This Week in the SEC (Week 2)
Power Rankings:
1) Alabama (1-0)
Last week: W 35-17 vs #20 Wisconsin
This week: Middle Tennessee
Jake Coker played well…but the reason Bama propelled all the way to 1 is because of DERRICK HENRY.
2) Auburn (1-0)
Last week: W 31-24 vs Lousiville
This week: Jacksonville State
Who would have guessed that Jake Coker would have played better than Jeremy Johnson?
3) LSU (0-0)
Last week: Cancelled vs McNeese State (no make up)
This week: at #25 Mississippi State
LSU did not beat McNeese State. Ouch.
4) Georgia (1-0)
Last week: W 51-14 vs UL-Monroe
This week: at Vanderbilt
Georgia’s game vs Vandy this week will get more ugly than their mascot.
5) Ole Miss (1-0)
Last week: W 76-3 vs Tennessee-Martin
This week: vs Fresno State
Rebel fans are freaking out that their team put up 76 points. They are forgetting it was against Tennessee-Martin.
6) Texas A&M (1-0)
Last week: W 38-17 vs #15 Arizona State
This week: vs Ball State
Remember last year when A&M was big underdogs at South Carolina and they came in and manhandled them and everyone thought that they were national championship contenders but then they finished 7-5? Yeah, me too.
7) Arkansas (1-0)
Last week: W 48-13 vs UTEP
This week: vs Toledo
Brandon Allen had the best performance by an SEC QB last week. It was against UTEP, but still…
8) Tennessee (1-0)
Last week: W 59-30 vs Bowling Green
This week: vs #19 Oklahoma
The Vols gave up 30 points to Bowling Green…they may need to put up 80 to beat Oklahoma.
9) Missouri (1-0)
Last week: W 34-3 vs Southeast Missouri State
This week: at Arkansas State
Missouri will have their hands full against the Red Wolves this week. That sounded funny but I’m serious
10) Mississippi State (1-0)
Last week: W 34-16 vs Southern Miss
This week: vs #14 LSU
LSU not getting to play last week is an advantage for the Bulldogs. Will it be the difference? No.
11) Florida (1-0)
Last week: W 61-13 vs New Mexico State
This week: vs East Carolina
Jim McElwain might have to do a coin flip to determine his long-term QB.
12) South Carolina (1-0)
Last week: W 17-13 vs North Carolina
This week: vs Kentucky
The battle of the Carolina’s turned into the battle of the horrible quarterbacks. NC had a slightly worse one.
13) Kentucky (1-0)
Last week: W 40-33 vs UL-Lafayette
This week: at South Carolina
The Cats barely escaped UL-Lafayette, but at least they didn’t lose like Vandy…
14) Vanderbilt (0-1)
Last week: L 14-12 vs Western Kentucky
This week: vs #10 Georgia
If it couldn’t get any more embarrassing than being the only SEC team to lose last week…the team they lost to was Western Kentucky. Oh Vandy.
Game of the Week:
#23 Tennessee vs #19 Oklahoma
Knoxville, Tennessee
5:00 Saturday on ESPN
Tennessee had very high hopes coming into this season, and the Vols can prove to their fans they were no joke with a win against the Sooners on Saturday. Josh Dobbs carries a young, but good Tennessee team that believes they can contend for not just the SEC East, but be able to win in the Georgia Dome come December. This is the most important game in the Butch Jones era thus far, and with a win, he can prove to Vols fans that they choose the right man for the job.
Breakdown:
I know it was just Bowling Green, but the Tennessee run game was just ridiculous last week. The Vols totaled 399 yards on the ground, with Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd both rushing for triple-digits. Not to mention, Josh Dobbs picked up 89 yards and a touchdown on his feet. As for OU, their leading rusher in their first game against Akron only went for 33 yards. It may have just been an off day for Samaje Perine, but it certainly looks like Tennessee has an advantage in the run game.
Redshirt freshman Baker Mayfield looked absolutely suburb as OU’s QB. He threw for 388 yards with three TD’s and no picks against Akron, solidifying his spot under center. The Volunteers defense allowed Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson to torch them for 424 yards last week, as the secondary was nonexistent. You gotta know Bob Stoops’ plan will be to exploit the Tennessee DB’s, and if Mayfield can play well again, the Vols are in deep trouble.
Prediction:
Josh Dobbs will play a huge factor in this game. He absolutely cannot make any costly mistakes, because Tennessee is going to have to put up a ton of points to win this game. The Vol defense has to play much better than they did against Bowling Green to win this game, because OU’s offense is much, much tougher. The home-field advantage will really help UT, as the fans are going to play a huge factor. All 102,000 in Neyland Stadium will be LOUD, and will rattle the young Baker Mayfield. I think this will be a high scoring shootout, but somewhere down the line, Mayfield throws a pick and Tennessee wins a thriller. Neyland Stadium will be the difference, folks.
Score: Tennessee 45, Oklahoma 38
Other Games to Watch:
#14 LSU at #25 Mississippi State
#21 Missouri at Arkansas State
Fresno State at #17 Ole Miss
Upset Alert:
Arkansas State over #21 Missouri
East Carolina over Florida
Kentucky over South Carolina
Twitter: @WScottCSM
