News Article: SEC midseason report: Vols, others would like a do-over

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SEC midseason report: Vols, others would like a do-over
By Jess Nicholas
TideFans.com Editor-in-Chief
Oct. 7, 2008

Alabama isn’t the only team getting report cards as Week 7 approaches; the rest of the SEC gets to go under the microscope as well.

Some teams would just as soon skip this check-up, however. It’s a safe bet to say things haven’t gone the way that fan bases in Knoxville, Auburn or Athens would have liked.

Here’s a look at some of the developments of the season’s first half.

Most surprising SEC team (tie): Alabama and Vanderbilt
In any other year, Alabama would have gotten sole possession of this place in the spotlight, but whenever a team that calls Nashville its home opens with a 5-0 record, well, move over, Crimson Tide. These two teams are the surprise teams of the year for different reasons: Alabama is a year or two ahead of schedule in terms of competing for a national title; Vanderbilt, a team with eight new starters out of nine players in its OL and DL, is in clear view of bowl eligibility. And Alabama fans, even if Alabama goes undefeated and wins the championship, if Vanderbilt makes it to the SEC Championship Game at year’s end, the Commodores will take the “most surprising” award, hands down.

Most disappointing SEC team (tie): Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee
In any other year, Mississippi State would have to get the nod here because of the steep angle of the dropoff from last year’s performance to this one. But in 2008, the Bulldogs are just barely in the discussion after both Auburn and Tennessee have imploded so thoroughly. Auburn is lucky to be at 4-2 at the moment and could just as easily be 2-4. The spread isn’t working, the team seems on the brink of emotional disaster and the coaching staff makes Congress look as single-minded as the denizens of Jonestown. But Tennessee comes through at the last second to let Auburn off the hook. The team that drew the highest NARCAS Potential Analysis Score in the preseason has reached the brink of utter destruction, and head coach Phil Fulmer is the proud owner of a bronzed hot seat as a result.

SEC coach of the first half (tie): Nick Saban, Alabama; and Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt
Self-explanatory once you look at the polls. But Kentucky’s Rich Brooks and Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt also deserve honorable mention, as does South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier for overcoming a slow start to currently sit 4-2.

Most overrated SEC player so far: Any member of Auburn’s offense
When a team and its fan base buys so heavily into hype, they should expect a backlash when things turn out much differently than hoped (or, in some overzealous fan circles, guaranteed). Auburn’s spread offense was supposed to set the SEC on fire and keep Alabama and Nick Saban at bay. The latter expectation hasn’t been tested yet; the former expectation is dead in the water. Auburn is rumored to be considering playing true freshman quarterback Barrett Trotter in an effort to generate some kind of offensive buzz, which on a list of desperation moves, ranks just slightly behind hiring Superman to spin the world backwards on its axis in hopes of being able to reverse time and not fire Al Borges.

Most underrated SEC player so far: Alabama RB Glen Coffee
Don’t look now, but Coffee is actually about 100 yards ahead of pace to break the single-season rushing record at Alabama – a school that has produced as many all-American running backs as a wolf spider can produce babies in the backyard during a Conecuh County summer. Coffee is averaging 7.5 yards per carry and getting better as the season goes along. Oh, and if you’re looking for the runner-up in this category, look across the line towards the Alabama defense, where Jack linebacker Brandon Fanney has quietly gotten out to a potential all-SEC start.

Biggest impact from a SEC newcomer (tie): Alabama WR Julio Jones, Alabama DT Terrance Cody
The only thing bigger than the impact these guys have generated is the positive press that followed them.

SEC coach with the hottest seat: Phil Fulmer, Tennessee
At this point, it would seem more likely Fulmer won’t be back than that he will. The only question is whether Tennessee has enough coin on hand to fire him in a down economy. Many believe Fulmer will voluntarily retire, while others note his fiery temperament and say he’ll not go down without a fight. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how much money Tennessee can put up for a replacement, and whether the job will attract true top-level candidates given that the SEC isn’t what it was when Fulmer was chalking up most of his wins. There’s only one runner-up in this category at the moment: Tommy Tuberville of Auburn, and he’s a virtual lock to be back in 2009 (although it wouldn’t surprise anyone if his offensive coordinator, Tony Franklin, is not). Tuberville has beaten Alabama too many times lately and built up too much good will to get fired for a decision many observers say was forced on him by higher-ups (i.e., the Franklin hire). Mississippi State’s Sylvester Croom probably gets the 2009 season regardless of the way the Bulldogs finish, if for no other reason than the aforementioned economy.

Best teams in college football not named Alabama: Oklahoma, Missouri, LSU, Texas
If Alabama finishes the season undefeated, it will likely get the winner of the Oklahoma-Missouri-Texas triumvirate in the Big 12. Of those three teams, Texas has the most overall talent but doesn’t always live up to its billing when the chips are down. Missouri has a dangerous offense but not a great defense, and the Tigers won’t see a defense like Alabama’s at any point in 2008 save for perhaps Oklahoma. The Sooners look like the best bet to run the table in the Big 12 given their offensive and defensive balance, and a OU-UA national championship game would be legendary. If you’re looking for early predictions, Alabama would be favored against Missouri, an underdog to Oklahoma and a tossup against Texas. But don’t count out LSU, which will be hosting Nick Saban in Baton Rouge for the first time since he left and still isn’t happy about it.

Teams that could sneak into the title picture: BYU, Penn State, Ohio State, Southern Cal
Texas Tech does not appear in this picture, because the Red Raiders are highly unlikely to make it out of their own conference. BYU, on the other hand, won’t face a team that can beat it until the season finale against Utah, and the Cougars will be heavy favorites in that game if things keep going the way they are now. Ohio State and Penn State meet Oct. 25 in what is likely to be the only real test the Buckeyes will face the rest of this year. Penn State has one other real test – against Wisconsin, this weekend. It’s bad when you have to look to Illinois or Northwestern to throw a monkey wrench in someone’s plans, but that’s life in a weakened Big 10. As for USC, once the Trojans are done with Arizona State this weekend, they won’t face a real challenge again until perhaps UCLA at season’s end, and even then the Trojans will be three-touchdown favorites going in.

Teams that need a psychiatrist: Clemson, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia
Clemson hasn’t recovered emotionally from the whipping Alabama applied to its backside in the season opener. Tennessee has already been covered here; how such a collection of talent could play so badly in 2008 is a complete mystery. Too bad the Vols can’t hire Sherlock Holmes to figure it out; they’d probably be more likely to get stuck with Father Dowling, considering how their luck has gone. Texas A&M is going through post-Franchione depression – at least the Aggies have the same defensive coordinator (Joe Kines) that shepherded Alabama through similar turmoil in 2003-2006. Like Alabama in 2003, too, Texas A&M isn’t stopping many people right now while it transitions to Kines’ opposite-shoulder technique. As for Virginia, just one sentence will do: Duke 31, Virginia 3. Take a seat, and the doctor will be with you shortly.

And finally … what will Alabama’s second-half record be?
Preseason analysis pegged Alabama to lose just once in the second half of the season, to LSU. Given the Tigers’ current position in the polls, a loss in Baton Rouge wouldn’t be considered a big upset. Of Alabama’s other games, Tennessee has enough talent to be dangerous if it can get the quarterback position reasonably fixed (and Nick Stephens went a long way towards doing that after taking over this week for Jonathan Crompton), and Auburn is a huge test until Alabama finally beats the Tigers. Ole Miss is good enough to scare Alabama, while Arkansas State and Mississippi State probably don’t have the horses this year. The Predictions Dept. hasn’t had its best season this year, so perhaps it’s a good thing for Alabama that we still see a loss on the regular-season horizon, most likely in Baton Rouge.