Well ladies and gentlemen, we made it through opening weekend. I hope you spent it like I did: binging an unhealthy amount of college football. We started early and made it through the entire day, dual screens and all.
I think it’s safe to say this was one of the best opening weekends in the history of college football. From Saturday to Monday night, there were plenty of exciting games and a few historic moments along the way. It also doesn’t hurt that Ol’ Poppa Bear went 4/5 in Tank the 401k (no thanks to you, UT).
How did the SEC perform in week one? Let’s have a look. On to the rankings!
1. Alabama – The Crimson Tide took down the #3 ranked Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night. Did the offense look explosive? Not particularly. Jalen Hurts still has to prove some naysayers wrong, but has time to do it. The defense, however, dominated the game in typical Alabama fashion. They’ll need to replace some inside linebackers bit by the injury bug, but should manage fine. They host Fresno State this Saturday.
2. Auburn – Sure, it was Georgia Southern, but it might be what the Tigers needed out of opening weekend. They dominated the game, as expected, while showing that Jarrett Stidham is a capable quarterback. They managed to keep things fairly simple, with Gus Malzhan not having to show his hand to win. We’ll see how the Auburn secondary matches up against Clemson this weekend.
3. LSU – One of the biggest takeaways of the weekend: LSU has a quarterback. If you’re paying attention, that’s bad news for the rest of the SEC. Danny Etling, while used sparingly, seemed very comfortable in the pocket and was effective moving the ball. The majority of the game was spent on the ground, where LSU pounded BYU into oblivion with their stout run game. The Tigers host Chattanooga this weekend.
4. Georgia – The loss of Jacob Eason hangs heavily in the air, but the Bulldogs demonstrated how capable they can be regardless. The run game was as expected, punishing App State for the majority of the game. Now, Jake Fromm steps in to takeover QB duties with very little slide expected. If he can lead them to a win over Notre Dame this Saturday, the Bulldogs will make plenty of noise.
5. South Carolina – One of the more surprising games of the weekend, the Gamecocks looked impressive taking down NC State. The ground game leaves much to be desired, as it was pretty much nonexistent. The bright side was the solid play of Jake Bentley and Deebo Samuel. That defense will have to toughen up against the Missouri air attack.
6. Vanderbilt – How about the Commodores? When was the last time you saw them absolutely dominate a football game? Kyle Shurmur looked solid while throwing all over MTSU. The defense was incredibly stingy all night, and looks to be the classic Derek Mason style we’ve come to know. They host Alabama A&M this weekend.
7. Mississippi State – Again, it was Charleston Southern, but the Bulldogs showed up in solid form. Unsurprisingly, Nick Fitzgerald’s play was stellar. It helped that the run game complimented him well. The defense mauled poor CS, but will need to keep up that intensity in the following weeks to be meaningful. They head to LA Tech for a possible trap game.
8. Tennessee – It was a win, but did it really feel like one? Georgia Tech gave the Vols all they could handle of the triple option. There’s something to be said about Tennessee bowing up when needed, and escaping Atlanta with the win. Callaway and Kelly were the heroes of the night, and are both stars in the making. That defense, though, will have to toughen up or it’ll be a long season in the SEC. The Vols host Indiana State this Saturday.
9. Arkansas – Arkansas logged a game we expected on Thursday night. I said in the preseason rankings that the defense needed to toughen up. Well, the defense dominated Florida A&M, which is a nice start, but nothing to hang your hat on. Austin Allen also didn’t show anything special, but didn’t need to. The run game got the job done in a simple tune up. Now the Razorbacks welcome a much tougher opponent in TCU.
10. Kentucky – The Wildcat offense looked flat against Southern Mississippi. The run game that was touted in the preseason never arrived, and Kentucky had to lean on its defense of all things to win this one. While an improved defense is certainly a step up for the Wildcats, the lack of ground game against Southern Miss should be a little alarming. They’ll need to find it, starting this weekend when they host Eastern Kentucky.
11. Ole Miss – Out of the basement this week, due in large part to Shea Patterson airing the ball out all night. Unfortunately, it took until the third quarter before Ole Miss pulled away from South Alabama. The defense is more than questionable, it’s a glaring Achille’s heel. They’ll need to stitch together a better performance to last in the SEC West. They host UT Martin this weekend.
12. Missouri – I wasn’t aware that Missouri came from the Pac-12, but all evidence points me in that direction. 72 points and over 800 yards of offense is an incredible feat, except when you look at the defense. Actually, you can’t look at the defense, because it never showed up. Allowing Missouri State to hang over 40 on you? That defense needs an overhaul, and soon. South Carolina won’t be nearly the pushover this weekend.
13. Florida – Are they the 13th best in the SEC? Probably not. But rules are rules, and when you lose, Poppa Bear has to let you slide down the rankings. The Gators just looked lost on Saturday, without much of an offense to speak of. Sure, their best WR and leading rusher were suspended, but that doesn’t explain away a poor performance across the board. The defense kept the Gators in the game early with two pick-6’s, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Florida hosts N Colorado this Saturday.
14. Texas A&M – You guys think Kevin Sumlin has made it home yet?
Have a great week folks! Poppa Bear loves you.
Poppa Bear is the lead SEC contributor for the SoBros Network, and serves as our resident expert on the human anatomy, fixin’ stuff, and tomatoes. Follow on Twitter:@SoBroPoppaBear
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