Who doesn’t like schedule facts?
They’re quick, easy and most importantly … they’ll make you sound really smart when you drop them into casual conversations.
Let’s take a look at 10 interesting tidbits about Week 2 of the SEC schedule:
NOTE: Series records below refer to when both participating schools were major conference opponents.
- SEC teams hold a collective all-time record of 53-28-2 against Week 2 nonconference opponents. However, it’s Arkansas that makes up for the majority of that record, having an all-time mark of 43-23-2 against TCU. (The two haven’t played since 1991).
- The only SEC team with an all-time losing record against its upcoming opponent is Vanderbilt, which enters its Week 2 matchup against Middle Tennessee at 1-3. The Commodores won last year’s contest, 17-13.
- The six FBS nonconference programs playing SEC teams in Week 2 combined for a 5-1 record in Week 1. (Arkansas State lost vs. Toledo, 31-10).
- Georgia vs. Nicholls State, Texas A&M vs. Prairie View A&M, Ole Miss vs. Wofford and LSU vs. Jacksonville State will be the first-ever matchup between each of the programs.
- Arkansas, which travels to Fort Worth to play the Horned Frogs, is the only SEC team that has a nonconference road game this week.
- Florida will host Kentucky and South Carolina will play at Mississippi State for the only two conference games of the week.
- Speaking of UK-UF, the Gators currently own a 29-game winning streak over their East counterparts, which dates all the way back to 1987. That’s good for the longest in-conference streak in SEC history and tied for the fifth-longest winning streak over a single opponent in FBS history.
- Week 1 was one of the most challenging openers for the SEC in recent memory as it faced seven Power 5 and five Group of 5 teams in total, including five teams ranked inside the top 25. Overall, the conference finished an even 7-7. Week 2 is much different: four FCS opponents are on the schedule with TCU and Virginia Tech the only teams on the slate from a power conference.
- There’s only one SEC underdog this week in nonconference play, according to Vegas: Arkansas. The Razorbacks have opened as a 7.5-point underdog against TCU after barely sneaking by Louisiana Tech 21-20 in the season opener. Florida is a 16.5-point favorite over Kentucky, and Mississippi State (-6.5) holds the advantage over South Carolina.
- Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee is easily the best matchup that college football has to offer this weekend. Not only will ESPN’s College GameDay be at the scene, but the all-time NCAA record for attendance (115,109) will be shattered with an expected 160,000 fans filling the seats at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
