OFFENSE

Ole Miss: A

Certainly the strength of the opponent has to be considered, but the Rebels are putting up historically great offensive performances through the first two weeks of the season. They’ve now scored 149 points in the first two games of the Chad Kelly era — speaking of which, it seems clear we can put to rest any lingering doubts about the Rebels’ quarterback position. Kelly was 20 of 25 for 346 yards and four touchdowns against Fresno State, leading the Rebels to more than 600 yards of offense for the second straight week.

Texas A&M: A

Not to be outdone, the Aggies followed up their attention-grabbing win over Arizona State with a 56-23 blowout of Ball State. It wasn’t even as close as the score might indicate. Texas A&M scored 28 points in the first quarter and led 49-3 at halftime. Kyle Allen was 10 of 13 with three touchdowns passing before giving way to freshman Kyler Murray late in first half, and the Aggies showed impressive ability on the ground, running 49 times for 270 yards.

Auburn: D+

The preseason hopes of the Tigers are fading with every interception Jeremy Johnson throws. The junior threw two more Saturday against Jacksonville State, bringing his total to five on the season, and giving Auburn plenty of reasons for concern. Running back Peyton Barber was the saving grace here; his 125-yard rushing performance was one of few things the Tigers offense could rely on, and his twisting, churning 9-yard reception on third down late in the fourth quarter set up his own game-winning touchdown run.

DEFENSE

LSU: B+

The Tigers weren’t flawless Saturday night in Starkville, but they looked much more like a vintage LSU defense than they did a year ago. The Tigers completely stuffed the Mississippi State running game and, just as importantly, were able to generate a pass rush. Hurting their grade somewhat, Dak Prescott had plenty of time to throw late in the game as the Bulldogs mounted a fourth-quarter comeback that fell just short — or more accurately, sailed wide right.

Missouri: B

Kentrell Brothers gets an A+. His 16 tackles and two interceptions were crucial in the Tigers’ too-close-for-comfort win over Arkansas State. The defense as a whole was much better in the second half when they yielded just 37 yards of total offense. But the first-half showing, which included 17 second-quarter points and 180 yards by Arkansas State, left more to be desired.

Tennessee: C

This grade is a combination of the Vols’ top-notch effort for much of the game and their ultimate failure in the fourth quarter and overtimes in a 31-24 loss to Oklahoma. Through three quarters, Tennessee’s defense was the star of the show, holding Oklahoma to 173 yards and three points. But it all came unraveled in crunch time, as the Sooners scored touchdowns on four straight possessions to overcome a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Georgia: B-

The Bulldogs got an electrifying 77-yard punt return for a score from sophomore dynamo Isaiah McKenzie, but a pair of missed field goals from Marshall Morgan were troubling.

Alabama: C

Speaking of kicking game woes: Alabama was predictably dominant in a 37-10 win over Middle Tennessee State, but Adam Griffith missed a pair of field goals, including a 24-yarder. It was of little consequence Saturday, but could be something to monitor going forward as the Crimson Tide gets set to take on Ole Miss next weekend.

COACHING

Kentucky: A

Two games into 2015, Mark Stoops’ Wildcats have proven a few things. Most importantly, they’ve proven they can win in close games, and they can win them in hostile environments in conference play. A week after holding off Louisiana-Lafayette at home, Kentucky scored a more meaningful win at South Carolina on Saturday. Again, the Wildcats watched a big lead dissipate in the second half, but made the plays they needed to make down the stretch to preserve the victory, forcing the Gamecocks’ offense into field goals on three straight trips and forcing a fumble which was returned for a score when South Carolina had a chance to tie on a two-point conversion.

Arkansas: F

Schematically speaking, there wasn’t anything the stood out as a huge gaffe by Bret Bielema or his coaching staff in the Hogs’ disappointing 16-12 loss to Toledo. Arkansas was simply — and surprisingly — beaten on both fronts all day long. But when a coach questions another team’s strength of schedule as Bielema did last week with Ohio State, he can’t come out and have is team completely unprepared to play against a lower-tier opponent. Bielema may be 100 percent correct abot the Buckeyes — time will tell — but it seems clear that shouldn’t be the concern of the Arkansas coach right now.

OVERALL

After a strong opening week, the conference took a bit of a hit in terms of national perception this week. Arkansas’ upset loss to a MAC team, Tennessee falling apart down the stretch at home, and Auburn’s near-miss with catastrophe will have many in the media questioning the SEC’s claim as clearly the best conference the country.