:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69821865/usa_today_16689162.0.jpg)
Week one of college football is (almost) in the books, and once again it was a mostly raging success for the SEC. Tennessee kicked things off on Thursday with a 38-6 win over Bowling Green, so we got to watch everything else unfold on Saturday.
Around the SEC
Alabama blew the doors off of Miami, as expected, to kickoff the Bryce Young era with a 1-0 mark. The Crimson Tide were replacing Mac Jones, Najee Harris, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, and well, it didn’t seem to matter. Nick Saban’s death machine marches on.
Georgia held on to beat Clemson in a true defensive struggle, snagging a pick six to make the difference. The Bulldogs were so strong defensively, completely shutting the Tigers down in a pivotal non-conference matchup. It’s going to be interesting to see if Clemson can rebound and find enough resume wins in the underwhelming ACC.
Kentucky beat Louisiana-Monroe 45-10, which isn’t that big of a deal, but the story was their offense. The Wildcats showed a legitimate downfield passing attack, powered by new quarterback Will Levis. It’s very early, but this Kentucky felt different.
At Vanderbilt, somehow, things got worse. The Clark Lea era began with a blowout loss to ETSU, 23-3 to be exact. Tennessee has flirted with rock bottom before, but it seems like Vandy officially found it this weekend.
Another blemish for the SEC this weekend was LSU’s loss to UCLA in Pasadena. Chip Kelly’s Bruins are rolling to start the season, while LSU’s struggles from a year ago still seem to be hanging around.
Quick Hitters
Pitt got off to a 1-0 start on the year with a 51-7 win over UMass. They’ll visit Knoxville this week.
Former Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano earned the start for Washington State, but left in the first half due to injury.
Knoxnews with some early Pitt-Tennessee storylines
Week one still isn’t quite done, with Ole Miss-Louisville left. Lane Kiffin is out tonight after testing positive for COVID. CardChronicle has a preview.