The 2023 season was the worst in a long time for the SEC.
Not only was the conference shut out of the College Football Playoff championship game for the first time since the 2014 season (and the second since 2005), its champion was the fourth best among the Power 5 champions. Before you reach for your keyboard to yell at me, consider that Alabama -- who went 9-0 in SEC play -- lost at home to the Big 12 champion and on a neutral field to the Big Ten champion.
Outside of that, the SEC muddled through non-conference season. There was Alabama's aforementioned loss to Texas; and also LSU's blowout loss to Florida State, Texas A&M's loss to Miami; and Florida's loss to Utah; and South Carolina's loss to North Carolina; and Arkansas's loss to BYU; and Vandy's losses to Wake Forest and UNLV; and, saving the best for last, Auburn's loss to New Mexico State.
Through two weeks in 2024, the depth of the conference doesn't seem much better.
In fact, while nine of the league's 16 teams might carry 2-0 records in to Week 3, 10 of the 16 SEC teams have put out stinker performances.
Thus far, we can easily place the entire conference into three buckets.
Two Impressive Performances, with One Against an Impressive Opponent (4)
Georgia: The Bulldogs' 34-3 beatdown of Clemson, impressive enough on its own, aged well this week after Clemson hammered App State, 66-20.
Tennessee: After a 51-10 demolition of an allegedly-ranked NC State team, the Vols are a solid bet to be 6-0 when Alabama comes to town on Oct. 19.
Texas: You know you've thoroughly beaten your opponent when your victory, snapping a 16-game overall win streak and a 23-game home win streak, sparks a round of "Is this even a top 25 team?" discourse.
Vanderbilt: The Virginia Tech win now stands as the fourth most-impressive performance among the SEC's 29 games to date.
Two Impressive Wins, But None Against Equivalent Opponents (2)
Ole Miss: The Rebels have beaten Furman and Middle Tennessee by a combined 128-3. Yawn.
Missouri: The Tigers blanked Murray State and Buffalo by a combined 89-0. Double yawn.
At Least One Unimpressive or Flat Out Embarrassing Performance (10)
Alabama: Led South Florida 14-13 through three quarters.
Arkansas: Lost in double overtime on the road to No. 16 Oklahoma State -- no shame in that -- but that also happened to be a game where they led 21-7 and out-gained the opponent by 263 yards, yet found a way to lose.
Auburn: Lost to Cal. At home. In football.
Florida: Blown out at home by an in-state school, then openly mocked by another in-state school that clearly believes it will beat you in your home stadium a few weeks from now.
Kentucky: Humiliated at home by a South Carolina team that barely survived Old Dominion the week prior.
LSU: Got out-toughed by USC (14-3 Trojans in the fourth quarter) and then, even worse, their head coach became yet another meme afterward.
Mississippi State: Permitted 346 rushing yards -- 262 to one player -- in a loss to Arizona State. It was ASU's first Power 4 non-conference win in five seasons.
Oklahoma: Survived Houston 16-12 at home, a week after Houston lost to UNLV, at home, by 20. Second half scoring in Norman: Houston offense 6, Oklahoma defense 2, OU offense 0.
South Carolina: Beat Old Dominion at home by four. ODU lost to East Carolina at home by six on Saturday. That puts the Gamecocks in second in a 2-team "Most difficult Carolina played by Old Dominion" race.
Texas A&M: Lost to Notre Dame at home, who lost to Northern Illinois at home.
While acknowledging that it's college football (half the sport loses every week) and that the SEC is far from alone in failing to cover itself in glory -- hello, Notre Dame and Florida State -- allow me to offer this rebuttal:
Does It Just Mean More in South Bend or Tallahassee?