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After a disastrous Week 1, the SEC needed a week like this one.
In Week 2, the SEC went 12-2, with the only losses coming to other SEC teams. But then again, it was a cupcake week for most of the conference.
No. 17 Tennessee pulled out a much-needed win in the Battle at Bristol, getting a major bowl back into the Vols’ sight. And Vanderbilt finished off Middle Tennessee with style, bringing a more hopeful bowl season outlook for the Commodores.
But it was Arkansas which surprised with its 41-38 double-overtime win against No. 15 TCU, earning it a Top 25 ranking as we enter Week 3, and it puts the Hogs back into a more serious postseason conversation.
Despite South Carolina’s loss to Mississippi State, only Mark Schlabach of ESPN left the Gamecocks out of projected postseason play.
Other teams weren’t so lucky. Kentucky and Mississippi State were both left out of the bowl game conversation for the second week in a row — except SDS does have a little more confidence in the Bulldogs than ESPN and CBS do. Both SDS and CBS have a positive outlook for Missouri’s future, but ESPN isn’t jumping on the bandwagon just yet.
Here are the consensus bowl projections after Week 2.
ALABAMA
CBS Sports: Peach Bowl* vs. Houston
ESPN: Peach Bowl* vs. Michigan (Schlabach); Peach Bowl* vs. Houston (McMurphy)
SDS: Peach Bowl* vs. Houston
ARKANSAS
CBS Sports: Belk Bowl vs. Virginia Tech
ESPN: Texas Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (Schlabach); Belk Bowl vs. Miami (McMurphy)
SDS: Texas Bowl vs. TCU
AUBURN
CBS Sports: Liberty Bowl vs. West Virginia
ESPN: Liberty Bowl vs. Texas Tech (Schlabach); Texas Bowl vs. Baylor (McMurphy)
SDS: Liberty Bowl vs. West Virginia
FLORIDA
CBS Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Nebraska
ESPN: Outback Bowl vs. Michigan State (Schlabach); Outback Bowl vs. Iowa (McMurphy)
SDS: Sugar Bowl† vs. Texas
GEORGIA
CBS Sports: Cotton Bowl† vs. Iowa
ESPN: Music City Bowl vs. Miami (Schlabach); Citrus Bowl vs. Wisconsin (McMurphy)
SDS: Outback Bowl vs. Michigan State
LSU
CBS Sports: Outback Bowl vs. Michigan
ESPN: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Nebraska (Schlabach); TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Virginia Tech (McMurphy)
SDS: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Virginia Tech
MISSISSIPPI STATE
SDS: Birmingham Bowl vs. Navy
MISSOURI
CBS Sports: Texas Bowl vs. Oklahoma State
SDS: Independence Bowl vs. Wake Forest
OLE MISS
CBS Sports: Sugar Bowl† vs. Oklahoma
ESPN: Belk Bowl vs. Virginia Tech (Schlabach); Music City Bowl vs. Nebraska (McMurphy)
SDS: Music City Bowl vs. Nebraska
SOUTH CAROLINA
CBS Sports: Belk Bowl vs. Tulsa
ESPN: Liberty Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (McMurphy)
SDS: Belk Bowl vs. North Carolina
TENNESSEE
CBS Sports: Citrus Bowl vs. Michigan State
ESPN: Sugar Bowl† vs. Oklahoma (Schlabach); Sugar Bowl† vs. Texas (McMurphy)
SDS: Citrus Bowl vs. Wisconsin
TEXAS A&M
CBS Sports: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. North Carolina
ESPN: Citrus Bowl vs. Iowa (Schlabach); Orange Bowl† vs. Louisville (McMurphy)
SDS: Cotton Bowl† vs. Oregon
VANDERBILT
ESPN: Birmingham Bowl vs. Cincinnati (Schlabach)
*College Football Playoff semifinal
†New Year’s Six game
