Nobody is expecting Tennessee to have much of a chance when the unranked Volunteers play at No. 4 Oklahoma on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
And why should they?
By all rights, OU coach Bob Stoops' open contempt for the SEC should have Sooners fans expecting a Homecoming-like thrashing. After seven consecutive years of SEC national championships left a seven-year bite mark on Stoops' tongue, he couldn't get to a microphone fast enough in January after OU impressively dispatched Alabama, 45-31, in the Sugar Bowl. And he was just as vocal through the offseason.
But the Stoops rhetoric that will resonate loudest with Tennessee fans this weekend came months before the Sugar Bowl, when he took aim at "the bottom six" in the league and suggested that the SEC was, in short, top-heavy. That's because the Volunteers have been regular occupants of "the bottom six" for years. Last season, UT went 2-6 in the SEC, finishing in sixth place (second-to-last) in its own division. And a 2-0 non-conference start this season isn't exactly a sign that Tennessee has turned the corner.
Stoops conveniently ducked questions about his SEC comments prior to the Sugar Bowl, noting that Alabama didn't qualify as a "bottom six" program. Tennessee does -- no matter how Stoops wants to spin it. It's game week, and as such, his program should be able to handle its business at home. If it doesn't, Stoops will have plenty to answer for afterward.
Here are 10 more things you need to know about Week 3 in college football:
- Two of the nation's premiere running backs will be on opposite sidelines when Georgia and Todd Gurley visit South Carolina and Mike Davis in a crucial SEC East showdown. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier called it a "must-win" this week and hinted once again that Davis is likely NFL-bound after the season. Given how bad South Carolina's defense has looked, Gurley could have a field day. He is, after all, NFL scouts' pick as the nation's top back. But don't be surprised if Davis matches him yard for yard.
- While it's still a competitive game, be sure to check out the midday matinee with the coach everyone loves to hate: Bobby Petrino. Louisville's game at Virginia (12:30 p.m. ET) might draw more TV eyes from Petrino haters rooting against him than true UL or UVA fans put together. That fun will last until mid-second quarter, when it becomes obvious the Cavaliers aren't up to the task of stopping a Cardinals offense that, of course, has been instantly dynamic under his Bobness. Will the football gods ever catch up with Petrino? Will Virginia? No, and no.
- Three random intrigues: 1) Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, three games into his second SEC season, could score a Big 12 win before getting his first SEC win when his Razorbacks visit Texas Tech. Ouch; 2) After a season-opening loss to Penn State in Dublin, Ireland, and being idle last week, Central Florida is finally in its home country on Saturday, but still not at home: the Golden Knights play at Missouri; 3) File this matchup under basketball dream, football nightmare: Kansas at Duke.
- The week's best helmet game: UCLA vs. Texas, where Bruins star quarterback Brett Hundley will do his best Cam Newton impersonation. The Texas defense, we expect, will oblige.
- The runaway favorite for shortest game of the week: Georgia Southern at Georgia Tech. Last year it would've been the Triple-Option Bowl, probably sponsored by MySpace. Southern dumped the triple-option in the offseason with a coaching change, but the Eagles are still pounding the rock and eating the clock at 405 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, as long as Paul Johnson is at the Tech helm, the clock at Bobby Dodd Stadium only stops if it breaks. This one's probably done in about 2:30.
- Kentucky running back Jojo Kemp, a Florida native, ruffled some home-state feathers this week in advance of UK's road game at Florida, when he said "It's going to be fun walking out with a victory and rubbing it in their faces." So, of course, the UF support staffer whose job includes generating artificial motivation pounced on the opportunity. What is wrong with this picture? Kentucky is talking smack on its way to The Swamp. If there are any loose lips, they're supposed to be in Gainesville. And the posters are supposed to be hanging in Lexington.
- Nebraska's publicity push for star running back Ameer Abdullah is apparently underway. Fearameer.com launched this week just as the Cornhuskers get set to face one of the nation's worst defenses: Fresno State (613 yards allowed per game). Timing, people.
- No program in college football needs a spark as much as Colorado, which barely beat UMass last week and hasn't had a winning season since 2005. "South Park" to the rescue, of course. The popular TV show's creators, who are CU grads, will unveil a "South Park"-themed video intro before the Buffaloes' home opener against Arizona State on Saturday. Hopefully, CU's play won't be the bigger joke.
- Heisman Trophy candidacies aren't supposed to hinge on games against teams like Buffalo, but Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty's Heisman hopes could ill-afford to go three weeks into the season without him lighting up the scoreboard the way he did last year. Thanks to a back injury, he had missed more halves of football (three) than he'd played this season (one) before Friday night's win over Buffalo. Ultimately, Baylor's team success will play a role in Petty's Heisman hopes, too, but Heisman-level numbers for quarterbacks don't allow for much, if any, missed action. He started the process of putting up the numbers, passing for 416 yards and four touchdowns in a 63-21 win vs. the Bulls.
- East Carolina wide receiver Justin Hardy is among the NFL draft sleeper prospects College Football 24/7 has been keeping up with, and this week, Hardy gets his best chance all season to show scouts what he can do. The Pirates' star senior will face one of the nation's best cornerback tandems in Virginia Tech's Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
