Week 3 in the SEC is littered with intriguing conference matchups and pivotal nonconference games on the slate. No. 22 Penn State will travel to the Plains to take on Auburn in a rematch of last year’s thriller in State College with the Tigers starting T.J. Finley at quarterback after he and Robby Ashford split snaps over the first two games. Coach Bryan Harsin’s crew cruised to a win over Mercer in Week 1 but struggled mightily in a win over San Jose State in Week 2.
Meanwhile, No. 24 Texas A&M will host No. 13 Miami in what’s a season-defining game for the Aggies. Coach Jimbo Fisher’s crew was stunned by Appalachian State last weekend, and another nonconference loss as this team gets ready for the daunting SEC gauntlet would elevate the angst and animosity in College Station to a fever pitch.
No. 1 Georgia will also be in action as it visits South Carolina in the SEC opener for the Bulldogs, and Mississippi State will head to Death Valley to take on LSU in the two conference games on the schedule this weekend.
Let’s take a spin around the conference and makes some picks for the games featuring SEC teams in Week 3.
Appetizer: Aggies in crisis mode
Texas A&M’s loss to Appalachian State wasn’t just an upset, it was an indictment. The passing game has taken most of the heat, but the way the Mountaineers were able to own the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball is a direct refection of the development and, perhaps more alarming, the lack of motivation and respect given to a very good opponent. The Aggies gave up five tackles for loss and conceded the time of possession battle 41:29 to 18:31. When you consider that Fisher’s offense doesn’t exactly operate at warp speed, that kind of disparity in time of possession should never happen.
Saturday night’s game vs. the Hurricanes is, in some ways, a program-defining game for Fisher and the Aggies. A win would show resilience and a pivotal ability to block out the noise. A loss during a season in which the College Football Playoff was theoretically an attainable goal would solidify its place as the most underachieving program in the country.
Main course: Feast or famine for Bryan Harsin
There’s no need to rehash the drama from February that almost cost coach Bryan Harsin his job at Auburn after just one year. It all led to the need for Harsin to win big in 2022, or the powers-that-be that were after him in the winter will…
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