Conference expansion finally takes effect on the SEC, as 2012 welcomes Missouri to the Eastern divsion & Texas A&M to the Western Divison. I will continue to update this thread as SEC meida day unfolds to keep yall posted on anything worth noting. I'm a die hard SEC/Southern Miss footbal fan and there's no telling where i might be found on Gameday as i'm all over the SEC. Please excuse typo's and ghramatical errors as i did a halfass job of proof reading & wrote most of the team writeups from my Iphone. I'd love to hear yall's thoughts and expectations for the 2012 SEC season and would appreciate your vote on who you think will win the SEC this year. We could defintely see a interesting perdictment of having a 3 way tie in the West with Alabama beating Arkansas, LSU beating Alabama, and Arkansas beating LSU; leaving all teams 11-1 and then margin of victory would come into play over SEC opponents, but it's way too early to even start contemplating such hypothetical scenarios.
Ranking the West & East on where i see them finishing for 2012:
WEST EAST
LSU GEORGIA
ALABAMA FLORIDA
ARKANSAS VANDERBILT
MS. STATE SOUTH CAROLINA
TX. A&M TENNESSEE
AUBURN MISSOURI
OLE PISS KENTUCKY
WEST
LSU
Hard to believe the Bayou Bengals could be returning a better team than last year's 13-0 SEC Championship team, but they failed to put that National Championship notch on their belt, so best believe this team will be highly motivated to go the distance this year! The best thing that might of happened to LSU was finaly graduating/losing Jared Lee & Jordan Jefferson. Les Miles will be handing the reigns over to Zach Mettenberger, who has a promising arm and concrete filled shoes. It's pretty simple for him though, all he has to do is not suck as bad as his predecessors. His mobility should not be a issue since he will be protected by one of the best offensive lines in the country! LSU's depth & skill set at running back is amazing & will feature 5 guys that will share the work load, 4 of whom many consider among the Top 25 in the country. If Mettenberger lives up to the hype, expect for Russel Sheppard to have a big season. He's a proven playmaker the Tigers can rely on early in the season, since they have several new starters at wideout. Best believe the newbies are extremely talented. Despite Losing several bad asses to the NFL, the Tigers D should not miss a beat from last year. The only scrunity you will hear is they only have one returning starter at linebacker, but the replacements are future stars in the making. The learning curve is never too bad when your team has one of the best defensive lines & Secondarys in the country. Brad Wing will be the best known returning specialist in the country & has to be the only punter I know of in history to have a touchdown called back for taunting. I got a sneaky feeling he runs another fake back for a TD this year as well.... All in all, LSU & the Coon Ass Nation are primed for another National Championship run & may very well go 14-0 SU on the season & 11-3 ATS...They should be favored in every game and I only see Alabama, Arkansas, & Georgia in the SEC Championship as possible upset scenarios....I really think that Arkansas game is the mostly likely upset scenario. The home team has won the past 4 meetings, but this will be the first time this LSU team has ever traveled to Fayettville. Expect for the Bayou Bengals go 14-0 and win the National Championship this year, but dont be surprised if Ark,Ala,or Ga. steals one in a upset. It may sound square, but betting the Tigers every game could be a profitable scenario.
ALABAMA
Nick Saban is in stride with Bear Bryant in becoming a legendary Football coach after recording his second National Championship in 5 seasons at Alabama. He is primed for back to back championships with A.J. Mccarron returning at QB behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. Their offensive line might be on par with some NFL team's and will lead the way for a stable of Running backs featuring Eddie Lacy, Jalston Fowler, Dee Hart,& T.J. Yeldon. The Recieving core is very capable and will have their time to shine. The Defense lost a ton of players to the NFL, but Saban keeps plenty of weapons to reload with. The D-Line will be led by Nose Tackle Jesse Williams, whom starterd every game last year. He will free up blockers for a group of talented linebackers that are top draft picks in the making. The secondary is deep and talented as seems to be the norm for Alabama, but only returns one starter. Special teams is never a strong suit for the Tide and dont see much to expect different this year. The Tide's season opens up with a game against Michigan in the Dallas Cowboys stadium, where their offense will look to find it's rythm under 1st year O.C. Doug Nussemir. The Tide's defense will still outscore Michigan's offense in that one, mark it down Wolverines! The opening SEC game at Arkansas could be treacherous as it sets up for a big revenge match for a Hog squad that might have the most potent offense in the nation. Later on in the season a classic look ahead spot presents it's self as the Tide host a Ms. State team the week before the big LSU game. Taking all of this in to consideration, i still got the Tide going 11-1 SU & 8-3 ATS as they are a legit contender for the National Championship & will continue to bust heads!
ARKANSAS
Petrino should of listened to Tupac and gone M.O.B.,, but due to the scandal that insued he was terminated from Arkansas football. John L. Smith was brought back into the fold after being 5 months on the job at Weber St. Smith had coached his previous two years at Arkansas as the Special teams's coach. There should be little change at Arkansas since all of the assistants are still in place, including Petrino's brother. Expect everything to remain the same except
that Bobby Petrino wont be there. The Hog's are loaded on offense and wil feature the most potent offense in the nation. They have the best Quarterback/Runningback tandem in the country with Tyler Wilson & Kniles Davis, whom both could be in the running for the Heisman. Though several talented recievers were lost to the NFL, their recieving corps promises to be just as dangersous as ever, especially since Tyler WIlson will have plenty of time to throw being behind a elite offensive line. The Defense is stacked with Defensive lineman & Linebackers, but could have problems in a secondary that loses 4 starters. The Razorbacks come into 2012 as perhaps the most legit undervalued National Championship contender all because of the Petrino firing and the fact that LSU & Alabama are in their conference. The Hogs have the benefit of playing their toughest games at home against Alabama & LSU , but will have tough road games against A&M, Ms. State & South Carolina. The Hogs offense willl have a phenomenal season and catapult them to a 10-2 SU season and 6-4 ATS as the Hogs slug it out in the SEC West for a shot at the SEC Championship!
MISSISSIPPI ST
It's put up or shut up time for Dan Mullen as he enters his 4th year as Ms. State's head coach and all of his 1st year recruits are now Seniors. The offense will be more pass oriented than in years pass with Tyler Russel starting at QB. Tyler Russel is a good pocket passer, but his pass protection is questionable. The offensive line's depth is shallow and injury prone. I dont wish a injury on anyone, but Tobias Smith(Guard) is a senior now and has been injured every year he has played at Ms. State. If he gets injuried this season, look for it to throw a big kink into the Offensive line. This area will define Ms. State's entire offensive production. With the proper amount of time, Tyler will have a host of vetran receivers to throw the ball to. The running back depth is shallow and will mainly feature Perkins & Griffin as their primary backs. Perkins at 190lbs. Is more of a speedy finese runner, where as Griffin Is more of Bruiser type back at 225lbs. The defense is the Dawg's real bread n' butter, as they are the only reason Ms. State has played competive football in the SEC. The Bulldogs featured play maker will be Jontahon Banks, whom may be the #1 Shutdown Cover Corner in the country! Though Banks might be the highest rated draft pick on his team, Cameron Lawrence at Linebacker will the real backbone of this defense. The Defensive line promises to be even better than last year, despite losing Fletcher Cox to the 1st round. They plan for their depth at DL to fill his void by rotating players in out more often. The field goal kicker's spot is up for grabs but they do return a capable punter that had a knack for pinning teams inside their twenty...This season will define Dan Mullen as mediocre or elite coach, as this team is filled with his recruits & is his best shot at achieving success since this team is filled with a lot of Seniors that will not be easily replaced next year. The Dawgs have the benefit of a easy schedule early on and should be 7-0 and favored in every game until they travel to Bryant Denny Stadium to take on Alabama. The last 5 games will be treacherous as at least 3 of those teams will be top 15 or better opponents. The Auburn game at home will set the tone for the rest of Ms. States season. If they win that one, you can pencil the Dawgs in for a nice 8 or 9 wins, plus their bowl game. The Dawgs have never been a good team at covering as a favorite and will be quickly over valued after a win over Auburn and the rest of the cupcakes that follow. Look for the Dawgs to go 8-4 this year in the regular season and 6-4 ATS(two games will not have a spread) .-
TEXAS A&M
Coming into the SEC, the Aggies decided to go in a new direction hiring a new head coach & athletic director. The Aggies recently raided the S.C. Gamecocks for their athletic director, who wass responsible for building their sports program up to their highest level in history! Plus he has expierence in dealing with QB's with alchol/law related problems, so he should have no problem handling one of A&M's QB's who was recently arrested in a alchol related incident. Kevin Sumlin was hired away from Houston, to prepare the Aggies for life in SEC Football. At Houston, Sumlin led the nation with the #1 offense in the nation averaging almost 600 yards per game! Repeating anything close to such will be tough with a new QB under center in Jameil Showers. Despite such, the run game should thrive behind two of the best tackles In the country. The Offensive line should provide plenty of time for their new QB to find Ryan Swoope & company down field. Swoope had a big season last year at WR when NFL Draft pick Tanehill was throwing to him. On the defensive side of the ball the Aggies have a strong linebacking core, but lack proven depth everywhere else on the field. They have capable starters along the D-Line & Secondary, but once the SEC injury bug takes effect, their could be some gaping holes personel wise. The Aggies have a solid punter & high hopes for a red shirted kicks that was rated #1 in some polls after his prep year. All in all, the Aggies come into the SEC battle ready, but are thrown into the fire early as they face the all of the SEC West, plus Florida & Mizzou from the East, & couple that with a new coach, new QB, & a new conference is a tough recipe for anyone. Look for A&M's season te resemble Arkansas first couple of years under Petrino & expect no better than 7-5 SU on the season & 6-5 ATS as the learning curve of the SEC & it's physical nature take it's toll on fresh meat!
2012 TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
Aug. 30 vs. Louisiana Tech (Shreveport)
Sept. 8 FLORIDA
Sept. 15 at Southern Methodist
Sept. 22 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
Sept. 29 ARKANSAS
Oct. 6 at Ole Miss
Oct. 20 LSU
Oct. 27 at Auburn
Nov. 3 at Mississippi State
Nov. 10 at Alabama
Nov. 17 SAM HOUSTON STATE
Nov. 24 MISSOURI
AUBURN
Earlier this year it looked like Gene Chiznut was about to get exposed when 3 assistants left the program(including star RB Dyer) but he reloaded by stealing the ATL Falcons Defnsive Coordinator, Temple's Scott Loffeler, & Willlie Martinez from Oklahoma to coach the secondary. Many feel Chiznut is a bad coach that hit a homerun with great player, but then he got all kind of lucky breaks last year that gave his critics lock jaw. He's had top recruiting classes every year in his SEC tenure. This offense will feature a more run oriented QB, led by Prosh, a big bruiser fullback transfer from Illinois to clear the way. The run game will be solid with a multitude of RB's despite Dyer's transfer, but the pass game will not be so sharp. The recieving core would be good if the QB could ever get the ball to em. The Offensive line will be a bit wet behind the ears, but could have promising futures. Look for the defense to really improve under new D.C. VanGorder as he inherits a young & talented defensive line that will be the backbone of their defense. The linebacking core is solid & will only get better since VanGorder is considered a linebacker guru! The secondary should be decent but could be forced to rely on some youngsters. This Auburn squad could once again be undervalued & overlooked in the SEC, but I will call for Chiznut & his Tigers to struggle as they adjust to new systems implamented on offense & defense. Look for a tough game in Starkville as Auburn takes on the Bulldogs for their first SEC game before they host LSU & Arkansas, but they do get a bye in between these two. I'm call for Auburn to take a step back from last season & go 6-6 SU & 4-6 ATS(two games with nos spreads). The Tigers will move on to a crappy bowl where they will dominate & go 7-6 on a off season, unless Chiznut continues to have more quirky wins, Les Miles style....
OLE PISS
Hugh Freeze is no stranger to Ole Miss, coaching here several years a go under the Orgeron regime, but he lacks the NFL recruits he had then. Freeze is known for quickly turning programs around, but things should take a bit longer at Ole Miss. At QB Bo Wallace will attempt to run Freese's complicated system, but mainly will just be running from defenders. The offensive line is a mess & their running backs aren't much better. Randal Mackey will play a lot of Wildcat & will be the Teddy Bear's only true offensive threat. The defense is young but should improve under new D.C. Dave Womack whom in 1 year time transformed a 100th ranked Arkansas St. Defense to a Top 25 Defenese! The problem is the D will be on the field the majority of the game and be reliant on several youngsters. Look for "The Curse of the Colonel" to continue to haunt the Teddy Bears as their season will be atrocious, going 3-9 SU & 2-10 ATS. Fading the Rebels every game could be a profitable scenario for 2012.
2012 Ole Miss Rebels Football Schedule
|
Date |
|
Opponent |
Time/TV |
Tickets |
Saturday 09/01/12 |
|
Central Arkansas Bears Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/08/12 |
|
UTEP Miners Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/15/12 |
|
Texas Longhorns Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/22/12 |
|
at Tulane Green Wave Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA |
11:00 a.m. CT FSN |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/29/12 |
|
at Alabama Crimson Tide Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/06/12 |
|
Texas A&M Aggies Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/13/12 |
|
Auburn Tigers (HC) Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/20/12 |
--- |
Open Date |
--- |
--- |
Saturday 10/27/12 |
|
at Arkansas Razorbacks War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, AR |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/03/12 |
|
at Georgia Bulldogs Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/10/12 |
zh
EAST
GEORGIA
Mark Richt and the Georgia Nation are primed for National Championship aspirations returning almost a complete team with a favorable schedule. At QB Aaron Murray will continue to be one of the SEC's elite QB's as he has the potential to be a legit Heisman candadte. The Dawgs are stacked with Recievers & running backs, despite the dismissal of the talented Crowell. It was really addition by subtraction. The Offensive Line will be replacing three starters, but has talented replacements only lacking Expierence. The transition from a 4-3 to 3-4 type defense was rough rough early going for the Dawgs, but they made huge strides by the end of last season. The Dawgs return 20 of 22 players from this unit. They've got two big ass 350lb nose tackles to anchor the unit & a plethora of linebackers. The Secondary is deep & led by All Anercan safety Bacarri Ramboo & Shawn Williams. Many claim the Georgia defense is the most talented in the SEC! Conference expansion was kind to the Georgia Nation, as it gave them the most favorable schedule to win the SEC, with games against Western division Ole Miss & Auburn. With Future NFL Draftee Aaron Murray at QB, a Top 5 Defense, and a favorable schedule, look for the Georgia Bulldogs to go 12-0 SU & 7-5 ATS on the season. The Dawgs are a legit National Championship team, but could face a roadblock in the SEC Championship as the West has owned the SEC East The past few years.
FLORIDA
Will Muschamp comes into 2012 off a 7-6 season making the best hire in the SEC hiring Boise St.'s offensive coordinator to run his non existent offense. The offense could continue you to struggle as it looks to replace Brantley at QB & Demps and Rainey at RB. No definite starter at QB has been penciled in, but will include Brisset: more of a traditional pocket passer & Driskel;whom is more of running type QB. Though QB play is uncertain, the Offensive line will be Rock solid. They will lead the way for a young group of talented but unproven RB's. There is plenty of talent at the reciever position, if the passing game will ever evolve. True Freshman Latroy Pittman showed his ass in the spring game at wideout, so look for the Young Buck to make a few highlight reels this year . The defensive side of the ball will be the real strength of this team, returning 15 of it's 16 leading Tacklers, which includes 10 starters. Ronald Powell, the Gators #1 pass rusher & sack leader will miss the first part of the season due to a torn ACL, but will return for the second half of the season to unleash hell on opposing Quarterbacks. Even with his absence, the Gators Defense will still be a top ten defense in every category. All together the Gators return 7 Starters on offense & 10 on defense with a tailor made schedule, that could favor a impressive season if the Offense can get any production. With the easier SEC games on the road, the tough ones at home, & two cupcakes before they take on Florida State, look for the Florida Gators to go 10-2 SU & 5-6 ATS as the Seminole's will smell like Gatorbait to close out the season. Look to back the Gator's totals Under early in the week against S.C., Georgia, FSU, & LSU
VANDERBILT
In one year time, James Franklin has changed the attitude of Vanderbilt Football. Forever the "Perennial Whipping Boy" of the SEC, they now feel like they can compete with anyone after their first winning season since 1982. The Offenseive line returns 4 starters & will only be missing their starting center. They should lead the way for perhaps the best under the radar running duo in the Country in Zack Stacy & Warren Norman. At QB Jordan Rogers(Aarron Rodgers little brother) will get the start, but could lose his job to a transfer from Wyoming that is suppose to have a better arm if he struggles. They will move two other QB's to Wildcat & slot receiver. The Willdcat option could give opposig teams trouble as a change in pace. The Commadores return two Wide Recievers coming off a big season with high expectations. The Defense looks to improve this season, despite losing some of their best playmakers because they return a deeper & more expierenced unit that will be the strength of this team. Look for Chase Ghram to lead the team in tackles as he moves from OLB to Middle LB & for Trey Wilson to compete nationally for most interceptions. Times are a changing for the Comadores as they can finally compete with most of the conference and will be perhaps the most dangerous team in the Underdog role in the SEC. The first game against South Carolina will be huge as I'm calling for a comfortable Vandy cover & a possible out right win. James Franklin will not creap up on anyone this year, but will still lead the Comadores to their 2nd winning winnig season going 7-5 SU on the season & 8-2 ATS (2 games will not have a line). Look to back Vandy at home against the Vols as this game has "Revenge Game of the Year" written all over it!
2012 Vanderbilt Commodores Football Schedule
|
Date |
|
Opponent |
Time/TV |
Tickets |
Thursday 08/30/12 |
|
South Carolina Gamecocks Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
6:00 p.m. CT ESPN |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/08/12 |
|
at Northwestern Wildcats Ryan Field, Evanston, IL |
7:00 p.m. CT BTN & BTN2Go |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/15/12 |
|
Presbyterian Blue Hose Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/22/12 |
|
at Georgia Bulldogs Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/29/12 |
--- |
Open Date |
--- |
--- |
Saturday 10/06/12 |
|
at Missouri Tigers Faurot Field, Columbia, MO |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/13/12 |
|
Florida Gators Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/20/12 |
|
Auburn Tigers Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/27/12 |
|
UMass Minutemen (HC) Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/03/12 |
|
at Kentucky Wildcats Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/10/12 |
|
at Ole Miss Rebels Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/17/12 |
|
Tennessee Volunteers Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/24/12 |
|
at Wake Forest Demon Deacons BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
SOUTH CAROLINA
Spurrier & the Gamecocks are coming off a school's best record of 11-2, but they still lack & crave a Conference Championship. Achieving such will be hard losing 4 assistants, especially Ellis Johnson, whom many consider the best defensive mind in the country. After two years of backing up/splitting time with the trouble prone Garcia, Conner Shaw finally starts the season as the definitive Starting QB. He should have a dependable offensive line that will open up the run for Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore may be the best running back in the country & is a legit front runner for the Heisman. Expect for 20+ carries from Lattimore a game, despite the depth of talented backs behind Lattimore. The wide reciever position will be searching for a goto playmaker after losing Alshon Jeffery, but many Gamecock fans are expecting for their tightends to make up the difference. Despite the performance of the Gamecock aerial attack, good or bad; S.C. Will be a run first offense. The Defensive Line is the real meat of this team & may be the best unit in the country. A deep linebacker core should benefit from the hell their defensive front will reap on opposing teams. Their secondary returns two Senior CB's, but lack expierence outside of them. This defense will suffer from Ellis Johnson's departure and will be more blitz orriented, which will leave the secondary vulnerable. The opening game at Vanderbilt could be treacherous, as I could see Vandy making some big time pass plays. Last season S.C. avoided a "normal" late season losing skid, which they have been notorious for in the past. Expect for the Gamecocks to revert to their former ways when they hit a rough stretch where they will host Georgia, then travel to LSU & Florida, followed by tough home games to Tennessee & Arkansas. Probally got S.C. Ranked a hair low in the East, since Spurrier has never lost to Vandy, but I'm going out on a limb & saying South Carolina goes 7-5 SU on the season & 5-6 ATS (no probable line on Wofford) & finishes 4th in the SEC East as the Gamecock Nation suffers from Ellis Johnson Withdraws.....
TENNESSEE
Shit is getting real hot in Knoxville for Derrick Dooley & it's do or die time as he enters his 3rd season. People close to the Vol's organization tell me Dooley must win atleast 7, more than likely 8 games for his job to remain secure. Sensing impending doom, Dooley had 7 assistants leave the program this off season! During spring training emphasis was placed on adjusting to new coaches in attempt to build team chemistry. The offensive line had high expectations last year, but they failed miserably in living up to the hype. Once again this deep group of highly touted lineman have big expectations placed on their shoulders, but this year they have ample amount of Expierence to build off of, returning all 5 starters. Tyler Bray is considered one of the elite QB's of the SEC & has perhaps the best recieving core in the conference with blazing speed. The run game wants to be more physical, but will be relying on several small Freshman & Sophmore Tailbacks to accomplish the task. Dooley brought in Sal Sunserri to run his Defense. Sunserri has been working with Bama the past 3 years ad will be implementing the 3-4 defense, though the 4-3 will be used sparingly. The 380lb JUCO transfer will be responsible for clogging the middle, but depth along the D-line is limited. The line backing core & secondary should be solid. The main issue with the Vol's 3-4 scheme is they lack adequate personal to run it effectively, being a bit small at the Defensive end spots. Tennessee faces 8 teams that made bowl appearances last year . The outlook does not look good versus Oregon as I've seen Rocky Top embarrassed by the PAC on several occasions, this one will get ugly. Dooley is almost at the end of his rope and will go 6-6 on the regular season as he prays for a bowl bid & post season play. Expect for the Rocky Top to finish somwhere around a Rocky 5-7 ATS on the season & a possible coaching change
2012 Tennessee Volunteers Football Schedule
|
Date |
|
Opponent |
Time/TV |
Tickets |
Friday 08/31/12 |
|
NC State Wolfpack Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA |
7:30 p.m. ET ESPNU |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/08/12 |
|
Georgia State Panthers Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/15/12 |
|
Florida Gators Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/22/12 |
|
Akron Zips Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 09/29/12 |
|
at Georgia Bulldogs Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/06/12 |
--- |
Open Date |
--- |
--- |
Saturday 10/13/12 |
|
at Mississippi State Bulldogs Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/20/12 |
|
Alabama Crimson Tide Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 10/27/12 |
|
at South Carolina Gamecocks Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/03/12 |
|
Troy Trojans Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/10/12 |
|
Missouri Tigers Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/17/12 |
|
at Vanderbilt Commodores Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
TBA |
Buy Tickets |
Saturday 11/24/12 |
|
Kentucky Wildcats Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
TBA |
MISSOURI
The Tigers come fresh into the SEC with a perfect schedule setup to make a run at the SEC East.....but all that talk is purely hypothetical & is filled with plenty of "If's". "IF your aunt had balls she'd be your uncle", so keep this in mind Mizzou fans. Mizzou is one of only five programs in the country that has won at least 8 games in the past 6 seasons, something only LSU has done from the SEC! Gary Pinkel holds full responsibility for such a impressive resume since he's been head coach for 12 years. Mizzou was a run first oriented offense last year, led by dual threat QB James Franklin, whom many compare to Michigan's Denard Robison. Franklin will not be 100% coming into the season and will struggle to stay healthy if he continues to run the ball. The run & pass game realies heavily on the spread option and will feature a nice group of skill set players, but will be absent their best RB due to a season ending injury. The O-Line replaces three starters, but should have plenty of Expierence to fill their voids. The defense looks to be solid with a deep group of linebackers, secondary, & defensive ends, but will lack depth along the interior of the D-Line. Punting & Kicking duties should be secure under 2nd Team All Big 12 specialist Trey Barrow. Mizzou will have a chance to contend for the East early on, hosting Georgia & then traveling to S.C. but will be outmatched in the trenches for the majority of their confernece games & the Spread Option might surprise a couple of teams, but it won't take long for the defensive gurus to scheme against it. Their offense will struggle against the top tier defenses & perform minimal if best against the mediocre ones. With games against Georgia, @S.C., Alabama, @Florida,@Tenn., & @Tx. A&M(who is on triple revenge), expect for Missouri to finish no better than 6-6 SU & 5-6 ATS as Mizzou gets a bloody nose their first year in THE LEAGUE
2012 Missouri Tigers Schedule |
DATE |
OPPONENT |
RESULT/TIME |
RECORD/TICKETS |
Sat, Sept 1 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Sept 8 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Sept 15 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Sept 22 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Sept 29 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Oct 6 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Oct 13 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Oct 27 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Nov 3 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Nov 10 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Nov 17 |
|
TBD |
Tickets |
Sat, Nov 24 |
|
TBD |
KENTUCKY
Last year Kentucky had a young team....This year Kentucky will have a "YOUNG" team! There were rumors that Joker Phillips was likely to lose his job, but that big win over Tennessee at the end of the year really reamped the program. Joker Phillips might steal one big win this year, but will be reliant on freshmen & sophomores to do so. At QB we can expect to see Maxwell Smith penciled in as Starter. He started the last few games as a true freshman last year & even led his team to a comeback victory. With his offensive line in a mess & retuning only 1 starting receiver, don't expect a lot of action in the air except off Pick 6's. The offense will rely heavily on a multitude of Tailbacks & TightEnds that looked good in the Spring Scrimmage. The Defense lost their best player to a drug arrest and will be reliant on mostly freshman & sophomores again. They have a converted tailback playing CB, that has high expectations of being a top rated defensive back by the end of the season. There is plenty of depth at linebacker and are a couple of defensive lineman that can compete with anyone in the country, but all in all this Defense will have growing pains with so much youth in play. Kentucky will be the God Awful, Bottom of the Barrel team in the SE, but as long as the baskeball team is good, everything in Lexington is all gravey. Look for Kentucky to go 3-9 SU & a terrible 3-8 ATS on the season(one game will not have a spread). Fading this team season long could be a profitable scenario.
2012 Kentucky Wildcats Football Schedule
|
Date |
|
Opponent |
Time/TV |
Tickets |
Sunday 09/02/12 |
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at Louisville Cardinals Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY |
3:30 p.m. ET ESPN |
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Saturday 09/08/12 |
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Kent State Golden Flashes Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY |
TBA |
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Saturday 09/15/12 |
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Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY |
TBA |
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Saturday 09/22/12 |
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at Florida Gators Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL |
TBA |
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Saturday 09/29/12 |
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South Carolina Gamecocks Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY |
TBA |
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Saturday 10/06/12 |
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Mississippi State Bulldogs Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY |
TBA |
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Saturday 10/13/12 |
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at Arkansas Razorbacks D.W.R. Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, AR |
TBA |
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Saturday 10/20/12 |
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Georgia Bulldogs (HC) Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY |
TBA |
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Saturday 10/27/12 |
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at Missouri Tigers
Faurot Field, Columbia, MO
BONUS OUT OF CONFERENCE HOME BREW:
SOUTHERN MISS
Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime! That seems to be the message since Ellis Johnson took over the head coaching job at Southern Miss. Since his appointment, Southern Miss has scheduled games with Boise, Nebraska, LSU, Arkansas, amongst other big schools. No more cupcakes as the new head coach's first goal was to take the Eagles to a BCS game. He'll have about two years to do so now, since the 4-team playoff has been implemented. Ellis Johnson was defensive Coordiantor at Southern Miss, Ms. State, & most recently South Carolina, all whom had Top 3 rated defenses under his tenure. With Elis comes a new coaching staff. He promises to keep the same spread offense intact, but will be implementing his own 4-3 defensive scheme. Chris Campbell will be replacing 5 year stater and school record holder Austin Davis & will have big shoes to fill, but he is a bad ass according to several people who have practiced with him. He was medical red shirted last year, so he has no in game Expierence. What should help him in his first few starts is having the best rated offensive line in Conf. USA returning, including a All American Center candidate & a 6th yea senior at left tackle. The Run game will be good under Desmond Johnson & Kendrick Hardy, but Woodyard will be missed. Woodyard sustained a season ending injury in the spring. Tracy Lampley will be te primer play maker at wide receiver & special teams as he is the most expierenced receiver returning to Eagles. The defense will be spearheaded by DE Jamie Collins, who will reak havoc on opposing QB's all season. What is troubling is the Eagles did lose their top 7 or 8 leading tacklers to graduation. The line backing core will be inexpierncd & backed up by a talented secondary. Look for Deron Wilson at CB to contend for Conf. USA 1st team honors at the end of the season. Upon further review of the Golden Eagles, Ellis was very pleased with his talent level, but stressed his team lacked fundamentals. In the Black & Gold Spring game, Ellis played offense versus defense, instead of the orginal two team scrimmage. Campbell went 12 for 18 in pass completions, for 167 yard and 1 touchdown. The highly touted & recently drafted to MLB Ricky Lloyd went 14 for 28 in passes for 197 yards. The offense scored 34 total points. This year's schedule proves to be a lot tougher Compared to the Cupcakes Southern faced last year. Though many are predicting a off year, they will still contend for the Conf. USA championship & upset Louisville at home. Nebraska will be a tough season opener. Even more so, since USM has historically struggled with dual threat QB's but maybe Ellis's defensive mastermind will have a direct impact at the beginning of the season. Look for the Eagles to beat the dog shit out UAB in a GOY type scenario, so keep that one circled on your calender.. Look for the Eagles to win 8 or 9 games this year, contend for Conf. Champ, and to finish somewhere around 8-4 ATS.......SOUTHERN MISS, TO THE TOP! -