SEC Preview
East
1. Florida – A quality team last year, that has is now much more experienced. They have 16 returning starters, and they have just 3 SEC roads games (plus 1 neutral site game). It should be another great year for the Gators and I look for them to return to double digit wins.
2. Georgia – A lot of experts picked UGA to win it all. I just don’t see it. There are too many Friday nights between now and the Nat’l Championship game for this group of thugs. They have a great defense, but Stafford isn’t that great of a QB and Moreno is a good tailback that defenses now know to key on.
3. Tennessee – This team could possibly be better than last years, which found a way to win the SEC East. Their biggest loss is Erik Ainge and I felt he was overrated anyway. Their game at S Carolina on Nov 1 will decide 3rd and 4th in the division.
4. S Carolina – The defense should be very good and they return 7 starters on offense. But surprisingly, Spurrier has yet to find a QB at South Carolina and his QB woes should continue this year. It’ll be neck and neck in the division between the Cocks and the Dawgs for who has the most thugs and the UGA-USC game on Sep 13th could set a record for most players on the field on parole. Wonder if that’s a stat the NCAA keeps. However, that won’t stop the Spurrier from getting this team to its 3rd bowl in 4 years and around 7 wins.
5. Kentucky – This team will get by on its defense. Something that could win you a few games in this conference, but with questions and major losses at QB, RB, and WR, it could be a long year. This is a team that could probably contend for the Big East title, but will have to settle for 5th in the SEC East.
6. Vanderbilt – The Commodores have shown a lot more life over the last couple years and have just missed out on getting to a bowl game. I don’t think this year will be any different as this is a young team, but look for them to challenge for a bowl next year.
West – slowly becoming just as tough as the East
1. Auburn – Tommy’s best team in a couple seasons avoids Florida and gets Tennessee and Georgia at home this year. They have 16 returning starters, including 9 on offense and I think Kodi Burns has a big season as their new QB. This could be a National championship team.
2. LSU – With 2 titles in 5 years, it’s hard to count this team out. I almost put them 3rd in the division, but they are just so talented. Their schedule this year is tough so I don’t see them matching 12 wins from a year ago, but they will be near the top of the standings all year and if the season is as whacky as last year, they could be in the title game as well.
3. Alabama – I feel that Bama was better than their 7-6 record last year and I was disappointed in how they approached the games they were supposed to win. Saban has had 2 good recruiting classes now and I think they will be improved yet again. If they don’t better 7 wins this year, Saban will be called into question by the Bama faithful who are already out of patience waiting for this team to be dominant again. I think 8 or 9 wins is a reasonable expectation.
4. Mississippi – The Rebels should make it to a bowl in Houston Nutt’s first season. Ed O was a great recruiter, but just couldn’t find a way to win with the talent he had. Nutt won’t have that problem. The defense returns its top 14 tacklers. They lose a great running back in Green-Ellis, but freshman Enrique Davis fits into Nutt’s system well and Soph QB Snead has a good receiver set and a great o-line in front of him.
5. Mississipp State – I don’t foresee the Bulldogs matching their 8-5 season, but they should at least be competitive again this year. The biggest loss to MSU wasn’t a player, but a coach. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson departed for South Carolina and his defenses made the difference in turning this team around. A bowl is not out of the question for this team, but they will need to pull an upset or two to make it happen.
6. Arkansas – It is hard to pick this team to finish in the basement after they’ve been to 2 staight New Years day bowls, but they lose two NFL caliber RBs and new head coach Bobby Petrino (who is a great college coach but I’m still clueless as to why they let Houston Nutt go) will switch them to a passing offense. Currently, I don’t see them having the players to make that work in the SEC and that is normally a 3-4 year process anyway. Just ask Steve Spurrier, he’s still working on it. Letting Nutt go set this team back several seasons and it will be tough to get back to the top as I see Bama and Miss moving to the top of the pile (along with LSU and Aub who aren’t going anywhere) over the next couple seasons.