THE SEC REPORT
The SEC Report: A&M gets destroyed as LSU asserts dominance over the SEC and Auburn wins a heavyweight battle of an Iron Bowl
Dec 3, 2019, 8:52 am
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
LAST WEEKEND
LSU obliterated A&M as Joe Burrow and the Tigers came out to make a statement about their place nationally this season. An inappropriate gesture helped cost Ole Miss the Egg Bowl and Alabama just lost the most important Iron Bowl in a long, long time. Alabama hasn't come into an Iron Bowl lately with their season in more trouble than they did this year, with a back up quarterback, a better team in their own division and already out of the SEC title game a wounded Crimson Tide lost a huge Iron Bowl to Auburn.
THE THREE STARS OF LAST WEEKEND
Jake Fromm, Quarterback of Georgia: This season has been the Swift show but this week we actually had a Fromm sighting and it was prolific. Four touchdowns on just fourteen completions, Fromm picked a great week to come alive as their next game is against LSU for the SEC title and having to worry about both the run and the pass means play calling just got a little easier for The Bulldogs.
Auburn as a team: The young quarterback Bo Nix played well enough in a huge back and forth game. The defense contributed with two pick sixes that kept the pressure on Alabama and back up quarterback Mac Jones. Auburn came in and did exactly what it needed to do to win a close and hard fought game.
Kyle Trask, Quarterback of Florida: Threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns on 30 completions. Florida finished their season in a great place in comparison to how they started it and the leadership and performance of Trask has a lot to do with it and this week is no exception to that.
THIS WEEKEND
This weekend is the big one, everything has been building for this. This week Georgia plays LSU in what has worked out to be a road game for the higher ranked Tigers. Georgia is playing in their third SEC championship game in a row and they have to think the world is playing a cruel joke on them as they've traded one buzz saw for another. While they aren't playing the most successful college program in recent history they are still playing a program on fire with a Heisman hopeful at quarterback. 3pm this Saturday on CBS, we'll see who wins the SEC The Bulldogs or The Tigers.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jake Fromm, Quarterback of Georgia: For the Bulldogs to have a chance to win Fromm needs to have a great game, complete over half of his passes, be efficient and play mistake free football. There's always a chance a team can win but usually it means their quarterback plays good football.
Joe Burrow, Quarterback of LSU: This guy has been crushing the game all season and needs just one more game to make his case for a Heisman, to win an SEC championship and to secure a shot at the National Championship. After all of the football these next few weeks are so important for Burrow and company to get as much as they can from all of this success this season.
D'Andre Swift, Runningback of Georgia: He didn't finish the Tech game due to a shoulder injury and The Bulldogs will need all hands on deck. One of the best rushers in the SEC this season is a heck of a guy to be missing or to have but not at full strength. Hopefully Georgia can keep everything going just one more game but they'll need Swift to make that happen.Feel free to check out my brand-new comic book Another Day at the Office or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
For years, the Astros built their dynasty on precision — smart bets, savvy scouting, and a steady refusal to let emotion cloud judgment. But as the 2025 season rolls into June, that precision feels dulled. Houston still wears the polish of a perennial contender, but underneath, the gears are grinding. A thin lineup, a faltering rotation, and a public misfire in player health management have created a team still standing, but no longer towering.
Houston still has a great chance to win the AL West, thanks more to the division’s mediocrity than its own dominance. But the warning lights are flashing.
Identifying the weak link
The biggest concern right now? It’s hard to choose just one.
The Astros’ offense has been startlingly average — 14th in OPS, 18th in runs scored. When this team had Springer, Correa, Bregman, and peak Altuve, scoring was a given. Now, it’s a grind. Too much depends on too few — and when a key piece like Isaac Paredes slumps, as he has recently, the whole offense stutters.
But the lineup isn’t alone in its inconsistency. The back half of the rotation has become a weak point due to a rash of injuries. With Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown pulling their weight at the top, the drop-off behind them is stark. Houston used to bury teams with pitching depth; now it’s just hoping for enough quality starts to make their elite bullpen matter.
The Yordan situation
And then there’s Yordan Alvarez and his fractured hand.
The slugger’s delayed return raised eyebrows. The lack of clarity around his status raised more. It's hard not to boil this down to outright incompetence.
If this were a one-off, it might be brushed aside. But it’s not. It’s another example of a once-cutting-edge organization starting to look clumsy at the margins.
Wasting prime Framber?
All of this would feel less urgent if Houston were building toward something. The team’s decision to trade Kyle Tucker this past offseason spoke volumes. It wasn’t just about resetting the CBT. It was a pivot, a signal that the franchise was playing the long game. And with Framber likely on his way out after this season, the choice to pass on going all-in this year becomes even more glaring.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!