damage against Memphis, but the Bulldogs exploded for a school-record 645 yards in total offense in their 59-14 rout and scored five touchdowns that were 35 yards or longer. NOT Georgia’s momentum: The Bulldogs were hoping to go into their SEC opener against South Carolina with some momentum. Instead, they go into Saturday’s home game against the Gamecocks with their backs squarely against the wall. An 0-2 start would go over in Athens about the same way a going-away party would for Texas A&M right now in Austin. HOT Arkansas receiver Joe Adams : He’s easily one of the best receivers in the league, but worked his open-field magic last weekend on a pair of punt returns for touchdowns. He scooted 61 yards in the first quarter and 69 yards in the third quarter, becoming the first SEC player to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game since Kentucky’s Derek Abney in 2002. NOT South Carolina’s start: The Gamecocks looked more like the No. 12-ranked team in the SEC for much of the first half in their opener against East Carolina. They rebounded to win 56-37, but won’t be able to get away with falling behind 17-0 against most SEC teams. HOT LSU nickel back Tyrann Mathieu: If you like watching defense played at light speed, you’re going to love this LSU defense. Mathieu played every defensive snap (82) in the win against Oregon and led the Tigers with 10 tackles. He also forced a fumble in punt coverage that he returned 3 yards for a touchdown. Wherever the ball is, you can bet Mathieu will be there, too. NOT Kentucky’s offensive line: Maybe it was just a bad first game, but even coach Joker Phillips said his offensive line play was disappointing in the Wildcats’ 14-3 lackluster win against Western Kentucky. The Wildcats have had some nagging injuries in their offensive line

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Hot and Not in the SEC: Week 1