FAYETTEVILLE -- Take comfort, Arkansas and Tennessee.
The spread beat the bejabbers out of you both, but ultimately you both teams beat 25- and 20-point underdogs Louisiana Tech and Appalachian State.
Arkansas on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville won by a single point, 21-20, over Louisiana Tech.
Tennessee at home Thursday night in Knoxville needed overtime to beat Appalachian State, 20-13.
Both victors overcame fourth-quarter deficits to prevail. Both required opposition place-kickers missing kicks they could have made or the victors would have lost.
Appalachian State's kicker missed a PAT, enabling the Vols to reach overtime tied at 13-13 then win by recovering their own fumble in the Appalachian State end zone.
Embarrassing outings for Arkansas and Tennessee, pundits say, not to mention financial folly for their boosters that bet.
The betting boosters no doubt grumble, but if they are really boosters they still exude relief.
At least they boost SEC teams that beat their opposition even if they couldn't beat the odds.
Mississippi State, which missed a short field goal that would have won it in the final seconds, lost 21-20 Saturday at home in Starkville to 4-touchdown underdog South Alabama.
Alleged national contender LSU, ranked No. 5 at the time, lost Saturday to respected but still unranked Wisconsin, 16-14 up at the Green Bay Packers' Lambeau Field.
Other than No. 1 Alabama annihilating No. 20 Southern California, 52-6, the weekend wasn't much to brag about for a conference accustomed to bragging and never hesitating to do so.
It's not all bad for the always self-proclaimed, and usually nationally acclaimed, best conference in college football occasionally to eat some humble pie.
And as Louisiana Tech of Conference USA, and Appalachian State and South Alabama of the Sun Belt exemplified, it's not just outfits from the other four of the so-called Power Five conferences that SEC teams need to respect.
Appalachian State and Louisiana Tech both have tradition and plenty of it.
Former Appalachian State Coach Jerry Moore resides in the College Football Hall of Fame.
NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw came through Louisiana Tech.
Louisiana Tech not only has tradition, including consecutive 9-victory seasons under Coach Skip Holtz, but talent striking Arkansas close to home.
Michael Smith, Arkansas' Louisiana native receivers coach recruiting Louisiana for the Razorbacks, warned too much talent abounds within Louisiana for LSU and bordering big schools to mine it all.
"Louisiana Tech does a good job of getting theirs," Smith said last week. "They have a lot of really good football players, really good speed and a great coaching staff. They are going to be ready to play."
Inexperience seemed the Bulldogs biggest pregame obstacle, but they obviously grew up during Saturday's game.
Now it's Arkansas' challenge to grow from being almost burned by Louisiana Tech's close but no cigar.
Sports on 09/05/2016