2016 SEC Mid-Season Awards via ESPN

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Somehow, the SEC had reached the end of -- as Tennessee players are putting it -- Season 1. On to Season 2 we go, as one side of the league has a very intriguing race on its hands and the other, well, it has Alabama.

The first half introduced us to a fleet-footed (dark horse Heisman candidate?) quarterback at -- wait for it -- Alabama. The first half saw Hugh Freeze's magic against Alabama end. Same for Florida's wicked spell over Tennessee. We saw fantastic Creamsicle comebacks and two Hail Mary touchdowns converted in 10 seconds on the same field.

One coach got fired, while two have nimbly -- and momentarily -- removed their posteriors from flames engulfing their respective seats with surprisingly good Septembers. We've seen a couple of overtimes, and said goodbye to two icons.

The first half of the SEC season has been filled with ups, downs and plenty of excitement. I can only imagine what the second half will bring.

In the meantime, here are our midseason awards:
Freshman QB Jalen Hurts has climbed into the Heisman discussion after scoring seven touchdowns in Alabama's past two games -- both SEC road victories. John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

League MVP: Alabama QB Jalen Hurts: He's the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Nick Saban and he's running the zone-read in Tuscaloosa like Mike Vick did in college. Hurts is fifth in the SEC with 1,813 total yards and in the Crimson Tide's past two wins on the road against ranked SEC opponents, he averaged 8.7 yards per play with seven total touchdowns. He isn't the best player in this conference, but he's trending that way and he's a pro at the offense Saban used to despise, turning it into one of the best zone-read offenses in the nation. Just, wow.

Mr. Go Up and Get It: Ole Miss TE Evan Engram: Engram has quietly been the nation's best tight end this season, recording a team-high 37 catches for an SEC-high 590 yards (102 yards more than the next best pass-catcher) and five touchdowns.

Mid-season Defensive Player of the Year: Tennessee DE Derek Barnett: A total man-beast, Barnett has been a quarterback's worst nightmare this year. Barnett is pushing for SEC Player of the Year honors with six sacks (all in SEC play), 11.5 tackles for loss, five QB hurries, three passes defensed, one interception, and two forced fumbles.

Mid-season Coach of the Year: Saban: It has to be Saban, for the simple fact that he has what he once hated: a high-octane zone-read offense. Oh, and he has the No. 1 team in the country.

Good Grief Award: Injury bug: Thanks to you, we've only seen Leonard Fournette (ankle) three times and Nick Chubb (knee) clearly isn't 100 percent. Oh, and leave Tennessee alone! The Vols dressed fewer than 70 players over the weekend against Alabama.

Best game: Tennessee at Texas A&M: The Aggies jumped out to a 28-7 lead over the Vols, only for coach Butch Jones to rub his lucky rabbit's foot and watch Tennessee take it into overtime tied at 35. A&M won in double overtime, 45-38, with a 1-yard TD run by Trevor Knight and an interception on Tennessee's ensuing drive. There were 1,276 total yards, 83 points and 10 turnovers in nearly five hours of football.

Team Schizophrenic: Arkansas: First you struggle with Louisiana Tech. Then, you win in double overtime at TCU. Next, you lose by a combined 40 points to Texas A&M and Alabama. This past Saturday, you beat No. 12 Ole Miss, 34-30. Figure. It. Out!

Lifetime Achievement Award: Mike the Tiger: Last week, sports lost one of the most iconic mascots when LSU's Mike VI died after his four-month battle with cancer. The 11-year-old tiger, which LSU has said was one of only two live tiger college mascots in the U.S., was easily the best living mascot. Not. Even. Close.

Awkward goodbye: Les Miles: After that dreadful 2-2 start, it was only a matter of time before The Hat left the building. But instead of firing him now, why not just get it over with last season? We'll miss his quirkiness, on-field gambling expertise, time mismanagement and affinity for stadium grasses.

Best way to win: Tennessee: Joshua Dobbs' 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Jauan Jennings as time expired to beat Georgia in Athens.

Worst way to lose: Georgia: See above and add the fact that Jacob Eason tossed his own Hail Mary to retake the lead 10 seconds before.

Worst display of adulting: Florida-LSU: The saga behind the postponement and rescheduling of the Florida-LSU game because of Hurricane Matthew doesn't deserve many words, but the posturing, bickering, name-calling and immaturity on both sides (and their fan bases) made us all want to smash our skulls into brick walls. Folks drawing lines in the sand? Grow up. The SEC brass didn't look too great in all of this, either, so thank goodness for that interpretation of the rules that ended this debacle.

Breakout player we kind of expected: LSU DE Arden Key: We always thought he was a freak of nature, but he enters the halfway point with an SEC-high seven sacks, has eight QB hurries and has forced three fumbles.

Breakout player no one saw coming: Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams: He has been one of the SEC's most explosive players, averaging a league-high 148.8 yards in SEC play. He's third in the SEC with 704 yards and leads the SEC with 8.6 YPC. Eleven of his rushes have gone for 15 yards or more.

Well, that's nice: Alabama has more non-offensive touchdowns (11) than South Carolina has total touchdowns (nine).

How 'bout that: The only touchdowns to come off of kickoff returns have been on failed onside kick attempts. Both have come in back-to-back weeks, by Florida and Georgia. The SEC has had at least six kickoffs returned for touchdowns in seven of the past eight years.

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