Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Alondra Villarreal
There is nothing better than SEC football. The Big Ten can keep Michigan vs. Ohio State. The Big 12 can keep Kansas vs. Kansas State. I’ll take LSU vs. Florida. I’ll take Auburn vs. Georgia. I’ll take people barking at children in Athens and Tiger fans shouting “Tiger Bait!” at strangers in Baton Rouge.
Saturdays in the South are unmatched, and with the SEC’s strength, every weekend delivers new storylines and must-watch moments across the conference. Here are three SEC storylines that you can look forward to this weekend:
What will LSU’s offense look like vs. SELU?
It’s not an SEC matchup, but it’s still worth paying attention to. Brian Kelly revealed Monday that Garrett Nussmeier is playing through a torso injury, and through the first three games, LSU’s offense already looks different from last season. Kelly says Nussmeier won’t be able to “shut it down” until the bye week, but I think the Tigers can get through Southeastern without him.
Michael Van Buren has SEC snaps under his belt, and LSU’s defense is strong enough to win this game on its own. Why risk your Heisman-contending quarterback in a non-conference tune-up?
Even if Nussmeier does play, the real storyline is what the play-calling will look like. This can also be an opportunity to try things in the run game and improve upon it in live situations. Either way, how LSU manages its offense this week will say a lot about how they plan to handle Nussmeier’s health moving forward.
Missouri = HOT, South Carolina = NOT
It seems like both of these teams are headed in completely opposite directions. Despite finishing the season 10-3 (5-3 in the SEC), the Missouri Tigers were unranked heading into this season, but just cracked the Top 25 after a 3-0 start. South Carolina, on the other hand, was ranked 13th in the preseason polls, but dropped out this week after a loss to Vanderbilt at home last weekend.
South Carolina’s issues start with the offense, which is currently ranked last in the SEC. They win their opener vs. Virginia Tech but LaNorris Sellers and the offense looked shaky against them, and Sellers suffered a concussion vs. Vandy, putting his play into question.
So here’s the storyline: can Missouri keep rolling, and can South Carolina find any sort of offensive rhythm? Even if Sellers plays, he’ll be facing a defense with confidence and an elite back in Ahmad Hardy, who already has 462 yards and five touchdowns. This feels like a chance for Missouri to prove that they’re a winning program, and a moment of truth for South Carolina’s season.
Jackson Arnold’s Return to Norman
This has revenge game written all over it for Jackson Arnold. Oklahoma is off to a very strong start this season and is playing really well on both sides of the ball. Their defense is ranked 1st in the SEC, and John Mateer has been brought up a lot more in Heisman talks.
Auburn is also off to a good start, but more middle of the road in terms of where their offense and defense ranks in the SEC. Arnold has shown improvement since last year and has led Auburn to a 3-0 start. He will be heading into this game with a chip on his shoulder and a need for revenge, but will it be enough to get it done vs. the Sooners in Norman? And if that’s the case, could Arnold start entering the Heisman conversation?
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