By: Cole Mantell (@lightningdragon)
Closer Than Close
There were more than a few fantastic games in the opening week of Season 22 and the SEC had their fair share. It started opening night with Florida edging out Penn State by 4 points. Then, on Tuesday, Auburn’s great regular season streak was broken as Florida State beat Auburn 37-30 in another incredible matchup. To follow that, on Wednesday we had two great games involving the SEC, with Alabama coming from behind to beat Michigan 35-29, while at the same exact time, Georgia would lose to Michigan State in a 52-46 shootout. Finally, on Thursday, Kentucky would lose by 3 to Miami in another shootout, 65-62, in the debut of their new AD. Meanwhile, Tennessee would hold on late to outlast Notre Dame and beat them for the second straight season.
All six SEC teams were involved in a one-score game, the first time I’ve ever seen that happen. This showcased just how competitive the CFSL has become. The conference went 3-3 in those games, a slight downturn from the dominant start the SEC had in Week 1 last season. It was a week of close games as well, as only 3 of 12 of the games in Week 1 were decided by more than one score. We will keep an eye on this trend, and see if this trend continues, or if there will be a few more teams establishing themselves on the scoreboard as the season continues.
Auburn’s Streak Is Done
Speaking of Auburn, the legendary streak has finally finished. Since joining Auburn before Season 20, AD Justin Duke has won his first 16 regular season games in a row. Before Monday night, Auburn’s last regular season loss was a 44-21 loss to Alabama to close out Season 19. That was on March 1, 2024. Auburn, to repeat, went over 9 months without losing a regular season game. In a league built for parity, with only the exception of maybe Notre Dame’s dynasty over 10 seasons ago and Oklahoma State’s 6 seasons ago, there was almost no repeatable example of a team like Auburn.
However, that run is now over. What a great game it was. Auburn and Florida State are not new foes on the field, having played each other frequently in non-conference recently. This time, Florida State wanted some revenge for a 56-3 mercy last season. Auburn led throughout the contest, entering the 4th quarter with a 30-14 lead. However, in his first career appearance, FSU QB Bear Michaels led FSU to a 23-point 4th quarter to seal the 37-30 win. It’s a statement win for FSU as they begin a new era.
While Auburn, now technically last in the SEC by the way, looks to right the ship, there is one silver lining. Both perfect regular seasons under Justin Duke have not led to a championship. Maybe, after getting their loss out of the way early in non-conference play, Auburn can break their playoff curse and win their first National Championship since Season 6.
Tennessee Holds Strong Over Notre Dame Again
For those who remember, I featured Tennessee in Week 1 of the last season of this series as well. I talked strongly about Tennessee’s big win over Notre Dame. I talked about how this win might have been the biggest in Tennessee’s history, at least since returning to the CFSL. I talked about how this big win could be a launching point for the school to return to relevance nationally if the cards played out correctly. Well, that didn’t really happen.
After that Week 1 win, Tennessee went on to lose 7 straight. They were competitive in a bunch of games last season, but they just weren’t able to put a complete game together and once again finished at the bottom of the SEC. Expectations are higher this season. Tennessee built up some talent and has reinforced areas of weakness in the offseason. They faced a Notre Dame squad that did much of the same, and it felt like a must-win game for both teams heading into the Thursday matchup.
In the end, Tennessee showed us something different than last season’s version of this matchup. While last season, Tennessee cruised to a crushing 48-23 win, this game was close throughout. While last season, Tennessee never let up and made sure to make a statement, here the Vols had to rely on some football luck and strong defensive play to hold a late one-score lead. In the end, Tennessee got the win, outlasting the Fighting Irish 38-31. It showed that the Volunteers can win close games. In a tough SEC, that is a valuable skill, one that Tennessee lacked last season. Will it lead to more wins? Only time will tell.
Players Who Stood Out This Week
We will start at Quarterback, where Kentucky QB TJ Cunnington again showed why he is one of the best QBs in this league. With 5 passing touchdowns and over 700 passing yards in the loss to Miami, Cunnington threw the third most passing yards in a CFSL game, ever. Funny enough, it wasn’t a school record, as former Wildcat great Moses King threw for two more yards in a Season 16 game against UGA.
Georgia HB Lane Easton was a monster in his team’s opener, rushing for 135 yards against Michigan State. He leads the CFSL in rushing yards after Week 1 and is looking to continue more of the same into next week.
On defense, Georgia had another standout on defense with SS Nic Lee. Lee had 16 tackles in the loss to Michigan State, leading the CFSL after Week 1. Georgia teammate CB Deshoun Catchings leads the CFSL as well with 7 TFLs. And to finish this section off, I’ll do something I don’t usually do, and highlight some great kicking. In that wild Kentucky loss, kicker Pierre Lavigne went 4 for 4 on Field Goals and 6 for 6 on extra points. Kentucky has had plenty of All-Americans in its history, but we might have a candidate for the first-ever Kentucky kicker All-American in Lavigne.
SEC Results Week 1
Florida beats Penn State, 31-27
Auburn falls to Florida State, 31-27
Alabama beats Michigan, 35-29
Georgia falls to Michigan State, 52-46
Kentucky falls to Miami, 65-62
Tennessee beats Notre Dame, 38-31
SEC finished with a 3-3 record this week in OOC play
SEC Schedule Week 2
Monday, January 13th, 2025
Auburn vs USC 6:30 PM CST (Twitch)
Wednesday, January 15th, 2025
Florida vs Oklahoma 6:30 PM CST (YouTube)
Clemson vs Alabama 8:30 PM CST (YouTube)
Thursday, January 17th, 2025
Texas vs Georgia 6:30 PM CST (Twitch)
Tennessee vs Oregon 6:30 PM CST (YouTube)
Colorado vs Kentucky 8:30 PM CST (YouTube)
Potential SEC Game of the Week
While it may be the easy answer, it also is the correct answer. Auburn vs USC pits the national champion against the team without the streak. How will Auburn respond? Can USC continue their winning ways? All on Monday night in prime time on Twitch. It’s going to be a great game with some intense storylines on the line. Honorable mention can go to Florida vs Oklahoma on Wednesday, featuring two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league pitted in a matchup of two veteran gameplanners. It should provide some great fireworks for the YouTube audience.
