Week 1 doesn’t come with a giant stack of blockbuster matchups, but there are still a few games that deserve a closer look as the weekend unfolds.
One of the most notable comes tonight when Missouri hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and the intrigue has nothing to do with the scoreboard. Missouri defensive tackle Sterling Webb won a hearing against the NCAA and the University of Missouri so he can remain eligible after receiving a fifth year.
That makes Webb the first player in the SEC to play after attempting to make it into the NFL. He was in rookie minicamp with the Buffalo Bills, but he did not get beyond that part of training camp.
That game kicks at 7pm on SEC Network.
Another matchup worth tracking is Auburn against Baylor in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be the first game for head coach Alex Golesh and starting QB Byrum Brown at Auburn, while DJ Lagway also makes his debut at Baylor.
For Baylor, it may be a defining season for head coach Dave Aranda, and Lagway’s past turnover problems are part of why this one matters. He has especially struggled when throwing the ball to other Tigers, so his growth in that area will be something to watch.
Still, Auburn is the side carrying the bigger long-term storyline. LSU is set to visit Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium to finish out October, so this game offers a first look at how much the Auburn offense has changed, particularly up front and against a Baylor defense that should be aggressive. That one is Saturday at 230 on ABC.
The weekend wraps with Ole Miss and Louisville at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, and the big question is what Ole Miss’ offense looks like now that Charlie Weis Jr., Lane Kiffin, Kevin Smith, and the rest of the staff have traveled west to call Baton Rouge home.
Louisville is not a soft landing spot, either. Jeff Brohm is a really good coach, and the Cardinals bring a talented roster led by Isaac Brown, their leading rusher.
Brown averaged 8.8 yards per carry last season, and the battle between his ground game and Pete Golding’s defense should be one of the most important parts of the game. That one is Sunday at 630 on ABC.
In Other News...
LSU Fans Had Plenty To Say About GameDay In Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge got the full College GameDay treatment to open the season, and Lainey Wilson was right in the middle of it. Ahead of her turn as the Week 1 celebrity guest picker, the Louisiana native performed the shows intro song and then rolled into her hit Cant Sit Still, giving LSU fans an early jolt before the real football talk took over.
The reaction online was quick and mixed, with plenty of viewers taking aim at both Wilsons performance and ESPNs decision to alter the familiar GameDay opening. Even so, not every fan was bothered by the change, and some seemed more welcoming of Wilsons presence than other parts of the broadcast. For a show built on tradition, it was a reminder that even a familiar Saturday ritual can still stir up a debate in Tiger country. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Drama Just Drew A Warning Tigers Fans Can't Ignore
The eligibility dispute around LSU and former NFL players has already escaped the usual offseason noise and turned into something much bigger, with Paul Finebaum weighing in sharply on the back-and-forth involving Lane Kiffin, the Tigers and the SEC. Finebaum praised commissioner Greg Sankey and the conference presidents for how they handled the matter, but his comments also underscored how quickly a rules question can become a referendum on the people running a program.
For LSU, the uncomfortable part is not just the original issue, but the way it has invited scrutiny about leadership and the possibility of larger fallout if the situation keeps escalating. Finebaum even floated the idea that SEC presidents could talk about removing LSU from the league, though he made clear that outcome is unlikely, which is a reminder of how much tension this episode has created around a program that would rather be talking about football. [Read more 🡒]
College GameDay Took A Strange Turn Before LSU Clemson Even Kicked Off
ESPNs College GameDay got the kind of Baton Rouge welcome nobody had on the script for LSU-Clemson, as lightning forced the network to hit pause during its 40th season kickoff show. What was supposed to be the usual charged, early-morning buildup around the Tigers instead turned into a weather delay that sent the crew scrambling and changed the feel of the entire broadcast before the game even started.
When the show came back, it did so from inside an empty theater, a sharp contrast to the packed scene fans expected from one of college footballs biggest opening weekends. The interruption and relocation quickly became part of the conversation around the day, a strange little pregame wrinkle that stood out almost as much as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]