****Toledo:
Kentucky coaches and players repeatedly emphasized that the Rockets were no slouch before facing the projected MAC champions in week one, but that didn't stop many fans from being dejected at how close that game ended up being.
Sure, a blowout win over Toledo would've been nice to start the season, but Toledo doesn't seem like the kind of team that's going to get blown out much, if at all, this season. In fact, if week two was anything to base it on, Toledo may be the one doing a lot of the blowing out.
In week two, Toledo improved to 1-1 with a thunderous 45-21 win over a Western Kentucky team that had been 2-0 prior with blowout wins over North Alabama and Sam Houston State.
The Rockets have a relative freebie coming up against Morgan State before getting into MAC play, so it wouldn't be entirely shocking if Toledo were able to sneak into the top 25 before traveling to Washington State in late October assuming it plays to the level it's capable of. As it seems now, this is a solid win for Kentucky.
****Texas:
Keep in mind, this is stock up from week one, not stock up from the beginning of the season.
After Arch Manning's turn in the spotlight against Ohio State was… underwhelming… the former No. 1 Longhorns got to have a bounce-back chance against San Jose State, winning 38-7.
Manning looked far more comfortable, barring potential shoulder issues, throwing four touchdown passes on 19 completions for 295 yards, though he did still have an interception. He also ran for an additional touchdown himself on a 20-yard scramble. This was a notable improvement from his 10 completions for 170 yards and 1-1 TD-INT ratio against the Buckeyes.
Manning also took another step toward establishing his favorite targets as tight end Jack Endries and wide receiver Parker Livingstone each logged two of his touchdown passes, with Livingstone bringing it into the endzone from 83-yards out.
Texas still looks worse than many expected it to preseason, remaining at No. 7 in the AP Poll, but there is more confidence amongst the Longhorn faithful after week two compared to week one.
As for Kentucky, it's unlikely many fans have a ton of optimism in UK's chances against UT, but the optimism is still likely higher than it was before the season started.
****Tennessee:
Oh boy. Tennessee, while admittedly playing an FCS opponent, looked really good on Saturday.
After kicking off the season with a 45-26 win over Syracuse that likely silenced doubters in Tennessee's offense after the Nico Iamaleava debacle in the offseason, the Volunteers had their freebie game against East Tennessee State (ETSU).
Against the Buccaneers, the Vols rolled, winning 72-17 in oppressive fashion.
Quarterback Joey Aguilar threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns (all coming in the first half!) as Star Thomas logged 69 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Volunteers finished with 427 yards of total offense with comedian Kevin Hart in attendance, taking a 48-7 lead into halftime.
Naturally, heading into a massive contest against Georgia, Tennessee saw a jump of seven spots in the AP Poll up to No. 15, making that SEC opener next week a top 15 showdown.
After making the College Football Playoffs last season, so far, it looks like the Vols have the talent to give a real go at trying to make it back.
****Auburn:
This little stretch for Kentucky football will certainly not be an easy one.
Coming into the season, Auburn was regarded as one of the easier teams in the conference on Kentucky's schedule. That may still be true, but, as it stands, Auburn is 2-0 and ranked No. 24 in the country in the latest AP Poll.
After winning at Baylor in week one — with the Bears going on to upset ranked SMU, a year removed from a College Football Playoff berth — Auburn crushed Ball State 42-3 in week two behind three passing touchdowns from Jackson Arnold.
Arnold threw for 251 yards while Jeremiah Cobb ran for an additional 121 yards with two touchdowns, complimenting an oppressive defense that held the Cardinals to just a field goal the entire game. Ball State had just 68 yards of total offense with -3 rushing yards.
Sure, Ball State is nothing to go crazy about and it doesn't mean Auburn is back yet, but it's something to keep an eye on. Hugh Freeze may have a very solid squad in Auburn this year and that could be a problem for Kentucky.
****Vanderbilt:
Vanderbilt looked like it belonged in the SEC once again in week two.
Week one's blowout over FCS Charleston Southern didn't do much for anyone, but, in week two, Vanderbilt was an underdog on the road against Virginia Tech, which competed against South Carolina the week prior, and won… 44-20.
After trailing by 10-points at halftime, Vanderbilt came to life with Diego Pavia throwing for 193 yards on 12 completions for two touchdowns, including a 54-yard reception to Brycen Coleman.
The Commodore run-game also performed well, helping Vandy to find the endzone on each of its first five second-half possessions. The 'Dores had 262 rushing yards with Sedrick Alexander scoring two touchdowns to ice the game in the fourth quarter.
Vanderbilt travels to South Carolina next week with one singular AP Top 25 vote next to its name, but after how both teams have performed thus far, anything is possible in Columbia. Vanderbilt has been a thorn in UK's side for a few years now, and this year doesn't look like it's going to be any different.