For SEC fans, the beginning of college football… well, it’s a bit of a “meh” weekend.
Week 0 includes no SEC action and features only 5 FBS games, one of which is against an FCS opponent. But despair not– for the discerning SEC fan, Week 0 carries a fair amount of intrigue.
Let us help you find the stories to watch in the games of Week 0. Those games aren’t just 2 random teams squaring off — they’re 2 random teams in games with storylines that involve the SEC.
Top 5 Storylines for SEC fans in Week 0
Here’s the rundown of 5 storylines SEC fans should be watching in Week 0:
1. Iowa State-Kansas State and the battle for the Big 12
There’s no doubt where the most intriguing game of Week 0 lies — it’s the ranked showdown of Iowa State and Kansas State. The No. 17 Wildcats and No. 22 Cyclones each have outstanding veteran QBs who would make excellent dark horse Heisman candidates if either of their respective schools makes a CFP run. But what does it have to do with the SEC? Well, that CFP run.
Yes, the SEC can safely claim 3 CFP teams. The Big Ten will likely also claim 3. Add Notre Dame and the champions of the ACC, Big 12, and the top Group of 5 team. That leaves 2 spots open. Well, maybe it leaves 2 spots. A season ago, the Big 12 had 4 teams with 7-2 marks in league play. Arizona State outlasted Iowa State and grabbed the lone CFP spot. But that left Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado each a hair away from the CFP.
What would help the SEC? Dominance. If Clemson rolls through the ACC and is the clear sole top team, that helps the SEC. If somebody — frankly anybody — takes control of the Big 12 and eliminates the competition, that also helps the SEC. Who’s that team? Even for SEC fans who don’t care whether it’s a Cyclone or a Wildcat, pick your Big 12 favorite and hope they rock the league… for the SEC’s sake.
2. The return of Dan Mullen
Former Mississippi State and Florida boss Dan Mullen will be back in the head coaching ranks as UNLV faces FCS Idaho State. But what does that matter for folks who aren’t, say, Gator fans holding a grudge? Potentially plenty. Given the number of SEC head coaches on the hot seat (Oklahoma, Auburn, and potentially several others), if Mullen has a 10-win season with UNLV, he’s suddenly a very attractive head coaching candidate. An experienced head coach with plenty of SEC chops? If you’re a fan of a team that could make a coaching shake-up, a half eye on Mullen’s return to the coaching ranks is worth your while.
3. The Kansas game has major Missouri implications
Kansas takes on Fresno State in one of the lesser games of Week 0. The Jayhawks can probably be safely ruled out of the potential cluster that will be atop the Big 12. But where Kansas does have the potential to make things interesting is the tune-up for a Week 2 game (September 6) at Missouri. The Jayhawks aren’t an elite team, but dual-threat QB Jalon Daniels is an interesting playmaker. Seeing how Mizzou handles him should give a good read for how the Tigers will deal with a bevy of SEC passers who are similarly dual-threat standouts. The Tigers play South Carolina and LaNorris Sellers 2 weeks after the Kansas game. They’ll face Diego Pavia, Taylen Green and Marcel Reed.
Missouri is something of an unknown this year and how well the Tigers do or don’t handle Jalon Daniels should be an outstanding read for how they might fare in the SEC. Tiger fans (or fans of those teams with dual-threat QBs on Missouri’s SEC slate) should keep an eye on Kansas.
RELATED: Underdog Sportsbook is coming to Missouri this December! Here’s the latest info about the Underdog Sportsbook Missouri promo you should keep an eye out for.
4. The high-powered Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky and Sam Houston has a couple of reasons for SEC interest. Most directly, SHSU will play Texas on September 20 and WKU plays LSU on November 22. But it would be bizarre to consider the Bearkats as having an actual shot against the Longhorns or the Hilltoppers against the Tigers. The more immediate issue here is that Western Kentucky could be that Group of 5 surprise. The Hilltoppers and coach Tyson Helton eternally have a potent passing game with passers from Bailey Zappe to Austin Reed to last year with Caden Veltkamp. The new passer, Maverick McIvor, starred at Abilene Christian. His old offensive coordinator has come to WKU with him and the Hilltoppers have a puncher’s chance at that Group of 5 CFP bid.
5. Stanford and the bottom of the ACC
Lastly and most tenously, Stanford’s game with Hawaii could matter to the SEC. While the top of the ACC looks potentially competitive, with Clemson, Miami, and SMU, the prestige of the league as a whole could be better. A nonconference loss to Hawaii wouldn’t help the conference’s prestige and that could end up being a factor in, say, a fourth SEC team making the CFP instead of a third ACC team.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
