Week 1 Preview: From East to West, the SEC is back, baby!
It’s Week 1, which means every team in the SEC is back, baby!
This week is a week for yours truly because SEC Football starts Week 1 with Missouri playing mighty Louisiana Tech, and ends on Sunday night with Florida State and LSU.
Sandwiched in between them are a load of interesting games and an awful load of crap.
Once again, we’re going with games that are the most interesting to us.
INTERESTING
- No.7 Utah (-2.5) at Florida
There are a few people who have Utah running through the Pac-12. And if they can win here and against BYU in the Holy War, then they will be in the conversation for a play-off place. It’s early, but Kyle Whittingham’s got quite the hoss.
But they walk into The Swamp, with 88,645 angry, sweaty jort-clad Florida fans screaming abuse amid their Tebow shirts and new vigour that comes with the arrival of new head coach Billy Napier.
The Utes face up against Anthony Richardson, who’s going to cause problems with their defense with his arm and his legs. The question for Florida will be: Can his wide receivers actually catch the ball – a huge problem for them last season. The Utes will try and stop them with a defense that’s missing 6 starters from last year – including Devin Lloyd, who went in the first round in the NFL Draft.
For the Utes, they bring back almost everybody offensively, including QB Cameron Rising and RB Tavion Thomas, both of whom won’t make a lot of mistakes.
It’s gonna be some game, folks.
PREDICTION: Florida with the huge upset in a classic. Florida 31, Utah 27.
2. No.23 Cincinnati at No.19 Arkansas (-7)
Cincinnati fans who walk into Fayetteville the first time will probably say “What the ****?”, when they see thousands of people wearing hog-heads yelling about animals, but we’d beg them to make friends with Razorback fans, because they’ll cook a danged-nice brisket.
Now, Arkansas fans are going to be pretty excited with this match-up. The Wildcats lose QB Desmond Ridder, who ripped up college football last season, as well as Sauce Gardner, the third overall pick in the 2022 Draft. Those will be hard to replace. Their offensive line should do well against the Hogs, but if the QB – who we still don’t know will be but will probably be Evan Prater – doesn’t get off to a fast start, Arkansas will have all the joy.
On the Hogs’ side of the ball, KJ Jefferson – who was vastly improved from the 2020 version who struggled mightily – promises to go from strength-to-strength. Jadon Hazelwood from Oklahoma might have been a smaller star at Oklahoma than was promised, but Oklahoma’s star power at wide receiver was Top 5. He should be fine in the SEC. As good at Treylon Burks? Probably not. But Treylon Burks was outstanding. Defensively, Cincinnati is going to have to face 1590th year starter Bumper Pool, as well as transfer LB Drew Sanders (Bama), Dwight McGlothern (LSU) and Latavious Brini (Georgia). Despite the fact that the transfers couldn’t get a lot of playing time at their former places, doesn’t mean they are any good.
PREDICTION: Arkansas by 10 in a game more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
3. No.11 Oregon at No.3 Georgia (-17) (Atlanta)
I HATE NEUTRAL SITE GAMES.
This should have some interesting storylines, which have been oft-discussed. Former Georgia DC goes into The Merc as Oregon’s new head coach to face his old team who’s replacing 900 starters after their Natty victory in January. Oh, and college football’s most brain-scratching crazy person is going to face Georgia in Bo Nix.
Georgia hasn’t named a starting QB but we all know it’s going to be Stetson Bennett, who has the best receiver in college football to lean on in TE Brock Bowers. He’ll also have the return of Dominick Blaylock who – when healthy – is a nightmare to stop, too. The running back duo of Kenny McIntosh and Kendal Milton will also cause an Oregon defense nightmares if the offensive line can stop LB Noah Sewell, who’s a next-level player.
Defensively, we know they are going to have to replace practically everybody, but in a marriage to Georgia, you have and reload (it helps when DT Jalen Carter’s coming back, folks). If Bo Nix can’t get the ball out quickly, he’s gong to be munching a lot of turf in front of a home crowd.
PREDICTION: Georgia 31, Oregon 17. It gets interesting early enough and ugly late.
4. Florida State at LSU (-3.5) (New Orleans, Sunday)
I HATE NEUTRAL SITE GAMES.
Florida State and LSU is going to be interesting because both sides have a chance to have a good season in 2022, without challenging for a division title. And by good season, we mean 9-3/8-4.
Florida State is already 1-0 thanks to shelling Duquesne 47-7, thanks to a crushing run game that put up 406 yards and six TDs (this was due to the fact that they played in a monsoon, rather than that Jordan Travis (11-15, 207 yards) wasn’t any good)). We have absolutely no idea what to think of transfers Tatum Benthune, S Jammie Robinson, and DE Jared Verse, but one of the Noles sites loved their performances on Saturday.
But the Seminoles are in Cajun Country on Monday night, and that’s going to be a whole other headache, especially against a LSU fanbase that’s welcoming in new HC Brian Kelly, and who’s livers will be solidified after three days of heavy hard liquor consumption thanks to the Labor Day weekend.
LSU’s new starting QB is known to Brian Kelly, but not to anyone else. Will be the ultra-talented but inconsistent arm of Arizona State transfer Jaylen Daniels, or Garrett Nussmeier, who was part of a competition that made Myles Brennan retire?
Whoever it is, the ball’s going to one of the nation’s best receivers in Kayshon Boutte, and the team’s second-best WR also returns in Jaray Jenkins, and well as WR Jack Bech. John Emery’s on a two-game suspension because of grades.
For the defense – which was pretty odious last year – BJ Ojulari and Jaquelin Roy are both absolute studs, and Missouri transfer Mekhi Wingo was one of the highlights of a goddawful Mizzou defense in 2021.
Will they be tested by Florida State’s running back corps or through the air by Travis? If they can get to Travis (and by all accounts they will be able to get to because FSU’s center position is so troubled), then this could turn out to be immaterial.
PREDICTION: LSU by 17. Florida State’s honestly not that good, while LSU has all the talent in the world.
QUITE INTERESTING
5. Memphis v Mississippi State (-14.5)
Last year was a shambles of a game decided by a touchdown that wasn’t. This year, it’s Will Rogers, and continually-improved MSU side under Mike Leach, and a Bulldogs side that’s a big home favorite after returning 14 starters (7 on each side of the ball).
We think that Mississippi State will get to Seth Henigan, and Memphis will struggle against Rogers, with catchers Jaden Walley and Austin Williams causing all the problems. Jo’quavious Marks will wear the Tigers down at RB, too.
PREDICTION: Mississippi State by 28. Won’t be close.
REMOTELY INTERESTING
6. Miami (OH) at Kentucky (-14.5)
Will Levis is an absolute unit, who will be deadly from 3-and-short. But we still don’t trust his arm, which was bad at Penn State and hasn’t been much better in Horse Country. His main wide receiving corps are transfer Tayvion Robinson (who had a string of 500 yard seasons as Virginia Tech) and freshmen Dane Key and Barion Brown. We can’t wait to see Robinson.
Miami has been helped by the fact that top RB Chris Rodriguez isn’t going to be playing (suspended, and probably thrown out of Lexington after getting busted), and LB Jordan Wright is out, too.
Miami will still face a Kentucky side that’s going to be a little worse than 2021 because two went to the draft, and should give ample room for Kavosiey Smoke to run.
PREDICTION: Kentucky by 14 in a strugglebus, highlighted by a 100-yard receiving game from Robinson.
YEAH, NOT GREAT.
7. Georgia State at South Carolina (-13.5)
I’m not normally tuned into games at Williams-Brice because they’ve been so awful to watch, but Spencer Rattler’s arrival in Gamecock Country has everyone excited. The name you’ve got to watch is his TE Austin Stogner, who was good at Oklahoma, and will only make the Gamecocks attack better.
Rattler will hand the ball off to MarShawn Lloyd, who had 228 yards last year (because he was a back-up).
Georgia State suspended leading tackler Dexter Moody and their kicker and booted back-up QB Bo Schlechter for their roles in a bar fight, which won’t make matters easier for the Panthers.
PREDICTION: South Carolina roll by 27.
8. Utah State v Alabama (-38.5)
Three things that will I will look for in this what-will-be-a-s**tshow of a game: How the offense looks without the wide receiver weapons of 2020 and 2021 (I think that they’ll go more ‘old school’ with Gibbs and ram the ball down teams’ throats), how many necks Will Anderson rips apart, and whether Alabama beats the spread.
PREDICTION: Alabama beats the spread because they can’t be stopped. Alabama by 42.
9. Louisiana Tech at Missouri (-20) (Thursday)
The only thing truly exciting about this game will be wide receiver Luther Burden, who’s going to be a nightmare match-up for many CBs in college football this year. Brady Cook should be hitting him all night long. Although La.Tech CB Stephen F. Austin transfers Willie Roberts and Myles Brooks were good for the Lumberjacks, Burden will be a whole other battle. You know, if Cook can do his job properly. Missouri will miss Tyler Badie – as anyone would – and we haven’t a clue whether Elijah Young can step up.
Matthew Downing is La. Tech’s QB, who has ‘major league’ experience with Georgia and TCU, but not a lot of playing time.
PREDICTION: Missouri by 21. It’s pretty ugly, but Missouri this season are going to be that way, too.
10. Ball State at Tennessee (-35)
We’ve predicted Tennessee to go 11-1 in the conference this year, so we might as well watch (some) of UT’s ramped-up offense hammer Ball State on Thursday night, in between Penn State and Purdue and Missouri and La.Tech. Expect a good performance from Hendon Hooker and the Heisman chatter to louden a bit.
PREDICTION: Tennessee by 41.
YEAH, PROBABLY TUNING INTO THE 30-SECOND HIGHLIGHTS
11. Mercer at Auburn (-31.5)
TJ Finley will look fine and Tank Bigsby should have a 150-200 yard game against overmatched Mercer, but the real test is going to be in Week 3 against Penn State. Expect all the chat to be about now-departed AD Allen Greene and soon-to-be-departed Brian Harsin.
PREDICTION: Auburn by 45.
12. Elon v Vanderbilt
THE COMMODORES CAN GO 2-0 AND LEAD THE SEC FOR THE SECOND WEEK RUNNING, Y’ALL.
PREDICTION: Vanderbilt continues scoring spree, wins by half-a-century.
13. Sam Houston at No.6 Texas A&M
No odds for this, no chance for Sam Houston. Aggies’ QB battle will be fairly watchable with Haynes King dominating the snaps over Max Johnson and Connor Weigman, but that’s about it. Ainias Smith will run riot.
PREDICTION: A&M by 52.
14. Troy at Ole Miss
Laugher. Check the box to see how new QB Jaxson Dart/ Luke Altmeyer got on, and whether Zach Evans got over 150 yards on the floor.
PREDICTION: Ole Miss by 60.