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What they’re saying about the SEC nationally after Week 2
By Pat Donohue
Published:
With Week 2 of college football action in the books, we decided to take a look at what the media buzz is around the nation regarding the SEC:
Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports
Auerbach is very blunt in her assessment of the SEC after Week 2. She starts her observations from the week by stating that the SEC is overrated in her opinion. This is an easy week for anyone to pick on the conference after a near loss by Auburn to Jacksonville State, an FCS school, a blown lead by Tennessee against Oklahoma and a bad loss by Arkansas to Toledo.
In her “Snap Judgements,” Auerbach labeled the SEC overrated.
“Certainly, it would be foolish to say the SEC won’t get a team into the College Football Playoff — let alone to make any sort of sweeping statement off of one weekend’s worth of games. But couple these showings with the league’s poor results in bowls last postseason. Let’s remember that not all SEC teams are created equal.”
ESPN
The “World Wide Leader” focused in on the effect the SEC’s rough weekend had on its teams in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Tennessee all fell out of the top 25 after losing in Week 2 and now the conference has seven teams in the poll after setting a record with 10 squads in the top 25 after Week 1. Auburn slipped 12 spots from No. 6 to No. 18.
ESPN also took a closer look at the quarterback battles that remain in the SEC. Edward Aschoff breaks down the competitions to be signal-caller for Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
Yahoo Sports
The Yahoo Sports college football staff also points out the fact that putting 10 SEC teams in the top 25 after Week 1 might have been jumping the gun a little bit. However, it also picks unranked South Carolina as one of the losers of the week because of its second-consecutive loss to Kentucky and its first at home to the Wildcats since 1999.
“Now, as the second weekend of college football is over, we can all agree that the SEC isn’t head and shoulders above the rest of the college football. A week after we wondered if the Pac-12 was up to snuff to being considered the best conference in the country, it’s now time to put the spotlight on the SEC.”
Colin Becht, Sports Illustrated
Becht hones in on how the race for an SEC championship is starting to take shape after two weeks of college football. He points out the Week 2 conference matchups such as LSU against Mississippi State and Kentucky against South Carolina as key games that will help determine who’s on top of the SEC at the end of the season. Becht also explains how nonconference losses by Tennessee and Arkansas impact the conference’s hierarchy.
Wrote Becht:
“The Razorbacks already faced an uphill battle to go from last in the SEC West last year to division contenders this year while battling a brutal schedule; they’ll certainly play better this season than they did Saturday, but expecting the consistent dominance required to win the SEC seems farfetched.”
Clay Travis, FOX Sports
FINALLY, someone who isn’t a victim of the moment and takes a stand for the SEC after its rough weekend.
Travis asks whether or not the conference is overrated and answers with an emphatic no. Travis goes on to give four reasons supporting his claim, including a defense of Arkansas’ loss to Toledo.
“Hell, how often does a team lose a game when they post nearly 200 yards more in total yardage than their opponent and only lose the turnover battle by one? This almost never happens either. After looking at the box score, my inclination is to say, wow, this was a totally inexplicable result which sometimes happens in football. Arkansas had no business losing this game.”
Pat Donohue is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @SportsDownPat.
