SEC speculation for this season

In the west I think Alabama cruises pretty comfortably. I think It'll take a year or two for Jimbo to get A&M where he wants them and as long as Coach O is in Baton Rogue LSU is no threat. Ole Miss and Arkansas will be awful. Auburn is the biggest hurdle but at home Alabama will take care of business.

1. Alabama
2. Auburn.
3. A&M
4. LSU
5. Miss State
6. Ole Miss
7. Arkansas

I think Georgia will plow through the east. I think those predicting a hangover are underestimating Smart and the talent/trajectory in Athens and overrating the rest of the east. I think UGA is closer to Alabama than they are to the second best team in the east. Don't really believe the hype for Muschamp at USCe either.

1. UGA
2. UF
3. USC
4. Mizzou
5. UT
6. Kentucky
7. Vandy

When I rank college teams, normally I would rank them by who has the best quarterback, most other things being equal. This is why I think that teams like Missouri and State are going to do better than some folks here seem to. Alabama and Georgia are clearly the leaders because in almost every case the guys they line up are better than the guys on the other team, so quarterback play isn't as critical even though I think that both Fromm and Tua are quality qb's.

I think that State, Missouri, Auburn, USCe, and maybe Ole Miss have known quantities and qualities at qb. The rest of those guys are unknowns and their seasons rest upon those shoulders.

rtr

My prediction:

West

Bama
Barn
Tamu
State
LSU
Ole Miss
Ark

East

Georgia
Florida
S Carolina
Kentucky
TN
Mizzou
Vandy


The west will once again be decided in the iron bowl and I think Florida will surprise some folks this year by instantly challenging Georgia in the east, mainly because of Dan Mullen. The barn will walk into BDS with either 10 or 11 wins and give Saban his first career victory over a very good barn team.

92tide said:

i think uga has a hangover year this year.

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I could see it. Kirby knows the pieces of the process but can he replicate CNS's ability to deal with coming up one victory short like we did in '08 and motivating his team to follow up an almost perfect season with something better?

Then, on top of that, he has a fat roster of 4 and 5 star guys who have to be managed and kept happy....his other big challenge.

I think Fisher is going to have some growing pains in year one at TAMU. He is going to have to weed out those HUNH style players on that offense and get his style of pro-set players in. TAMU's offense was finesse before he got there and Fisher likes a more physical approach. Its going to take some time. I could see the Aggies winning 4-5 games in year one and thats about it.

And don't sleep on LSU with this Ohio State QB transfer they have coming in. They always seem to be a solid QB away of winning 10 games.

Redwood Forrest said:

This is the most interesting season in a while, IMO, with Florida and Tennessee on the comeback trail and with Mississippi State set to see if they can continue to over-achieve as they did with Mullen. Let us not forget the A&M Aggies newfound optimism and, of course, the annual can The Ogre keep his job another year.

I am not certain S Carolina will finish second in the East, as many predict. I am thinking Mississippi State is headed back to the bottom with Arkansas and Texas A&M is a work in progress. I would like opinions on Miss St and A&M in particular, but would enjoy reading your take on all the others. Roll Tide.

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Watch out for Mississippi State

Former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead took over for Dan Mullen, and he inherits a far greater level of expectation than Mullen did when he arrived in 2009. Not only has MSU achieved at an unprecedented level (eight straight bowls, plus at least nine wins in three of the last four years), but the Bulldogs also return so much:

• 100 percent of passing yards (and now with two tested QBs)
• 100 percent of RB rushing yards
• 71 percent of receiving corps yards
• 80 percent of offensive line starts
• 82 percent of overall tackles
• 92 percent of TFLs

In terms of combined experience and talent, this could be one of MSU’s most impressive teams. Moorhead won’t get much of a breaking-in period in Starkville, will he?

https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...8-ncaa-football-returning-starters-experience

I am glad this game is in Tuscaloosa this year.

Rtr

IMO, the place LSU contends for in the West does begin with an 's', but it is sixth and not second. I have them seventh.

With the high hopes from the barn, maybe this is the usual year they tank. Hope springs eternal. They always seem to be more dangerous when they do not have higher expectations.

81usaf92 said:

My guess is Tennessee will continue to struggle this year.

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Mine too. Jeremy needs a year or two, maybe three, to begin to approach UGA`s talent level. Although I`m not sure that year in, year out, UT will be able to match UGA in talent. Not unless something cataclysmic happens at UGA.

Tide Rev said:

With the high hopes from the barn, maybe this is the usual year they tank. Hope springs eternal. They always seem to be more dangerous when they do not have higher expectations.

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Other than " Hope springs eternal in the human breast ", I`m having a somewhat difficult time ( not that I`m devoting a great deal of time on it, mind you ) figuring out the source of the " high hopes " to which you refer. Wasn`t their O line pretty much gutted? I know they`ve lost their primary RB`s from last year. Better keep Stidham upright. If he goes down, they`re toast. Maybe the D`s supposed to be salty (?). Plus, I distinctly remember Dub saying something about last year`s team being the greatest, talent wise, in barn history. I`m sure Dub will be along to enlighten me soon!

I rarely say this or feel this way.


Alabama will go undefeated and repeat as national champion.

The challenge in the West will primarily be Auburn.
LSU, Ole Miss are on downward trends
ATM will need more than one season of Jimbo to really get it going.
MSU has to show they can achieve Mullen results without Mullen
Arky is in transition.

In the East?

Georgia will be very good plus the division as a whole isn't very great at all.


ETA:
Just remember that I picked Michigan for the final four in football last year and haven't gotten the East winner right since 2009.

selmaborntidefan said:

I rarely say this or feel this way.


Alabama will go undefeated and repeat as national champion.

The challenge in the West will primarily be Auburn.
LSU, Ole Miss are on downward trends
ATM will need more than one season of Jimbo to really get it going.
MSU has to show they can achieve Mullen results without Mullen
Arky is in transition.

In the East?

Georgia will be very good plus the division as a whole isn't very great at all.


ETA:
Just remember that I picked Michigan for the final four in football last year and haven't gotten the East winner right since 2009.

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It's very hard not to feel that way. IMO the 2 things that keep that from happening are

1. Tua isn't as good as we all think. He is more turnover prone than anticipated and it costs us

2. The secondary fails to reload. If our secondary struggles too much we could quickly find ourselves in a shoot out and those games can often go one way because of a freak bounce.

I'm pretty confident about the rest of our team and seriously doubt that I/we/everyone is wrong about Tua. I am a little concerned about the CB2 spot though.

RollTide_HTTR said:

It's very hard not to feel that way. IMO the 2 things that keep that from happening are

1. Tua isn't as good as we all think. He is more turnover prone than anticipated and it costs us

2. The secondary fails to reload. If our secondary struggles too much we could quickly find ourselves in a shoot out and those games can often go one way because of a freak bounce.

I'm pretty confident about the rest of our team and seriously doubt that I/we/everyone is wrong about Tua. I am a little concerned about the CB2 spot though.

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You're absolutely right. I don't disagree with anything here.


I've felt this way two other times:
2009 (and we did)
2016 (and we came within one play of doing it)

RollTide_HTTR said:

It's very hard not to feel that way. IMO the 2 things that keep that from happening are

1. Tua isn't as good as we all think. He is more turnover prone than anticipated and it costs us

2. The secondary fails to reload. If our secondary struggles too much we could quickly find ourselves in a shoot out and those games can often go one way because of a freak bounce.

I'm pretty confident about the rest of our team and seriously doubt that I/we/everyone is wrong about Tua. I am a little concerned about the CB2 spot though.

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If #2 happens then the Mizzou game could be a shootout.

Tideflyer said:

Mine too. Jeremy needs a year or two, maybe three, to begin to approach UGA`s talent level. Although I`m not sure that year in, year out, UT will be able to match UGA in talent. Not unless something cataclysmic happens at UGA.

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Pruitt will not get the grace that Butch and Dickey did. For the simple fact that he is from Bama...played for Bama....coached at Bama, and has been seen in Red tells me what it may be like for him. When Dave Hart was hired as AD in Knoxville? I heard lunchroom scoffing that accused Saban of orchestrating future failure for UT. When Jones was hired? Same. Just saying. Pruitt knows the temp of the water in vol country. Anything that goes right is a plus for Fulmer. Anything that goes wrong will start the clock.

Tenntiderman said:

Pruitt will not get the grace that Butch and Dickey did. For the simple fact that he is from Bama...played for Bama....coached at Bama, and has been seen in Red tells me what it may be like for him. When Dave Hart was hired as AD in Knoxville? I heard lunchroom scoffing that accused Saban of orchestrating future failure for UT. When Jones was hired? Same. Just saying. Pruitt knows the temp of the water in vol country. Anything that goes right is a plus for Fulmer. Anything that goes wrong will start the clock.

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Excellent points. Fulmer`s an absolute reptile, but he`s in the pantheon of UT royalty, for sure.

92tide said:

i think uga has a hangover year this year.

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They probably do but there's nobody to challenge them in the East. They can have a hangover, sleepover or whatever and still win 10 games...