Week 2: The Amazing Traveling SEC

Standings:

1.) Hoying 4-0 (0-1 upset)
2.) Draper 3-1 (0-1 upset)
2.) Schweinfurth 3-1 (0-1 upset)
2.) Seeberg 3-1 (0-1 upset)

The heckles and jeers have finally penetrated the Mason-Dixon line: after years of playing stupid neutral site games (including last week's Superdome farce between LSU and FSU, possibly the stupidest of them all), we have two big name SEC programs venturing outside their comfort zones to visit the unfriendly confines of nonconference opponents. Another SEC opponent travels for an early nonconference game, and a somewhat less formidable southern team makes the long trip up to Ohio Stadium.

Tennessee Volunteers @ Pittsburgh Panthers

Draper: It's odd when one of the premier games of the weekend is a total mystery.  The Backyard Brawl saw the Pitt Panthers win in a weird back and forth, no one should win kind of game (but that's what the Brawl is).  Tennessee has been an analytic darling this year, but the SEC schedule will be rough.  Pitt....well, they're Pitt.  Even though it's in Pittsburgh, I think the Panthers will ride the high a little too much while the Vols play the SEC card and get it done on the road.  UT: 38--Pitt: 24 
Hoying: Believe it or not, kids, there was a time in somewhat recent when Tennessee...well, didn't exactly run the SEC, but sat comfortably in the heir apparent position behind Spurrier's Gators. But despite being a perennial choice for a dark horse SEC challenger and signing multiple top ten classes this decade, the Vols haven't really made any noise since their early 2000s heyday. Even last year, Tennessee faceplanted before SEC season even started, kicking off their first of six losses by losing to Pitt. This year, the Panthers don't have Kenny Pickett anymore, but they aren't lacking for experience at QB after snagging USC transfer Kedon Slovis. On the other hand, it's Tennessee that's supposed to have the killer offense this year with Joe Milton Hendon Hooker returning to head up a formidable passing attack. I don't really trust either of those teams, but I probably trust Pitt less; they needed a miracle pick six to put West Virginia away last week and the "Neers have been mediocre almost as long as Tennessee has. SEC continues their early season dominance (just don't cast your eyes towards Louisiana). UT: 31--Pitt: 24
Schweinfurth: Watching the Backyard Brawl last week left me with a lot of questions about Pitt. Sure they can put up points, but can they really stop anyone? The Vols are a middle of the road SEC team and I still have questions if they are for real (Ball State isn't exactly lighting it up). Both teams should put up plenty of points, but I really think UT can get one more stop than Pitt. UT: 42--Pitt: 38
Seeberg:  Ranked against ranked eh?  The Vols are essentially the SEC version of Texas:  A formerly powerful program that commands a ton of attention in a football-crazed state that has made wildly inaccurate claims about being relevant and/or back for quite some time whose name starts with "Te".  To their credit, however, Hendon Hooker appeared to be the real deal in their warmup dusting of Ball State, with 2 TDs through the air and 2 more on the ground.  A dual-threat QB may be hard for Pitt to plan for, but they are already battle-tested, winning the backyard brawl in entertaining and dramatic fashion.  Pitt is closer to being "back" than my master's degree alma mater I'm afraid.  UT: 27-- Pitt: 31

 

Kentucky Wildcats @ Florida Gators

Draper: In the last 35 years, the Wildcats have bested the Gators two times.  One of those was last season when Mark Stoops brought Kentucky out of the 'just a basketball school' realm (Saint Peters helped as well).  While it seems every team in the SEC East has aspirations of being number 2 to Georgia, this is new ground for Kentucky.  The perennial doormat saunters into the Swamp with a little swag.  This, is likely a mistake.  The Utes found last week that the Swamp is no joke, and Anthony Richardson cast his hat into the ring for the Heisman talk.  The Gators aren't nearly to the standard of UGA, but they seem to be making a little push to relevance.  I think UK will have to wait to take down the Gators in the Swamp.  UK: 17--UF: 30

Hoying: It's the old Charlie-Brown-and-Lucy game from the SEC, only Charlie has finally managed to connect on a couple of kicks in the last few years. And though the SEC East crown seems like a foregone conclusion for Georgia (especially after last week), the trendy pick to make a little noise in the East coming into this season was not the Gators, but the Wildcats. Amazing the momentum a stupid bowl win over Iowa can provide a program. Last week, Florida played what should be a very good Utah team to a standstill, with a short end zone interception snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Whatever hype is surrounding UK, they're not quite on Utah's level, and Florida should be able to rack up another early quality win at home before their breather against USF next week. UK: 20--UF: 30
Schweinfurth: The Gators appear to be a much improved team this year, not top tier, but better. Kentucky has been hanging around the last few years, but are really a level below Florida. Add in the momentum from last week, Gators win. UK: 20--UF: 35
Seeberg:  Is Florida back?  I don't know, but a week one win over a top 10 opponent is certainly an excellent way to start the season regardless.  A second straight ranked squad comes to town, and this time it's a conference foe.  Mark Stoops has been phenomenal at UK, getting their football team to perennial respectability.  Anthony Richardson was an offensive revelation for a Gator squad that has relied mostly on stout defense for the last several years, and he should be enough to provide another win in the Swamp.  UK: 20--UF: 28

Baylor Bears @ Brigham Young Cougars

Draper: Another 'huh?' game. Both teams stomped their opponents last week, but no one really cares about the warmup games.  Baylor enters in the top 10, but that's still a vestige of last year's Big 12 Championship.  Honestly, the edge coming in is the stoic Dave Aranda.  I love the product/persona of balance he brings to the game (although I love the fiery coaches too).  I'm not sold on Baylor returning to form this year, but this will be an interesting test against the soon conference foe.  I'm getting some vibes that BYU is going to make this interesting.  I think they mess around and win at home as the Bears take a step back from last year's campaign.  BU: 30--BYU: 35

Hoying: Wow, the Big 12 is moving really quickly in the wake of the B1G and SEC's realignment...wait, this is just a scheduling coincidence? Get used to seeing this game on a regular basis from 2023 forward as the Baptists and Mormons battle for religious supremacy in America's most forgettable (but somehow still stronger than the Pac-12) "Power 5" conference. You may remember Baylor winning the Big 12 last year by literal inches and derailing the Lane Train in the Sugar Bowl. Dave Aranda has engineered a nice turnaround from the aftermath of the disastrous finish to the Art Briles era, and he's probably too good to stick around Baylor for too much longer, but they'll at least get to enjoy him for this huge road game against a ranked opponent. The problem for BYU is that their two top receivers are both lost to injury, and they don't quite have the depth of certain scarlet and gray teams that can plug and play and win Rose Bowls and other Top-5 battles. Baylor won comfortably last year, and I expect a repeat. BU: 27--BYU: 20
Schweinfurth: I just can't buy on BYU. They have been a mostly irrelevant team while Baylor has been riding the "Texas is down" wave in recruiting. Baylor should have the better players, but at BYU should keep it close. BU: 28--BYU: 24
Seeberg:  For all you night owls we've got a ranked matchup in the late window!  Both squads looked good in their openers against markedly inferior opponents.  Baylor was the class of the Big XII last year and shows few signs of slowing down.  The Mormon home crowd may have been enough to shift this the other way, but news has come out that the Cougars are without their 2 best wideouts.  We saw what happened to the vaunted Ohio State offense with two WRs gone, and it's likely a little too much for the blue and white to overcome.  Bears pull away late. BU: 31--BYU: 20

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Texas Longhorns

Draper: Is Texas back? The short answer: No.  The long answer: Nooooooooooooooo.  Standout Buckeye transfer Quinn Ewers had a nice debut after his 2 snaps last year, but he's still a work in progress.  Bama was the standard last week as always.  Heisman winner Bryce Young was fantastic and the defense pitched a shutout.  Could Darrell K. Royal be the deciding factor.....Nooooooooooooo.  I expect a solid workmanlike dismantling by the Tide while Texas continues the rebuild.  Note: if Bama wins, Nick Saban will remain undefeated in true non-conference road games in his 15 years at Alabama.  A stunning 3-0! Bama: 42--UT: 13

Hoying: Part of me gets frustrated that our beloved Buckeyes have only taken home one national title in the last 20 years despite repeatedly pulling in #2 rated classes, even in back-to-back cycles. But nothing compares to the talent they waste down in Austin, where multiple top ten classes are rendered into a slurry of mediocrity. No Big 12 titles since Colt McCoy beat Nebraska by one point in one second. No major bowl wins except the "we're baaaack" premature coronation in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. Heck, they only have 4 winning seasons in the last 8. At least they'll always have that overtime win against 4-8 Notre Dame in 2016. Yes, Quinn Ewers is supposed to be the greatest QB recruit ever (sigh). Yes, the Longhorns still have arguably the nation's premier running back in Bijan Robinson . But, do we have any reason to believe the defense is supposed to be better than last year's wet paper sacks? Are they going to be ready for Heisman winner Bryce Young and the rest of the Crimson Inevitability? The Tide may get shocked by a couple of early scores but I wouldn't count on the Longhorn D to hold out for any considerable period of time. Bama: 38--UT: 20

Schweinfurth: Someone reminded Saban that the Horns Down hand gesture is a 15 yard penalty. Some poor DB or Wide Out flashing that sign would most likely be Texas' best offensive play all day. Texas is going to find out how far they have left to go in order to be back. This smells like a multiple INT game for Ewers. In a preview of years to come, Bama. Big. Bama: 45--UT: 9

Seeberg:  Two marquee high-profile programs clash- and 'Bama is even on the road and not at a neutral site for once!  Unfortunately the next iteration of Manning hasn't yet arrived in Austin, though it might not matter either way.  The 'Bama juggernaut keeps rolling along.  Bama, UGA, and tOSU have just recruited at another level the last 4-5 years and it shows when you stack recruiting classes like that.  The Longhorns may get there, but not yet.  I hope Ohio State defector Quinn Ewers enjoys his afternoon and year before he plays second fiddle again.  Bama: 38--UT: 17

Arkansas State Red Wolves @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes

Draper: Buckeye Nation is all worried about an 11 point win over a top 5 team.  Ryan Day played the press conference perfectly highlighting the positives, of which there were many.  The defense was fantastic last week, and I expect them to continue to improve.  While the offense wasn't a machine last week, I have little to no concern moving forward.  CJ had a really nice day (graded as one of the top performers on the week), the receivers rebounded after the loss of JSN (more mental recovery for Stroud and friends in my opinion), and Miyan Williams was fantastic.  The Red Wolves are not Notre Dame.  The athletic disparity should become relatively apparent early on in the game.  While I was a bit pessimistic on the Oline's performance last week, more level heads showed me that they held up extremely well against an NFL prospect riddled Dline.  They should be able to bully Arkansas State, but I expect the game plan will have plenty of passing work thrown in to get the receivers comfortable.  I don't expect JSN to play so 2 TDs each for Harrison and Egbuka coming up.  Butch Jones knew what he was getting into taking this game.  ArkSt: 10--OSU: 62

Hoying: I had a lot of questions going into the Notre Dame game. Now...I have more. But the most significant one is a slight tweak from my preseason "Will this defense be any good?" to "Can this defense do that week in and week out?" It's not impossible; back in 2019 Ohio State swapped out the overly complex Greg Schiano defense for the simpler and much more effective Jeff Hafley defense (oh the irony of that Rutgers-Boston College game last weekend) and the Buckeyes went from the #71 defense in the nation to #1 overnight. Interestingly, the switch this year seems to be in the opposite direction: after totally scrapping Kerry Coombs's "what the hell is everyone doing" defense after the Oregon game for Matt Barnes's "keep it simple and adjust to nothing" defense for the rest of year, which improved matters up to a hard ceiling (aaagggh, Hassan Haskins nightmares), the Buckeyes just implemented the schemes of mad scientist Jim Knowles to near perfection against the Fighting Irish. I doubt we're going to learn much more until the Badgers come to town at month's end, but it would be nice to get a feel for how the defense is going to operate going forward. It would also be nice to put up more than three scores on offense, and a terrible terrible Sun Belt defense is just what the doctor ordered. Who cares if we're starting our second string receivers? If our utility players are good enough at WR to find holes in the Marcus Freeman-Al Golden Irish defense, our receiver corps should be more than up to the task of eviscerating the worst the Sun Belt and the MAC has to offer. To say nothing of Chop and Pop (h/t Tony Gerdeman) in the backfield bullying defenders and threatening to break free on every run. Whatever Justin Frye did to get the run game back on track last week, I'd love to see more of it, especially against the physical Big Ten slate Ohio State has drawn this season. As for this game, I don't see a way it stays close. Notre Dame was able to pressure Stroud and keep everything in front of their safeties (except for double safety blitzes on 3rd and 11, rofl), but Arkansas State following that game plan is a recipe for Ohio State's possession receivers to have a field day and the running backs to work their best J. K. All Day magic. I would say this will be terribly boring but I never get tired of watching the boys take their jerseys to their matching field turf color (how about that sharp-looking new field, too?). ArkSt: 10--OSU: 59

Schweinfurth: Need some motivation this week? How about the Bucks dropping to #3 after beating a top 5 team by two scores. That should help this team keep focus a bit. This game is all about learning and experience this week. The Bucks can win without JSN and Julian Flemming and I would be surprised if they do more than warm up. Let Stroud get in a rhythm with the young wide outs and pound Henderson and Williams. On defense, more of that please. It appeared as if the Bullets were back. All reaction, no overthinking. Again, get the offence in synch, get the young guys experience, and move on to next week with minimal injuries. ArkSt. 13--OSU: 56

Seeberg:  Last week was a convincing win, though not in the way most predicted.  Less than 75 yards for ND the entire second half?  Sign me up.  Offense makes headlines, but defense travels and this was an excellent first step both for this season, and future seasons as just about every big recruit still on the board saw a revitalized unit.  For this Saturday, the only thing I know for certain about this game- other than it will be a blowout- is that JSN better not play.  I'm relieved the injury is reportedly minor, but if we can beat Notre Dame without him, he's superfluous against the Red Wolves.  Julian Fleming is also still banged up as he was a game-time decision last week, but he could use the reps with CJ.  Regardless, I'd like to see the D continue to fly around and perhaps create a couple TOs this week, and the offense to find its 2021 rhythm.  They've got 2 weeks to do so before the Badgers come calling.  Ark: 10--OSU: 52

Upset Special
Draper: South Carolina over Arkansas
Hoying: Stanford over USC
Schweinfurth: Washington St. over Wisconsin
Seeberg:  Vandy over Wake