Week 1: Everyone’s a winner! (Except Vandy.)

Week 2: Yikes.

Here are 10 things I liked and didn’t like from the SEC’s second weekend of football in 2015.

THINGS I LIKED

1. The SEC’s superstar RBs played like superstars.

Georgia’s Nick Chubb (21 touches, 202 yards), LSU’s Leonard Fournette (159 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and Alabama’s Derrick Henry (6 rushing TDs in two games) were tremendous Saturday.

The Bulldogs, Tigers and Tide, respectively, leaned on those players. On a day that produced negative SEC headlines due to the failure to meet expectations, these three backs managed just fine.

2. The emotion and intensity at a checkered Neyland Stadium.

Whether you’re a VFL (Vol For Life) or you can’t stand Rocky Top, admit it: the SEC is a better conference when that program is strong and that fan base is engaged.

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Tennessee came oh-so-close to beating a ranked team, falling to Oklahoma in overtime after the Sooners deconstructed a 17-0 Vols lead. Result aside, a palpable energy and enthusiasm surrounded this team and this game in a way that has been missing since the Phillip Fulmer days in Knoxville.

Whether it was the Oklahoma player giving the crowd a one-finger salute, the verbal sparring between OU linebacker Eric Striker and UT coach Butch Jones, there were all sorts of signs that the Sooners took this program way more seriously than in 2014.

3. Jim McElwain setting a high standard at Florida.

You’ve seen the replay from several different angles by now. McElwain went ballistic in the face of Kelvin Taylor after the running back committed a penalty via a throat-slashing gesture.

Then he excoriated his team to the media after Florida’s 31-24 victory against East Carolina, during which the Gators got penalized 12 times after entering as a near-three touchdown favorite.

It may not be the most family-friendly image on TV, but it continues a theme that McElwain began the first day of fall camp. He’s setting a standard in Gainesville and letting everyone know that anything less than excellence will not be tolerated.

McElwain isn’t a media All-Star anyway. The fan base is going to respond to him under one condition: that he win football games. Taylor’s response to the public reaming suggests that the team has bought into the newfound accountability.

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It’s the right long-term play at UF, and a more important first step than whatever the team’s win-loss record is in 2015.

4. AP voters possessing the gumption to drop Auburn a dozen spots.

This is not how polls work, traditionally. Earn a high preseason ranking and then win early in the schedule, no matter how ugly, and you don’t fall more than a couple spots. Some years, it almost plays like a secret pact among college football blue-bloods.

That’s why I was pleased and a little stunned to find that the Associated Press voters gave the Auburn Tigers so many demerits for an overtime win against a very good FCS team in Jacksonville State.

There’s some way to rationalize this — the Gamecocks are a national championship contender at that level, many of Auburn’s skill players still are new and the Tigers were missing several defensive starters. But the bottom line is that coach Gus Malzahn’s team has played nothing like a national top 10 program during the first two weeks of the season.

Rather than waiting for Auburn to lose, which could happen in Baton Rouge this week, voters went ahead and docked the team in the polls. Oh, and Jeremy Johnson? He threw his fifth interception of the season and had a sixth called back due to an offsides penalty.

5. SEC East produces individual defensive standouts.

Here are just a few of the players and attributes catching my attention in a good way:

  • Jordan Jenkins’ proclivity for living in the backfield (5.5 tackles for loss vs. Vandy).
  • Skai Moore’s excellent pass coverage as a linebacker (an SEC-best 10 career INTs).
  • Kentrell Brothers’ enormous tackle rate (32 tackles in two games).

  • Todd Kelly Jr.’s two interceptions of Baker Mayfield to help hold Oklahoma to a single field goal deep into the fourth quarter.

  • Chris Westry’s disruptive SEC debut as a true freshman cornerback (sack, game-sealing INT, pass breakup in the end zone).
  • Jaylen Reeves-Maybin outplaying Striker, the OU linebacker (21 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, forced fumble).

6. The latest unveiling of SEC facilities upgrades.

One week after we rechristened Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Auburn debuted college football’s largest scoreboard and Kyle Field reopened after a two-year, $485 million renovation project.

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New toys for everyone.

7. Ole Miss’ vertical passing game.

Chad Kelly has become somewhat of an office favorite, in part because of his 2012 single in which he repeats his own name 32 times, mixing in repeated references to “touchdown” and “swag.”

(Chad Kelly on the field, yeah you know it’s swag. Touchdown every time that he throw a pass. He might just take off like he Michael Vick. Shake you for the touchdown, yeah you know he’s sick.)

There’s a reason that coach Hugh Freeze put up with an arrest outside of a bar in Buffalo, then handcuffed himself to the quarterback for a spring break mission trip.

Jim Kelly’s nephew committed to Ole Miss already with two strikes. Freeze crossed his fingers, held his breath and refused to award a third. Now the season his here, and Ole Miss is averaging 74.5 points per game. That’s more than the Rebels basketball team put up last season (72.8 ppg).

The Landshark defense remains formidable even without defensive tackle Issac Gross (neck surgery). The passing game is much more than Laquon Treadwell and Evan Engram. In Kelly, this team appears to have a budding star who can ignite the vertical passing game.

8. LSU’s use of run blitzes to contain Dak Prescott.

Last year, Prescott ran 22 times for 105 yards as Mississippi State upset LSU in Baton Rouge.

This year, Prescott ran 10 times for minus-19 yards as LSU held off Mississippi State in Starkville.

The Bulldogs offensive line isn’t nearly as nasty this year. Still, this was a great strategic move from the Tigers, and linebacker Kendall Beckwith executed it well.

This was an ideal showing for coordinator Kevin Steele, not exactly embraced by the fan base after Texas A&M stole John Chavis. After all, the last time Steele coordinated a defense, West Virginia put up 70 points on his Clemson unit.

True freshman Arden Key also looked like an instant SEC contributor as a pass rusher. The LSU defense made life tough on Prescott all night.

9. The decision to let Texas A&M QB Kyle Allen run the offense.

Hardly anyone expected the Aggies to contend for the West Division title in 2015. A 38-17 neutral-site win against a ranked opponent was a great way to start the season last week, and coach Kevin Sumlin almost was beyond reproach after that one.

Almost.

I still felt like the team did a disservice to Allen by inserting true freshman Kyler Murray for multiple drives against Arizona State with the outcome still in doubt. Though he electrified with a few scrambles, it was obvious that as a passer, Allen is far ahead at this juncture.

Texas A&M is fortunate the move didn’t cost them, but the Aggies perhaps could’ve put away the Sun Devils sooner. The team took a lesson from that game and let Allen operate without interruption Saturday, allowing him to build a 42-3 second-quarter lead against Ball State before getting Murray some snaps.

For now, the team is better with Allen running the ship. It was smooth sailing for the sophomore Saturday (10-of-13, 126 yards, 3 TDs).

10. Alabama’s return to its 2012 formula.

Coach Nick Saban expressed displeasure with the Tide’s offense against Middle Tennessee State, particularly the passing game. Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman combined for OK numbers, but the stats don’t illustrate the start/stop nature of the game.

The two interceptions would loom larger against a quality SEC opponent — like, say, Ole Miss next week — and the combined 312 passing yards were deceiving, as just 114 of those went to wide receivers.

Alabama strayed from its typical formula last season, outscoring opponents and using some tempo offense on the way to yet another SEC championship. This year, it appears that the team’s identity, which still is emerging, skews toward the ’11 and ’12 national title teams that relied on a strong running game, a stifling defense and more risk-averse play calls.

With players like Derrick Henry, Kenyan Drake, Ryan Kelly and Cam Robinson on offense, and one of the best front sevens in college football, the formula makes sense.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

1. The SEC’s encore performance after a huge Week 1.

A 12-1 opening weekend boosted the conference to 10 ranked teams. But if ESPN were to slap one of those silly labels on Week 2 in the SEC, it would be “Disappointment Weekend.”

To wit, in order of greatest disappointment:

  • Auburn, as a 47.5-point favorite and a top 10 team with College Football Playoff hopes, nearly became the second-ever program ranked that high to fall to an FCS opponent (Michigan-Appalachian State). The Tigers held off Jacksonville State in overtime.
  • Arkansas, a national media darling entering the year, looks like a potential giant dud. The Razorbacks managed just 12 points against MAC opponent Toledo and suffered an embarrassing 16-12 loss.
  • Tennessee blew a 17-point advantage and a chance at a “we’re back” statement on national TV.
  • Missouri, the two-time defending SEC East champs, escaped with a seven-point win at Sun Belt foe Arkansas State, 27-20. What is going to happen when the Tigers travel to Georgia?
  • One week after a 61-13 dismantling of New Mexico State, Florida labored to a 31-24 squeaker against a depleted East Carolina team.

2. No SEC vs. FBS games until 3:30 p.m. ET.

Week 1 didn’t feature a single SEC game. Week 2 featured a single noon game, and it involved an FCS team. What the heck, schedule-makers?

We finally got our first SEC matchup as Georgia traveled to Vanderbilt for the afternoon CBS game. Luckily, the SEC schedule will pick up steam just about every week from here.

3. Kentucky not getting Boom Williams enough carries.

The Wildcats run an Air Raid offense. The production comes from the system more than it comes from individuals. I get that.

Now that we’ve gotten the preliminaries out of the way: Kentucky coaches, what are you thinking? Boom Williams is your best offensive skill player. And yet as a true sophomore, Williams still is looking for his 100th career carry.

By contrast, here are some other current sophomore SEC running backs and their career carries.

  • Nick Chubb, Georgia: 254 carries.
  • Leonard Fournette, LSU: 215 carries.
  • Jalen Hurd, Tennessee: 237 carries.
  • Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt: 255 carries.

Williams is averaging 7.4 yards per carry for his career. Yet he’s gotten 15 carries just once, running 18 times for 126 yards against Louisville last year. Despite that, he’s broached the 100-yard mark four times in the last five games.

It’s time to feed “Boom” the ball and turn him into a star, especially if UK wants to continue to disturb the order of balance in the SEC East.

4. Butch Jones’ conservative mindset against Oklahoma.

SEC fans forget that Tennessee entered this game as a home underdog. The Sooners likely would’ve been close to a touchdown favorite in Norman, Okla. And UT was missing three defensive starters due to injury or suspension.

The Volunteers had something to prove in front of a raucous Neyland Stadium crowd in an evenly-matched game. How many times have we seen the most aggressive team win in that scenario?

After forcing Baker Mayfield into an opening-drive interception and facing a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Jones elected to kick the glorified extra point for three instead of playing for a touchdown. At the end of the first half, with an opportunity to add to a 14-point lead, Jones elected to play it safe.

If Tennessee had won, we probably wouldn’t be underscoring those decisions, and others like them. But the Vols failed to press an advantage and couldn’t deliver the knockout. I didn’t like the mindset from Jones.

5. So many potential 2016 NFL first-round picks not playing.

NFL scouts flock to the Southeast each year for good reason, as the SEC always produces the most draft picks. This year is no exception, with a high number of potential first-round picks vying to impress pro personnel folks.

But, during Week 2, four of those potential first-round picks did not play.

  • Ole Miss LT Laremy Tunsil remains suspended due to a pending NCAA investigation.
  • LSU S Jalen Mills remains out due to a fractured leg.
  • Auburn DE Carl Lawson’s return from a torn ACL lasted less than one game, as he missed Saturday’s contest due to a hip injury.
  • Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III “tweaked a knee” before Saturday’s game and did not play.

All four players could return as soon as this weekend. But that’s a lot of top-end talent sitting (or standing) on the sideline.

6. Arkansas’ insistence on throwing the ball.

The Toledo Rockets were not afraid of quarterback Brandon Allen. Not as the team’s defense shoved extra defenders in the box and dared Arkansas to throw over the top all game. And not late in the fourth quarter protecting a 16-12 lead.

Allen threw for 412 yards, a career high. But Arkansas — a team that last year featured two 1,100-yard rushers and the largest offensive line in football, NFL or college — largely abandoned the running game.

If before the season I would’ve predicted that Arkansas would throw 53 passes in a loss to Toledo, Razorbacks fans would’ve hounded me for weeks, and it may have precipitated a trip to a psychologist from concerned friends.

But here we are: coach Bret Bielema, he of the Big Ten background and stubborn persona that glorifies offensive line play and hard-nosed football, let Toledo dictate to him whether or not the Hogs were able to run.

To be fair, senior Jonathan Williams is out with a broken foot, and Alex Collins did not practice much this week due to an infection. But Arkansas’ running backs ran for 2.9 yards per carry Saturday against a MAC opponent. How will that play against teams like Alabama and LSU?

7. Defensive players continuing to lead with their head.

I’m looking at you, Lorenzo Carter. Did you really need to do that to Johnny McCrary to get the Vanderbilt quarterback to the ground?

Tee Shepard, was that vicious hit on the Fresno State receiver worth missing this week’s first half against Alabama?

Blake Countess, did they teach you that tackling form in the Big Ten?

8. Steve Spurrier getting kicked around by Kentucky.

Congratulations to the Wildcats. At this point I’d be mildly surprised if UK fails to win six games and secure a bowl invite.

But the “Spurrier has lost his fastball” sentiments never have looked more on point. Kentucky is 3-20 against Spurrier all-time, and two of those wins have come in the last 11 months. Some South Carolina players, including Brandon Wilds, questioned his play-calling after the game.

I’m not going to call for Spurrier’s resignation. A 70-year-old Spurrier whose best days are behind him still may be the best coach that South Carolina can obtain. And he’s just two years removed from back-to-back-to-back 11-win seasons with the Gamecocks, unprecedented in program history.

And don’t worry, Head Ball Coach. No need to add me to the “enemies” list. I’m not calling you a liar or suggesting you’ll retire in 2015. I think you meant it when you pledged this offseason to coach five more years or so. But if South Carolina loses a few more SEC tossups, and finishes 6-6 or worse, it would not be earth-shattering for that timeline to shorten.

9. The state of Mizzou’s running game.

Evan Boehm and Russell Hansbrough played through ankle injuries Saturday, though Hansbrough may not play vs. UConn next Saturday and wasn’t effective. Ish Witter and Morgan Steward also are nursing some dings.

The Tigers defense has proven solid even without a plethora of defensive line standouts from 2014. But last year, the team made it to Atlanta by combining great D with an effective ground game featuring Hansbrough and Marcus Murphy.

Mizzou has to hope that Hansbrough can get back to health and play like the guy who topped 1,000 yards in ’14 once we reach SEC play. But if the team must rely on quarterback Maty Mauk as the second-leading rusher all year, the Tigers’ chances of claiming the SEC’s second-ever divisional three-peat are slim to none.

10. D’haquille Williams, All-SEC candidate.

Auburn’s supposed No. 1 receiver ranks 44th in the SEC in yards per game, behind players like former Missouri walk-on running back Tyler Hunt and Vanderbilt backup tight end DeAndre Woods.

Five catches for 62 yards in two games — against non-conference opponents — doesn’t cut it. Especially not for a player who supposedly could become a first-round pick.

Jeremy Johnson hasn’t played well, but he doesn’t deserve 100 percent of the blame for Auburn’s offensive missteps.