Texas vs. San José State — 12:00 PM on ABC
Line: Texas -36.5
Prediction: Texas
How are we feeling, Longhorn Nation? Week 1 didn’t go the way you thought it would. Twitter is quite certain Arch Manning is a bust, and Steve Sarkisian can’t beat elite teams. That brings us to Week 2, and poor, poor San José State. You want to talk about clearing the mechanism? Texas may beat the Spartans by 50. While the game may not be very exciting, I am curious to see how comfortable Arch looks throwing the football. Arch has immense talent that he can tap into if he is confident in executing the offense, and this week (in theory) should be a good chance to get right for him and the rest of the Longhorns.
Texas A&M vs. Utah State — 12:45 PM on SEC Network
Line: Texas A&M -31.5
Prediction: Texas A&M
I’ll be the first to say that the Aggies did not look nearly as impressive as I hoped in Week 1. Texas A&M has the potential to be a true contender in the SEC this season IF they can improve defensively and get solid production out of Marcel Reed. I want to see Mike Elko’s thumbprint on this defense start to appear this week. Utah State has no business moving the football consistently in this game. If the Aggies are going to turn into a true dark horse for the SEC this season, it starts by handling business quickly and efficiently on Saturday.
Austin Peay @ Georgia — 3:30 PM on ESPN+/SECN+
Line: N/A
Prediction: Georgia
Let’s be honest, this is not the greatest slate of games. Georgia demolished Marshall last week, and I fully expect them to do the same to Austin Peay. What am I watching for in this game? Ugh…does Gunnar Stockton continue to look comfortable running the offense? We kind of already did this game last week, so none of us are going to learn much from what should be another Dawgs W.
Ole Miss @ Kentucky — 3:30 PM on ABC
Line: Ole Miss 8.5
Prediction: Ole Miss
Finally, a conference matchup! I’ll be honest, I locked in my Ole Miss bet at -10.5, and I am salty about it. What am I missing here? Kentucky did not look good against TOLEDO in Week 1 (and don’t give me the whole “they are a good MAC team” thing, I won’t hear it). Ole Miss has the added advantage of revenge in this game as well, making up for the inexplicable loss last season to a horrible Wildcats team. I am really interested in watching how Austin Simmons and the Rebels’ o-line perform on the road for the first time this year against an improved Kentucky defense. If this is a defensive slugfest, watch out. If the Rebels start fast, I think they will blow this 8.5 line out of the water.
East Tennessee State @ Tennessee — 3:30 PM on ESPN+/SECN+
Line: N/A
Prediction: Tennessee
Vol Nation must be feeling pretty dang good right about now. Nico…um…did not have the best showing in his UCLA debut, while Joey Aguilar looked much better than expected in Week 1 for the Vols. While ETSU should not represent much of a test, I’m curious if Aguilar can continue to not turn the ball over on Saturday. He passed his Week 1 test with flying colors, but can he be consistent? If this version of Joey Aguilar is the real one for the rest of the season, Tennessee may be back in contention a whole lot sooner than people expected.
Kansas @ Missouri — 3:30 PM on ESPN2
Line: Missouri -6.5
Prediction: Missouri
My dislike of the Missouri football program is well documented; we don’t need to rehash this. What I was very unaware of is how much more Kansas fans hate Missouri than I do. I mean, good god, the things I have seen on Twitter this week are downright shocking. The Border War is SO BACK, and I can’t wait to see some good old-fashioned hatred play out on the field this Saturday. I am fully expecting a rock fight, complete with brawls and sloppy football. My question is: is Beau Pribula THE dude? Sure, he looked good against a bad team last week, but is he going to perform against a rival? Can Kansas make Pribula uncomfortable and force Missouri to become one-dimensional? I don’t see many ways that Kansas scores consistently against this Tigers defense, so if the Jayhawks are going to pull this one out, chaos must be a huge factor throughout the game (and I will be loving every second of it).
South Florida @ Florida — 4:15 PM on SEC Network
Line: Florida -17.5
Prediction: Florida
We didn’t learn much from Florida’s splattering of LIU. To be honest, I don’t expect us to learn much from this game either. Don’t get me wrong, I have a great deal of respect for what Alex Golesh is doing down at South Florida. I think this Bulls team is going to raise the profile of their program this year (started by their bullying of Boise State in Week 1). Reality is, Florida is really deep and good on both lines of scrimmage this season, and I think this will be a huge problem for South Florida. If I were picking a storyline to watch, I would say how well Florida can flex its physical advantage up front. If Florida pushes the Bulls around and puts this game away early, it will only go to further fuel the Gator hype train heading into conference play.
Arkansas State @ Arkansas — 5:00 PM on ESPN+/SECN+
Line: Arkansas -22.5
Prediction: Arkansas
The Hogs need to take care of business in this sneaky important game. Most people wouldn’t think this game carries a ton of weight for either team, but just ask Sam Pittman what this game means to the state of Arkansas. Can the Razorbacks’ defense continue to be dominant against lesser opponents? After losing a ton of talent to the NFL Draft and the Transfer Portal this offseason, Arkansas needs every tune-up game it can get ahead of one of the toughest schedules in the entire country. If Arkansas can get solid production out of its new look defense this year, Taylen Green may have the room to develop into the complete player many think he will become. With a trip to Oxford on the schedule for next week, look for the Hawgs to flex on Arkansas State this weekend.
South Carolina State @ South Carolina — 7:00 PM on ESPN+/SECN+
Line: N/A
Prediction: South Carolina
The Cocks managed to gut out an ugly win in Atlanta last weekend, looking shaky at times but ultimately making the right plays when they needed them. While this week should not be nearly as dramatic as Week 1, what I am watching for is how the Gamecocks’ backups look in action. If Carolina is going to earn its Top-10 billing later on this season, someone is going to have to step up at left guard and wide receiver (not named Nyck Harbor). Plenty of players should get their chance to prove that they deserve to be the future starter during the game on Saturday. South Carolina State is a proud program, but this one should not be all that interesting after halftime.
Louisiana Tech @ LSU — 7:30 PM on ESPN+/SECN+
Line: LSU -37.5
Prediction: LSU
Seriously, rough weekend of games, huh? Last weekend was all about defense for the Tigers, stuffing Clemson into a locker the entire second half. Yes, LSU should stomp Louisiana Tech. My question is, how quickly can Garrett Nussmeier get connected with his new cast of pass-catchers? Effective passing attacks are all about timing, and LSU should have plenty of time to get things right against an inferior opponent.
Arizona State @ Mississippi State — 7:30 PM on ESPN2
Line: Arizona State -6.5
Prediction: Mississippi State
This is the most interesting SEC game of the weekend. Yeah, I said it. No, it’s not Oklahoma vs. Michigan. Do you know how much winning this game would help me hit my Mississippi State over 3.5 wins season total?? Jeff Lebby is cooking something up at Mississippi State, and I will have my seat firmly reserved on the bandwagon before this thing leaves Starkville. Things to watch in this game: Can State consistently run the football against Arizona State’s defense? I can reasonably expect the Bulldogs’ defense to hold Sam Leavitt in check for much of the game, but an effective running attack will keep this thing close the Lebby’s squad. All we need is this thing to stay tight into the 4th quarter….and then let the cowbells do their thing. Mississippi State OUTRIGHT (help us Fluff..you’re our only hope).
Michigan @ Oklahoma — 7:30 PM on ABC
Line: Oklahoma -7.5
Prediction: Oklahoma
Alright, fine, this is a really interesting matchup. This should be an excellent early test of Bryce Underwood’s maturation as a player. So much hype has been laid on his shoulders heading into this year, and who can blame the Michigan faithful? In spite of all the fanfare, Sheron Moore needs to make sure that his young QB does not play like he has to win the game by himself. Michigan has the defense to stay in this game, but will the Wolverines’ offense produce anything consistently? Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has the experience edge, and while I think Underwood will develop into a star, give me the veteran in this early-season game.
Ball State @ Auburn — 7:30 PM on ESPNU
Line: Auburn -43.5
Prediction: Auburn
Another huge Week 1 win, another dud of a Week 2 game. Auburn looked WAY more competent than I expected last week in Waco. Lamar Jackson — sorry, Jackson Arnold torched Baylor with his legs all night. Will quarterback run be a sustainable way to win games in the SEC? If Auburn is going to make Tiger fans happy this year, the Jackson to Coleman/Singleton connection needs to take shape in this game. Hugh Freeze has Ferraris at wide receiver; we should see how fast they can go on Saturday.
Vanderbilt @ Virginia Tech — 7:30 PM on ACC Network
Line: Virginia Tech -2.5
Prediction: Vanderbilt
If I didn’t hold myself to such a high journalistic standard, I would not have predicted this game. The only feeling I have is under for this matchup. Tech looked pretty dang good defensively last week against South Carolina. I expect that to continue into Week 2. Vandy comes into this game with way more hype than normal, which raises the question: how does Vanderbilt handle expectations? The Commodores are not used to handling any expectations as a program, so how will they respond against a hungry opponent? I can’t wait to tune in for this game, as I expect this to come down to the wire on Saturday night.
UL Monroe @ Alabama — 7:45 PM on SEC Network
Line: Alabama -34.5
Prediction: Alabama
Hand up, I did not see Week 1 coming for the Crimson Tide. Apparently, neither did Alabama, as many around the sports world have pointed out. The big question this week is pretty simple: Can Alabama play with sustained aggression? It’s one thing to play with fire for a quarter; it’s another to sustain it over a whole season. If Kalen DeBoer’s team is going to change public perception of their program, it starts by doing something even Nick Saban could no do…beat UL Monroe.