Eight Days From SEC Football! - Part II

Here’s the second slate of SEC football games profiled for the first week of the college football season. Part I will be found HERE .

All games are EST and the rankings are from the Associated Press Top 25 .

August 31

Miami at Florida, 3:30 PM, ABC

Each of Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier needs to prove their respective football programs will ascend upward this season, as it’s Year 3 for each coach. Napier’s hot seat could become quite warm in fact, if the Gators lose to the Canes.

Quarterback Graham Mertz comes back after completing 72.9% of his passes and has Arizona State wide receiver transfer Elijhah Badger adding to a speedy wide receiver corps that includes Eugene Wilson III.

Cam Ward comes to Miami from Washington State and is expected to be one of the ACC’s best quarterbacks. The Hurricanes possess a talented roster but mental errors thwarted their efforts last year, much like UF. Will the Gators or Hurricanes play more sound football and win this contest?

Colorado State at #4 Texas, 3:30 PM, ESPN

After reaching the College Football Playoff in 2023, Texas has a chance to become a perennial national contender. The Colorado State team should not be a major challenge for Texas but there’s than just the final score to discuss.

Texas needs to figure out its running back situation after season-ending injuries besieged Cedric Baxter and Christian Clark. There’s also getting Alabama transfer receiver Isaiah Bond in sync with quarterback Quinn Ewers, and figuring out the defensive tackle situation after losing two NFL players at the position after the 2023 season.

Old Dominion at South Carolina, 4:15 PM, SEC Network

Will the Gamecocks show life after last season’s 5-7 finish? It’s a huge season for Shane Beamer. Another subpar season could place him on a scorching seat if it does not get him canned after this season.

To help South Carolina’s cause, running back Raheim Sanders comes over from Arkansas after rushing for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 only to have an injury-plagued 2023 season. If he returns to his prior form, it will be huge for South Carolina.

Watch out for sophomore Jalon Kilgore at nickel. He is coming off a freshman season with 76 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and 6 pass breakups.

Eastern Kentucky at Mississippi State, 6:00 PM, ESPN+

Jeff Lebby takes over the Bulldogs and his high-flying offense will have former Baylor signal-caller Blake Shapen behind center. It might take a little while to get rolling in Starkville because of so many new players, but Lebby’s offensive mind is proven with stops at UCF, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma.

As for the Bulldogs on defense, fifth-year senior De’Monte Russell will be one of the leaders. He needs to take a step forward with his experience and prior production. Russell comes into 2024 after 24 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack, per CFB Stats .

Western Kentucky at #5 Alabama, 7:00 PM, ESPN

Year 1 of the Kalen DeBoer Era takes shape under the lights of Bryant-Denny Stadium. A few questions will be pondered during and possibly after the game.

How well does quarterback Jalen Milroe operate DeBoer’s style of offense, i.e. pro-style passing game where intermediate passes likely need to be made to flourish? Milroe is inconsistent during his time in Tuscaloosa and does far better with the deep ball than anything else.

Bama’s defensive front seven should destroy Western Kentucky, but how well does the unit gel, and will it be championship-level? Again, the talent is still outstanding despite transfers out of the program after Nick Saban’s retirement.