Week 2 SEC Roundup: Same 14-2 record for SEC teams, but more non-conference dominance
The strength of a conference is not just measured by wins, but also by which teams are losing. While the SEC went 14-2 just like Week 1, Week 2 of the 2025 college season went more smoothly for the conference because of which teams lost. Only the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats lost over the weekend. SEC fans can breathe a little easier about the strength of their conference after a barrage of dominant wins. Here are some takeaways from the weekend.
It just means more (ranked teams)
The SEC enters Week 3 with 11 ranked teams in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, more than any other conference. The Big Ten is second with 6 ranked teams. As flawed as the AP voting system may be, it’s not a bad thing when over half the teams in your conference are ranked. Currently, the following SEC teams are ranked:
LSU, No. 3
Georgia, No. 6
Texas, No. 7
South Carolina, No. 11
Oklahoma, No. 13
Tennessee, No. 15
Texas A&M, No. 16
Ole Miss, No. 17
Alabama, No. 19
Auburn, No. 24
Missouri, No. 25
Oklahoma gets revenge on the Big Ten in a statement win.
In one of Saturday night’s primetime games, Oklahoma beat Michigan 24-13 in Norman. After Texas sputtered Week 1 against Ohio State, Oklahoma’s win was a needed punch back against the Big Ten. Sooners quarterback John Mateer lived up to his star billing and rushed for 74 yards on 19 carries and 2 touchdowns to go with 21/34 passing for 270 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Running back Deion Burks was also dominant with 101 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries.
Besides Oklahoma’s offensive prowess (the Sooners went 9/17 on third down and 1-1 on fourth down), Head Coach Brent Venables’ defense was on full display on Saturday. The Sooners held Michigan to 3/14 on third down and just 288 yards of total offense. Wolverines freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood looked like a JV passer in Norman and went 9/24 with 142 passing yards and no touchdowns. Michigan’s frustrations boiled over onto the sideline with Underwood and Alabama transfer Justice Haynes nearly coming to blows and the two players needing to be separated by teammates. The Sooners have a tune-up this week against Temple before a showdown against Auburn on September 20.
Mississippi State shocks the college football world.
Before the weekend, it has been a tough road for Head Coach Jeff Lebby in Starkville. After a disappointing 2-10 season in 2024, there were few expectations for Mississippi State heading into 2025. On Saturday, Lebby and the Bulldogs got a signature win with a shocking 24-20 upset over No. 12 Arizona State at Davis Wade Stadium. After the victory, Bulldogs fans tore down the goalposts and carried them outside the stadium.
With 30 seconds left, quarterback Blake Shapen threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Brenen Thompson to secure the win. Shapen was excellent, going 19/33 passing with 3 touchdowns, no interceptions, and 279 yards. Thompson was a menace to the Sun Devil defense and had 6 catches for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Bulldog pass defense suffocated Arizona State and held quarterback Sam Leavitt to just 82 passing yards with 2 interceptions. The Bulldogs have a tune-up game against Alcorn State this weekend before another non-conference test on September 20 against Northern Illinois.
Texas A&M and Missouri impress against non-conference opponents.
Texas A&M trounced Utah State 44-22 in College Station. Marcel Reed went 19/28 with 3 touchdowns for 220 yards. The Aggies also scored two touchdowns from their running game, courtesy of running back Le’Veon Moss and a keeper from Reed. The Aggie defense smothered Utah State (who only rushed for 78 yards and passed for just 172 yards) with 6 sacks, 3 of which came from Cashius Howell. The Aggies have a big road test this weekend in South Bend against Notre Dame.
On Saturday, Missouri’s quarterback Beau Pribula answered some questions about his arm with a 41-32 win against hated rival Kansas. Pribula threw for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns on 30/39 passing attempts. Pribula’s day was especially impressive as Kansas naturalized his legs and held him to only 6 yards on 9 rushes. The Tigers’ two-headed rushing attack thrived with Jamal Roberts rushing for 143 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 carries and Ahmad Hardy rushing for 112 yards and 1 touchdown on 25 carries. Missouri also had dynamic receiving days from Kevin Coleman, who had 10 catches for 126 yards and 1 touchdown, and Brett Norfleet, who had 7 catches for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Although Missouri’s offense had a big day on Saturday, there are some questions about the Tigers’ ball security and defense. The Tigers had 2 fumbles against Kansas, one of which came from Pribula and was recovered for a Jayhawk touchdown. And while the Tigers had a safety and an interception, the Missouri defense allowed 226 passing yards and 2 touchdowns against a quarterback who has struggled to throw the ball well against Power 4 competition. Missouri has a relatively easy early schedule and won’t be tested until September 20 against South Carolina.
Napier is on the hot seat again in Gainesville
Billy Napier is once again on the hot seat after Florida suffered an 18-16 loss against USF. To be fair to Napier, the USF team he just lost to is a very good program coming off a Week 1 upset of Boise State. But don’t tell that to Gator fans, who are desperate to return the program to the prominence it once had under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
For Florida to get back on track, it is going to need more from quarterback DJ Lagway. Lagway threw for just 1 touchdown and 222 yards on Saturday and had 1 interception. The Gator receiving corps also needs to step up, as no Florida receiver had more than 60 total yards against USF. Florida needs to find answers quickly as it heads to Death Valley for a matchup against LSU on Saturday night.
Tough luck for Kentucky, but is Ole Miss overrated?
Kentucky Head Coach Bob Stoops appeared to use every club in his bag to try to knock off Ole Miss in an upset on Saturday. While the Wildcats battled Ole Miss hard, Ole Miss prevailed 30-23 at Kroger Field. Despite holding Ole Miss to 3/13 on third down, the Wildcat defense could not keep Ole Miss out of the end zone.
Saturday’s game also raises some questions about Ole Miss, specifically quarterback Austin Simmons, who went 13/24 for 235 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. If Ole Miss wants to get to the College Football Playoff, it will need much better production from Simmons and cannot just rely on running back Kewan Lacy, who rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown. Ole Miss faces 2-0 Washington State this weekend.
“Buy Game” beatdowns and a few questions
Overall, the SEC dominated a series of “Buy Games” over the weekend, but a few questions linger about Texas, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina. In several of these games, the SEC lit up the box score and took care of business against weaker opponents. Below are some of the final scores:
Tennessee 72, ETSU 17
Arkansas 56, Arkansas State 14
Auburn 42, Ball State 3
Alabama 73, ULM 0
While these finals were certainly impressive, there are a few potential red flags for Texas, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina.
Despite Texas winning 38-7 over San Jose State, there is some concern about Arch Manning’s right shoulder. Manning finished the day with 295 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception, but appeared to grimace and wince after short-arming this throw.
This was the same shoulder that Manning frequently stretched during the Ohio State game, and it is something to watch for as the season progresses. Manning likes to drop down to a sidearm angle on some of his throws, and one has to wonder if those different arm angles could be contributing to his discomfort throwing the football.
Georgia beat Austin Peay 28-6. While the Bulldogs appeared to be resting their starters before Saturday’s College Gameday matchup with Tennessee, it would have been nice for quarterback Gunner Stockton to find the end zone against lesser competition. Georgia will need Stockton to produce if it wants to make any run in 2025.
LSU beat Louisiana Tech 23-7 on Saturday. The lack of offense is somewhat concerning, considering the talent in LSU’s receiving corps and highly touted quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. The Tigers await a desperate Florida team on Saturday night and will need a much better offensive performance to emerge victorious.
South Carolina defeated South Carolina State 38-10. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers only threw for 128 yards against a much weaker opponent at home. This was a game that the Gamecocks should have dominated, and South Carolina was out-gained in total offensive yards by South Carolina State. Most notably, the Gamecocks only rushed for 125 yards and averaged 3.5 yards per carry. South Carolina will need to do much more against a hungry Vanderbilt team to win this weekend.
Stay tuned for TDR’s Week 3 SEC Round Up, which will come out next week!
