Week 1 gave the SEC a clean opening act on the scoreboard, but Cole Cubelic wasn’t handing out identical grades across the board.
The ESPN analyst took to social media after the conference’s 16-0 start and offered a team-by-team read on what he saw, with some programs drawing praise for looking polished and others getting a sharper reminder that a win and a clean performance are not the same thing.
Alabama was one of the teams Cubelic singled out for the way it ran its offense in Keelon Russell’s first career start. He said the quarterback “operated offense well,” noted that most throws were on time, and pointed to the way Alabama mixed in timely called QB runs. He also added that the Tide “has to manage edges better moving fwd,” while praising Russell’s ability to extend plays and find answers after things broke down.
Georgia also earned a positive review. Cubelic said he “loved the mix on offense” and pointed to the Bulldogs’ ability to use quick game to extend the run game.
He also noted that Georgia showed it has “a few guys with juice that can handle it,” though missed perimeter and downfield blocks left more on the table. On quarterback play, he described the early work as accurate and deliberate.
LSU’s win over Clemson got one of the strongest labels of the day. Cubelic called it a “tone-setting” victory and said the offense was rolling.
He credited the quarterback with making “a LOT happen on his own,” while also noting the zone scheme picked up momentum as the game went on and the backs did a strong job after contact, especially 13. He also said the offensive line strain was improved and the pass protection was solid.
Florida drew a similar reaction after its dominant showing against Florida Atlantic. Cubelic called it an “impressive 1st win” for the Gators and highlighted Baugh, saying he was “immaculate.”
He added that Baugh showed “such a great feel for the scheme to go along with ridiculous skill set.” Cubelic also said the offensive line really strained, with 58 and 77 standing out, and noted that the quarterback operated the offense well and got in and out of reads quickly.
A number of other SEC teams were described as simply taking care of business. Kentucky’s first game under first-year head coach Will Stein was one of the cleanest examples, with Cubelic calling the offense “smooth” and saying the quarterback had command.
He liked the early seam testing, the on-time ball, and the lack of wasted energy. He also singled out the tight ends, especially 81, who was “out of his mind blocking!”
Mississippi State and Missouri also landed in the handled-their-business category. Cubelic said Mississippi State’s quarterback looked much more confident, with “almost zero doubt,” and praised the way he worked in and out of RPOs.
For Missouri, he said the quarterback looked “extremely comfy & confident,” operated with authority, and kept miscues down. He also noted some good and not-so-good moments up front, including a few slide protection misses.
Oklahoma got a positive but more layered assessment. Cubelic said the Sooners were effective and had “plenty of room to grow,” while calling one player “just insanely impressive.”
He said the quarterback flashed brilliance, had wow plays, and even showed some hero tendencies, which he said was fine. The one area he specifically pointed to was the velocity on intermediate throws.
South Carolina and Tennessee were also viewed as teams that got the job done. Cubelic liked South Carolina’s early screen game usage with 8 and said the designed QB run element will help the traditional run game.
For Tennessee, he said the quarterback looked composed and confident, was decisive when leaving the pocket, and that adding him to the run game would be big. He also noted a few missed throws, good effort up front, and some edge issues in pass protection.
Arkansas and Auburn were the two SEC teams that drew more caution from Cubelic. After Arkansas’ 31-14 win over North Alabama, he said the offense “got bogged down” and the quarterback play was “off and on.”
He also pointed to missed throws, red-zone turnover issues, and said he wanted to see more 0 in the low red zone. On Auburn’s narrow win over Baylor in Atlanta, he said the Tigers “just needed the W” and that it was huge to get it, but added they had “plenty to work on.”
He mentioned some spots where the offense worked, but also pointed out missed pullers, protection issues against twists, and a need for more movement at the point of attack.
Elsewhere in the league, Cubelic said Texas A&M’s offensive line looked “big & powerful,” with 71 and 76 drawing notice, but he also expressed concern about handling movement and quickness and said the protection breakdowns early were a problem. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, earned praise for setting the tone downhill with 28 behind 44, using 22 as a different kind of punch, and getting useful work from 13 and 3 on the edges. Cubelic said 28 looked good, the quarterback handled things well, and used his legs when needed.
Cubelic said he would post his Ole Miss takeaways later in the week.
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