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Southern Exposure: SEC Week 1 recap, or getting the rust off

September 8, 2010  |  By Benjamin Miraski

Perhaps it is a good thing that the SEC choose to schedule a few “lesser” squads during their first week.

The rust after months without real game play seemed to be pretty thick based on the play during week one.

Forget that most of the games ended in blowouts in favor of the SEC squad. It was the beginnings that mattered. Watching new quarterbacks and running backs gaffe their way through the opening quarters in games against any team that was more difficult that Tennessee-Martin showed why this season may be the end to the title streak for the conference.

Take LSU, a top 25 team, playing against a North Carolina team that was missing almost all of their defense and their starting running back.

First, you should never be trailing in that situation. You need to run that team into the ground early.

And when you build a 20-point lead at halftime, it should not disappear to where you are sweating out the final minutes of the game.

You are a top 25 team. Play like it.

Maybe North Carolina is a lot better than they were given credit for if they could almost beat LSU with half of their backups bearing the brunt of the plays. Give all the credit to T.J. Yates for leading that team back. But LSU should be more than they showed. [Ed. Note: And how dare North Carolina to come that close to covering when this column went out on a limb to pick them. Finish the job!]

And let’s not forget the embarrassment that Jacksonville State caused Mississippi. No matter how far down you are in any season in the SEC, there is no excuse for losing to a Jacksonville State.

The Gamecocks came back from 21 down to shock the Rebels in double overtime. They did the smartest thing they could by going for two at the end of that second extra period, ensuring that the game would end then and there.

As an undermanned squad, trading touchdowns with the big boys wasn’t a trend that would last forever. It was the same tactic that Boise State used in the Fiesta Bowl when they beat Oklahoma. And just like then — although with less misdirection and on a smaller stage — it worked.

With that kind of opening, you have to wonder if Mississippi will win a game in the conference this season. After all, even Vanderbilt came close to beating a Northwestern team that has some talent is expected to cause trouble in the Big Ten.

Three final notes to close out this first week:

1. The John Brantley era could be painful for Florida fans: The Gator defense is clearly ahead of the Florida offense at this stage, through no fault of Brantley’s. But winning games, or at least getting leads, based on turnovers and defense stops doesn’t come as easily once conference season begins. Brantley looks like a slightly more mobile version of Chris Leak in the pocket. And we know how much Gator fans loved Leak.
   
   Brantley can throw but he isn’t going to be the dual threat that Tim Tebow was, and there is no chance of turning him into that. Expect to see Trey Burton sub in, much as Tebow did during Leak’s final year, when a few quarterback sneak yards are needed.
   
   
2. South Carolina could be a surprise winner in the East this season. Their performance against a top of the heap Conference USA squad was even better than advertised, and even Spurrier thinks that this is his best team yet. [Ed. Note: The MRI has been waiting for them to break through for 5 years now.] This weekend’s game against Georgia could go a long way toward determining which direction the Gamecocks (SEC version) are headed.
   
   
3. It is still surprising that Auburn didn’t cover the 31 point spread despite playing at home against a lesser opponent at night. The Tigers’ defense which should be strong considering head coach Gene Chizik is known for, get this, defense, allowed 26 points to Arkansas State. Who? Arkansas State.
   
   Perhaps the Auburn offense was just too good. Cameron Newton surely made a name for himself this week, accounting for 357 yards of offense and five touchdowns on the night. He orchestrated drives, if you can call them that, that were so quick the Tiger defense barely had time for a cup of Gatorade before they were back on the field.
   
   As a result, Auburn actually lost the time of possession game, holding the ball for almost nine fewer minuters than the Red Wolves.

Or maybe it was that pesky rust.

Either way, Southern Exposure had to shake off a little rust after the long off-season. We went 4-5 in games against the spread this week, thanks to Auburn, LSU, Vandy, Kentucky and Alabama playing a little too well for a little too long.

Posted September 8, 2010 11:30 AM

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