Here are three early-season nonconference games that will affect SEC
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Welcome to SEC Unfiltered, the USA TODAY NETWORK’S newsletter on SEC sports. Today, Knoxville News Sentinel columnist John Adams takes over.
You knew that early-season SEC football would be affected by nonconference games in 2025. The full impact wasn't felt until the 12-team College Football Playoff field was announced.
Texas’ season opener at Ohio State ultimately cost the Longhorns a spot in the playoffs. If not for that 14-7 defeat in Columbus, they would have finished the regular season with only two losses.
The Texas A&M-Notre Dame game Sept. 13 proved just as meaningful. The Aggies delivered a game-winning drive in the final minutes for a 41-40 victory in South Bend.
The impact was two-fold. Texas A&M wound up in the playoffs, and Notre Dame was left out by the slimmest of margins.
Nonconference matchups like that affect more than the teams involved. They help evaluate the strength of an entire conference.
You can expect more of the same this fall. Here are three SEC early-season nonconference games that could resonate at playoff time:
Texas-Ohio State: Their Week 2 rematch in Austin will feature two prominent Heisman Trophy quarterback candidates in Texas’ Arch Manning and Ohio State’ Julian Sayin. But unlike last year, both have a year’s worth of starting experience.
Quarterbacks won’t account for all of the star power on offense. Ohio State has All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has totaled 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns in only two seasons, and running back Bo Jackson, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry while rushing for 1,090 yards last season as a freshman.
Texas can counter with elite transfers: Cam Coleman from Auburn, the most coveted wide receiver in the portal, and two prize running backs, Raleek Brown from Arizona State and Hollywood Smothers from NC State.
Although Auburn was handicapped by erratic quarterback play last season, Coleman still caught 56 passes. Brown and Smothers combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards in 2025.
My pick: Texas 27, Ohio State 24.
Ole Miss-Louisville: This season opener in Nashville won’t generate the fanfare of Texas vs. Ohio State, but it could have playoff implications.
The Rebels became a strong candidate for back-to-back playoff seasons when star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was granted another year of eligibility. Not even Ohio State or Texas can match Ole Miss’ backfield tandem of Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy.
Ole Miss also helped shore up a vulnerable secondary by adding four starting defensive backs from Power Four teams.
Louisville lost quarterback Miller Moss, and receivers Caullin Lacy and Chris Bell, who combined for 132 catches, but never discount coach Jeff Brohm when it comes to mounting a potent passing attack. Vanderbilt transfer Tre Richardson, one of the SEC’s fastest players, should flourish in Brohm’s offense, which will return running back Isaac Brown. He averaged a whopping 8.8 yards on 101 carries last season.
The Cardinals would become an immediate playoff contender if they beat Ole Miss. They won’t play Miami or Clemson in the ACC regular season.
My pick: Ole Miss 37, Louisville 31.
Oklahoma vs. Michigan: This shapes up as the SEC’s second-best nonconference matchup in Week 2.
The game is crucial for the Sooners if they hope to repeat as a playoff team. It also matters greatly for Michigan as it plays its first big game of the Kyle Whittingham era.
You should expect the Sooners again to be solid defensively under Brent Venables. But will they have enough offense to win in Ann Arbor? That could depend on quarterback John Mateer, whose passing was erratic in 2025 after returning from early-season surgery on his throwing hand.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was overmatched against Venables’ defense as a freshman starter last season in Norman. But more experience and a home-field crowd should serve him well in the rematch.
Whittingham bolstered Michigan’s defense with transfers from Utah, where he won 177 games in 21 seasons. His most notable addition: John Henry Daley, who had 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks last season.
My pick: Michigan 30, Oklahoma 27.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Here are three early-season nonconference games that will affect SEC
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