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Through two weeks, there are three conference games in the books.
Georgia topped Vanderbilt, as expected. Kentucky got the road-game monkey off its back at South Carolina, and LSU pulled out a close one at Mississippi State after a Bulldogs game-winning field goal attempt was off the mark.
Moving on to Week 3, we have four conference games on the slate.
Here are some things we can learn about the SEC championship picture from those games:
SEC WEST
- Ole Miss at Alabama: The rematch that Alabama has been waiting for all year could very well set the course for the rest of the season in the SEC West race. While it is the conference opener for both teams, each has looked like a team with SEC championship capabilities through the first two weeks of the season. The winner of this game becomes one of the early-season favorites to win the highly-contested SEC West, while the loser likely finds themselves with an uphill climb for the remainder of the season. It should be a fun one. A must-see for all SEC fans.
- Auburn at LSU: While the Alabama-Ole Miss game is receiving much of the national attention this week, the Auburn-LSU matchup gives us plenty to chew on in terms of the SEC West race. LSU is off to a 1-0 start in league play after taking down Mississippi State, so a second win against a West opponent would give them a decided advantage in the early portions of this race. Auburn, on the other hand, is perhaps the most unhappy 2-0 team in America. The Tigers from The Plains not only need this win to back up their position as the preseason favorite to win the SEC, they need a solid performance just to regain some confidence within the program after a shaky start to the season.
SEC EAST
- Florida at Kentucky: Though the discussion surrounding this game has revolved around the 28-game winning streak attached to it, there actually some SEC East implications here as well. Florida is somewhat of a wild card for the SEC East this season. Folks are going to want to see what Jim McElwain brings to a conference game after a 2-0 start to his tenure. Kentucky is off to a 1-0 start in SEC play following a 26-22 win at South Carolina last week, and could match its conference win total of the previous two seasons combined with a win at home against Florida. While a 2-0 start to SEC play is far from making them a serious SEC East contender, it does at least bring them into the discussion moving forward.
- South Carolina at Georgia: Can you name the last time this game hasn’t factored into the outcome of the SEC East race in some form or fashion? Thanks to Steve Spurrier’s presence at South Carolina, it has been a little while. We have to go back no further than last season to note how the Gamecocks’ early-season win in this game set Georgia back in its battle for the division crown with Missouri. This season, the Bulldogs (1-0 in SEC) are at home, more than a two-touchdown favorite and have the benefit of seeing the Gamecocks’ back-up quarterback. After losing to Kentucky in its SEC and home opener last week, this is a game South Carolina desperately needs to win if it is going to contend for the division. A 0-2 start is likely too much to overcome.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
