Bruce Pearl on SEC race after Vanderbilt win: 'We're still in this thing'

Last week did not help Auburn’s chances of winning the Southeastern Conference after they dropped a pair of road games to Alabama and Mississippi State. Still, after returning to the Jungle, winning over Vanderbilt on Wednesday, and moving their record to 6-2, Bruce Pearl knows their hopes of doing so remain very much alive.

Pearl assessed the Tigers’ position in the standings during his postgame press conference after the 81-54 victory over the Commodores. While he realizes that his team has been punching above their preseason weight, the fact of the matter is they’re right in the thick of things in the SEC. With that being the case, he doesn’t want to see anyone hanging their heads just yet.

“I’ll make it clear again tonight just to sort of reclarify where I’m at. We are so grateful for the support and I love all the passion, all the intensity that we have. It’s just that we’re picked sixth in the league. Johni Broome was the only kid on any First, Second, or Third-team anything in the SEC,” explained Pearl. “So, to this point, we’ve played and the kids have played above those expectations. I don’t know if that’s going to continue.”

“As we get into the schedule? I can tell you that we’re going to lose some games. But we’re still in this thing,” Pearl said. “My guess is that there’ll be time to be disappointed. Now is not the time, if that makes sense.”

Auburn came into last week as one of the nation’s hottest teams having won 11 straight, all of which came by double digits. They sat at 16-2 and among the best in the conference through most of the month of January.

Then, in two games in Tuscaloosa and Starkville, the Tigers hit a speed bump. They were unable to complete the second-half comeback against the Crimson Tide before losing again to the Bulldogs this past weekend after scoring just 58 in a game where they just couldn’t get in front.

That’s why, in their return to Neville Arena last night, Auburn secured an important one over Vandy. Another victory versus them and winning by 27 over a winless conference team only means so much as far as their resume. However, it was a feel-good victory to get back on track, end their skid, and move to 6-2. That puts them in a second-place tie with South Carolina at one game back of ‘Bama moving into February.

Several teams in the SEC are jockeying for position and will continue to do so over the next month. That includes Auburn and will continue to include the Tigers if their players make the necessary plays according to Pearl.

“I’ll tell you – look. These guys are working. I know what we’re capable of,” said Pearl. “We’ve had some step up but we have to continue to be able to step up if we’re going to be able to keep winning.”