It seems like we waited forever for the 2022 season, and now that it’s here, it’s not at all that we thought it would be. Whether the first two weeks have been a nice experience for your team or you’re Texas A&M, there is a lot more ahead of us. College football is a tricky character, and this year is definitely living up to that standard. So what did we learn in week two:
There are three tiers in the SEC: The haves, the have-nots, and the wait-and-sees.
The Haves:
We saw the No. 1 team in the nation struggle against a former 5-7 Texas team, littered with dropped passes and uncharacteristically sloppy play. One of the biggest factors that stood out from that game was the number of penalties racked up by a normally disciplined Alabama team. However, if only by one point, the top dog pulled out that victory against a tough opponent in a hostile atmosphere. Was it convincing of the number one status? No. There are still multiple questions surrounding both teams that must be answered to determine where they stand in college football.
Georgia handled Samford easily, but they didn’t dominate quite like they did against Oregon. Perhaps they were far better prepared for Oregon considering it was the first game of 2022? Either way, they pulled out a 33-point victory over the Bulldogs and carry on with the title of the “most dominant team in college football”.
The Have-Nots:
The SEC isn’t without their standard underperformers, which normally causes SEC fans to think of one team: Vanderbilt, who was beaten by Wake Forest 45-25. However, Vandy isn’t the only one riding the struggle bus this season. Missouri took a 28-point loss yesterday to former rival Kansas State, with a final score of 40-12. And most surprisingly, Texas A&M as an 18.5-point favorite was upset at Kyle Field by Appalachian State with a final of 17-14.
The Wait-And-Sees:
Most everyone else in the SEC falls into the “wait-and-see” category. Arkansas showed the world that they’re deserving of the off-season praise in their victory over South Carolina, who isn’t a pushover kind of team. Ole Miss and LSU beat relatively easy opponents by large margins, and Mississippi State took care of business against an Arizona team that is best described as flat. Although Auburn barely squeaked out a win against the likes of San Jose State, they remain in the “wait-and-see” category based on their record alone. 2-0 is still 2-0, no matter if you play teams like Mercer and San Jose State. The Tigers’ first test is coming up this Saturday with a visit from the Nittany Lions, so we’ll likely see them move to the have-nots by Sunday morning.
Kentucky and Florida battled in the Swamp, with the Wildcats emerging at 2-0. We saw a lot of impressive plays by Kentucky’s defense, while the Gators are looking more and more vulnerable at the QB position. Richardson is a great athlete, but is he a sustainable leader of the Gator offense? Only time will tell.
Although it wasn’t fun for the Vol faithful out there, Tennessee made a big step against Pitt that very few are crediting them for: wining under pressure. When everything was on the line, the Vols rallied to survive their first test of the season. What was thought of as the weak link of this team ended up leading the Vols to victory by holding off Pitt to win in overtime 34-27. Survival is key in college football and the Vols showed that they have the stamina to hang with a tough Power-5 opponent on the road.
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We’ll said Amanda, pretty accurate categorization of our beloved SEC. For us long suffering Big Orange faithful, we hope to transition from wait & see to “seeing is believing”.