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Sep 10, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; SEC Football – Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain celebrates after they beat the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 45-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
After a slow start to the season, SEC football had a great week 2 going 10-0 in out-of-conference games, including Arkansas’ big win over number 15 TCU.
There is no questioning the fact that SEC football showed some weaknesses in week one with several out-of-conference losses and some close wins.
However, with a cupcake slate of games in week two, the SEC got themselves back on track by winning every out-of-conference game on the schedule. Tennessee and Arkansas had big wins against foes from power five conferences.
Florida looked mighty impressive in its win over Florida, while Mississippi State was able to bounce-back with a win over South Carolina.
As we start to get into the conference slate, we have some of the power teams in the conference going against each this week. As usual, the SEC will begin feasting on itself and muddying up the waters.
The SEC enters week 3 with eight teams ranked in the AP Top 25, but only Alabama is ranked inside the top 14 at number one.
Right now it feels like Alabama is on an island by itself in the SEC. The next nine teams are all pretty even, and we’re waiting for someone to break away in the SEC East.
That’s what makes this college football season so interesting.
Here our SEC football power rankings after week 2.
Sep 10, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops looks on against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 45-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
14 – Kentucky
The Wildcats are the only SEC team without a win after two weeks.
After being up 35-10 against Southern Miss in week one, they fell apart and lost 44-35. That loss seemed to flood over into week two as they were embarrassed by Florida in a 45-7 loss.
Mark Stoops job is definitely in jeopardy as his defense has given up 44 and 45 points in the first two games.
If it can’t get the defense turned around quickly he could be on his way out as head coach.
The Wildcats got a late touchdown in the fourth quarter against Florida to avoid the shutout, but those are there only points in their last six quarters of football.
This has been a disastrous start for Stoops and Kentucky, but hopefully they can get back on track this weekend.
Next up: New Mexico State – 3 p.m. – SEC Network
13 – Missouri
Sep 10, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Damarea Crockett (16) runs in for a touchdown during the second half against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Faurot Field. Missouri won 61-21. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Believe it or not, Missouri actually has scored the most points this season by any SEC East team with 72 through their first two games.
Six-one of those points came against Eastern Michigan this past weekend in their 61-21 win. That was a much better performance from their week one loss to West Virginia 26-11.
The Mountaineers are a solid Big 12 team, but one you would hope an SEC team beats on a regular basis.
A big win over a MAC team doesn’t tell us much about Missouri, but their upcoming game against Georgia will.
Next up: Georgia – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network
Sep 10, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores running back Ralph Webb (7) rushes against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
12 – Vanderbilt
I’m still trying to figure out how the Commodores lost that week one game against South Carolina.
They picked themselves up off the mat though with a convincing 47-24 win over a solid Middle Tennessee team.
Much like Missouri, it’s hard to gauge where Vanderbilt is after a win over a Conference USA team. Had they not blown a 10-0 lead to the Gamecocks, people might be talking about Vandy right now.
However, they have some work to do in order to get to a bowl game now.
Next up: Georgia Tech – 11:30 a.m.
11 – South Carolina
Sep 1, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp during a second half timeout against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. South Carolina won 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Will Muschamp’s team got off to a good start with a comeback win at Vanderbilt to start the season. Unfortunately, they’ve had to start the season off with back-to-back SEC road games.
I don’t how that scheduling happens, but that’s absolutely brutal.
South Carolina once again failed to score in the first half of a game as Mississippi State jumped out to a 24-0 lead. They were unable to complete the comeback in week two, but they did scored two touchdowns in the second half to make the 27-14 final score a bit more respectable.
It may be time for Muschamp to settle on the quarterback after Perry Orth and Brandon Mcllwain have split time in the first two games. Mcllwain has the better numbers, but his 2 touchdown passes came in garbage time against Mississippi State.
If the Gamecocks are going to win, their defense is going to have to hold teams to under 20 points. That will be difficult against an East Carolina team this weekend that has scored 75 points in its first two games.
Next up: East Carolina – 3 p.m. – SEC Network
Sep 10, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs players celebrate after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 27-14. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
10 – Mississippi State
The Bulldogs are not as bad as they’re loss to South Alabama would show, but they’re also not a great SEC team this year.
Dan Mullen’s group had to get a win against South Carolina if they wanted to have a chance at a bowl game. They did just that with an impressive 27-14 win at home over the Gamecocks.
The only concerning take away from that game is that they only managed to score three points in the second half. South Carolina does have a strong defense, and they were able to score 24 points in the first half. Still, you would have liked to have seen a little more consistency on offense in the second half.
It looks like Nick Dylan Fitzgerald is the guy at quarterback after throwing 2 touchdowns passes against South Carolina and running for 195 yards on 17 carries (11.5 average).
We’ll see if the Bulldogs can jump back into the SEC West conversation with a win over LSU this weekend.
Next up: LSU – 6 p.m. – ESPN 2
9 – Georgia (16)
Sep 10, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) scores a touchdown against Nicholls State Colonels defensive back Corey Abraham (31) during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
As impressive of a win as the Bulldogs had over North Carolina in week one, they had an equally depressing win over Nicholls State in week two.
Nicholls State is considered one of the worst teams at the FCS level. Yet somehow Georgia escaped with just a two point victory against them on Saturday 26-24.
Let’s be clear, they’re 2-0 and that’s all that matters, but there has to be some concern from the Georgia faithful.
Like most of the conference, the starting coach needs to make a decision at quarterback. Kirby Smart can’t keep going back-and-forth with Greyson Lambert and Jacob Eason.
It looks as if Eason is the guy despite subpar numbers through two games. Still, if this is a rebuild year you might as well give the freshman time to grow up.
The Bulldogs will get their first true road test of the season as they travel to Missouri this weekend. Watch out for an upset there.
Next up: Missouri – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network
Sep 10, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Austin Allen (8) celebrates the victory against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
8 – Arkansas (24)
The Razorbacks shocked the college football world on Saturday night with an overtime win against number 15 TCU.
The Horned Frogs were probably a bit overrated coming into the season, but this was still a huge win for the SEC and Arkansas.
I wasn’t sure if this team would even reach a bowl game this year. Even after a 2-0 start, they’ll still have a difficult time finding four more wins in the SEC West.
They should pick up their third win this weekend with a cupcake matchup against Texas State.
Austin Allen looks like he’s filling his brother’s shoes just fine, and Rawleigh Willimas III looks like the next big thing at running back for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks enter the top 25 for the first time this season after their big win over TCU, despite just a one point win over La Tech to start the season.
Next up: Texas State – 6:30 p.m. – SEC Network
Sep 10, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Kerryon Johnson (21) hurdles players as receiver Tony Stephens (8) blocks Arkansas State Red Wolves cornerback Nehemiah Wagner (2) during the first quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
7 – Auburn
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Looking at things optimistically, Auburn took the number two team in the nation down to the wire in week one, and then destroyed the favorite to win the Sun Belt in week two.
All offseason everyone said that if Auburn finds their groove on offense they could be a contender in the SEC West.
The 51 point, 700 yard performance against Arkansas State shows signs of the offense breaking out.
Auburn’s defense has been solid the first two weeks, and should continue to be the strong suite of this team.
Auburn has the chance to climb up the power rankings rather quickly with back-to-back games against Texas A&M and LSU.
Next up: Texas A&M – 6 p.m. – ESPN
Sep 10, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Trevor Knight (8) sings the war hymn with teammates after a game against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at Kyle Field. The Aggies won 67-0. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
6 – Texas A&M (17)
The Aggies have actually been one of the more impressive teams in the SEC to me this season. They picked up a big win to start the season over a ranked UCLA team. Then they followed that up with a 67-0 thrashing over an FCS team.
On a week when some SEC struggled against FCS opponents, Texas A&M did exactly what you’re supposed to do against a team like Prairie View A&M.
The offense scored eight touchdowns and had 672 total yards against Prairie View A&M. Trevor Knight looks like he is going to fit in nicely for Kevin Sumlin’s offense.
The Aggies next game will tell a lot about both teams. Both Sumlin and Gus Malzahn entered the season on the hot seat, so both coaches need this game badly.
Next up: Auburn – 6 p.m. – ESPN
5 – LSU (20)
Sep 3, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) leaps over Wisconsin Badgers safety Leo Musso (19) during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
After Wisconsin’s big win over LSU to start the season, the Badgers moved all the way up into the top 10. That tells you how highly the media thinks of LSU.
I on the other hand have not been impressed with the Bengals through two weeks. I think their defense is as solid as always, but nothing has changed on offense.
If Leonard Fournette is banged up at all, this team is toast in my opinion. He sat out against Jacksonville State, but they can’t afford to be without him during SEC play.
Les Miles finally made a switch at quarterback giving Danny Etling a shot after Brandon Harris started 1-of-4 against Jacksonville State. We’ll see if he goes back to Harris this weekend, but it’s definitely time to give someone else a chance.
Everyone assumed Harris would be a different quarterback this year, but that’s simply not the case.
They have a chance to pick up momentum against Mississippi State this weekend before a trip to Auburn.
Next up: Mississippi State – 6 p.m. – ESPN 2
Sep 10, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) throws the ball during the first half against the Wofford Terriers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
4 – Ole Miss (19)
I’m still not sure what to make of Ole Miss. They looked like the best team in the country in the first half against Florida State, but looked like a mediocre SEC team in the second half.
They follow that up with a decent 38-13 win over Wofford. I would have preferred they put up numbers like Texas A&M did against Prairie View A&M, but they were probably looking ahead to this week’s game.
Chad Kelly is an elite quarterback, but I need to see more from him in big games before I consider him a number one draft pick in the NFL.
He threw three interceptions against the Seminoles in week one, which helped spark their comeback. He threw multiple interceptions in four games last year as well, including their loss to Memphis.
You’re not going to just run it up the middle on the Ole Miss defense, but that secondary is young and inexperienced. Any team that can stretch the field in the running game and throw the ball deep is going to give this team problems.
They’ve beaten Alabama two years in a row, and they have a chance to get back in the playoff conversation with a win over them at home this weekend.
Next up: Alabama – 2:30 – CBS
3 – Tennessee (15)
Sep 10, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey celebrates after a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Bristol Motor Speedway. Tennessee won 45-24. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
The Volunteers are pretty fortunate to be 2-0 after the first two weeks. They went to overtime against Appalachian State in week one, and were down 14-0 to Virginia Tech last week before the Hokies caught a case of fumble-itis.
Still, they are 2-0 and considered one of the best teams in the SEC. I’m not ready to put them over the defending SEC East champs though until their showdown two weeks from now.
Josh Dobbs was just 10-of-19 passing for 91 yards against Virginia Tech, even though he threw 3 touchdowns. I still need to see him become an elite quarterback. Like Brandon Harris, he hasn’t shown me that he’s improved from last season.
The 45 points against the Hokies are deceiving, so I’m still not a believer in this offense.
However, I do believe that this is one of the best defenses in the country. They’ve gotten off to slow starts in the first two games, but after that it’s been lights out.
They’ll need to make sure they have all the kinks worked out after this week with Florida looming.
Next up: Ohio – 11 a.m. – SEC Network
Sep 10, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio (14) drops back against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 45-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
2 – Florida (23)
Another SEC team that’s hard to figure out is the Florida Gators. After scraping by UMASS with a 24-7 win, they destroyed Kentucky last week 45-7.
I think Florida possesses the second best defense in the conference, and possibly in the nation. You aren’t going to light up the scoreboard against them.
The question is how many points can their offense put up? They struggled in week one, but bounced-back with a 45 point, 564 yard performance against an SEC foe in week two. Granted it was against a team that they’ve now beat 30 straight times, but still impressive.
Quarterback Luke Del Rio looked much more comfortable throwing for 320 yards and 4 touchdowns. The more he develops, the more dangerous Florida becomes. They were one of the best teams in the country last year when they had a quarterback.
They get another warm-up this week against North Texas before the showdown with Tennessee.
Next up: North Texas – 6:30 – ESPNU
1 – Alabama (1)
Sep 10, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide mascot Big AL waves a flag during the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Hilltoppers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tide defeated the Hilltoppers 38-10. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Even as an Auburn fan, you have to admit that it’s Alabama and everyone else in the SEC right now.
The Crimson Tide embarrassed USC in week one, and then took care of Western Kentucky this past weekend 38-10.
The Hilltoppers lone touchdown came with 46 seconds left in the game, and that did not make Mr. Saban very happy. Especially because it came off a fumble by the offense. He responded by giving Lane Kiffin a tongue lashing – putting it nicely.
I’m sure this was just a ploy to get everyone focused for an Ole Miss team that has beaten them two years in a row. You can say this isn’t a revenge game all you want, but you know Nick Saban will be coming from blood Saturday.
Next up: Ole Miss – 2:30 – CBS
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