It's Only SEC (but I like it....)
GEORGE SOMERVILLE – THE TOUCHDOWN SEC CORRESPONDENT
week 2
By the time you get to read this, travel gods permitting, I shall be in Tuscaloosa kicking off a week of college football shenanigans across The South for The Touchdown.
Which seems a perfect segue into the lede of this week’s news from around the conference.
For Alabama lost its first game of the season in its first game of the season. The unthinkable has happened, and Alabama has lost an opening fixture. The sky has fallen, and Tuscaloosa is in turmoil.
This week, the “Mouth of the South” Paul Finebaum has had no shortage of callers dialling in to his show. But let’s discuss in a moment, for 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 been going on in SEC country!
this weeks sec Stories
Alabama Meltdown
Tuscaloosa, AL
Alabama Head coach Kalen DeBoer found out last season what it was like to be on the end of unhappy Crimson Tide fans.
Defeats to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Tennessee and finally Michigan in a Bowl Game left Alabama fans Crimson-faced.
However, DeBoer was in his first season & he got the benefit of the doubt to some degree. DeBoer largely came into this season with a relatively fresh slate. An impressive recruiting class and the bringing on board of Offensive Co-ordinator Ryan Grubb left the Alabama faithful in a positive mood.
Until Saturday.
worst possible outcome
I won’t replay the shortcomings of Saturday’s defeat, but suffice to say it was less about the result and more about the nature of the performance.
This is an Alabama team without the conviction of a Nick Saban team. Of course, that is easy to say. However, the truth is that last season and again in the first game of the season, Alabama looked like a shadow of its former self.
This has shaken Crimson Tide fans to their very core.
Stories of players – apparently from Boosters – running around their hotel at 1 am ordering fast food have done the rounds recently. DeBoer’s less formal, convivial style has proven less popular with the fans, who are now calling out the lack of discipline the team is exhibiting on the field.
Dare I say that all that is happening off the field may have been tolerated if the team were winning? But it is not, so the Head coach and his coaching staff, as well as the players, are being criticised heavily by the fans.
a head coach under pressure
It’s not hyperbole to say that DeBoer’s position is under threat. Yes, even after only one game. Radio call-ins and local media sites were swamped with fans looking for him to be replaced. Soon after, media outlets started to publish the cost to replace DeBoer this season by terminating his contract ($69m if you were curious). It’s that serious.
So on Wednesday’s SEC Head coaches teleconference, DeBoer was asked about his relationship with the Tuscaloosa booster base – the true power brokers in this game.
Speaking on the SEC Head coaches weekly teleconference, DeBoer was asked directly about the “growing concern from boosters about the direction of the program”. DeBoer responded,
“I think we’ve got a good football team that can do some big things still this year…but we got to prove and we got to go do it. But to your point, it’s me just being able to focus on football”.
Which is coach-speak for ‘leave me alone and let me get on with my job.’
Up next for the Crimson Tide is Louisiana Monroe on Saturday. And some trivia for those interested in the history of the game.
On 17th November 2007, ULM travelled to Bryant Denny to face a Crimson Tide team in Nick Saban’s first year in charge. On that occasion, the Warhawks shocked the world by beating Alabama on their own patch.
Anything less than a resounding win will not bode well for Saban’s successor.
Kelly takes one for the team
Baton Rouge, LA
Hands up if you saw LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly take a tumble on the sideline on Saturday during the game with Clemson. By now I expect that you all (y’all) have seen the clip, but during Kelly’s midweek press conference with LSU beat media, Kelly was having none of the jibes aimed at him, if only in jest.
“I took one for the team” said Kelly in response to a question about his fall from Matt Moscona of ESPN Baton Rouge.
“I headed the other way” said Kelly to avoid contact with the referee thus avoiding an automatic 15 yard penalty”, continued BK.
“I got up on my own without assistance….so don’t give me any of that sixty year old bulls**t stuff” laughed Kelly as he wrapped up his presser.
The Joe Flacco of College?
Oxford, mS
Yes, I know that Lane Kiffin gets a lot of print time on these pages. As we all know, Kiffin likes to make headlines. He is box office.
This week, Ole Miss take on the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. At Quarterback, Kentucky has the 24-year-old Zach Calzada. Now, Calzada has got around in college football. In fact, his first season at a collegiate level was in 2019 with Texas A&M. He then transferred to Auburn, then Incarnate Word, before his move to the Blue Grass State.
A journey which was not lost on Kiffin. During Wednesday’s SEC Head Coach Teleconference, Kiffin’s dry sense of humour was on full display.
“He’s thrown for like 9,000 yards… a guy who’s won a lot of games, played a lot, throws really well. It’s like college football career like they’ve got Joe Flacco now or something” quipped Kiffin.
Whether Calzada’s journeyman career is comparable to Super Bowl winning Flacco? We’ll leave that to Kiffin.
Razorbacks. Red Wolves. Little rock.
Fayetteville, AR
On Saturday, the Arkansas Razorbacks face off against the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Great, another rivalry game, I hear you say! Tell us about this rivalry, George!
I will. Except and brace yourself, folks, this is a brand new rivalry. Wait, what?
Yup, in the history of the State of Arkansas football, the Razorbacks and Red Wolves have never played each other in football. Which is quite something, given that Arkansas has played football since 1894 and Arkansas State since 1911.
This is an intriguing matchup with Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman facing off against Butch Jones, known for his stints at Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Alabama.
This game will be played in Little Rock, Arkansas, at War Memorial Stadium.
While this is the start of a new rivalry, it marks the end of an era for football being played at Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The University of Arkansas has played football in Little Rock since 1948; however, the contract to play games is coming to an end.
Razorbacks Head Coach Sam Pittman feels that it’s time to bring games back to Fayetteville and expressed that view vociferously in Atlanta during Media Days.
It’s also worth pointing out that if fans of both teams have looked forward to this matchup for a long time, it will be a long time before the game is played again. The Razorbacks’ football schedule is set through 2031, meaning there won’t be an opportunity to play the Red Wolves again this decade!
media days chit chat
Atlanta, GA
As I said last week, I thought it might be interesting to drop in some of the chatter that came from SEC Media Days in Atlanta.
Of course, when it comes to making headlines, we know that Ole Miss Head coach Lane Kiffin will never be far away.
During the offseason and specifically during the recruiting period, much had been made of Kiffin’s social media barbs at Auburn Head Coach, Hugh Freeze.
Freeze had come under fire for the amount of golf he had been playing during the signing period. Some had built the banter between the two into a “feud”. So, of course, Kiffin was asked about it in Atlanta in front of the assembled media.
“I have a thing with him going back a few years ago when he posted a picture in response to me of like some two pound bass or something like that” said Kiffin.
“So I kind of always posted bigger-fish pictures back towards him. Had nothing to do with his golf game, which sounds like he’s doing amazing at that” which caused a ripple of laughter around the room before continuing.
“That’s great for him”. Just as there was a pause for the next question, Kiffin added…
“And I was fishing yesterday in the dead period, by the way”.
Classic Kiffin.
Week Two Schedule
Across the SEC
Week One brought us excitement, drama and disappointment! The long build-up to the season meant expectations were high, perhaps too high for some sets of supporters.
There are fewer high-profile games this week, but there are still many interesting and intriguing games to watch out for.
I’ve already touched on the Arkansas rivalry game and Ole Miss visiting Kentucky.
But another rivalry game, which has been reinstated, is the visit of the Kansas Jayhawks to Columbus to face the Missouri Tigers.
This game, called The Border War, was played for 93 consecutive matchups before being paused in 2011. At that point, it was the second most-played match-up in the FBS record books.
So there is plenty for us to get our teeth into this weekend!
Here are this week’s games, which feature SEC teams (all kick-off times are local time). Stats from SEC Media.
Week Two
(2024 Record)
San Jose State (0-1) at Texas (0-1, 0-0 SEC)
Series: TEX leads, 1-0
11 a.m. CT • ABC
Austin, Texas • Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119)
Utah State (1-0) at Texas A&M (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: TAMU leads, 1-0
11:45 a.m. CT • SEC Network
Bryan – College Station, Texas • Kyle Field (102,733)
Austin Peay (1-0 at Georgia (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UGA leads, 1-0
3:30 p.m. ET • ESPN+ / SEC+
Athens, Ga. • Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium (93,033)
Ole Miss (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at Kentucky (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UM leads, 30-15-1
3:30 p.m. ET • ABC
Last: UK, 20-17 (2024 at Oxford)
Lexington, Ky. • Kroger Field (61,000)
Kansas (1-0) at Missouri (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: MIZ leads, 56-55-9
2:30 p.m. CT • ESPN2
Last: MIZ, 24-10 (2011 at Kansas City)
Columbia, Mo. • Faurot Field (57,321)
ETSU (1-0) at Tennessee (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UT leads, 1-0
3:30 p.m. ET • ESPN+ / SEC+
Knoxville, Tenn. • Neyland Stadium (101,915)
USF (1-0) at Florida (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UF leads, 3-0
4:15 p.m. ET • SEC Network
Gainesville, Fla. • Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
Arkansas State (1-0) at Arkansas (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: First Meeting
4 p.m. CT • SEC+/ESPN+
Little Rock, Ark. • War Memorial Stadium (54,120)
South Carolina State (1-0) at South Carolina (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: SC leads, 3-0
7 p.m. ET • SEC+/ESPN+
Columbia, S.C. • Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559)
Ball State (0-1) at Auburn (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: AU leads, 3-0
6:30 p.m. CT • ESPNU
Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (88,043)
Louisiana Tech (1-0) at LSU (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: LSU leads, 19-1
6:30 p.m. CT • SEC+/ESPN+
Baton Rouge, La. • Tiger Stadium (102,321)
Arizona State (1-0 at Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0)
Series: ASU leads, 1-0
6:30 p.m. CT • ESPN2
Last: ASU, 30-23 (2024 at Tempe)
Starkville, Miss. • Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (60,311)
Michigan (1-0) at Oklahoma (1-0, 0-0 SEC)
Series: OU leads, 1-0
6:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: OU, 14-6 (1976 at Orange Bowl)
Norman, Okla. • Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (83,489)
Vanderbilt (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at Virginia Tech (0-1)
Series: VT leads, 6-4
6:30 p.m. CT • ACC Network
Last: VU, 34-27 [OT] (2024 at Nashville)
Blacksburg, Va. • Lane Stadium (66,233)
UL-Monroe (1-0) at Alabama (0-1, 0-0 SEC)
Series: UA leads, 3-1
6:45 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Tuscaloosa, Ala. • Bryant-Denny Stadium (100,077)
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.