The SEC went a very impressive 16-0 during week one of the college football season. While an impressive feat for the conference as a whole, it is a testament to how challenging the SEC's 9-game conference schedule really is. It is also a testament for how strong the Georgia Bulldogs have been the past two seasons, being back-to-back SEC champions.
While the majority of those week one games were destined to be lopsided from the beginning, week two is expected to be a much more telling week for the conference. While Georgia fans will be tuning in to the Western Kentucky game at 12:45 EST on Saturday, there are four other games to keep a close eye on throughout the day.
1. Oklahoma vs Michigan
Georgia's first, and maybe even biggest, test of the season is at home against the Oklahoma Sooners in week four. Sooners quarterback John Mateer was on an elite stretch to kick off the season last year, gaining Heisman recognition by many before he suffered a hand injury that lingered throughout the year. Now fresh and with one of the best defenses in the conference, the Sooners travel to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines.
Despite nearly losing to Western Michigan in a controversial finish, Michigan is not a team to take lightly. It will be interesting to see how Oklahoma fairs in a road game environment against a tough defense in Michigan two weeks before they come to Athens.
2. Alabama vs Kentucky
Alabama's young team that only returns one starter on offense from last year faces their first road game of the season in Lexington. While many are surprised the spread on this game is only 10 points in favor of the Tide, it could definitely be even closer than that by the end of the game.
Kentucky is under new leadership and an elite offensive-minded coach in Will Stein paired with talented Notre Dame transfer quarterback Kenny Minchey. It will be interesting to see how comfortable this Alabama team looks in a hostile environment and their first SEC challenge of the season, and a loss for Alabama could have aajor impact on the SEC Championship race.
3. Ohio State vs Texas
Every eye will be on the Ohio State and Texas game, not just Georgia fans. However, other than Ohio State and Texas themselves, this game arguably impacts the Bulldogs the most. If Texas wins in Austin, Georgia could leapfrog Ohio State and become the No. 1 team in the country next week. However, Texas winning also means Georgia could have a serious threat at the top of the conference.
Either way, this game will say a lot about the state of these two programs looking to compete for a National Championship.
4. Arkansas vs Utah
Georgia's first SEC test of the season will be against the Arkansas Razorbacks in week three. This Saturday, Arkansas will face a tough challenge in 20th-ranked Utah Utes.
Arkansas has a mobile quarterback in KJ Jackson, who had a solid performance week one with three touchdowns. However, they also played North Alabama.
Kirby Smart and company should get plenty of tape on Arkansas after this game. It will be interesting to see if this team is legit under new head coach Ryan Silverfield, or if it looks to be the same team that went 2-10 a year ago.
Add us as a preferred source on Google