Week 1 gave us plenty to talk about. Some teams looked every bit as good as advertised. Others survived without answering many questions, and a few had weaknesses exposed before the season was even a week old.

Now comes the truth serum.

Week 2 features several games that should tell us which performances were legitimate, which teams are contenders and which ones were simply beating up on overmatched opponents.

OHIO STATE AT TEXAS

This is the main event.

Ohio State looked dominant in its opener, but beating Ball State 56-3 didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know. The Buckeyes were supposed to beat the hell out of them.

Texas was impressive in its opener, and Arch Manning played well. He completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and accounted for a pile of touchdowns. Now he gets the opportunity to prove he belongs in the Heisman conversation against one of the most talented defenses in America.

This game is going to tell us a lot about both teams.

Can the Ohio State defense disrupt Manning and keep Texas from establishing its running game? Can the Texas offensive line hold up against the Buckeyes’ front? And what happens when Ohio State finally faces a team capable of matching its athletes?

This isn’t necessarily an elimination game, but it will help shape the playoff race and the Heisman conversation immediately.

OKLAHOMA AT MICHIGAN

John Mateer glided into the Heisman conversation during Oklahoma’s opener, throwing for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

Now we find out whether that performance was the beginning of something special or simply a good afternoon against UTEP.

Playing Michigan in the Big House is an entirely different assignment. The Wolverines struggled to escape Western Michigan, but that doesn’t mean Oklahoma can take them lightly. Michigan still has talent, still has a physical defense and will be playing in front of more than 100,000 people.

Oklahoma needs Mateer to remain poised, protect the football and make plays when the Sooners get behind the chains. If he goes into Ann Arbor and leads Oklahoma to a convincing victory, his Heisman campaign becomes very real.

Michigan needs this game even more. After barely surviving its opener, another poor performance would raise serious questions about the direction of the program.

ARIZONA STATE AT TEXAS A&M

Texas A&M looked good in its opener, but now we get a much better look at Mike Elko’s team.

The Aggies have recruited enough talent to compete with anybody. That has never been the problem in College Station. The question is whether they can finally turn all those recruiting stars into a disciplined, consistent football team.

Arizona State should test them in ways Missouri State could not.

I want to see how Marcel Reed handles pressure, whether Texas A&M can control the line of scrimmage and how the Aggies respond if this remains a close game into the fourth quarter.

If Texas A&M handles Arizona State convincingly, I will start taking the Aggies seriously as an SEC contender. If they struggle, it will feel like the same old Texas A&M—plenty of talent, plenty of hype and not enough results.

ARKANSAS AT UTAH

This may be the most dangerous road trip of the weekend.

Arkansas looked good in its opener, and KJ Jackson gave Razorback fans a reason to be excited. But going into Rice-Eccles Stadium and beating Utah is a completely different challenge.

Utah is physical, disciplined and extremely difficult to beat at home. The Utes are going to test Arkansas at the line of scrimmage and force Jackson to make good decisions for four quarters.

This is the kind of game Arkansas has to win if it wants to prove it is ready to climb out of the bottom half of the SEC.

A close loss would not destroy the Razorbacks’ season, but a victory would completely change the way people look at them.

MISSOURI AT KANSAS

The Border War is back, and Missouri had better be ready.

Missouri handled Arkansas-Pine Bluff exactly the way it should have, but that game told us very little. Kansas will bring emotion, confidence and a stadium full of people who would love nothing more than to ruin Missouri’s season.

This game will be about composure.

Missouri cannot allow the rivalry, the crowd or the emotion surrounding the game to take it away from its identity. The Tigers should have the stronger roster, but rivalries have a way of making talent gaps disappear.

If Missouri wants to be taken seriously as an SEC contender, it needs to go on the road and take care of business. No excuses. No surviving by the skin of its ass. Go prove you are the better football team.

TENNESSEE AT GEORGIA TECH

Georgia Tech is already playing with its back against the wall after losing its opener to Colorado.

That makes the Yellow Jackets dangerous.

Tennessee should have the advantage in talent, but this is exactly the kind of game that can turn into a four-quarter fight if the Volunteers come in sleepwalking. Georgia Tech desperately needs to get its offense moving and restore some confidence before the season begins slipping away.

For Tennessee, this is a test of maturity. Good teams go on the road, handle desperate opponents and get out without creating unnecessary drama.

If Tennessee is going to become a factor in the SEC race, it needs to look like the better team from the opening kick. If Georgia Tech pulls the upset, the temperature around that program changes immediately.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Week 1 gave us impressions. Week 2 should give us evidence.

Ohio State and Texas will show us which one belongs near the top of the national rankings. John Mateer can establish himself as a legitimate Heisman candidate. Texas A&M can prove it is finally ready to turn talent into results. Arkansas can earn national respect, while Missouri and Tennessee can demonstrate that they are mature enough to handle dangerous road games.

This is where the season starts getting serious.

It is time to pour the truth serum and see who can swallow it.