ATHENS — The new 16-team SEC is off and running, and Texas and Oklahoma did their part to represent.
The No. 3-ranked Longhorns drummed Colorado State by a 52-0 count, while the No. 15 Sooners opened their season with a 51-3 victory over Temple.
The Big 12 newcomers will see stiffer tests this week, particularly Texas which travels to play defending national champion Michigan in Ann Arbor in a noon kickoff.
“It’s a heck of a challenge for us, any time you go play the defending national champions on the road, a team that’s been to the college football playoff three years in a row,” Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said. “It’s a team that’s 41 and 3 in their last 44 games, has won 16 straight games and has won 23 straight at home.”
And yet, it’s Texas that enters the game as a touchdown favorite.
The Sooners play host to Houston for the first time since delivering a 49-31 win in 2019.
It was a good opening week for the SEC’s elite, as a whole, as in addition to No. 3 Texas holding serve:
• No. 1-ranked Georgia beat then-No. 14 Clemson 34-3,
• No. 4 Alabama saw first-year coach Kalen DeBoer debut with a 63-0 win over Western Kentucky
• No. 6 Ole Miss beat Furman 76-0
• No. 9 Missouri beat Murray State 51-0
• No. 14 Tennessee beat UT-Chattanooga 69-3
The SEC didn’t win all the high-profile games, however, as LSU, Texas A&M and Florida suffered notable non-conference losses:
• New Big Ten member USC beat the Bayou Bengals 27-20 on Sunday in a neutral site game in Las Vegas.
• ACC member Miami, featuring Heisman Trophy QB Cam Ward, blew out the Gators in The Swamp, 41-17
• Independent Notre Dame went into Kyle Field and beat Texas A&M, 23-13
In addition to Texas playing at Big Ten powerhouse Michigan, Arkansas will be carrying the SEC banner on the road this week when it travels to Stillwater to face No. 16 Oklahoma State.
Here’s a look at the week’s games involving SEC teams with the time, TV/stream network, betting line and prediction:
Arkansas at Oklahoma State (-8.5), Noon, ABC
The pick: Oklahoma State 24, Arkansas 17
Texas (-7.5) at Michigan, Noon, FOX
The pick: Texas 31, Michigan 20
McNeese State at Texas A&M (no-line), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
No pick
Tennessee Tech at Georgia (53.5), 2 p.m., SEC/ESPN-Plus Stream
The pick: Georgia 63, Tennessee Tech 0
Cal at Auburn (-11.5), 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
The pick: Auburn 34, Cal 21
S. Carolina at Kentucky (-9.5), 3:30 p.m., ABC
The pick: Kentucky 28, S. Carolina 13
Middle Tennessee at Ole Miss (-40.5), 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
The pick: Ole Miss 51, Middle Tennessee 14
S. Florida at Alabama (-29.5), 7 p.m., ESPN
The pick: Alabama 41, S. Florida 10
Samford at Florida, (no line) 7 p.m., SEC/ESPN-Plus Stream
No pick.
Buffalo at Missouri (-34.5), 7 p.m., SEC/ESPN-Plus Stream
The pick: Missouri 45, Buffalo 10
Nicholls State at LSU (-51.5), 7:30 p.m., SEC/ESPN-Plus Stream
The pick: LSU 65, Nicholls State 10
Tennessee (-5.5) vs. N.C. State (in Charlotte, N.C.), 7:30 p.m., ABC
The pick: Tennessee 30, N.C. State 21
Alcorn State at Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m., no line ESPNU
No pick
Houston at Oklahoma (-27.5), 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
The pick: Oklahoma 45, Houston 13
Mississippi State at Arizona State (-4.5), 10:30 p.m., ESPN
The pick: Arizona State 38, Mississippi State 31
Last week’s picks record:
13-3 Straight-up, 10-6 vs. Spread
