Well that was a good chess match.
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss was the one and only SEC vs SEC game in Week 2, and both Mark Stoops and Lane Kiffin knew the other inside and out during Saturday’s game. Stoops knew that Kiffin would want to score fast and score early, because UK wouldn’t be able to keep up.
Kiffin knew that Stoops would want to slow the game down to a slog in the mud, because the lower the score the easier it would be for UK to grind the win out with their defense and special teams. Both made
their moves and countered the other’s throughout the game, but in the end, Ole Miss was the victor, as the ability to move the ball and score touchdowns was not wholly taken from them, they tightened up on turnovers after a disastrous first quarter in the passing game, and UK failed to score in the red zone one too many times. Checkmate.
Like all skilled chess matches though, it was a good game.
1. LSU (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 1.
The Tigers defeated LA Tech very slowly. They led 10-0 at half, and won 23-7. Good defense by Tech I guess, because I would’ve expected both teams to score at least double what they did.
2. Tennessee (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 2.
No problems for the Vols this week, giving up 17 points to the FCS’s East Tennessee State. 17 points? Yes, that is allowed when you yourself score 72.
3. South Carolina (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 3.
The Gamecocks faced off in an epic battle against archrival South Carolina State on Saturday night. Actually they’re not archrivals—SC State is an FCS school that never came within a mile of winning.
4. Auburn (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 4.
Auburn got an easier game for it’s home debut, rolling Ball State 42-3. One more cupcake next week against South Alabama and then it’s on the road at Oklahoma.
5. Ole Miss (1-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 6.
And the Rebels leap to the top of the SEC standings! Front-runners for the SEC championship! Ok, not really, but if they miss the CFP again this year they can’t blame Kentucky.
6. Oklahoma (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 15.
The Sooners beat Michigan in the only ranked vs. ranked game of the weekend, and also leapt from 15th to 6th in the power rankings because of it! Big win for OU.
7. Mississippi State (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 8.
In 2024, the Bulldogs went 0-8 in the SEC and also lost to Arizona State and Toledo in the noncon. Well this is their revenge tour! How do you like ‘em now, with a pounding of Southern Miss on the road and a cowbell-clanging home upset of #12 Arizona State? Still all noncon, though. SEC record’s still 0-0.
8. Missouri (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 13.
Impressive, impressive! Rivalry brought out the best in the Tigers as they lit up the scoreboard and knocked out Kansas 42-31.
9. Texas (0-0, 1-1)
Previous Rank: 5.
Arch Manning hit a few more touchdowns this week. Actually he hit four in five minutes.
10. Alabama (0-0, 1-1)
Previous Rank: 9.
Alabama defeated UL Monroe 73-0. Could it be that they thought if they won by enough domination it would count as two wins?
11. Texas A&M (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 10.
The Utah State Aggies scored 22 Saturday. The Texas A&M Aggies saw their 22 and doubled it. A good day to be an Aggie and a bad day to be an Aggie, depending on which state you’re an Aggie in.
12. Vanderbilt (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 16.
Impressive win over Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt! As a reward, let’s jump you ahead of Georgia. At least your 2-0 record has a game against a power conference team.
13. Georgia (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 11.
The Bulldogs won against another cupcake. As reward for playing a cupcake two weeks in a row, weather delayed the conclusion of the game by several hours.
14. Arkansas (0-0, 2-0)
Previous Rank: 14.
Like South Carolina, Arkansas played the school that has the same name as them but with the word “state” on the end. Sometimes that means you’re playing the #1 team in the country (Ohio State), but like for the Gamecocks, not in this instance.
15. Kentucky (0-1, 1-1)
Previous Rank: 13.
Not a lot of other SEC teams lost Saturday, since only the Wildcats and Rebels were given a conference game while most of the rest of the league got to laze their way to 73-0 wins or something. But they don’t drop down to last, because someone else lost at home in a much more unexpected fashion…
16. Florida (0-0, 1-1)
Previous Rank: 7.
“Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Florida loses at home to USF!” Yep, in the biggest upset of the young season, the 13th-nationally ranked Gators lost in The Swamp to the South Florida Bulls, who were fresh off an upset of Boise State in the week before. Final score was quite unique too: 18-16, with a safety proving to be extremely costly for the Gators. Welcome to 16th place, Florida.
