We made it, y’all. A football week has finally arrived.
No disrespect to Week 0, but you’re not Week 1. Week 1 is the time when the vast majority of college football fans get to flex their Saturday muscles in ways that they haven’t in the last 8 months. Cheers to that.
The SEC slate is excellent in Week 1. Lord knows there’ll be plenty of assumptions made based on that.
So what will be worth watching in Week 1 in the SEC? Let’s dig into that with a thought on each game:
Central Arkansas vs. Mizzou — The continued “QB battle” is a throwback move by Eli Drinkwitz
People forget that Eli Drinkwitz started the 2023 season by having a Week 1 battle between Brady Cook and Sam Horn. By game’s end, it was clear that Cook was the better option. That was the first game of a 21-5 run over the next 2 years. That’s why it’s not a concern to me that Drinkwitz chose to play it this way with Beau Pribula and Horn. He knows he’s got a schedule that allows for it. He’s not taking his team on the road to play Ohio State. Plus, Horn needs legitimate reps at this level. Now if both guys struggle vs. an FCS team, then we can panic about Mizzou‘s offense. Until then, don’t look too far into something that’s already been done before.
Auburn vs. Baylor — What’s Auburn’s offensive identity?
That’s the question that’s more pressing. I don’t care who calls what plays, and if Hugh Freeze plays any more than 1 quarterback for legitimate reps, well, let’s just say I’ll believe it when I see it. Jackson Arnold is returning to his home state with a national stage on Friday night. He can take advantage of it by looking like he’s more in control. Does he get rid of the ball quickly? Do Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton get the ball in space? Also, is Arnold a big part of this run game by design? Most importantly, does this offense finally look like it can carry its weight? Those are all going to be answered on the road against Week 1 against a Dave Aranda defense.
Texas vs. Ohio State — Alright, Arch. Show us what ya got
It’s not technically a debut because Arch Manning started 2 games last year, but his debut as QB1 will be the most scrutinized performance of Week 1. Duh. After all, he’s taking on the defending champs, who boast All-Everything safety Caleb Downs. How Manning navigates that in what’ll be an exceptionally hostile atmosphere will define some of those early-season expectations. There won’t be any sort of easing Manning into things for Steve Sarkisian. Does that mean the passing game will be nothing but downfield shots and throwing into tight windows? I wouldn’t bank on that. Texas will have to pick its spots. That means not leaving the young quarterback out to dry behind an offensive line with 4 new starters, and ideally, Texas isn’t calling Manning’s number for 10 designed runs in a season opener. What’s undeniable is that all eyes will be on Manning come high noon.
Tennessee vs. Syracuse (in Atlanta) — Expect sloppy offense
History tells us that it’s extremely difficult to be a post-spring quarterback transfer. Guess who has a post-spring quarterback transfer starting in Week 1? Syracuse and Tennessee. Against a pair of elite defensive minds, I’d expect Steve Angeli and Joey Aguilar to have plenty of sloppy moments. Both of these teams return less than half of last year’s offensive production, and both should go through a bit of an offensive transformation with their new signal-callers. It’s a bit of a surprise that the over/under is 50.5 (via BetMGM). I’d expect both of these defenses to load the box and force these quarterbacks and unproven receivers to do the heavy lifting.
Mississippi State vs. Southern Miss — If this has any Toledo flashbacks for Mississippi State, yikes
And by “Toledo flashbacks,” I mean the time when Mississippi State let Toledo waltz into Starkville and run it up 41-17. That can’t happen in the Year 2 season opener of the Jeff Lebby era. Not against a Southern Miss team in Year 1 with former MSU assistant Charles Huff, who inherited a program that went 1-11 last year. Mississippi State is desperate to find a pass rush. If it can’t do that in a game like this when it should have an advantage in the trenches, that’d be a brutal omen heading into SEC play. Alternatively, this could be an exhale of sorts for a team that went 2-10 last year.
Toledo vs. Kentucky — If this has any Mississippi State flashbacks for Kentucky, yikes
See what I did there? Yeah, this is a tricky way for the Cats to start 2025. It’s only a touchdown spread because Toledo whooped Mississippi State in Starkville last year, and it was picked to win the MAC this year. Meanwhile, Kentucky is just trying to show that it can move past a disastrous 4-win season. Will Zach Cazada look the part? And will UK’s ground attack show the versatility that’s been lacking in recent memory? That’s where this starts. If UK is going to have a bounce-back season, it will assert its will offensively in a game like this.
Marshall vs. Georgia — UGA’s run defense should have something to prove
Last year, Georgia’s run defense was maddeningly inconsistent. One week, it could make Texas look like it was UMass, and the next, it could make UMass look like, well, Texas. UMass running for 226 yards against Georgia in November was among the more head-scratching things I’ve seen in recent memory. It spoke to the bigger issue. Georgia’s run defense was atypically inconsistent. A group the finished in the top 2 against the run each season from 2019-22 suffered its worst season in that area since Year 1 of the Kirby Smart era. The chunk plays were costly. UGA allowed as many 20-yard runs last year (16) as it did in the previous 3 seasons combined. Turning that around starts against Marshall.
Alabama vs. Florida State — Can Alabama’s defense make Thomas Castellanos look like Scrappy Doo?
As in, Scooby Doo’s nephew who was all bark, no bite. That’s what Castellanos could look like by day’s end if Alabama’s defense is up for the task against the Gus Malzahn-led Florida State offense. What Castellanos might’ve overlooked was that while the 2024 Alabama didn’t have Nick Saban, it did have its best scoring defense since 2017. It also returns legitimate standouts at all 3 levels. While it might not have that bona fide first-team All-American like it often has, it’s a capable unit. Can Castellanos do what Jackson Arnold and fellow sub-6 foot quarterback Diego Pavia did to the Tide? That’ll set the tone for Alabama’s defense in 2025.
Alabama A&M vs. Arkansas — There’s nothing wrong with the Hogs running wild
It’s not going to be a day that defines the Sam Pittman era, but as we saw last year, Taylen Green against a team that can’t stop him is a sight to behold. He might attempt to hurdle the entire Alabama A&M defense. You can never rule that out with Green. Ideally for Arkansas, he gets a half of meaningful snaps and KJ Jackson gets some meaningful second-half reps. A 300-yard rushing day could be in the cards to kick off 2025.
Illinois State vs. Oklahoma — John Mateer’s path to avoid Jackson Arnold’s path begins now
Last year, Arnold’s struggles began with a shaky start in nonconference play. He was dealt a crummy hand with a banged-up offensive line and a receiver room that dropped like flies, but Arnold looked like someone who couldn’t attack downfield against favorable competition. Mateer is wired differently. One would think he won’t fall into a similar pattern given his experience, as well as the comfortability with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Mateer was more than willing to attack downfield during his season as Washington State’s quarterback. Doing that against Illinois State shouldn’t be a challenge, but note what type of freedom he has within the offense. If he looks like someone who’s too afraid to make mistakes like Arnold was, that needs to get corrected immediately.
Long Island University vs. Florida — DJ Lagway needs reps with these receivers, but there’s a line
That’s a tricky thing for Billy Napier to manage now. Lagway didn’t have the benefit of a normal spring because he couldn’t throw, and after he recovered from the shoulder injury, he and Florida’s receiver room had injury issues in fall camp. So what does Napier do with Lagway to get him comfortable? Does he have him throw 15-20 passes in the first half against an FCS foe? Or is this a game in which he’d like to preserve his signal-caller and not worry about the lack of reps he got in the offseason? Lagway needs reps, but above all else, he needs to be healthy for Florida to have late-season Playoff relevance.
UTSA vs. Texas A&M — How healthy does Le’Veon Moss look?
Coming off the torn ACL that he suffered against South Carolina, I’m curious how the preseason All-SEC running back looks. I wouldn’t expect a full workload because of the presence of Rueben Owens and Amari Daniels, but Moss has been at full speed in fall camp. Mike Elko would like to get him back out there to get his legs back a bit before the SEC schedule hits. The luxury is that with Owens, Daniels and an experienced offensive line, Texas A&M certainly won’t be desperate for Moss to do the heavy lifting early on.
Charleston Southern vs. Vanderbilt — Let’s see Diego Pavia air it out
I’d rather see Pavia develop that passing game than take a bunch of unnecessary hits on designed runs. Last year, he broke down a bit in the latter half of the season. He played through multiple injuries, and the Vandy offense was much more limited. Against an FCS team, I’d like to see a healthier Pavia stretch the field with Junior Sherrill and preseason All-American tight end Eli Stowers. That doesn’t mean 30 pass attempts should be in the cards, but let’s see the part of Pavia’s game that wasn’t on full display down the stretch in 2024.
LSU vs. Clemson — Are we sure that Clemson can stop the run?
I get that it’s a decorated defensive line that’s expected to do even bigger things with Tom Allen on board, but last I checked, Clemson allowed 250 rushing yards per game in its last 4 games, including 288 rushing yards against The Citadel. Two of those games were against SEC foes, which was partially why the Tigers were 0-3 vs. SEC competition. Against another LSU rushing attack with the promising Caden Durham, one would think that Brian Kelly would like to force Clemson to defend the run instead of pinning its ears back and testing LSU’s new tackles. If this turns into another LSU season opener that slips away because of a poor offensive game plan, Kelly will hear it from the masses. If LSU runs all over Clemson like everyone did last year, we should pump the brakes on putting the Tigers back into the national championship.
Georgia State vs. Ole Miss — Let’s see if Austin Simmons can make it look as easy as Jaxson Dart did
Dart often had an ability to make it look like he was playing against air. Against the Lane Kiffin offense, that’s probably how it feels for an overwhelmed defense. For Simmons, I’d expect a similar feel. Let’s not forget that while Simmons is getting his first career start, he’s in Year 3 in the offense. That’s different than when Matt Corral and Dart stepped into the QB1 role under Kiffin. That’ll give Simmons a leg up. He should be lighting up the scoreboard early and often in his starting debut.
Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina — It’s a big game for Shane Beamer, but it’s just as big for Mike Shula
It’s the Beamer Bowl, but this game matters a lot for Shula in his first game as South Carolina’s offensive coordinator. We’ve already seen LaNorris Sellers play at an elite level. If it looks like he’s regressed at all, the blame will go to Shula. He’s the one responsible for building on Sellers’ breakout season in Columbia. Facing a Virginia Tech team that was snakebitten in close games, those decisions could be magnified. Does Shula look like he’s putting Sellers in ideal spots with big throwing windows? Or does it feel like he’s being asked to put on his cape to move the chains all day? The latter would be entertaining, but it would be a frustrating way to kick off 2025.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Down South. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.
