Debate: Which SEC team is in greatest danger of a Week 1 loss?
Last year, the SEC season wasn’t four hours old when South Carolina’s illusionary dreams of an SEC championship got shattered into tiny bits by Texas A&M.
In 2015, SEC teams do not play a single conference game until Week 2. But, thanks to neutral-site, non-conference games against the likes of Wisconsin, Arizona State, Louisville and North Carolina, there are plenty of tough matchups.
For Alabama and Auburn, a loss would be crushing for potential national championship hopes, perhaps necessitating 14 consecutive victories, mostly against ranked opponents. For teams like South Carolina and Texas A&M, an early-season loss outside of SEC play could stir some nerves about finishing near the bottom of their respective divisions and perhaps having to scrap for bowl eligibility.
Then there’s Vanderbilt, which opened this summer as a three-score favorite against Western Kentucky. The Commodores are now a home underdog to the Conference USA program. Yikes.
So we asked our esteemed writers. Which one of those teams, if any, will fall during Week 1?
WHICH SEC TEAM IS MOST IN DANGER OF LOSING THIS WEEK?
Jon Cooper (@JonSDS): Texas A&M
The obvious choice here would be Vanderbilt, but I won’t bore you. WKU should beat Vanderbilt on Saturday. However, the other team that is most in danger of losing is the Aggies. Arizona State is a lot like Texas A&M, and the X-factor here is the Aggies’ defense. I still think TAMU wins Saturday, but things could get interesting if John Chavis’ defense doesn’t show up or doesn’t improve upon last year’s forgettable run defense. This is the game I’m most excited about, too, and it could turn out to be a high-scoring thriller.
Brad Crawford (@BCrawfordSDS): South Carolina
North Carolina is returning 10 starters on an offense that obliterated several school records last fall. Senior quarterback Marquise Williams is one of the better players at the position the Gamecocks will face this season and we don’t yet know how Jon Hoke’s defense will fare. I’m picking South Carolina to cover the 2.5-point opening line, but it’ll be a close game. The Gamecocks are one of several SEC teams with a handful of unknowns entering the season and I think the Tar Heels will make Steve Spurrier sweat in the fourth quarter.
Nick Cole (@NickColeSports): Vanderbilt
Let Vegas be your guide here. Though the Commodores are opening at home against a Conference USA opponent in what was likely considered a “win” when the game was scheduled, they find themselves as a slight underdog in today’s matchup. Western Kentucky is a dangerous offensive team, with quarterback Brandon Doughty (4,830 passing yards, 49 touchdowns in 2014) returning as a sixth-year senior. The Commodores still have a lot to prove under Derek Mason, and one of them is that they can beat an opponent of this caliber. During a winless season in the SEC in 2014, the Commodores’ only wins came against UMass, Old Dominion and Charleston Southern, none of which are quite as good as the Hilltoppers. The ghost of last season’s 37-7 loss to Temple, which was Vanderbilt’s third consecutive loss in a Thursday night opener in Nashville, is still lingering as well.
Kevin Duffey (@KevinDuffey): Texas A&M
Texas A&M. John Chavis will improve the defense, but it will take time. The Aggies defense was atrocious against Power 5 teams last season, and I’m guessing it won’t be much better to start the season. Arizona State won 10 games last season in what was considered a rebuilding year. The Sun Devils quarterback Mike Bercovici has been named as a Heisman favorite by some notable media members around the country.
This game will likely come down to which team can get some stops late, and I’m not overly confident that the Aggies will be the team to do that Week 1. Plus, this Instagram video of Bercovici showing off his arm strength should be worrisome for Texas A&M fans:
