Questions Ahead of Week 2 of SEC Football
Credit: Auburn University Athletics
By Tucker Harlin
We are officially one week into the college football season and we’re still learning about the landscape of the SEC in its 16-team format.
It’s hard to gather information about teams across the league in a weekend full of blowouts, but the handful of things we could gather from Week 1 were mostly negative in marquee matchups.
This week there are seven matchups between an SEC team and another power four team (one of which is a meeting between SEC teams), so we have much more to learn in Week 2 than in Week 1
1. IS NICO IAMALEAVA THE REAL DEAL?
This question was in part answered last week but we’re going to know the full truth Saturday night.
NC State’s defense is the most athletic Nico Iamaleava will have faced in his three games as Tennessee’s starter.
Sure, Iowa’s defense was among the best in the country in 2023. But the Hawkeyes weren’t necessarily equipped to handle speedier offenses as most of what they saw in the Big 10 was a bit slower.
Iamaleava tore through Chattanooga’s defense last week but anything less would’ve been a disappointment.
Given NC State’s recent track record against SEC schools, I’m thinking Iamaleava showcases himself as a legit SEC quarterback against the Wolf Pack.
2. CAN TEXAS WIN AGAINST A DIFFERENT STYLE OF FOOTBALL ON THE ROAD?
I think I’m in a majority when I say this should be the most exciting game of the weekend.
It’s a philosophical clash between the Longhorns and Wolverines in the big house. Michigan will want to run the ball and stifle Texas with its defense while Texas wants to air the ball out far more than Michigan could dream of.
The Wolverines have one of three defenses that should really challenge the Longhorns this season, preparing them for some of those tougher SEC defenses like Georgia and Texas A&M.
Michigan corner Will Johnson is the best in college football, so it’ll be a challenge for Quinn Ewers to find his top targets.
I definitely think Texas can win this game, but it may not be the prettiest victory for the Horns.
3. WAS THE 70 BOBBY PETRINO’S OFFENSE SCORED INDICATIVE OF BETTER THINGS TO COME?
Arkansas hadn’t scored 70 points in 96 years until it did so against Arkansas-Pine Bluff last Thursday.
I know Pine Bluff is nothing special but the Razorbacks were playing loose and free on offense as opposed to the group Dan Enos coached last year.
Oklahoma State is your run of the mill Big 12 defense. Anything less than three touchdowns surrendered is pretty incredible for Pokes defense.
Boone Pickens Stadium is always a tough environment to play in for visiting teams, and the threats the Pokes have on offense both with Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens in the air and Ollie Gordon on the ground will challenge the Razorbacks to keep up.
While I don’t think this is a game the Razorbacks win, if they go out and hang 28 or more tomorrow, I’ll take them a little more seriously.
4. IS SOUTH CAROLINA REALLY AS BAD AS WHAT IT DID AGAINST OLD DOMINION?
We’re getting confirmation this week if South Carolina is really as bad as its Week 1 performance when it heads to Kroger Field to take on Kentucky.
The Gamecocks beat Old Dominion last Saturday because they did just enough on the ground, had a solid output from their kicker, and let Old Dominion make mistakes on offense.
A showing that poor from an SEC quarterback against a group of five opponent is usually a horrible sign of things to come.
Kentucky at least look liked an SEC team against Southern Miss as it shutout the Golden Eagles in the three-quarter game.
Gamecock fans could defend Shane Beamer in his first year over single-digit wins against East Carolina and Troy. But winning like that in your fourth year on the job is a slippery slope for an SEC head coach.
This has gone from a game Kentucky wants to win to a game it must win if it wants to hover above the middle of the pack in the SEC.
5. CAN PAYTON THORNE AIR IT OUT AGAINST AN FBS OPPONENT?
The 322 pass yards Payton Thorne threw for last week against Alabama A&M was the first time he eclipsed 300 in his time on the plains
The highest number he reached last season was 282 against Samford, and the highest number Thorne put up against an FBS opponent was the 230 he threw for against Mississippi State.
The Tigers were good enough on defense to stay in games last year, and so was the run game.
But the lack of verticality on offense kept the Tigers from turning any corners in Year 1 of the Hugh Freeze era.
This staff made it a point to bulk up at the receiver spot, bringing in transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Robert Lewis and coveted freshmen Perry Thompson and Cam Coleman.
It all comes down to Thorne.
Cal held the Tigers pass attack to 94 yards last season, the lowest number it gave up all year. A good chunk of that secondary returns this year, but the hope is that Thorne shows growth as a passer.
Auburn can’t take the next step as a football program if it doesn’t improve through the air.
