The SEC should not panic … yet. Week one was not delightful for the league as a whole, but there is a long way to go. In this age of the College Football Playoff, we have seen teams’ fortunes change in an instant.

  • LSU can rebound from the loss to Wisconsin. The Tigers need to be solely focused on winning the west and then in Atlanta. The obvious solution to the problem is finding more offensive productivity, particularly at the quarterback position. The distressing news for Tiger fans is that Les Miles and Cam Cameron have had all offseason to correct the issues, and only 14 points (seven of which came on an pick-six) and 257 yards of total offense.
  • Ole Miss played Florida State, a team that has the tools to play for the national title, dominantly in the first half. The Rebels couldn’t finish the job, but there is no doubting their ability to play on the big stage.
  • Auburn still has plenty of opportunities on its schedule to regain its footing. If this group of Tigers runs the table, they will have an opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff.
  • Mississippi State’s national hopes have been shattered. The Bulldogs now need to focus on getting to six wins so that they can play in the postseason.
  • Tennessee should be fine. They did not, after all, lose the game. They still have every goal within reach and if they defeat Virginia Tech and Florida, the Appalachian State close call will be but a distant memory.
  • With a coaching change, Missouri is in for a long season and will probably not make a bowl game. It’s never comforting to lose to a middle of the pack Big 12 team in West Virginia, but Mizzou fans must understand that it will be a long road back.

On the positive side for the SEC, Texas A&M beat a very good UCLA team; Alabama slaughtered 20th-ranked USC; and Georgia knocked off a talented North Carolina team.

 

After week one, here is who I think the top 10 teams in the country are and how they stack up. This is not a scientific ranking by any means, and it’s subject to change significantly by next week.

  1. Alabama (1-0)
  2. Florida State (1-0)
  3. Ohio State (1-0)
  4. Texas A&M (1-0)
  5. Stanford (1-0)
  6. Michigan (1-0)
  7. Clemson (1-0)
  8. Tennessee (1-0)
  9. Michigan State (1-0)
  10. Washington (1-0)