Week one is in the books and it was not the start I was looking for. Ole Miss lost at Memphis by the score of 15-10, which meant that the Rebels did not cover the 4.5-point spread they were given. Which also means that we start the year out 0-1.

It also means that since I started picking a weekly game or two here at DSE in 2015, we’ve got an overall record of 34-24.

Still though, it wasn’t a lost weekend for me personally. The Tennessee Volunteers lost at home to Georgia State (lol) and the Florida State Seminoles lost at home to Boise State (haha).

So all in all it was what I would consider to be a great weekend even though I had a loss with the pick of the week here at DSE.

Let’s get better though. It’s still early. For the second week in a row, the SEC has some marquee non-conference games.

So let’s get to it, shall we.

Week two…

SEC Pick of the Week: Tulane at No. 10 Auburn (-18.5), 7:30pm ET on ESPN2.

Welcome to the Bo Nix show.

The first true freshman to start at Auburn since the 1940’s is going to be a star in this league. While his overall stats weren’t all that impressive in the Tigers’ come from behind victory against the Oregon Ducks last Saturday, man was Nix impressive when it mattered most.

Scrambling for clutch first downs, making key throws, such as the game-winner with just seconds left in the game.

Very impressive. The kid, I feel, has “it.” It’s early in the young man’s career, but I just have that feeling.

And against Tulane, on the plains at Jordan-Hare, with the crowd behind him, he’ll get a hero’s welcome. And celebrate in style.

Auburn wins this one big.

Upset alert: No. 6 LSU (-4.5) at No. 9 Texas, 7:30pm ET on ABC.

Is Texas really back? First off, I’m not sure that a season and change is enough to make up for like 10-15 years of failures, but to each their own.

Led by one of the better quarterbacks in all of football in Sam Erlinger, the Longhorns most certainly are improved and this game is a chance – more even than last year’s Sugar Bowl against a Georgia team that didn’t care to be there as they had higher aspersions a la Alabama against Utah after the 2008 season – to show the country that they are at the very least on the right track.

Texas to me is like Florida. It’s probably too soon to tell if they are back. Actually, the same could be said towards LSU. I’ll have more on the Tigers in a moment, but for now, this should be a good one. I like Texas at home. Barely. Only because their at home.

Keep an eye on: No. 12 Texas A&M at No. 1 Clemson (-18.5), 3:30pm ET on ABC.

Oh yes, Clemson. I see you. The only team – aside from Florida State – in the last 15 years or so from outside the SEC that can somewhat consistently beat a team from within the SEC not named Tennessee or Vanderbilt.

Last year’s game in College Station was if you remember quite close. A squeaker if you will. But it also gave Clemson the confidence it needed for the remainder of the year.

But this year is different. It’s payback time for the Aggies. Clemson may or may not be better than last year (doubtful) but they are definitely more experienced (at least on offense) and have some serious weapons (again, on offense).

If the Aggies can play aggressive and creative enough on offense, they should, I repeat, should, be able to at least keep this game close enough to cover the spread.

I’m not saying they’ll win outright, but if they somehow did, I wouldn’t be 100-percent shocked.

Keep an eye on II: New Mexico State at No. 2 Alabama (-54.5), 4:00pm ET on SECN.

I’m not saying that New Mexico State wins this game by any means. They’ll lose and they’ll lose big. But 54.5 points is a lot. Like, a lot. Like, what, around 8 touchdowns and extra points a lot.

That’s just too much for me. Now watch, Alabama probably wins 72-10.

Trending up: Joe Burrow.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not on the Burrow bandwagon. I just don’t think he’s in the top tier of SEC quarterbacks, let alone in the entire FBS.

In fact, I could probably name five or six QB’s in the conference that I think are better than he is or that I’d rather have on my team before choosing Burrow.

However, having said that, he played a pretty good game on Saturday against Georgia Southern. A record tying five touchdown, no interception, 300-yard performance as a matter of fact.

He looked good and so does LSU as a result. Can he and they keep it up?

Trending down: Tennessee.

I find it hilarious, honestly. I live in East Tennessee so I have to deal with the orange all year long. For all of their preseason talk, and man, can the Volunteer faithful talk, they laid the biggest egg the conference has seen in years.

Losing a season opener at home to an unranked opponent is bad, but losing to Georgia State, who went 2-10 while playing in the Sun Belt last year is just downright embarrassing.

I watched the game with some friends at a bar and for the life of me I couldn’t even tell you Georgia State’s nickname.

As one guy who I work with and who is a Georgia fan yelled throughout the fourth quarter to the lone Tennessee fan amongst us at the table: “Go Cougars, Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Lions or Tigers and Bears!”

Oh my.