Auburn travels to Mississippi State after loss to Clemson 
No. 6 Georgia @ Missouri, Saturday, Sept. 8, 7:45 p.m., ESPN2
Missouri plays its first conference game as a member of the SEC after crushing Southeastern Louisiana 62-10, putting up 207 offensive yards in the first quarter alone. But the Tigers’ defense will have its hands full containing the Bulldogs’ offense. Georgia won its season opener against Buffalo 45-23 after a breakout showing from freshman Todd Gurley, who rushed for 100 yards and also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, alleviating any concern that the Bulldogs’ rushing game would suffer without Isaiah Crowell.
Auburn @ Mississippi State, Saturday, Sept. 8, noon, ESPN
Mississippi State opened its season with a dominant 56-9 win over Jackson State, but it will face a greater challenge against the Tigers. Auburn put up a fight against Clemson last week but came up short in its 26-19 loss, despite 194 passing yards from Kiehl Frazier, the team’s new starting quarterback. Clemson’s Andre Ellington proved impossible for the defense to stop, rushing for more than 200 yards, but Auburn should have an easier time containing the Bulldogs’ running game.
Western Kentucky @ No. 1 Alabama, Saturday, Sept. 8, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3
Perhaps the most highly anticipated match of opening week turned into a rout when Alabama defeated No. 8 Michigan 41-14. The Crimson Tide will look to keep rolling against Western Kentucky before facing its first major test of the season against No. 10 Arkansas in Week 3. The Hilltoppers dominated Austin Peay 49-10 last week, missing three field goal attempts but winning on the strength of quarterback Kawaun Jakes’ career-high 296 passing yards.
No. 23 Florida @ Texas A&M, Saturday, Sept. 8, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Texas A&M’s Week 1 matchup with Louisiana Tech was suspended due to weather, so it will now open its season against an SEC foe. The Gators beat Bowling Green last week, relying on 148 rushing yards from senior running back Mike Gillislee to propel its offense. Florida has named sophomore Jeff Driskel the starting quarterback after he and fellow sophomore Jacoby Brissett shared playing time in the opener. Driskel passed for 114 yards to Brissett’s 31.
Georgia State @ Tennessee, Saturday, Sept. 8, 4 p.m., ESPN3
Tennessee’s 35-21 win over N.C. State last weekend featured impressive performances on both sides of the ball, as junior quarterback Tyler Bray passed for 333 yards and the defense forced four interceptions. Wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson kick-started the Volunteers with two touchdowns in the first quarter. Tennessee will look for another commanding victory over Georgia State, which lost its season opener to S.C. State before taking on No. 23 Florida in Week 3.
Washington @ No. 3 LSU, Saturday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m., ESPN
LSU faced little opposition from North Texas during opening week, taking a 21-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter and never looking back en route to a 41-14 win. Kenny Hilliard and Alfred Blue each rushed for more than 100 yards, combining for more offensive yards than UNT as a team. The Huskies beat San Diego State last week, but their matchup with LSU begins a stretch where they face four ranked opponents in the next five weeks.
No. 10 Arkansas vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Saturday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Arkansas cruised to a 49-24 win last week in the debut of coach John L. Smith, hired in the offseason to replace Bobby Petrino. The Razorbacks exploded for 400 passing yards against Jacksonville State, including a school record 367 from starting quarterback Tyler Wilson. For ULM, the game against Arkansas is its first of the season. Coach Todd Berry said he is confident in his cornerbacks but that injury to Khari Usher makes the team’s depth at safety a concern.
UTEP @ Ole Miss, Saturday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m., ESPN
The Rebels began this season with a seven-game losing streak from last year, but they snapped it with a convincing 49-27 win over Central Arkansas last week. Quarterback Bo Wallace, a junior college transfer, collected 264 passing yards in his debut, leading Ole Miss to 35 unanswered points after it trailed 27-14 at halftime. UTEP lost its first game of the season to No. 4 Oklahoma, but the Miners didn’t go quietly. The two teams were tied at halftime before the Sooners pulled away behind quarterback Landry Jones.
Kent State @ Kentucky, Saturday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m., ESPN3
Kentucky will look to bounce back this week after a 32-14 loss to No. 25 Louisville. Kent State had one of the most memorable plays of opening week when linebacker Andre Parker caught a punt and ran 58 yards toward his own end zone, but the Golden Flashes beat Towson 41-21 on the strength of its defense, which forced six turnovers. Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith, who won the starting job after starting the Wildcats’ last three games as a freshman last season, will look to lead his team after going just 2-for-6 in the red zone in the opener.
Vanderbilt @ Northwestern, Saturday, Sept. 8, 8 p.m., Big Ten Network
Vanderbilt will look for its first win against Northwestern after the Commodores gave the Gamecocks a run for their money during opening week, suffering a narrow 17-13 loss. The Wildcats came out on the winning side of an even tighter game in Week 1, edging Syracuse 42-41 by scoring a touchdown with less than a minute to play. These two teams last met in 2010, a game that Northwestern won 23-21. A close game may be in the making.