3 must-watch games in the SEC's opening week
The SEC is up off the mat after failing to send a team to the national title game for the first time in nine seasons. The conference features eight top-25 teams, according to the AP’s preseason poll. Three of its premiere SEC West programs open the season at neutral venues with an opportunity to reestablish the conference’s dominance on a national stage.
An SEC program hasn’t lost a neutral-site opener since 2013 when Kentucky fell to Western Kentucky at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. The architect of that upset, Bobby Petrino, has another SEC program in his crosshairs Saturday.
No. 6 Auburn vs. Louisville at Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia) Saturday, Sept. 5, 3:30 pm ET, CBS
Will Muschamp may have been fired at the end of last season but he’s landed on his feet, to say the least. After a handsome payday, "Coach Boom" is now tasked with rebuilding an Auburn defense that fell apart at the seams last season (64th nationally).
Fortunately for the former Florida head coach, Carl Lawson returns to the Plains after a knee injury sidelined him in 2014. Lawson will team up with Montravius Adams and super recruit Byron Cowart, giving the Tigers some bite along the line. Modest gains defensively should be enough to keep Auburn in the SEC title race well into November.
Bobby Petrino will measure his retooled defense against a potential juggernaut on the fast track at the Georgia Dome this Saturday. Former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields joins fellow transfers Josh Harvey-Clemons and Shaq Wiggins on a Cardinal defense that may be one of the country’s best.
Auburn’s intimidating offense will be piloted by the much-ballyhooed true junior Jeremy Johnson. Duke Williams took over a handful of games last season and that was with Nick Marshall throwing him passes. With an added emphasis on the aerial elements of the offense, Williams could become a transcendent player in 2015.
It will also be interesting to see how Gus Malzahn utilizes an incredibly deep backfield, replete with difference makers. In the end, Saturday's game will showcase Auburn’s defensive improvements. That side of the ball will determine if it’s a tight game in the fourth quarter or a true coming out party for a revitalized Auburn team with national title aspirations.
No. 15 Arizona State vs. Texas A&M at NRG Stadium (Houston, Texas) Saturday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
The most recent news out of College Station came when A&M named Kyle Allen their starter for the upcoming season, but it will be John Chavis' Aggie debut that will garner the most attention in its opener. The legendary coordinator will look to patch up an abysmal defense that surrendered over 450 yards and 28 points per game last fall. Myles Garrett will need to star for the much-maligned unit if they hope to slow down the Sun Devils and their fifth-year senior quarterback Mike Bercovici.
Luckily for the fans in Aggieland, the A&M offense has a chance to be elite right out of the gate. Allen finds himself surrounded by one of the best receiving corps in the nation, headlined by Speedy Noil and Josh Reynolds. If their most recent bowl game is any indication, Allen has only scratched the surface of what he can achieve within Kevin Sumlin's high-flying offense.
Most troubling for the Aggies was that they forced just 13 turnovers last season, tied for last in the conference. That paltry stat will need to improve if they hope to challenge for the West title. Look for the turnover margin to play a key role in Saturday night’s game as well, with both offenses fully capable of lighting up the scoreboard.
No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 20 Wisconsin at AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) Saturday, Sept. 5, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
All signs point to Alabama playing multiple quarterbacks in its opener against Wisconsin. The Tide’s protracted quarterback battle has bled into September and it appears head coach Nick Saban is comfortable with more than one signal-caller seeing the field against the Badgers. Jake Coker has failed to seize the starting role for the second straight fall camp, opening the door for a handful of young passers. Alec Morris is making a late charge, but don’t count out true freshman Blake Barnett or the former Elite 11 quarterback David Cornwell.
The winner of Alabama’s quarterback derby will have the luxury of handing it off to Derrick “Tractorcito” Henry, a bell cow of a running back if there ever was one. When you team the Tide’s power running game with its stout defense, particularly in the front seven, it becomes clear they can outmuscle just about anyone on their schedule. A’Shawn Robinson and Reggie Ragland can reassert their dominance Saturday night against Wisconsin, a team whose identity is inextricably linked with smashmouth football.
As for the Badgers, their offense will run through Corey Clement, a junior ball carrier who nearly topped 1,000 yards on the ground in ‘14 as Melvin Gordon’s backup. Wisconsin’s defense flew under the radar nationally in 2014, ranking fourth in total defense. This season, they return eight players on that side of the ball. Saturday night’s game could be tight in the fourth quarter if Joel Stave gives the Badgers anything through the air, a dimension the Badgers sorely missed last fall.