By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

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A full weekend of SEC action is finally here.

The nonsense of the offseason can finally be pushed aside for a few months, as we have reached the playing portion of the annual college football calendar. For 14 Saturdays, college football masks all of its foundational flaws with an unmatched product that almost always delivers.

Even with all of the upheaval in the sport, SEC fans are unlikely to go anywhere. Well see that this weekend with 14 SEC games across four days, 12 on campus and two just an hour down the road from an SEC campus.

14 teams (for two more years, at least). 14 games. Lets take a deep dive into Week 1 in the SEC.

This is a Big Week for:

Coach: Mike Leach, Mississippi State

Leach is perhaps the only SEC coach who could come under fire later in the season that has a challenging Week 1 opponent. The Bulldogs cannot afford a second straight loss to Memphis.

Player: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Brian Kelly has made many September quarterback changes before. If Daniels struggles against Florida State, could there be a quick hook?

Unit: Florida Offensive Line

You can always count on Utah to stop the run. Can Florida impose its will physically on a muggy night against the men from the mountains?

Trivia Time

1. Who did Georgia defeat in its last season-opening game in Atlanta?

2. When was the last time Alabama opened its season in Tuscaloosa?

3. What two-time SEC champion head coach is a graduate of Cincinnati?

Game Predictions

Ball State at Tennessee, Thursday, 7 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Announcers: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic

Series History: First Meeting

Line: Tennessee -35

Over/Under: 68

Tennessee opens on a Thursday night for a second straight season, joining Week 2 opponent Pittsburgh in having nine days to prepare for next weeks showdown in the Steel City. Ball State backslid to 6-7 in 2021 after winning the MAC title and the Arizona Bowl in 2020. I do not anticipate the offensive clunkiness that we saw from the Vols in their season opener a year ago against Bowling Green. They have an established quarterback in Hendon Hooker, and even though they may not unveil much of their playbook with Pittsburgh looming, I expect nothing short of a rout and plenty of garbage time in the second half.

Prediction: Tennessee 45, Ball State 7

Louisiana Tech at Missouri, Thursday, 8 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Announcers: Mike Monaco and Dave Steckel

Series History: First Meeting

Line: Missouri -19.5

Over/Under: 60.5

A successful tenure for Skip Holtz in Ruston came to an end after a disappointing 3-9 record last season. The Bulldogs will launch the Sonny Cumbie era on Thursday night, hoping for a return to prominence in a new-look Conference USA. Missouri hopes extra prep time will give them an edge heading into a key game next week at Kansas State, but the Tigers best not overlook a Bulldogs team that put major scares into both Mississippi State and N.C. State in 2021. Brady Cook will become Missouris fifth different opening-day starting quarterback in as many seasons, as the Tigers hope to open up an offense that can no longer rely so heavily on departed running back Tyler Badie. This feels like a scary game for Missouri. The Tigers will survive, but it will take most of the 60 minutes to put a feisty Louisiana Tech team away.

Prediction: Missouri 33, Louisiana Tech 24

Sam Houston at (6) Texas A&M, Noon ET (SEC Network)

Announcers: Dave Neal and Deuce McAllister

Series History: Texas A&M leads 12-0

Last Meeting: 2013 3 Texas A&M 65, Sam Houston 28

Line: N/A

Over/Under: N/A

The Bearkats were the No. 1 seed in last years FCS playoffs and won the 2020 (Spring 2021) national title. They should again be no pushover in their final season before joining Conference USA in 2023. Texas A&M quickly gets into the meat of its schedule with Appalachian State, Miami (FL) and Arkansas all still to come before September ends, so a crisp performance on Saturday afternoon is critical. Ill be looking for a No. 1 receiver to emerge, as well as whether or not a revamped front seven can dominate Sam Houstons offensive line.

Prediction: Texas A&M 48, Sam Houston 20

(11) Oregon vs. (3) Georgia (Atlanta), 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Announcers: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Todd McShay

Series History: Georgia leads 1-0

Last Meeting: 1977 3 Georgia 27, Oregon 16

Line: Georgia -17

Over/Under: 53

Familiarity is all over the place in this game. Oregon coach Dan Lanning makes his head coaching debut against the team he coached for from 2018-2021, while Ducks quarterback Bo Nix hopes to get his first win against Georgia after going 0-3 in three games while at Auburn, managing just 30 total points. While its essentially a Bulldogs home game, things cant be as easy as they were a year ago for Georgia with so much departed talent. Oregon is stout at the line of scrimmage, but Im concerned about their athleticism at the skill positions. A solid Oregon defense with a pair of excellent linebackers will help keep this game close, but the Ducks offense wont have enough to pull off an upset.

Prediction: Georgia 27, Oregon 16

(23) Cincinnati at (19) Arkansas, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Announcers: Dave Flemming and Rod Gilmore

Series History: First Meeting

Line: Arkansas -6

Over/Under: 52

If you watched the NFL Draft last April, the first team that you observed would have a lot to replace this fall would obviously be Georgia. The second team, however, wasnt Alabama or Ohio State or Clemson. It was probably Cincinnati. While Luke Fickell and staff have recruited well, this isnt a mere reload like in Athens. Arkansas has the better quarterback, the better offensive line, and home-field advantage. There are some red flags with the Hogs, but they wont be apparent for a few more weeks. This wont be the punking of Texas like last year, but the Razorbacks will make a statement with a win more comfortable than conventional wisdom suggests.

Prediction: Arkansas 34, Cincinnati 17

Troy at (21) Ole Miss, 4 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Announcers: Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb

Series History: Ole Miss leads 1-0

Last Meeting: 2013 3 Ole Miss 51, Troy 21

Line: Ole Miss -21.5

Over/Under: 58

The Rebels have rarely flown under the radar since Lane Kiffin took over two-and-a-half years ago, but with a pillow-soft September schedule, the Rebels should cruise to a 4-0 start. Troy begins a new regime with former Kentucky assistant Jon Sumrall. The Trojans were one win away from a bowl in each of the last three seasons, so Sumrall isnt completely starting over. He inherits a third-year starting quarterback in Gunnar Watson and an experienced defense. Ole Miss quarterback situation is a mystery, and with the weak schedule, expect to see both Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer early on. As the transfer portal experiment plays out in real time, it will be fascinating to watch how quickly this Rebels team gels. I think it will take some time to work out the kinks, leading to some fret on Saturday afternoon before pulling away.

Prediction: Ole Miss 31, Troy 17

(7) Utah at Florida, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Announcers: Bob Wischusen and Dan Orlovsky

Series History: Florida leads 1-0

Last Meeting: 1977 3 Florida 38, Utah 29

Line: Utah -3

Over/Under: 51

All the pressure is on Utah as the defending Pac-12 champions head east looking to avoid another embarrassing loss for its conference against a team that finished 13th in the SEC in 2021. The Gators arent winning the line of scrimmage, but they have a few areas to be able to exploit their SEC athleticism that the Utes rarely see playing west of the Rockies. Quarterback Anthony Richardson needs to make some big plays with his legs, while edge rusher Brenton Cox is a possible game-wrecker. Utahs toughest opponents might be the weather, the crowd and themselves. In his 18th season, Kyle Whittingham will have his team ready to go, and the Utes will save face for the Pac-12 with a big win in a really fun game in The Swamp.

Prediction: Utah 24, Florida 22

Mercer at Auburn, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Announcers: Mike Corey and Aaron Murray

Series History: Auburn leads 12-0

Last Meeting: 2017 3 Auburn 24, Mercer 10

Line: N/A

Over/Under: N/A

A most critical 30 days for Bryan Harsin begins Saturday night against Mercer, who will make the short trip down I-85 from Atlanta. The Bears are an above-average FCS team, and hung tight with Auburn five years ago when the Tigers won the SEC West title. T.J. Finley will start at quarterback after winning a topsy-turvy (imagine that at Auburn) three-man battle during preseason camp. This needs to be a confidence-building game for Finley after he lost all three starts late in 2021. Auburn can win with ease with 50 rushes, but expect Finley to get 25 or 30 pass attempts.

Prediction: Auburn 52, Mercer 14

Miami (OH) at (20) Kentucky, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Announcers: Mike Morgan and Tom Ramsey

Series History: Kentucky leads 8-4-1

Last Meeting: 2013 3 Kentucky 41, Miami (OH) 7

Line: Kentucky -16

Over/Under: 52.5

The Wildcats will tune up for next weeks trip to Florida with the preseason pick to win the MAC East. The Redhawks return 25-game starting quarterback Brett Gabbert (Blaines brother) and sport one of the MACs best receivers in aptly-named Mac Hippenhammer. Kentucky should be well aware of Miami (OH) taking a nine-win Minnesota team to the wire a year ago. Kentucky is always good for one poor performance each year in a buy game. With running back Chris Rodriguez out and some key offensive line changes, this feels like that game for 2022. It will be well into the second half before Kentucky can turn its attention to Florida.

Prediction: Kentucky 30, Miami (OH) 17

Elon at Vanderbilt (1-0), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Announcers: Justin Kutcher and Dave Steckel

Series History: Vanderbilt leads 1-0

Last Meeting: 2011 3 Vanderbilt 45, Elon 14

Line: N/A

Over/Under: N/A

Vanderbilt has not been two games over .500 since the start of the 2018 season, but it has a great chance to get there against the Phoenix, a mid-tier FCS team from North Carolina. Commodores quarterback Mike Wright had a spectacular game last week in a 63-10 win at Hawaii, amassing 309 yards in total offense with four total touchdowns. Surviving an SEC season is going to be a challenge, but with three more games before conference play, Wright should also thrive back here on the mainland. It wont be as dominant as a week ago, but Vanderbilt will show just how far it has come in 52 weeks since an embarrassing 23-3 loss to East Tennessee State.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 27, Elon 14

Utah State (1-0) at (1) Alabama, 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Announcers: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic

Series History: Alabama leads 2-0

Last Meeting: 2005 3 Alabama 35, Utah State 0

Line: Alabama -41.5

Over/Under: 62.5

Utah State got a head start on the season last week with an unimpressive 31-20 win over UConn after spotting the visiting Huskies a 14-0 lead. The Aggies won the Mountain West a year ago and should again find itself in a three-team race for a return to the conference title game, but theres little to gain this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Alabama should keep things pretty vanilla with Texas looming, but Nick Saban will never waste an opportunity to get better. Look for a lot of passing early to help break in some new receivers, and a heavy rotation at cornerback, where Alabama has more capable players than starting positions. Utah State wont get blanked like it did 17 years ago, but holding Alabama to 35 again also wont be happening.

Prediction: Alabama 45, Utah State 10

Memphis at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Announcers: Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman

Series History: Mississippi State leads 33-12

Last Meeting: 2021 3 Memphis 31, Mississippi State 29

Line: Mississippi State -15

Over/Under: 56

The two schools just three hours apart will meet again after a wild Tigers victory a year ago at the Liberty Bowl. Memphis is a program slowly declining from the Justin Fuente and Mike Norvell years, going just 6-6 last year with just one FBS win by more than five points. The Bulldogs are experienced in Mike Leachs third season, but needed a miracle comeback a year ago in Week 1 to survive a major scare from Louisiana Tech. Im taking the points here, as I dont think the revenge factor and the game being in Starkville is significant enough to swing the result from a year ago by 17 points. Mississippi State will struggle to land the knockout blow, but things shouldnt get to the point of peril in the land of cowbells.

Prediction: Mississippi State 38, Memphis 27

Georgia State at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

Announcers: Courtney Lyle and Chris Doering

Series History: First Meeting

Line: South Carolina -12.5

Over/Under: 57

Ive been pumping the brakes on the South Carolina hype this summer. Shane Beamer clearly is a competent head coach and a good fit for the Gamecocks, but there are still significant talent gaps between them and the upper half of the SEC. That gives a plucky Georgia State team with an experienced quarterback in Darren Grainger a chance on Saturday night in an always-rocking Williams-Brice Stadium. The Panthers upset Tennessee in 2019 and were one play away from knocking off Auburn a year ago. They wont be intimidated by the atmosphere in Columbia. Head coach Shawn Elliott was the interim head coach of South Carolina in 2015 and has taken Georgia State to four bowl games in five seasons. This game will remain competitive into the fourth quarter, but the Panthers will again fall just short of a monumental victory.

Prediction: South Carolina 31, Georgia State 28

Florida State (1-0) vs. LSU (New Orleans), Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Announcers: Joe Tessitore and Greg McElroy

Series History: Florida State leads 7-2

Last Meeting: 1991 3 Florida State 27, LSU 16

Line: LSU -3

Over/Under: 51.5

For the second year in a row, Brian Kelly will open his season on a Sunday night against Florida State, having guided Notre Dame to a 41-38 win over the Seminoles last year in Tallahassee. I dont see an advantage either way in Florida State having played Duquesne in Week 0, but the Seminoles offense did look fairly crisp after a long weather delay. Jayden Daniels is the expected starting quarterback for the Tigers, and unless Florida State can create much pressure, I expect LSUs offense to utilize and underrated receiving corps to score at least 30 points. LSUs rebuilt secondary will get a good test from an improving groups of Seminoles wideouts, but a Tigers LSU team with a more competent staff and talent that is still in the upper half of the SEC wont be beaten in the Superdome.

Prediction: LSU 34, Florida State 24

Best Bets

Michigan -27.5 vs. Colorado State

Troy +21.5 vs. Ole Miss

Arizona +6 at San Diego State

Oregon State -3 vs. Boise State

Southern Miss +3.5 vs. Liberty

The Best Game Ive Ever Watched On September 3:

Sept. 3, 2017: UCLA 45, Texas A&M 44

The SEC has had a love-hate relationship with the Rose Bowl. Yes, Alabama claimed a national title there in 2009, but many a season have been wrecked in Pasadena. Tennessee had to play four quarterbacks in a memorable loss to UCLA in 1994 that saw Peyton Manning make his Vols debut. Preseason No. 3 Alabama was blitzed by the Bruins to start a 2000 season that saw the Crimson Tide fall from SEC champions to 3-8. UCLA again upset the Vols to start the 2008 season. Auburn fell 13 seconds short of a national title there in 2013. Just last year, a loss to UCLA was the beginning of the end for Ed Orgeron at LSU.

But no Pasadena pain for the SEC matches that of Texas A&M in 2017.

It was a critical year for Kevin Sumlin, whose shine had worn off after his 11-2 debut in 2012. He could not afford a loss to a UCLA team that the Aggies had beaten a year earlier in overtime. With a ton of maroon in the holiday weekend crowd, Texas A&M stormed to a 44-10 lead with just four minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Aggies had five rushing touchdowns. It was all over.

Expect it wasnt. Josh Rosen put the Bruins on his back and led five touchdown drives in five possessions, aided by a trio of three-and-outs from the rattled Aggies offense. In just over 18 minutes of game time, UCLA had taken a 45-44 lead on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rosen to Jordan Lasley, sending FOX announcer Gus Johnson into his customary high-decibel screaming.

The Aggies would go on to finish 7-5, which was not enough to save Sumlins job, ushering in the Jimbo Fisher era. Had things gone differently on that Sunday night, where would Texas A&M be right now? Weve said that many times over the years about SEC defeats in the grand old stadium in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Trivia Answers

1. North Carolina (2016)

2. 2011 (vs. Kent State)

3. Urban Meyer