Over the last few years I have provided a season preview for the SEC and Big 12, my two conference of preference. Once the regular season kicks off I will also provide a weekly post on both conferences offering up thoughts and observations as the season unfolds. I assure you I have no axe to grind and these are completely just my own random thoughts and observations. I am a resident of Columbia, Missouri and was raised in this region so obviously my allegiance lies with Mizzou. But as folks over the years have come to learn, I will not cut the Tigers any slack. I will call it the way I see it with them, always. And lately it's been a pretty harsh commentary. Anyway, I will take it top to bottom in the order I predict they will finish.
1. GEORGIA: Much like here at Mizzou with head coach Barry Odom, Bulldog faithful are hopeful second year head coach Kirby Smart can kick it up a notch this season. I think he, and they, will. I don't think it is exactly breaking news that much of the Georgia success will lie with how the O line develops. Enough incentive with as good a two headed monster as I can recall at running back with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Both of those guys should be impact players on sundays. If the line does it's work this Georgia running attack could be just lethal. QB Jacob Eason showed promise in his first year and from my view has all the tools to successfully take the Bulldogs to the eastern title. If he slips up he is backed up more than capably by young Jake Fromm. Fromm is a big kid who was highly recruited out of Warner Robins and from what I hear the upside with Fromm is equal if not better than Eason. Losing McKenzie as a receiver did not help the cause but there is no shortage of promising wide outs in the wings ready to stake their claim. Riley Ridley, Terry Godwin and Javon Wims, a senior should get the most looks. But once again, the obvious key here is the ability of the offensive line to effectively do their job. This Georgia running game could be very, very special. Combined with what should be a monster defense and Georgia fans should be licking their chops. They return most of their top tacklers from last year and the defensive line is typical, upper tier SEC caliber, big mean and athletic. DE Jonothan Ledbetter is a future pro and I also like JR Trenton Thompson on the nose. The linebackers are Bama quality and there cannot be a higher compliment. The secondary is very good and Sanders is another kid at safety who could possibly be cashing some big checks in his future. He is going into his senior season and has a lot at stake. Look for a big year from Sanders. The bottom line here is this should be one of the better teams in the country, let alone the conference. One guy I almost forgot to mention was Jr Linebacker Roquan Smith, shame on me. He could easily end up being the best player on the field when the Bulldogs defense is one the field. The expectations for this team down in Georgia are pretty lofty but frankly they are justified. It is now up to Smart to put it all together. Mark Richt fielded many very good teams in his tenure there but could not kick down that door and in the end departed. Good football coach but Georgia fans want more. This team can deliver if they put it all together. I will predict they win the east. I am not going to predict a victory over Bama in the league title game. But I am very, very high on this football team.
FLORIDA: The Gators were a mirror image last year to the Missouri Tigers of a couple of years ago when they fielded one of the best defenses around but an offense that was downright painful to watch. This year the Gators return much of the offense and that has seemed to be a cause for optimism with many Gator fans. Won't take long to find out when they kick off the season against Michigan. Might as well get into a good alley fight right off and forego easing in against softies. I respect that, much as I did last year when the Tide opened up with a legit heavyweight like USC and they kicked the crap out of them. Harbaugh and the Wolverines will present a golden opportunity to get the season off to a roaring start. I do expect the offense to be better, but that is not saying much. I am not as high on Zaire as some are coming in under center. But as skeptical as I am with this Gators offense I do like the defense, a lot. I remember a time when it was the polar opposite. I remember when a neighbor of mine, Jon Hoke was recruited and hired by Steve Spurrier to take over as defensive coordinator. Back then the defense was treated like second class citizens as Spurrier played with his fun and gun offense. Jon got frustrated, understandably. But Spurrier knew Jon could coach defense, that is why he hired him again when he returned to coaching at Sout Carolina. Now Jon is back in the NFL where I think he belongs. Anyway, I digress. This is a defense that only allowed a meager 16 points per game last season. Typical, salty SEC defense. They did have some issue with consistent play and of course, injuries. The Gators lost more guys on the defense than I think most realize. They are just too good to shade much but I cannot take them to win the east over Georgia. I think the Gator team in november will be much better overall than the one who squares off in Arlington against the Wolverines. Gators are a trendy pick in that game but frankly I am still looking at it from my view on the fence.
KENTUCKY: Yes, I am placing the Wildcats in the number three slot. Higher than most. I think Mark Stoops is doing a fine, under the radar job in basketball heaven building a football program. I was skeptical that anyone short of Saban could ever pull it off. And he hasn't yet but I think he has the program pointed in the right direction. Stoops has seventeen starters back from last season and I do not think there should be any real question that this will be a solid football team capable of pulling off some upsets this fall. Yes, they will go to a bowl but that whole thing is so watered down now being a bowl team just has nowhere the allure it used to. Yes, I remember when it was the Rose, Orange, Cotton and Sugar bowl. It was a big deal going to a bowl game. Losing Boom Williams at running back is not good but no reason Benny Snell cannot carry the bulk of the load there. They are in capable hands under center with senior QB Stephen Johnson. On the defensive side the Wildcats return nine starters highlighted by nasty linebackers Courtney Love and Jordan Jones. They have a very capable and underrated secondary that is also young without a senior in the starting unit. Safety Mike Edwards is the leader back there and I also like JR Chris Westry, a tall corner recruited heavily out of florida. Here is the deal, the Wildcats need to beat one of the big bullies of the league. They do get both Florida and Tennessee on their home field but have to make the tough trip down between the hedges in Athens to tangle with the Bulldogs. That could be where the rubber meets the road for this Wildcats team. They also have an road game in the early going at Columbia against the Cocks in a game that could be pivotal for both teams. I think more highly of this Wildcats team than most of the talking head do. I think they take a step forward this season and claim a 3rd place finish in the east.
TENNESSEE: It seems like year after year the expectations in Knoxville are lofty. And the Vol's fall short of meeting them. I like Butch Jones, fine football coach and man as I gather. But I am picking the Vol's to finish the season 4th in the east. Dobbs is now property of the Steelers and so there will be new blood under center Sounding like JR Quinten Dormady is the front runner to step into the role but could get pushed by red shirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano. Key thing for them is they will be lining up behind a good, veteran line. Jones has to love the fact he has four starters back on that unit. With a little uncertainty at QB its key. They seem thin to me at receiver and frankly that is one of the reasons I have them a tick below what most might. I think they could have some trouble stretching defenses. And considering the defenses they will be squaring off against in league play that does not bode well. The defense loses 20 sacks from last year and that is hard to replace. Overall I thought the defense for Tennessee under performed. Or were they over rated to begin with? Once again, expectations and reality clash with the Vol's. Looking at the upcoming schedule I see tough games on the road against the Gators and Tide, ouch. They do get both Georgia and LSU at home in what are key games for Jones club. Bottom line is I see a good team and that likely won't be enough to pacify to Tennessee faithful. Most like them higher in the standings than I do. I will slot them in here at 4th but would not be shocked if they slip to 5th behind Missouri. Nothing personal Tennessee fans, just my opinion.
MISSOURI: Some people have the Tigers bringing up the basement. I think they will be better this season in Odom's second year. Odom came into a rough spot. I could go on and on because I know some particulars about how things went down at the end with Pinkel. But I will take the high road here and just let that be water down the river. Odom is a solid football coach and very respected by his players. Missouri has seen some very good times in their time thus far with the SEC and some really bad times as well. I think they will be stronger this fall than most suspect. Of course it all starts with Drew Lock at QB. The kid has a cannon but was playing with limited options and behind a line that was terribly overrated. The Tigers were hampered last fall by a lot of injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the ball which figured to be a strength. Hopefully this year they can keep most the key guys on the field. If so, the defense should be more like what folks have come to expect from Mizzou defenses the last few years. I like Ish Witter a lot at running back but he is not anything remotely resembling a powerful back and he tends to be a little bit of a dancer as the tries to find his hole Give him a sliver of daylight and he can make some exciting runs. I see him look incredibly good at times and terribly slow hitting the holes at other times and he is not strong enough to shake up a good stick. He does tend to go down a little too easily at times. On the bright side the line is all returning and so they have a chance to redeem themselves. I think they will, to a degree. A wild card here is the other featured RB Crockett. The defense desperately needs a healthy Terry Beckner who has struggled with injuries all along. Makes you a little skeptical about him staying upright this fall. Hope he can because he is a potentially dominant force sorely needed on that unit. Odom's strength as a head coach is on the defensive side. I think they will be better. I still have some real issues with the tackling out of the secondary. Too many times they have a real issue wrapping up and finishing tackles. That has to improve and what is maddening is that has been an issue with the Tigers secondary for awhile now. I think they will edge into a lower tier bowl game when all is said and done. Interesting game comes on the back end when they travel down to Arkansas. The Hogs will be hell bent on revenge after blowing one here in Columbia last fall.
SOUTH CAROLINA: I will openly admit to having a tough time getting a handle on this years Gamecocks. Will Muschamp is a good football coach and he did manage to lead this program to a bowl game last season. But as I mentioned earlier, a bowl appearance does not quite have the cache it used to. I can see this team doing quite a bit better than 6th in the east as much of this division is a scramble between pretty close teams. Seemed to me once Muschamp settled on Bentley at QB the team settled down and performed at a higher level. With the snaps he got last year he should be in line for a strong season. He also has the luxury of working behind a line that returns all but one starter from last fall. Rico Dowdle is a good back and Bentley has the benefit of most the receiving corps back. On paper there is no valid reason this offense should not be functional, even in the SEC. Nothing flashy but if they can keep from turning the ball over this should be a team capable of placing anywhere from third in the division to where I have them. On the defensive side they will have to step up their game when it comes to stuffing the run. They allowed an average of over a couple hundred yards per game last season, not good. They get most the unit back and hard to imagine a Muschamp defense not being formidable. I look at this team and I just cannot declare them real good, or bad. They appear to me to be the poster child for middle of the pack. I would not be shocked at anything this club does unless they sprung to the top. That would shock me. They are facing a pretty salty schedule and although many over play the importance of a opener I think this teams season opener against NC State could go a long ways to setting a tone for this club, positive or negative. As I type this they are labeled a 6 point dog to the Wolfpack. Should be a better game than many suspect.
VANDERBILT: Well hell, someone had to bring up the rear. This is going to sound weird but I told a buddy the other night I considered Vanderbilt one of the best bad teams in the nation. What the hell does that mean? Simpy put, if Derek Mason's club played in another league they would be viewed in a different light. This is not a bad football team in reality. But in the world they happen to exist in, the SEC, they are perceived as a bottom feeder. They should win their first two games and then they have a very, very interesting match up with Kansas State from the Big 12. It is a big nighttime home game and I sure hope Vandy fans know what they are getting into. Kansas State will be very good AND are capable of winning the Big 12 this season if the Sooners or Cowboys slip up in the least. I cannot wait for this game and to see where the number is. IF Vandy can knock off Snyder's Wildcats they would be 3-0 with a lot of momentum. Here is the rub of it. Their next their next four games are against Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss. So you can see winning that home game against a pretty high profile program like Kansas State would go a long ways toward clinching a bowl spot down the road. I personally don't think they do it. Sorry, in another league, like I stated, this team would be perceived entirely differently. BUT, they are not a club anyone should take lightly. They are capable of shocking some folks on that schedule.
Okay, that is it for this time. I will be back with a look at the SEC west where things are a little more, well, hardcore. On the business end I want to sincerely thank all those who have taken advantage of the Pregame early bird season package offer. It is far and away Pregames most popular promotion. And one thing that kind of fly's under the radar is the fact that when you purchase the early bird package your rate is grandfathered in. Does not matter if it's ten years from now. You will be locked into this price.
I do have some football Triples loaded already. I have one in NFL Preseason coming up thursday. Last season I cashed 80% of my preseason selections. I also have a Triple Star loaded for week one in the NFL. Record with the NFL Triples the last five years is 76-46. I also have my College football Kick Off Triple loaded. Cashed on it last season with Kansas State at Stanford and expect to do likewise here. Okay, tons of work to do. BUSY, BUSY time for us. Take care guys and best of luck with all your action.