SEC Network's Chris Doering talks Florida before Gators' trip to Aggieland

Key notes from Chris Doering interview

• That is the problem with this league. We develop friendships with people from each team. I haven’t had the full College Station experience.
   
• I’ll start with praise for the Aggies. I have Ole Miss at the top of my power rankings. Alabama is second, but A&M has the highest ceiling in the SEC right now. They are figuring it out and can win in multiple ways. I think you are seeing who they want to be. With almost 300 yards rushing, I am excited about where the Aggies are heading.
   
• For Florida, I was very happy on Saturday and very pissed off. This was a good win, but where was this all season? You get off to another slow start. Getting the ball to Jadan Baugh eight times on the first drive is what you should have been doing all season long. Pushing the ball down the field, I know Dallas Wilson made his debut here, but you have other talented receivers. So pushing the ball would have been what I’d like to have seen. The defense has been lights out. It has been what has kept Florida in these ball games. You get a three-phase performance, you get the blocked punt, the safety, and the offense puts up 27 of their own.
   
• I like the direction of this program, but can you keep it going? Can you go on the road and sustain that effort? I thought the Swamp crowd was really a factor, five false starts and one delay of game. But now they are stepping into one of the most intimidating environments at Kyle Field. I want to see how DJ Lagway handles that and how he handles the emotions. He grew up as an Aggie fan. I think there are a lot of different nuances to consider.
   
• It is crazy to think about what is left on the table. Peter Burns made the point that if Florida wins and Texas loses this weekend, Billy Napier and Steve Sarkisian will have the same record. I don't think anybody would be thinking that is a reality. I do think as you look at the four-game stretch, at Baton Rouge, at Miami, playing Texas, then going to A&M, we will take 2-2. If Florida wins this, they are in that position. Obviously, that South Florida loss was hurtful at home. Now, you start to build up some momentum and put yourself in the mix. I don’t think Florida is a playoff team, but if they can get to Atlanta, now you can do what Clemson did, win the championship and get a playoff berth.
   
• I have not put A&M at No. 3 in my power rankings yet. We have not released them. I said A&M has the highest ceiling in the SEC. I like the direction of that team. I still have Georgia in my top five. If you look at Georgia’s schedule, it looks much more manageable. Only two ranked opponents left. Alabama, I feel good about them, but now they play Missouri. Consistency is the most challenging thing for any college coach right now.
   
• Not only about who you play, and when you play them on the schedule. The biggest key is that no one is going to be undefeated this year. But you need to win your home games; it takes away your margin for error. If A&M can win on Saturday, it certainly preserves the home game unbeaten streak. I think there are a bunch of teams that will be 9-3. There is a playoff predictor on our show. There are 10 teams in the league with at least a 20 percent chance of getting into the playoffs. It speaks to the balance of power and competition in the SEC.
   
• Watching that Alabama game, I feel better about Vanderbilt’s chances. They can be a 9-3 team. They lost that game because of the mistakes they made. If a few things break their way, they win that football game.
   
• I think we have always had the hope for the receivers. Mike Elko wanted Mario Craver and KC Concepcion. Craver is not the biggest guy, but he can do a lot when he gets the ball in his hands. I think Concepcion may be one of the most complete receivers. His understanding of leverage, finding soft spots against the zone. If you can find more consistency in Marcel Reed hitting the deep ball, I think this offense becomes damn near impossible to stop.
   
• I think defensively, this is a team that is pretty dominant up front. They are not the deepest up there. So pound the ball, be physical on the offensive line. Certainly, Reed in the run game is going to be a challenge. They could be susceptible there. If you look at last week, Texas had open receivers in the secondary. Cormani McClain got victimized on a double move.