Ranking Best SEC Football Matchups of Week 3
Now that last week's cupcake course of the SEC season is out of the way, it's time to get back out there and get back to the main course of football action.
The only marquee games from a week ago saw the conference regain a bit of its lost luster from the opening session with Tennessee throttling a mistake-prone Virginia Tech team in the Battle at Bristol and Arkansas getting a double-overtime victory over TCU.
Neither of those victories will make a team's season, but after seven SEC teams came away losers in the opening week, any step like that is one in the right direction.
"I think we're a good football team," Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema said, according to SEC Country's Trent Shadid following the win. "Maybe now people will take notice."
The Razorbacks get a bit of a break this week hosting Texas State, but not everybody is so lucky.
This week still isn't the meat of the season, but there are several intriguing showdowns, including one massive matchup in Oxford, Mississippi, that could decide the SEC West between Alabama and Ole Miss.
Let's break down Week 3's action.
6. East Carolina at South Carolina
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The Will Muschamp era in Columbia got off to a fine start when South Carolina came from 10 points behind to upset Vanderbilt in the season opener.
Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, they fell back to earth last week, falling behind 24-0 to Mississippi State before losing 27-14 to a Bulldogs team that was shocked by South Alabama in the opener.
At least it looks like they found a quarterback in freshman Brandon McIlwain, who tried to bring his team back after Perry Orth's disastrous first half.
It wasn't all Orth's fault. The Gamecocks' offensive line was awful, which means they're going through some of the same woes a lot of their SEC counterparts are experiencing. They also struggled defensively as MSU quarterback Nick Fitzgerald set a school rushing record.
The State newspaper's David Cloninger summed up the performance in his report card when he noted, "No blocking, no tackling. Really hard to win when a team can't do either."
It's going to be tough to get all that fixed this week against East Carolina, a team that isn't bad at all. First-year head coach Scottie Montgomery's Pirates upset North Carolina State 33-30 last week and are currently 2-0 on the season.
While the Pirates are small on defense and are susceptible to McIlwain and the Gamecocks' speed, this is no gimme for the Gamecocks thanks to an offensive-minded ECU squad.
With quarterback Philip Nelson the trigger man for a potent spread offense, the Gamecocks should be on upset alert. If they can't rebound from a lackluster performance, it could be a long season for Muschamp.
5. Georgia at Missouri
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What happened to Georgia?
The Bulldogs would probably tell you they were fortunate to come out on top in last week's hand-wringing 26-24 win over a pesky FCS opponent in Nicholls State. The Bulldogs needed a scoop-and-score touchdown to even win the game.
Like a lot of other league teams, they looked like a totally different group than in the other week they played when they opened the season with a win over a ranked North Carolina team.
Given the reins for most of the game, true freshman quarterback Jacob Eason was so-so, finishing 11-of-20 for 204 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Star running back Nick Chubb didn't find a lot of running room, either, gaining 80 yards on 20 carries.
It was a forgettable weekend for the Dawgs, who are thankful to be 2-0.
Now, they must travel to Columbia, Missouri, to take on a Tigers team that hasn't experienced an offensive output like it had last Saturday in more than a year in a 61-21 win over Eastern Michigan.
Quarterback Drew Lock finally looked like a stud, throwing for 450 yards (third-most in school history) and tying the school record with five touchdown passes.
It was a nice rebound for the Tigers, who sputtered in an opening loss to West Virginia, looking like they did a season ago. Torching EMU is one thing, but doing it against an attacking bunch like Georgia is altogether different.
The Dawgs are expected to win this one, but it's just a matter of which team shows up.
4. Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech
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Vanderbilt erupted with four second-quarter touchdowns against nearby rival Middle Tennessee State last weekend to blow open a game everybody thought would be close and run away with a 47-24 win.
That helped the Commodores and embattled head coach Derek Mason put behind them a frustrating loss to South Carolina to open the SEC season.
Though quarterback Kyle Shurmur played all the meaningful snaps against the Blue Raiders, he didn't have the best game statistically, completing 15 of 28 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
The game belonged to stud junior running back Ralph Webb, who ripped off a career-high 211 rushing yards on 29 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. Backup Khari Blasingame added a pair of scores of his own in the lopsided win. It was a nice rebound for a team that could surprise some in the East.
Now, VU must travel to Atlanta to play fellow smart school Georgia Tech in an early-season battle of two teams trying to regain a little bit of excitement on the football field after a disappointing 2015 season.
After traveling to Dublin, Ireland, and escaping with a narrow win over Boston College in the season opener, the Yellow Jackets returned home last weekend and destroyed FCS opponent Mercer, 35-10.
Head coach Paul Johnson's triple-option attack looks a little more like 2014 than it did a season ago as GT tries to regain its form that led to a bowl win over Mississippi State two years ago. If the Jackets can win this game against the Commodores, it'll be a huge boost heading into ACC play.
Things don't get easier for VU in the SEC, but this would be a big out-of-conference win. This is an important game for their bowl hopes.
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3. Mississippi State at LSU
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This rocky start to LSU's football season could go one of two ways.
The Tigers could band together, start playing like the uber-talented team they're capable of being and respond to maligned head coach Les Miles' need to get his team rolling again, especially with the massive expectations on the bayou.
Or, 2016 could spiral out of control.
Following a loss to Wisconsin to open the season, the Tigers handled a strong FCS opponent last weekend in defeating Jacksonville State. However, the drama didn't end. Miles benched starting quarterback Brandon Harris in favor of Purdue transfer Danny Etling, who fared much better.
Harris didn't react too kindly to being sat, apparently, taking to Twitter this week to tweet to former teammate Tyron Johnson, who transferred from LSU to Oklahoma State this offseason. Harris tweeted "u smart" to Johnson, according to 247Sports' Connor Tapp.
Star running back Leonard Fournette sat out the game against the Gamecocks with a tender ankle, and if he doesn't get back to 100 percent soon, it could be a tough early going in the SEC for a team that was supposed to contend for the national title.
This week they've got the Bulldogs, who experienced the lowest of lows when a last-second field goal missed to give South Alabama a season-opening upset. MSU rallied with a win over South Carolina last weekend, but a win over LSU would really put the forgettable opener in the rear-view.
Fitzgerald showed flashes of being a beast who could replace Dak Prescott in the last game, but he's got to keep it up for the Bulldogs to have a chance to beat the Tigers. He shred Carolina for 195 rushing yards, 178 passing yards and a pair of scores in last week's win. He needs a similar effort to beat LSU.
This week may go a long way in determining just what to expect from Miles' crew the rest of the way.
2. Texas A&M at Auburn
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After a season opener where Auburn maybe surprised itself by being in a close game with No. 2 Clemson before head coach Gus Malzahn got too cute and cost the Tigers a chance at a home upset, AU found itself in an offensive outburst against Arkansas State.
Sean White took most of the meaningful snaps at quarterback, Kerryon Johnson was strong running the ball and Auburn mixed things up like the Auburn of old. The defense continued to look like new coordinator Kevin Steele could field one of the stingiest units in the league, too.
So, this weekend could get interesting when Texas A&M travels to Jordan-Hare Stadium in a game that is vital to both teams' chances in the SEC West.
The Aggies are 2-0 with a nice season-opening win over a ranked UCLA foe and an annihilation of Prairie View A&M last weekend. Senior transfer quarterback Trevor Knight has looked like an ideal fit so far, and A&M is poised to make some noise.
Speaking of getting loud, A&M offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone spoke with the media this week about the game-day atmosphere at Auburn, where he was an assistant under Tommy Tuberville from 1999-2001.
Mazzone compared AU to Kyle Field and alluded to UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, who was heckled after commenting the 100,000 fans in College Station wouldn't be much different than the ones he sees in L.A.
"It's a good game-day environment," Mazzone told 247Sports' Brandon Marcello of AU. "Not as good as here, but I don't want to be Rosen and have them chanting my name."
If the Tigers can keep their momentum going and hold a second-half lead, Jordan-Hare will be a hostile environment. Whoever wins this game will be a dark horse in the SEC West race moving forward.
1. Alabama at Ole Miss
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This is a game that needs no introduction; anybody who follows SEC football knows the storylines.
Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze has found a way in each of the past two seasons to upset Alabama, handing the Crimson Tide their only two regular-season setbacks in 2014 and '15. Despite the losses, UA won the past two league titles and last year's national championship.
Now, Bama head coach Nick Saban will try to put an end to Ole Miss' two-game winning streak as he takes his Tide back to Oxford, where Katy Perry so famously joined ESPN's College GameDay set in a bizarre, unforgettable weekend that saw Ole Miss topple the Tide two years ago.
Then, last year, Chad Kelly's 66-yard touchdown toss off an Alabama helmet after an errant snap was the signature play in a 43-37 win.
Saban told 247Sports' Charlie Potter Kelly will be the primary focus again:
"He's an outstanding passer. He's very accurate with the ball. He knows this offense very well. He has the ability to extend plays. He's a really good competitor and he's a playmaker type guy. And the combination of those things make him very effective in terms of what they do. It's going to be important that we do a good job pushing the pocket on him, not letting him scramble around, but at the same time affecting him where he can't be as good a passer as he's capable of.
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After jumping out to a huge lead over Florida State in the season opener in Orlando, the Rebels endured some injuries and depth issues before succumbing. They are double-digit underdogs to UA.
Alabama is 2-0 and looks strong overall, but freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts will get his biggest test this weekend. It may be another memorable game between these two SEC West foes, and the winner could hold the upper hand in the division.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
