So…About that “SEC Dominance”..
All the hype last week about the SEC being on another level was quickly put to shame early on Saturday. Fans bragging about having 10 teams ranked in top 25 is pretty much over. Arkansas’ head coach Bret Bielema still hasn’t learned to stop talking and spoke last week about the schedule his team has and having to play 8 ranked teams, while defending champion Ohio State plays 1. 2 thoughts on that..why are we talking about playing 8 ranked teams in week 2? It’s a long season and odds are when you play these teams, they won’t all be ranked. Yourself included! Thought number 2, how about you worry about your own schedule and then maybe you won’t go out and lose to Toledo? The day started with heavy SEC favorite Auburn being pushed to overtime by Jacksonville State. They eventually won 27-20 but had to come back and also hold JSU off on a 4th down play. Maybe the most hyped quarterback over the offseason Jeremy Johnson continue to play terrible and threw 2 more picks yesterday. If Auburn wants to compete, they need to get that position handled. But as head coach Gus Malzahn said after the game, “We’re 2-0 and that’s what matters”.
Tennessee had a chance to make a statement against Oklahoma and it looked like they would leading 17-3 in the 4th quarter. But as I expected, they folded down the stretch and ended up losing in overtime 31-24. My Arkansas State Red Wolves pushed SEC East team Missouri all game long but a couple of 4th quarter turnovers ended their upset bids as the Tigers held on 27-20.
So there are really only 3 SEC teams that have really impressed me this year. Texas A&M, who looks explosive on offense and fast on defense. Alabama, despite their quarterback issues still have impressed. When you have that defense, and backs like Henry and Drake, you can overcome a lot! Also, my most impressive teams so far, is Ole Miss! I knew Chad Kelly would be good but I’d be lying if I said I thought he would be THIS good. Who else can’t wait for this primetime game next week with the Rebels traveling to Tuscaloosa?! I have to see more of LSU to put them in this class. They simply have to show me that they can pass the ball.
Way to early top 6
1) Ohio State – The talent on the both sides of the ball is evident. They didn’t even play well yesterday and still won 38-0. I’d be shocked if they relinquish this number 1 spot all season.
2) Alabama – I still have more questions about QB, and one of those guys has to truly grab that team and lead them. With that said, they have a primetime game with Ole Miss next week which will give us a chance to truly judge both teams.
3) TCU – So much talent and playmakers everywhere, TCU lands at 3 for me. I look for them to continue to improve each and every week. The sky is the limit with this team.
4) Michigan State – Another BIG 10 team in the top 4. The most impressive win of the season belongs to the Spartans who slowed down Oregon just enough to win a 3 point thriller at home. Great defense, a great running game, and a veteran QB should lead Michigan State to the playoff.
5) Texas A&M – Another great win this year was the Aggies over Arizona State. They have so may playmakers and if Kyle Allen remains consistent and efficient with the ball, they could make a run. They haven’t hit the heart of the conference schedule so they’ll be a team a team to watch.
6) Oregon – Tough loss, but the heart and toughness of this team can’t be questioned. You have a quarterback who has literally been on campus just a few weeks, and for him to go on the road in that environment and even keep them within striking distance speaks volumes about him and the Ducks. I look for this to be a season changing game for them and nothing but improvement going forward.
After this week I’m even more excited about the season. Their appears to be anywhere from 10-13 teams in the mix for the playoff and I’m looking forward to conference play so we can find out who are the real contenders and who are the real pretenders. Thankfully, with all the matchups in week 3 we can definitely learn more. It starts Thursday night with Clemson playing Louisville. The world will get to see my Heisman pick Deshaun Watson on the main stage. Other Saturday matchups include Ole Miss traveling to Alabama in a revenge game for the Tide, LSU and Auburn in what should be a great matchup and one that will say a lot about both teams. Stanford at USC is another good matchup. I really want to see if Stanford can bounce back and compete or are their days of competing over? Notre Dame and Georgia Tech is another big one. The week 1 injury bug traveled to Virginia and took Maliik Zaire out for the season, so it’s on Deshone Kyzer to see if he can keep the Irish on track. The best thing about having unanswered questions, is that eventually they all have to be answered.
This is “My Take”
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