The Future of the SEC This Year: Tennessee Enters SEC East Sweepstakes: Bama Downs Arkansas

Want to know how the SEC will turn out week-by-week before it happens? Don't we all. So we hooked up the closest thing college football fans have to a time machine and will simulate each week of the season using EA's NCAA Football '13. Please keep in mind that it's all in good fun and we're not saying this is how it actually will happen. The quarterback situation at Florida is probably not going to be quite that bad.

There are a couple of non-conference match-ups on the docket this week, but the game of the week is probably still Florida vs. Tennessee. Mostly because it has a slightly different ring to it this year than in recent seasons.

SCORES

TENNESSEE 37, FLORIDA 23
Despite a low-scoring first half that sees a 10-3 lead for the Volunteers at intermission, this ends up being a very un-SEC East game in one respect -- the teams combine for 778 yards of total offense. Florida has more passing yardage, though the Gators are less efficient, as well as more overall yards and a much better third-down conversion rate (47 percent to Tennessee's 15 percent), but all of that is pretty much canceled out by the seven turnovers, including five interceptions. Florida is now 0-2 in SEC play ... well, for the first time in a long while.

ALABAMA 14, ARKANSAS 9
The Tide rebound from a loss in their first game against Michigan and a so-so outing against Western Kentucky with a low-scoring defensive slogfest against Arkansas. Alabama just barely cracks the 300-yard mark, generating 312 yards of total offense, while Arkansas doesn't even come close -- putting together 214 yards on 61 offensive snaps. There are a lot of turnovers, including five interceptions between the two teams, which makes me think that defensive backs are still more akin to gazelles than actual human beings in this version of the game, a problem that was also there in NCAA 12. (I haven't played this year's edition much.)

TEXAS 33, OLE MISS 21
Before you go thinking that this is an encouraging loss for the Rebels -- all three of Ole Miss' touchdowns are scored in the last 12:38 of regulation. Even video games, it seems, recognize garbage time when they see it. Texas pretty much runs its way to victory, churning out 232 yards and four touchdowns on 40 attempts. By contrast, Mississippi manages just 128 yards and a pair of scores on 41 rushing attempts.

MISSOURI 34, ARIZONA STATE 28
Not James Franklin (MO) appears to have a decent game, with the Tigers quarterback completing 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. He does get picked once by the ASU defense. Overall, Mizzou has 514 yards of total offense in this game and easily picks up a BCS-level win.

OTHER SCORES
Kentucky 31, Western Kentucky 24
Auburn 28, Lousiana-Monroe 7
LSU 41, Idaho 10
Georgia 42, Florida Atlantic 7
Vanderbilt 70, FCS East (Presbyterian) 24
Mississippi State 28, Troy 21
South Carolina 28, UAB 10
Texas A&M 34, SMU 20

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

TOP 25

1 Oregon
2 Oklahoma
3 Georgia
4 Michigan
5 Alabama
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8 South Carolina
10 Arkansas
11 LSU
17 Auburn

ORV: Texas A&M (would be 27)

Earlier: Week 1; Week 2