[Tuck4Bama]

The SEC East has been turned upside down and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier loves it — never mind what his alma mater might think.

Florida’s 20-17 loss to Auburn capped a crazy weekend that saw five of the top 10 teams go down, upsetting the balance of power nationally and giving the East Division standings a strange look.

The Gators’ loss dropped them to No. 9 in the latest Associated Press poll and second in the East behind surprising Kentucky. The Wildcats (5-0, 1-0), who are alone in first place, jumped six spots to No. 8 in the AP Poll — the first time they have cracked the top 10 in 30 years.

Meanwhile, USC (4-1, 2-1) vaulted five spots in the AP Poll to No. 11, its highest ranking since climbing to No. 9 on October 7, 2001, following a 42-6 win against Kentucky. USC is tied for second in the division with Florida and Georgia, although the Gamecocks beat Georgia 16-12 last month.

That means Kentucky and USC, which most years have occupied the bottom half of the SEC East, will be playing for first place in the division Thursday night on ESPN’s national telecast. The game is the first featuring top-11 teams at Williams-Brice Stadium since the fifth-ranked Gamecocks knocked off No. 11 Florida State 38-26 on Nov. 10, 1984.

“There’s more on the line. We’re trying to win the division. They’re trying to win the division. So, (you) got a couple of teams still in the hunt,” said USC coach Steve Spurrier, who is 14-0 all-time against the Wildcats.

Football | East turns upside down