Alabama is 16-2 against SEC opponents the previous two seasons, including victories over Missouri and Florida in the conference championship game.
Both losses have been to Ole Miss, which prior to 2014 was 8-51-2 against Alabama and never had beaten the Crimson Tide in back-to-back games.
Rebels Coach Hugh Freeze changed that by leading Ole Miss to victories over Alabama 23-17 at home in 2014 and 43-37 on the road in 2015.
The only time Saban has lost three consecutive years to the same team was back in his Big Ten days as Michigan State's coach when Michigan beat the Spartans from 1996-1998 and Purdue did it from 1997-1999.
So what does Freeze think about having a shot to become the first SEC coach to beat Saban three years in row?
"I hadn't really thought about that," Freeze said Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference. "I've just thought about, 'Man, what kind of plan can we come up with to give our kids a chance in the fourth quarter against a very talented team?'
"If you beat a Nick Saban-coached team, you've obviously done a good job, and it's quite gratifying. I've experienced it a couple of times, but I haven't been talking to any of our people about, 'Let's do it a third time.'
"I've got great respect for Nick. He's been very gracious to me since I've joined this league and been very helpful in a lot of ways outside of the football Xs and Os."
Freeze, the former Arkansas State coach now in his fifth season at Ole Miss, said Saban has discussed "program stuff" and how he runs things at Alabama.
"I'm always looking for better ways and different things, whether it be discipline issues, coaching issues, your relationship with your athletic director when you need to retain a coach," Freeze said. "Many of those things, he's open to discussion with me, and I'm very grateful for that."
Etling likely to start
LSU Coach Les Miles all but named senior Daniel Etling as the Tigers' starting quarterback for Saturday's SEC opener against Mississippi State.
"We're going to kind of keep that in-house if you don't mind," Miles said on the SEC coaches teleconference when asked about a starter. "I can't imagine that Daniel Etling will not take the first snaps, but we're going to let the week play out."
Etling, a transfer from Purdue who redshirted last year, replaced struggling junior Brandon Harris -- who has started 14 consecutive games -- on the third series against Jacksonville (Ala.) State last week.
Harris was 1-of-4 passing for 8 yards on LSU's first two possessions when the Tigers failed to get a first down.
Etling came in and led the Tigers on three consecutive touchdown drives while completing 6 of 8 passes for 100 yards in the first half. He went 0 for 6 in the second half, but LSU pulled away to win 34-13.
A challenge for Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is making sure Harris keeps his focus and tries to regain the starting job.
"That's the issue, making sure he knows this is a team," Miles said. "His talents and abilities need to be prepared going into this game to play significant snaps.
"We would think he would understand his role, which would allow him to compete from this point forward to start."
Hurts so good
Jalen Hurts became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Alabama since Vince Sutton in 1984 when he got the call against Western Kentucky last week.
Sutton started five games in 1984 before being replaced by Mike Shula.
Hurts completed 23 of 36 passes for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns without a turnover in the Crimson Tide's 38-10 victory over Western Kentucky.
It's the most passing yards by an Alabama quarterback in his first start, surpassing Brodie Croyle's 285 against Arkansas in 2002 when the Tide won 30-12 in Fayetteville.
Stoops buyout
Kentucky's losses to Southern Mississippi and Florida to start this season have dropped Mark Stoops' record with the Wildcats to 12-26, including 4-21 in SEC games.
Particularly disheartening for Kentucky fans was seeing their team outscored 72-7 in the past six quarters.
But if the Wildcats fail to turn things around and miss a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season under Stoops, it may be too costly for Kentucky to fire him.
Stoops signed a six-year contract extension during the 2014 season -- when the Wildcats were off to a 5-3 start -- and Kentucky would owe him $12 million* if he's fired after this season, according to Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
In addition, Story wrote, all of Kentucky's assistant coaches have guaranteed contracts through June 30, 2018, raising the staff total buyout to about $18 million.
Gators defense has bite
Florida leads the SEC with nine sacks after two games -- four against Massachusetts and five against Kentucky.
"They're unbelievable," Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio said of the team's defensive players, according to the Gainesville Sun. "I'm really happy I don't have to play against them.
"I played all last year against them on the scout team and it was not fun."
Del Rio redshirted at Florida last year after transferring from Florida State.
Tricky Gus
Auburn scored on a fake field goal against Arkansas State when kicker Daniel Carlson ran 20 yards for a touchdown. Holder Tyler Stovall flipped the ball over his shoulder to Carlson.
It was the Tigers' first touchdown on a fake field goal since 2000, when kicker Damon Duval passed to Lorenzo Diamond against Vanderbilt.
Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn was asked about running trick plays at his Tuesday news conference.
"We've got a few more," Malzahn said. "We'll just strategically use things when they're available.
"It's just, you do your homework all week and you're trying to score points. That's really all that went into it."
Streaking Vols
Tennessee has won eight consecutive games since losing at Alabama 19-14 last season.
It's the Vols' longest winning streak since they won 14 in a row, going 13-0 in 1998 and beating Wyoming in the 1999 season opener before losing at Florida 23-21.
Tennessee has the nation's third-longest current winning streak behind Alabama (13) and San Diego State (11).
Locked in
Missouri sophomore quarterback Drew Lock said it's a different feeling preparing to open SEC play against Georgia after he was thrust into a starting role last season because of Maty Mauk's suspension.
In the first two games at West Virginia and against Eastern Michigan, Lock already has more touchdown passes (six) than he did in 12 games last season (four).
Most importantly, Lock hasn't thrown an interception while completing 47 of 88 passes for 730 yards.
"I'm only a year older," Lock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "But it feels like I'm a lot older."
Missouri Coach Barry Odom said there's "a really high ceiling" for Lock's continued improvement.
"He's understanding what we're doing on offense," Odom told reporters this week. "He's able to read a defense. His pocket awareness is much improved.
"He's got some calmness around him. And he's got guys around him playing well. All that helps."
Two-minute drill
• Ralph Webb became the third Vanderbilt player to surpass 200 rushing yards in game when he had 211 against Middle Tennessee State. Frank Mordica holds Vanderbilt's record with 321 rushing yards against Air Force in 1978. That also was an SEC record tied by Arkansas' Darren McFadden in 2007 against South Carolina. Doug Mathews had 214 rushing yards for Vanderbilt against Tulane in 1969.
• LSU tailback Leonard Fournette is expected to play against Mississippi State after sitting out against Jacksonville State because of an ankle injury.
• Luke Del Rio's 320 passing yards against Kentucky were the most by a Florida quarterback since Chris Leak's 324 in 2004 when the Gators beat Arkansas 45-30 in Gainesville.
• Tennessee free safety Micah Abernathy set a school record with three fumble recoveries against Virginia Tech.
SEC TOP TO BOTTOM
Rank;(previous);arrow;record;comment
1;(1);Alabama;same;2-0;Saban trying to break losing streak vs. Ole Miss
2;(2);Texas A&M;same;2-0;First road game at Auburn
3;(5);Florida;up;2-0;May never lose to Kentucky again
4;(9);Arkansas;up;2-0;Doesn't want to overlook Texas State
5;(4);LSU;down;1-1;QB change likely for Mississippi State
6;(3);Georgia;down;2-0;SEC debut for Odom & Smart
7(6);Tennessee;down;2-0;Coming back from slow starts
8;(7);Ole Miss;down;1-1;Opens SEC play by hosting Bama
9;(8);Auburn;down;1-1;Defense needs to slow down Aggies
10;(14);up;Mississippi State;1-1;Road trip to LSU
11;(10);South Carolina;down;1-1;First home game vs. East Carolina
12;(12);Missouri;1-1;same;Hopes to pull upset vs. Georgia
13(11);Vanderbilt;down;1-1;ACC road game at Georgia Tech
14;(13);Kentucky;down;0-2;Should beat New Mexico State
PLAYER TO WATCH
OLE MISS QUARTERBACK CHAD KELLY
Kelly completed 18 of 33 passes for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns without an interception last season to lead Ole Miss to a 43-37 victory at Alabama. He also had a rushing touchdown.
The senior likely will need another monster game for the Rebels to have a shot to beat the Crimson Tide again Saturday in Oxford.
Kelly got off to a strong start this season against Florida State before struggling with turnovers as the Seminoles rallied to win 45-34 after trailing 28-6 in the second quarter. Kelly passed for 313 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he had 3 interceptions and lost a fumble.
Alabama's defense will look to force Kelly into making more mistakes Saturday. He's got to walk a fine line between being a playmaker and making good decisions with the ball.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Alabama at Ole Miss
WHEN 2:30 p.m. Saturday (CBS)
WHERE Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Miss.
RECORDS Alabama 2-0, Ole Miss 1-1
RANKINGS Alabama is ranked No. 1 in both The Associated Press and USA Today polls. Ole Miss ranked No. 19 and No. 17.
LINE Alabama 10½-point favorite
Alabama true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts figures to make his first start on the road, but the big key likely will be how effectively the Crimson Tide defense is able to slow down the Rebels' Spread offense and force turnovers.
BY THE NUMBERS
8 -- SEC teams in The Associated Press and USA Today top 25 polls
156,990 -- Attendance for the Tennessee-Virginia Tech game at Bristol Motor Speedway, surpassing the previous record for a college football game of 115,109 at the Notre-Michigan game Sept. 7, 2113, at Michigan Stadium.
30 -- Consecutive victories for Florida over Kentucky
OVERHEARD
"There are no arguments. Those are called a** chewings."
-- Alabama Coach Nick Saban when asked what he was arguing about with offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin on the sideline with a minute left in the Crimson Tide's 38-10 victory over Western Kentucky.
"It was a tremendous spectacle."
-- Tennessee Coach Butch Jones on playing Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"I think we may have gotten a little relaxed last week. But it won't happen again."
-- Georgia senior center Brandon Kublanow after the Bulldogs beat Nicholls State 26-24.
"There's not a lot to say other than we got our butts kicked."
-- Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops after Florida's 45-7 victory over the Wildcats.
*CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Mark Stoops' buyout would be $12. The error has been corrected.
Sports on 09/15/2016