It's Only SEC (but I like it....)
GEORGE SOMERVILLE – THE TOUCHDOWN SEC CORRESPONDENT
week 3
The season is up and running, and it’s week three already! How did this happen? I mean, we are nearly one quarter of the way through the regular season – yikes!
If you read my last column, you know I’m travelling across the South – which is helpful given that I’m writing about the Conference!
So in between my reviews of the games in Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge (this week’s shenanigans) I thought I would write a little bit of irreverent stuff that I have been hearing this week as I cross the region.
So buckle up, it’s time to catch up on what’s been happening in and around the conference! Yup, it’s time for some “It’s Only SEC”….
Here’s what’s going on in SEC country!
this weeks sec Stories
Brian Kelly is here all week folks!
BATON ROUGE, la
I wrote last week about Brian Kelly’s self-deprecating humour when he talked about falling out of the way of the touchline referee and “taking one for the team”.
There is no question that Kelly has settled right in to life in Louisiana, and you can see that with his relationship with the press.
This week, Kelly had more jokes. During his early week press conference, Kelly responded to a question from the media and ended it with “Was that a rant?”
When the media member responded that it was a borderline rant, but at least Kelly didn’t bang his fist on the table, Kelly responded.
“I can’t do that any more, they make memes of that. I did the fake…..it was a fake” laughed the LSU coach.
“or I could do a comedy hour”….
Actually, I like this Brian Kelly. I would watch his comedy hour.
what would you spend a Powerball win on?
Tuscaloosa, AL
It’s a tough gig coaching in the SEC. Just ask Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer in the week after the loss to Florida State.
However, I sometimes think people outside the South don’t fully understand just how intense and chaotic the fanbases can be.
Take Alabama, for example. A fanbase spoiled rotten with success. Now that Saban has gone and DeBoer is settling into only his second year, expectations are no less than they were when Saban was routinely winning National Championships.
Which means that a week one loss to a team which went 2-10 last season was a cataclysmic setback. The fan base was apoplectic.
After one game……
Yup, and if you don’t believe me, let’s see a real example of this crazy fanbase.
Take Susie Conerly from Guntersville, Alabama.
This week, The Powerball – the US equivalent of the National Lottery – has a whopping prize of $1.8bn, yes, that’s billion dollars.
Local TV news station WHNT News 19 was out and about this week, asking locals what they would do if they won this week’s Powerball prize. When Susie was asked, her answer was not the usual luxury car, huge house, or even that Caribbean holiday. No. This was Susie’s response.
“I’ll tell you exactly what I’d do with that first $70m. I’d pay off Kalen DeBoer and get him the heck out of the University of Alabama. And then I’d take whatever else it took to get rid of the AD”…….
Ouch.
open Mic night in Norman
Norman, OK
A quick piece of advice. If you ever feel the need to badmouth someone or something, think about your surroundings.
Which is what happened in Norman, OK, this week.
On Saturday, the Sooners travel to Philadelphia to face off against the Temple Owls. Now, this is a curious match-up for many reasons, not least why on earth is Oklahoma travelling for his game? So yes, I understand the criticism.
But at a Sooners press conference this week, during a lull between coaches and with the podium mic still switched on, two Oklahoma beat writers were caught talking about the game.
“it’ll be like coming to a high school game” said one, with the other responding “it’ll be like a weird bowl game”. They continued, “it’s weird there will be sections they just won’t sell”.
Which was music to Owls Head coach K.C. Keeler. Speaking to Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic, Keeler said this about the comments,
“We always talk about don’t let the outside forces affect what’s going on in this building, and sometimes it’s just almost impossible, because you have a lot of people in your ear,” Keeler said.
“Well, again, they have a hot mic there. I’m sure they’ve all heard about that. Again, their coach does a great job talking about Temple, but not a single media person asked about the game against Temple. And so, again, I just think there’ll be a different energy, especially they have Auburn next week, than we have going on in our building. And we’ll take all those things into consideration. Take all those things as a win for us”.
Keeler is fired up. Not what Brent Venables needs or wants. Watch this game with interest.
Tebow votes his favourite uni's
Columbia, MO
The topic of uniforms and helmets is always of great interest and a constant talking point. Teams have tried, with great success, I may add, to change things up and create some fashion masterpieces.
So, no great wonder then that this subject crops up on occasion, like last Saturday on SEC Nation. Tebow was asked about his favourite Uni’s. Turns out Tebow likes the Ole Miss uniforms.
“There are several from Ole Miss that I love. I love the powder blues, I love the all-white at Texas. I love the all-black here at Mizzou. I think they’re really sweet. I think LSU’s white jersey, that’s pretty sweet. But if I’m gonna pick one, ahhhh, I’m gonna go with powder blue Ole Miss.”
Tebow’s co-panellist, Jordan Rodgers, also had a soft spot for the Rebels but also singled out another team.
“This is really close,” he said. “I have a soft spot for Ole Miss’ powder blues, but also South Carolina’s all-blacks last week that they had last week were pretty sweet, too.”
So what about Florida then, Tim?
Week Three Schedule
Across the SEC
I’m not going to lie, this week I am focused on the LSU v Florida game. A Saturday night game in Death Valley is something that has been at the top of my bucket list for many years.
But yet this isn’t the headline game of the day! No? I reckon that is the Georgia Bulldogs heading into Rocky Top to face the Vols.
Elsewhere, Arkansas v Ole Miss in Oxford has the makings of a great game, as does Wisconsin trying to topple an Alabama side which has many unanswered questions at this stage. And what about Vandy at Bryce Williams to face the South Carolina Gamecocks? Rumour has it that Diego Pavia is out for revenge after being defeated by Shane Beamer’s team last year. Wow, week three promises much!
Here are this week’s games, which feature SEC teams (all kick-off times are local time). Stats from SEC Media.
Week Three
(2024 Record)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Wisconsin (2-0) at Alabama (1-1, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UA leads, 2-1
11 a.m. CT • ABC
Last: UA, 42-10 (2024 at Madison)
Tuscaloosa, Ala. • Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium (100,077)
Oklahoma (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Temple (2-0)
Series: OU leads, 2-1
11 a.m. CT • ESPN2
Philadelphia, Pa. • Lincoln Financial Field (68,532)
South Alabama (1-1) at Auburn (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: First Meeting
11:45 a.m. CT • SEC Network
Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (88,043)
Georgia (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Tennessee (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UGA leads, 29-23-2
3:30 p.m. ET • ABC
Last: UGA, 31-17 (2024 at Athens)
Knoxville, Tenn. • Neyland Stadium (101,915)
UL-Lafayette (1-1) at Missouri (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: First Meeting
3 p.m. CT • SEC+/ESPN+
Columbia, Mo. • Faurot Field (57,321)
UTEP (1-1) at Texas (1-1 0-0 SEC)
Series: TEX leads, 6-0
3:15 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Austin, Texas • Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119)
Alcorn State (0-2 at Mississippi State (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: MSU leads, 2-0
5 p.m. CT • SEC+/ESPN+
Starkville, Miss. • Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (60,311)
Arkansas (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Ole Miss (2-0, 1-0 SEC)
Series: ARK leads, 37-31-1
6 p.m. CT • ESPN
Last: UM, 63-31 (2024 at Fayetteville)
Oxford, Miss. • Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038)
Vanderbilt (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: SC leads, 30-4
7:45 p.m. ET • SEC Network
Last: SC, 28-7 (2024 at Nashville)
Columbia, S.C. • Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559)
Eastern Michigan (0-2) at Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
Series: UK leads, 2-0
7:30 p.m. ET • ESPNU
Lexington, Ky. • Kroger Field (61,000)
Florida (1-1, 0-0 SEC) at LSU (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UF, 34-32-3
6:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: UF, 27-16 (2024 at Gainesville)
Baton Rouge, La. • Tiger Stadium (102,321)
Texas A&M (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Notre Dame (0-1)
Series: ND leads, 4-2
6:30 p.m. CT • NBC
Last: ND, 23-13 (2024 at College Station)
South Bend, Ind. • Notre Dame Stadium (80,795)
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.