SEC rankings Week 2: West takes a few lumps
In the second week of the college football season, the SEC took a couple of shots right where it hurts.
To the ego.
Arkansas lost to prohibitive underdog Toledo 16-12. Tennessee couldn't hold a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter and was beaten in double-overtime by Oklahoma.
Although those were the two biggest casualties, the struggle didn't end there. Auburn had to score a touchdown late in regulation to force overtime before finally getting past Toledo. Florida played an ugly game but managed to beat East Carolina.
Accordingly, the top tier of The Tennessean's weekly rankings of the SEC remained the same but there was movement elsewhere.
This week, there are a couple of early-season showdowns in the SEC West, with Ole Miss going to Alabama and LSU playing host to Auburn.
The countdown:
14. Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC)
Mistakes in the red zone continue to plague the Commodores, who put up a solid effort against Georgia but couldn't pull off the upset.
Vanderbilt held the ball for nearly 33 minutes and gained 400 yards against a strong Georgia defense but struggled through a difficult third quarter when it was outgained 143-10 in yards.
The Commodores made things interesting down the stretch, pulling within 10 points and recovering an onside kick with 4:30 remaining, but Johnny McCrary's pass into the end zone was intercepted and the threat fizzled.
It was the second time in as many games that McCrary has struggled with bad decisions and/or bad throws in the red zone. Until such errors are corrected, the Commodores are going to have a hard time winning games.
Next up: Austin Peay, at Nashville.
13. South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
The Gamecocks were experiencing some difficulties on offense even before quarterback Connor Mitch suffered a separated shoulder in the home loss to Kentucky.
Now it's up to Perry Orth, a former walk-on, to try to fix things.
"We have confidence in Perry," coach Steve Spurrier said. "Unfortunately, Connor got hurt but you have to move on to the next player. That's what we'll try to do."
Orth "threw some nice balls" after replacing Mitch, Spurrier said. But the Gamecocks now are relying on quarterbacks that are very short on SEC experience. Orth's backups, Lorenzo Nunez and Michael Scarnecchia, have never thrown a pass in a college game.
South Carolina is just 3-6 in its last nine SEC games over the last two seasons.
Next up: Georgia, at Athens
12. Arkansas (1-1)
While Phillip Ely was at Alabama, he could never make any real headway up the depth chart at quarterback.
Now that he's at Toledo, Ely owns a victory over Arkansas.
The Razorbacks, a three-touchdown favorite, were upset by Toledo 16-12, hitting the pause button on the momentum Arkansas had built.
After looking so poised and impressive the previous week against Texas-El Paso, Hogs quarterback Brandon Allen was off his game. He misfired on two passes from the Toledo 16 in the final six seconds.
Hogs coach Bret Bielema said he was "embarrassed for our fans and the people that traveled" to the game. He called the outcome "frustrating and something that I know we are going to have to correct."
Better get busy, coach.
Next up: Texas Tech, at Fayetteville.
11. Kentucky (2-0, 1-0 SEC)
For all the improvement the Big Blue has made on Mark Stoops' watch, there was one major sticking point: Kentucky couldn't win on the road.
That changed last Saturday when the Wildcats surged to a 24-7 halftime lead and then found a way to close out a 26-22 victory at South Carolina, breaking a run of 10 straight road losses under Stoops.
The play of the game came after South Carolina quarterback Perry Orth, subbing for the injured Connor Mitch, hit Jerell Adams with a 33-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to cut Kentucky's lead to 24-22.
The Gamecocks went for the tie with a two-point conversion attempt, but Pharoh Cooper fumbled and Kentucky's Denzil Ware grabbed the ball and returned it 98 yards for two points, pushing the lead to 26-22.
Freshman cornerback Chris Westry intercepted an Orth pass late in the game.
Next up: Florida, at Lexington.
10. Tennessee (1-1)
After taking a 17-0 lead over Oklahoma early in the second quarter, the Vols went 10 straight possessions without a point and eventually lost 31-24 in double-overtime.
Seven of those series ended with punts and another with a missed field goal. While the Sooners should be credited with stepping up on defense, the Vols also were victimized by poor execution.
A key point came with UT leading 17-3 late in the third quarter. Safety Todd Kelly Jr. intercepted a pass, giving the Vols possession at the Oklahoma 29. On first down, UT running back Jalen Hurd fumbled and scrambled back to recover the ball for a 12-yard loss.
Instead of extending the lead, the Vols wound up punting into the end zone. The Sooners then posted touchdown drives of 14 plays and 16 plays to send the game into overtime.
Next up: Western Carolina, at Knoxville.
9. Mississippi State (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
While the Bulldogs continue to wait for so many new starters to gain experience, it's clear that quarterback Dak Prescott must carry a very heavy load.
After a so-so first half in the Bulldogs' loss at LSU, Prescott finished with 34-of-52 passing for 335 yards and a touchdown, pulling Mississippi State within range of victory. The Bulldogs lost when Devon Bell missed a 52-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Prescott said part of the reason for the slow offensive start was a lack of video of LSU's defense. The Tigers played less than five minutes in their opener against McNeese State before the game was canceled after a long weather delay.
With the loss, State is now 2-4 in its last six games, dating back to last season when the Bulldogs started 9-0 but faded down the stretch.
Next up: Northwestern State, at Starkville.
8. Florida (2-0)
While Auburn coach Gus Malzahn praised his team for finding a way to survive an ugly game against Jacksonville State, Florida's Jim McElwain took the opposite route.
Reflecting on the close call in a 31-24 win over East Carolina, McElwain said:
"It was embarrassing. It was embarrassing to our administration, our university. ... There were some decent things that went on, but there were a heckuva lot worse bad things than there were good things."
Among other things, McElwain wasn't happy with the Gators' 12 penalties for 105 yards, including two unsportsmanlike conduct calls after touchdowns.
"Over the past 10 years we have been the most penalized team in the country. It's not going to happen," McElwain said.
Next up: Kentucky, at Lexington.
7. Missouri (2-0)
It isn't always pretty, but Maty Mauk continues to make plays and the Tigers continue to win.
Missouri squeezed out a 27-20 victory at Arkansas State, thanks in large part of Mauk. With running back Russell Hansbrough injured early in the game, Mauk threw three touchdown passes and accounted for a total of 223 yards, including 75 yards on 10 carries, as the Tigers avoided the upset.
"We lean on Maty a lot and he pulled through," said Tigers coach Gary Pinkel.
Mizzou also leaned on senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers, who had his second straight 16-tackle game and intercepted two passes.
Brothers made a spectacular fourth-quarter play when he took the ball out of the hands of Arkansas State's Dijon Paschal.
Next up: UConn, at Columbia.
No. 6: Auburn (2-0)
Auburn handed Jacksonville State a check for $525,000 to play at Jordan Hare Stadium. In return, Jacksonville State almost handed the Tigers their worst loss in school history.
After being outplayed and outcoached for 59 minutes, Auburn rallied to tie the game and then win in overtime, averting disaster.
While the Tigers are 2-0, their early-season struggles do not bode well heading into a trip to LSU followed by a home game against Mississippi State.
For the second straight week, Jeremy Johnson was outplayed by the opposing quarterback. In the opening game against Louisville, it was Lamar Jackson. In the Jacksonville State game, it was Eli Jenkins.
Tigers coach Gus Malzahn remains committed to Johnson, but if things do not pick up against LSU, it's fair to wonder just how much patience he'll show.
Next up: LSU, at Baton Rouge.
5. LSU (1-0, 1-0 SEC)
There has been talk about expanding the offense to include more passing, but based on what we saw in the Tigers' two-point victory at Mississippi State, that's not likely to happen.
Tigers coaches just don't seem to trust Brandon Harris to put the ball in the air when the score is close.
Fortunately, LSU has a nice option: Leonard Fournette.
Despite facing a Mississippi State defense that was stacked to stop the run, Fournette carried 28 times for 159 yards, including all three LSU touchdowns. He did most of the damage out of power running formations, which meant the Bulldogs knew what was coming.
How far can Fournette carry the Tigers? It remains to be seen. But considering the talent on the LSU defense and Les Miles' reluctance to put the ball in the air, Fournette is going to be one busy young man.
Next up: Auburn, at Baton Rouge.
4. Ole Miss (2-0)
Any lingering question about the Rebels' quarterback position was answered in the 73-21 assault of Fresno State as Chad Kelly went 20-for-25 for 346 yards and four touchdowns despite sitting out most of the second half.
Coupled with a season-opening 76-3 victory over UT-Martin, Ole Miss became the first SEC team to post back-to-back 70-point performances since Florida in 1994.
Defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche continued to find the end zone in cameo appearances on offense. He scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter.
As good as the offense has been through two games, you wonder how things would have gone with All-America Laremy Tunsil at left tackle. Tunsil missed his second straight game while the university and NCAA continue to investigate his eligibility.
Next up: Alabama, at Tuscaloosa.
3. Texas A&M (2-0)
The real star of the Aggies's 56-23 assault of overmatched Ball State was the renovated Kyle Field. It was A&M's first home game since work was completed on the $485 million redevelopment.
"What a great atmosphere," said Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin. "It's hard to make Kyle Field better but we did the impossible. ... The noise is awesome."
The renovation upped capacity to 102,733, making it the fourth-largest stadium in the nation.
On the field, the Aggies ran out to a 49-3 halftime lead as Kyle Allen threw for 126 yards and three touchdowns.
"We rolled the way we should against a pretty good team in Ball State," Allen said. "We handled our business."
Next up: Nevada, at College Station.
2. Georgia (2-0, 1-0 SEC)
In a conference stocked with great linebackers, Jordan Jenkins is among the very best.
In game where Georgia struggled against Vanderbilt, Jenkins was a steadying force in the Dawgs' 31-14 win. He had 11 tackles, 5½ tackles for loss and two sacks. Both of his sacks came in the first half, but Jenkins was in the backfield most of the day.
When Vanderbilt threatened in the fourth quarter, facing second-and-goal at the Georgia 8, Jenkins pressured Commodores quarterback Johnny McCrary, whose ill-advised pass was intercepted by Jake Ganus.
Jenkins' performance left an impression on Dawgs coach Mark Richt, who knew his team had dodged a bullet.
"Jordan played with such a great edge," Richt said. "Jordan decided to come back for his senior season. It was something he felt very strongly about."
Next up: South Carolina, at Athens.
1. Alabama (2-0)
The Crimson Tide is so loaded at so many positions that conventional wisdom holds if the team gets just decent play at quarterback, it'll be in the national championship picture.
But the performances by Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman in a 37-10 win over Middle Tennessee State have raised concerns.
Each threw an ugly interception as Coker started and Bateman played the entire second half. Beyond the interceptions, each made poor decisions and missed open receivers.
The bad quarterback play didn't really hurt the Tide against MTSU, but a repeat could be disastrous when Ole Miss comes to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
While each had solid stats (Coker was 15-of-26 for 214 yards and Bateman finished 11-of-17 for 98 yards), much of the yardage came on screen passes and short flips to in-motion receivers in the backfield.
Next up: Ole Miss, at Tuscaloosa.
