1 Improvement Every SEC Football Team Needs
Two weeks into the season, the identity of several teams in the SEC has started to develop.
For many, that's a bad thing.
With Arkansas falling to Toledo, Auburn struggling with Jacksonville State and several others getting pushed by lesser opponents during Week 2, there are holes all over the SEC.
What's the biggest improvement each SEC team can make following the second week of the season? Our picks based on need, struggles and personnel are in this slideshow.
Alabama: Stretch the Field Consistently
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Alabama has looked solid during its 2-0 start to the season. The defense looks strong, running backs Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake look unstoppable and Wisconsin and Middle Tennessee didn't pose challenges to the Crimson Tide.
What Alabama hasn't done, though, is try to stretch the field all that much.
Quarterback Jake Coker has completed just six passes of 20 or more yards—sixth in the SEC. Granted, the Wisconsin game wasn't really the time and place to experiment, as offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin wisely chose to get Coker in a groove with short passes early and then shut the door late with the running game.
Can Coker stretch the field if Alabama gets forced into a shootout?
That's the one lingering question in T-Town, and head coach Nick Saban might find out this weekend when the high-octane Ole Miss offense rolls into town.
Arkansas: Get the Identity Back
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I'll admit when I'm wrong, and through two games, I have been wrong about new Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos.
I thought Enos would come in and swing the pendulum of Arkansas' offense a little toward the middle and create more balance for the run-based Hogs. Instead, he's used all his might and pushed it as hard as a contestant on The Price Is Right who spins the big wheel so hard that it spins for 20 seconds.
Through two games, Arkansas has 73 passing attempts and 65 rushing attempts, as opposed to last season, when the Hogs threw 359 passes and ran 557 running plays.
Quarterback Brandon Allen attempted 53 passes in the 16-12 loss to Toledo on Saturday. And, as Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com noted on Twitter, he was dreadful in the red zone:
"Found one big reason why Arkansas couldn’t beat Toledo: Brandon Allen’s QBR dropped from 87.0 to 1.0 in the red zone.
— Alex Scarborough (@AlexS_ESPN) September 14, 2015"
Where's the identity? That kind of disparity should never happen at Arkansas.
Sure, running back Alex Collins was hampered last week with an infection, according to Andrew Hutchinson of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. But with a talented group behind him and a stellar offensive line, Arkansas needs to get back to the basics and find the identity that worked late last season.
Auburn: Jeremy Johnson Needs to Relax
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Auburn, you have a problem.
Through two games, quarterback Jeremy Johnson has thrown five horrible interceptions in which he didn't see defenders clearly sitting on the routes. That decision-making won't cut it in the SEC.
Despite that, Johnson is confident that he will figure things out.
"I have a lot of confidence in myself and my teammates," he said according to Charles Goldberg of AuburnTigers.com. "I never get down on myself; as long as they're on my side, I feel good."
The good news is that Auburn managed to go 2-0 in spite of Johnson's struggles. Now things get cranked up a notch, though, with a road trip to LSU this week and a visit from Mississippi State in Week 4. Johnson has to do a much better job of reading defenses, stop trying to be a hero with every pass and understand that a shot called doesn't necessarily have to be a shot taken.
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Florida: Big Rushing Plays
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Remember when a downfield passing attack at Florida was the SEC's version of a unicorn or Sasquatch?
Yeah, about that...
Florida is actually tied with Ole Miss for the conference lead in passing plays of 20 or more yards through Week 2 with 11 but has just two rushing plays of the same distance—tied for 11th.
The trio of Kelvin Taylor, Jordan Cronkrite and Jordan Scarlett need to find a way to bust big plays on the ground. If that happens, those passing lanes for quarterbacks Will Grier and Treon Harris will open up, and maybe—just maybe—the Florida offense can look like a weapon again.
Georgia: QB Consistency
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Georgia hasn't had to show too much during its first two games of the season, and while that's all part of the plan, it would have been nice for first-year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to show at least a little spark in the passing game.
Starter Greyson Lambert has thrown for just 257 yards and completed 57.6 of his passes through two games, with only two completions of 20 or more yards. Against Vanderbilt, Lambert and fellow quarterback Brice Ramsey completed just 52 percent of their passes for 141 yards.
"We just didn't throw-and-catch well in the first half, a little bit of decision-making, but we mostly just didn't hit our targets," head coach Mark Richt said in quotes released by Georgia. "One ball got tipped at the line of scrimmage. We didn't attempt many balls, period. We didn't move the chains, we didn't get any third down conversions in the first half. We have to be more balanced than we were today in order for our offense to really move well."
Can Georgia stretch the field when it needs to?
Through two games, that question remains unanswered. If Georgia gets into a shootout, that could be a problem.
Kentucky: Stop the Run
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Kentucky has jumped out to a 2-0 start and set itself up with a big showdown in Lexington against division foe Florida, but that run defense leaves a lot to be desired.
The Cats rank last in the SEC in run defense (221.0 yards per game), and have allowed at least one player to top the 100-yard mark in each of their first two games of the year.
That won't cut it.
To win in the SEC, you have to run the ball and stop the run. Kentucky hasn't done a great job of that thus far but has still manged to set itself up for one of the biggest home games in recent Kentucky history.
LSU: Let QB Brandon Harris Loose
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LSU held off a late Mississippi State charge on Saturday night in Starkville to win its season opener over the home-standing Bulldogs, 21-19.
In that game, the blueprint for LSU's offense was identical to last season's: a heavy dose of running back Leonard Fournette, and hide the quarterback as much as possible.
Brandon Harris completed nine of his 14 passes for 71 yards and didn't toss a touchdown or interception. This isn't a knock against Harris or head coach Les Miles. Considering it was the first game of the season and was on the road in a hostile environment, a conservative approach was the right call.
But can Harris be a weapon in the passing game when needed?
LSU doesn't know the answer to that question yet, and considering the position itself has been a sore spot in Baton Rouge for a while, it's fair to look at Harris with a critical eye until he proves he's up to the challenge.
Missouri: Fix Maty Mauk
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Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk led the Tigers to the SEC East title last year but struggled early in games and lost focus at times.
The 2015 season doesn't look much different.
Mauk has completed just 48.3 percent of his passes through two games (28-for-58), is averaging just 5.7 yards per attempt and tossed three interceptions.
Fans are unhappy, and former Tiger wide receiver T.J. Moe did his best to defend Mauk on Twitter after the Tigers narrowly escaped Jonesboro, Arkansas, with a win over Arkansas State:
"Ok, first thought: Stop calling for Maty Mauk's head. He had almost no help tonight and once again, he made the plays when he had to, to win
— T.J. Moe (@TJMoe28) September 13, 2015"
He's right. Mauk isn't getting much help from his receivers—who had several drops against the Red Wolves. But Mauk has to be better if Missouri is going to make it back to the Georgia Dome for the third straight season.
Mississippi State: Ground-and-Pound
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Remember when Mississippi State was a ground-and-pound, multidimensional offense that thrived when its running back and quarterback Dak Prescott established the run?
You'd have to think back to last year, because it hasn't happened this year.
The Bulldogs rank next to last in the SEC with 124 yards per game on the ground, as neither Prescott or running back Ashton Shumpert are averaging more than four yards per carry and nobody on the roster has more than 100 yards through two games.
Sure, Mississippi State had to throw itself out of a hole vs. LSU (and nearly did it), but that offense isn't going to click unless it gets better on the ground.
Ole Miss: Run Against Good Teams
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It seems crazy, considering Ole Miss' struggles on the ground throughout head coach Hugh Freeze's career, but the Rebels lead the SEC with 276.5 yards per game on the ground.
That was against UT-Martin and Fresno State, though. So can we really trust the trio of Akeem Judd, Eugene Brazley and Jordan Wilkins to provide the between-the-tackles threat opposite edge-rusher Jaylen Walton?
I don't think so.
Granted, it's hard to find fault in Ole Miss after it topped the 70-point mark in consecutive games, but until that rushing attack proves its worth against a good defense, it will remain its biggest question.
South Carolina: Find a Difference-Maker at Quarterback
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South Carolina clearly is a mess at quarterback after starter Connor Mitch's variety of injuries and ineffectiveness while on the field.
That has to change.
Perry Orth was 13-of-20 for 179 yards, one touchdown and one pick in the loss to Kentucky, and provides a little more of a dual threat than Mitch does. Can he be a difference-maker, though?
True freshman Lorenzo Nunez came in as a changeup quarterback against the Wildcats and had two carries for 40 yards and could help transform this offense on the fly to more of a zone-read, power attack.
Mitch's injury has thrown South Carolina through a loop, and finding the difference-maker at quarterback is Job No. 1 for head coach Steve Spurrier and his staff.
Tennessee: Learn How to Close
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To be a big-time program, you have to win big games.
Tennessee head coach Butch Jones hasn't learned how to do that yet.
According to B/R Insights, the third-year head coach of the Volunteers can't get over the hump when taking on ranked opponents during his head coaching career:
"#Tennessee is now 1-12 under Butch Jones against ranked opponents after the 31-24 loss to #Oklahoma. #OUvsTENN
— B/R Insights (@BR_Insights) September 13, 2015"
They also can't close, as proven by this stat courtesy of ESPN's Travis Haney:
"Tennessee gained 51 yards on 1st 2 plays of 2nd half vs Oklahoma. Final 27 plays in regulation: 9 yards (0.33 ypp). Dobbs 4-13 passing.
— Travis Haney (@TravHaneyESPN) September 14, 2015"
There's no doubt that the program is still in contention in the SEC East. It had a good Oklahoma team on the ropes and just couldn't finish. The Vols have to learn from that mistake and not let the moment get too big quickly, because the talent is there and the opportunity exists to make a legitimate run to the SEC East title this year.
Texas A&M: Protect the QB
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It's hard to find fault in Texas A&M through two games, but for a unit that was supposed to be a strong point, the Aggies' offensive line certainly has been a disappointment.
They've given up seven sacks on the season, the worst mark in the SEC and is tied for 118th in the nation. Ball State got to the quarterback four times last week and Arizona State added the other three in the season opener.
Granted, the Sun Devils can get after the quarterback, but with guys like Mike Matthews, Avery Gennesy and Germain Ifedi up front, four sacks to Ball State (two by the first team) and seven through two games won't cut it.
If they can consistently protect quarterback Kyle Allen, this team is capable of beating any team in the country.
Vanderbilt: QB Consistency
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It's safe to say that through two games, Vanderbilt quarterback Johnny McCrary hasn't stabilized the position in Nashville.
The redshirt sophomore has completed just 42 of his 82 passes, thrown five interceptions and tossed two picks, and his 97.16 passer rating is last in the SEC among qualifying quarterbacks (minimum of 15 attempts per game).
Yikes.
With a running back like Ralph Webb and a defense that's actually played pretty well, a little efficiency would go a long way for McCrary and the Commodores.
That hasn't happened, which is the biggest reason why Vandy is 0-2 on the season.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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