The SEC got off to a great start in Week 1, as the conference went 13-1. To no one’s surprise, the team that ruined the SEC’s shot at a perfect 14-0 start was none other than Tennessee.
LSU and Auburn earned statement wins over top-10 teams at neutral sites, and the rest of the conference took care of their opponents with ease. Ole Miss upset Texas Tech 47-27 in Houston.
Week 2 features two conferences games.
Georgia visits South Carolina in what should be one of the week’s top games. Both teams have excellent young quarterbacks who happened to be named Jake; Georgia is led by Jake Fromm, and South Carolina’s offense is directed by Jake Bentley. The difference maker in this game could be South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel. If he returns to last year’s form and makes a few explosive plays, South Carolina has a chance to upset the Bulldogs. Georgia’s defense shut out Austin Peay, but it will face a much tougher challenge this week.
Prediction: Georgia 30, South Carolina 27
Florida hosts Kentucky in the other SEC East matchup. Florida has not lost to Kentucky since 1986, which is the same year that the New York Mets won the World Series. Just as crazy as it is to imagine the New York Mets winning another World Series, so is the idea of Kentucky ending the nation’s longest active losing streak to another team this year. Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks passed for 219 yards and five touchdowns in head coach Dan Mullen’s Florida debut. Kentucky committed four turnovers against Central Michigan and needs to prepare better for Florida’s tough defense.
Prediction: Florida 38, Kentucky 13
The SEC’s non conference slate includes one of the most anticipated games of the season, as Texas A&M hosts Clemson.
Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams rushed for 240 yards on just 20 carries against Northwestern State. If Williams can deliver another impressive performance against one of the best defensive lines in college football, he can take the pressure off of quarterback Kellen Mond, who played a solid game last week. Clemson will be rotating quarterbacks Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence, but both have the ability to light up a young Aggie secondary.
Prediction: Texas A&M 17, Clemson 45
Mississippi State visits Kansas State and will have star quarterback Nick Fitzgerald back from a one-game suspension. Kansas State squeaked by South Dakota 27-24, and the offense could stall against the Bulldogs’ incredible defensive line. Against Stephen F. Austin, Mississippi State collected 17 tackles for loss.
Prediction: Mississippi State 59, Kansas State 20
Vanderbilt hosts Nevada and its high-powered offense. Nevada gained 636 yards and scored 72 points in a win over Portland State. Vanderbilt’s offense started slow in the first half against Middle Tennessee, but did not make many mistakes. The Commodores’ trio of running backs needs to control the time of possession for Vanderbilt to move to 2-0 on the year.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 31, Nevada 24
Alabama plays Arkansas State in the Crimson Tide’s home opener. No one ever really “wants ‘Bama” unless they’re a conference opponent and have to play Alabama or they’re a mid-major financing their entire athletic department with the game’s payout. Arkansas State is in the latter category and earns a moral victory just for showing up to play the Tide.
Prediction Alabama 63, Arkansas State 3
Ole Miss faces Southern Illinois at home, and at kickoff, everyone in Oxford will be Googling what Southern Illinois’ mascot is (it’s a saluki, which is a Middle Eastern hunting dog). Ole Miss’ offense is led by running back Scottie Phillips, who ran for 204 yards, and quarterback Jordan Ta’amu threw for 336 yards. Southern Illinois put up 49 points against Murray State, but Ole Miss’ signature “Landshark Defense” should have no trouble against a pack of Salukis.
Prediction: Ole Miss 55, Southern Illinois 10
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee host East Tennessee State for the first time ever. East Tennessee beat a Division II team last week, while Tennessee got destroyed by West Virginia. Still, Tennessee is probably the best team in eastern Tennessee. Probably.
Prediction: Tennessee 48, East Tennessee State 21
LSU plays Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday night. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron gets to face some fellow Cajuns after playing Miami last week in one of the biggest culture clashes in college football. LSU running back Nick Brossette ran for two touchdowns last week, and he should get plenty of carries in this contest as well.
Prediction: LSU 55, Southeastern Louisiana 7
Drew Lock and Missouri host Wyoming. Lock threw for four touchdowns against Tennessee-Martin, and the defense was solid, but not disruptive. Wyoming lost to Washington State by 22 points last week, and this game does not figure to be any closer.
Prediction: Missouri 49, Wyoming 20
Arkansas travels to Fort Collins to face Colorado State. Razorback quarterback Ty Storey won the starting job last week by throwing for three touchdowns in one half of action. Colorado State’s secondary is one of the worst in the country so far, and it allowed Colorado quarterback Steven Montez to complete 88% of his passes. Look out for CSU quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels, brother of former Vanderbilt quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels, to continue his hot play.
Prediction: Arkansas 28, Colorado State 12
Finally, Auburn hosts FCS squad Alabama State. Alabama State is starting a six-game road trip and won’t play a home game until November. Not that playing at home would help the Hornets beat Auburn. Auburn’s offense will look to gain momentum after having trouble sustaining drives against Washington.
Prediction: Auburn 59, Alabama State 3
