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By Brett Daniels
Week 2 gave a little more clarity to how each team in the league is performing as most teams played a better opponent than the Week 1 scrimmages. Teams that played a tougher opening week game had their opportunity to rest and rehab players who were nicked up in Week 1. And then there’s Ole Miss – who still hasn’t played anyone with a pulse.
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1. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0)
The Dawgs had a glorified scrimmage at Sanford Stadium for their home opener against FCS Tennessee Tech. Georgia scored on their first play from scrimmage with Dillon Bell catching the first of Carson Beck’s 5 TD passes on the day. The win in Week 1 over Clemson looks better with the Tigers destroying Appalachian State on Saturday. The Bulldogs will not play in Sanford Stadium again until October 5 vs Auburn.
Next Up: Saturday at Kentucky (7:30pm, ABC)
ICYMI: Texas vs. Michigan 🏈
"It's not a position we're used to being in…it's a humbling experience but at the end of the day it should drive you to have the next experience be better."
Texas snapped Michigan's streak of 28 consecutive regular season wins on Saturday (31-12). pic.twitter.com/dNlE15UJzf
— Noelle Blumel (@thef1rstnoelle_) September 10, 2024
2. Texas Longhorns (2-0)
Texas went into Michigan and beat the brakes off a Wolverine team that was ranked No. 9 at the time. The Longhorns are going to get credit for beating an over-ranked team on the road as the Wolverines will be lucky to go 7-5 this season. Still, they took care of business and that is what good teams do to overmatched opponents.
Next Up: Saturday vs UTSA (7:00pm, ESPN)
3. Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
This was the toughest spot to decide between the choices of Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Alabama. I went with the Vols here since they have a win over a ranked team, beating then No. 23 NC State handily on Saturday night in Charlotte. Like Michigan, NC State is not a Top 25 caliber team but the Vols will get credit for beating a “ranked” team that won’t be ranked at the end of the season.
What is surprising about Tennessee is how well the defense played against the Wolfpack. If the Vols have a semi-competent defense, then this team will be a problem as the season progresses. Nico Iamaleava is the real deal and the perfect QB for Josh Heupel’s system.
Next Up: Saturday vs Kent State (7:00pm, SEC Network)
4. Ole Miss Rebels (2-0)
It’s hard to assess how good Ole Miss really is since they have played exactly zero teams with a pulse so far this season. Week 1 was a 76-0 shellacking of FCS Furman followed by a 52-3 beat down of Sun Belt bottom-dweller Middle Tennessee State. These blowouts look good on paper, but don’t really tell us anything about how good this Rebel team really is. There aren’t any real challenges on the horizon with games at Wake Forest, home against Georgia Southern and Kentucky to round out the month of September.
Next Up: Saturday at Wake Forest (6:30pm, The CW Network)
5. Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0)
The final score was 42-16 against South Florida, but anyone who watched the game knows that it was a GAME until midway through the fourth quarter. The Bama offensive line struggled all night to protect Jalen Milroe and open holes for the running backs. The defense didn’t fare much better, allowing the Bulls QB Byrum Brown to run for first downs all night. Still, The Tide faithful should have faith since the 2023 team struggled with South Florida last year and managed to win the SEC and make the Playoff.
Next Up: Saturday at Wisconsin (Noon, Fox)
6. Missouri Tigers (2-0)
The Tigers are another team that the jury is still out on as they also have not played a team that has put up much of a challenge. The beat Murray State 51-0 in Week 1 and Buffalo 38-0 in Week 2. We’ll find out more about the Tigers this Saturday as they host a surprising 2-0 Boston College in Columbia. The Tiger defense will have to stop the Eagles rushing attack and limit QB Thomas Castellanos and RB Treshaun Ward.
Next Up: Saturday vs Boston College (12:45, SEC Network)
#Sooners offensive lineman Logan Howland:
“Offensive line at Oklahoma is a standard, and we’ve got to live up to that standard.” pic.twitter.com/5u7DCycsZq
— Louis Raser (@LouisRaser) September 10, 2024
7. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)
The Sooners are a shaky 2-0 and haven’t started SEC play. The offensive line in Norman is a real problem, giving up 3 sacks in Week 1 to Temple and struggling against Houston in Week 2. Jackson Arnold has been serviceable if unspectacular, having yet to break the 200-yard mark passing. The defense has been the better of the two units, but will certainly tire out if the offense can’t stay on the field.
Next Up: Saturday vs Tulane (3:30, ESPN)
8. Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1)
The Hogs suffered a heart-breaking loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday. Arkansas was the better team all day, but gave up 18 points off turnovers and that was the difference in the game. There is talent in Fayetteville and the Hogs will probably beat someone they shouldn’t this season.
Next Up: Saturday vs UAB (4:15pm, SEC Network)
9. Texas A&M Aggies (1-1)
That Week 1 loss against Notre Dame is looking worse after the Irish dropped their home opener against Northern Illinois. The Aggies bounced back and trounced McNeese 52-10 to notch their first victory of the season.
Next Up: Saturday at Florida (3:30pm, ESPN)
10. LSU Tigers (1-1)
The Bayou Bengals looked better in a loss Week 1 against USC than they did on Saturday in a sloppy and uninspired win against Nicholls. Like Alabama, the score is not indicative of how close the game was late into the second half. Has Brian Kelly lost the locker room after throwing his players under the bus after the USC loss?
Next Up: Saturday at South Carolina (Noon, ABC)
11. South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0)
After struggling to put away Old Dominion in Week 1, the Gamecocks came out and played better on the road against Kentucky. South Carolina didn’t make it higher into the rankings simply because the game against Kentucky was more about how awful the Cats played and not as much about how well South Carolina played. If the Cocks can knock off LSU at home this week, then they will rise in my rankings.
Next Up: Saturday vs LSU (Noon, ABC)
12. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-0)
Don’t look now, but the Dores are 2-0 for the first time since 2018. Vanderbilt travels to Atlanta to take on Georgia State on Saturday night and has a good chance to start 3-0 for the first time since 2017.
Up Next: Saturday at Georgia State (7:00pm, ESPN +)
13. Auburn Tigers (1-1)
Auburn is a prime example of why you don’t overreact to Week 1 performances against inferior teams. The Tigers embarrassed Alabama A&M 73-3 and it looked like the offensive woes from 2023 were a thing of the past. Enter the Cal Golden Bears, who picked off QB Payton Thorne four times and had five turnovers enroute to defeating the Tigers 21-14 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Next Up: Saturday vs New Mexico (7:30pm, ESPN2)
14. Florida Gators (1-1)
The DJ Lagway era at Florida began on Saturday against FCS Samford. Billy Napier announced that going forward both Lagway and Graham Mertz would play. The Gators host Texas A&M on Saturday in the Swamp.
Next Up: Home vs Texas A&M (3:30, ESPN)
15. Kentucky Wildcats (1-1)
The Cats played one of their worst games of the Mark Stoops era on Saturday against South Carolina. QB Brock Vandegriff went 3/10 for 30 yards and 1 INT and fumbled away another turnover in an anemic offensive performance that netted only 183 yards total. The Defense couldn’t get a stop when they needed them after 5 turnovers that led to 31 South Carolina points. Things don’t get any easier with #1 Georgia coming to town on Saturday night.
Up Next: Home vs Georgia (7:30pm, ABC)
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-1)
It’s going to be a long year in Starkville. A coaching change coupled with what little talent Mississippi State had last season leaving for greener pastures points to a lot of losing. Against a very average Arizona State team on Saturday, the Bulldogs had a hard time stopping the Sun Devils rushing attack giving up 346 yards on the ground. One bright spot for the Bulldogs is that they rallied from a 30-3 deficit in the third quarter to make it a game at 30-23 near the end of the 4th quarter.
