SEC WEST
1. Alabama
Alabama is not only a preseason favorite to win the SEC, but also the national championship. Alabama brings back a solid team with the biggest concern being on the offensive line. The Tide only returns two starters from last year's team, future first rounder Cyrus Kouandijo and senior Anthony Steen. The Crimson Tide also returns offensive superstars AJ McCarron, T.J. Yeldon, and Amari Cooper. If the O-line can hold up behind new offensive line coach Mario Cristobal, this may be the best Alabama offense in the Saban era. Alabama was in the exact same situation in '09 by having to replace 3 starters on the O-line. On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama returns 7 starters. Defensively, cornerback Dee Milliner and safety Robert Lester have gone to the NFL which leaves a few questions in the secondary. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart has plenty of depth and experience with players like Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Deion Belue, John Fulton, and Landon Collins. Alabama may struggle at times on defense, but they will have an experienced group of linebackers led by CJ Mosley. Alabama has a favorable conference schedule with the toughest road game being against Texas A&M. Alabama avoids Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida out of the East. Alabama also has bye weeks before they play Texas A&M and LSU. Winning a third SEC Championship will be difficult with the target on Alabama's back. Just ask the 2010 Alabama football team. I predict Alabama to make it to Atlanta for the second straight year if the team stays healthy. A true dynasty has started in Tuscaloosa and it will be hard to stop the rising Tide.
2. Texas A&M
Texas A&M surprised many people with an 11-2 season their first year in the SEC. Freshman sensation Johnny Manziel won the Heisman and helped the Aggies upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Aggies returns 11 starters from last year’s squad. Similar to Alabama, A&M has starters to replace on the O-line including first round draft pick Luke Joeckel. Another interesting question that will need to be answered is the loss of A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury who departed to be the head coach at Texas Tech. While playing under a new assistant coach sometimes proves difficult. Manziel and the offense should be fine and will be difficult to stop. Defensively, the Aggies only return 5 starters and may struggle. Losing Damontre Moore will be the biggest loss, but the Aggies have a more experienced secondary than last year. Co-defensive coordinators Marcel Yates and Mark Snyder have a little work to do. On the schedule, the Aggies avoid Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida out of the East. They get Alabama at home, but must face LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Arkansas on the road. Manziel will have another great year if he stays healthy, but other teams now should be more prepared for him. Regardless, head coach Kevin Sumlin has proved he is able to hang with the best of them. Aggies will be in an SEC dogfight to finish second in the West.
3. LSU
Les Miles and his "Mad Hatter" ways are becoming less potent every year. LSU ended their 2012 season with a one point bowl loss to Clemson to finish 10-3. The only other two losses were against Florida and Alabama. Head Coach Les Miles hopes to make it back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship, but he must do it with 12 returning starters. On the offensive side of the ball, LSU returns 8 starters including quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger did not perform as well as fans hoped for in his first year. He did however play a great game in the heartbreaking loss to Alabama. LSU's biggest concern is the defense. Only 4 starters return and may be the youngest defense Les Miles has ever had. Luckily, the Tigers have a great defensive coordinator in John Chavis. What makes LSU vulnerable is their schedule. While Alabama and Texas A&M avoid Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida out of the East, the Tigers will have to play Florida at home and Georgia in Athens. LSU also has away games at Alabama, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State. To make matters worse, LSU's opening game is against an underrated TCU. Les Miles and his Tigers will give everything they have into winning the West. Their attempt will fall short with a young defense and tough schedule. The "Mad Hatter" will have to pull out some unused tricks to get this team where he wants them this year.
4. Ole Miss
Head coach Hugh Freeze proved his coaching ability in his very first year at Ole Miss. The Rebels finished 7-6 with a victory of Pittsburgh in the Compass Bowl. Ole Miss is not a team to underestimate. The Rebels return an SEC best 19 starters for Hugh Freeze's second season. Not to mention Ole Miss pulled in one of the best recruiting classes in school history led by number one player in the country Robert Nkemdiche. Robert's older brother, Denzel, is a linebacker for the Rebels. Ole Miss is fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball because of the 19 returning starters. The coaching staff is still young, but Freeze is building quite a depth chart in Oxford. As hard as it is to believe, Ole Miss would be a favorite to win the West if not for their schedule. They open with an underestimated Vanderbilt team in Nashville. Starting on September 14th, Ole Miss will have 3 consecutive away games at Texas, at Alabama, and at Auburn. After the Auburn game, Ole Miss will have to face Texas A&M and LSU in back to back weeks. The schedule will prove tough for Hugh Freeze and his Rebels, but expect to see this team upset some big name opponents.
Tied-5. Arkansas
The best thing Arkansas can do is forget about recent troubles within the football program and start fresh with new head coach Bret Bielema. Bret Bielema was the best hire in the SEC this offseason considering his record at Wisconsin. Of course that was the Big Ten. This is the SEC. Arkansas will have problems on offense with only 4 returning starters and replacing Tyler Wilson at quarterback. Defensively, the Razorbacks return 8 starters. This is good news considering how bad last year's defense performed. Arkansas very well may start of the season 4-0 before facing Texas A&M on September 28th. A 4-0 would be tremendous considering last year's final record of 4-8. Arkansas has to face Florida and South Carolina out of the East. They also have three other SEC road games at Alabama, at Ole Miss, and at LSU. It does not matter how bad Arkansas plays in the regular season, they will give LSU all they want on November 30th. A new staff and young offense are the two biggest faults for the Razorbacks. Give head coach Bret Bielema and this team time and Arkansas will be back fighting for a West division title.
Tied-5. Auburn
The second best hire in the SEC this offseason was made by Auburn. Bringing back Gus Malzahn was the best option for the Tigers. Auburn thrived in Malzahn's spread offense in the 2010 national championship. Malzahn has already shown his abilities as a recruiter with Auburn pulling in a very impressive recruiting class this offseason. Auburn going to the pro-style offense last year was a terrible decision and may very have cost Gene Chizik his job. Auburn is looking for a fresh start with Malzahn. Auburn returns a very impressive 15 starters with 7 of those being on offense. It will take Malzahn at least one year to adjust back to the spread which may be the biggest problem for the Tigers. The quicker they can adjust, the better season they will have. Defensively, Auburn returns 8 starters. Malzahn hiring Ellis Johnson as defensive coordinator was one of the best assistant coach hires in the SEC this past offseason. Auburn's defense will be highlighted by their D-line and secondary. It would be unfair not to mention that Auburn will also have the best kicking tandem in the SEC behind kicker Cody Parkey and punter Steven Clark. The Tigers have a tough but manageable schedule. Opening up against Mike Leach and his Washington State team should prove to be a very interesting game. They travel to LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Tennessee. While they do avoid Florida and South Carolina they do have to face their yearly rival Georgia. Auburn will definitely improve from last year’s 3-9 record (0-8 SEC), and may very well upset some big SEC teams. New coaching staff and adjustments on offense calls for the Tigers to finish 5th or 6th in the SEC. Regardless, Guz Malzahn will have one of the most improved teams not only in the SEC, but also in the country.
7. Mississippi State
Dan Mullen has been very impressive at Mississippi State so far. The Bulldogs finished 8-5 after beginning the season 6-0 and being ranked as low as #13. The Bulldogs have struggled defensively at times under Mullen, and returning 5 starters may not look good. Mississippi State does return 7 starters on offense including quarterback Tyler Russell. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs it looks to be a long upcoming season. Miss. State opens the season against an explosive offense in Oklahoma State. After a few more tough games, Mississippi State has the toughest remaining 5 games in the SEC. With back to back road games against South Carolina and Texas A&M, home game against Alabama, road game against Arkansas, and finally a closing home game with rival Ole Miss. Because of the toughness of their schedule and lack of depth on defense, Mississippi State looks to finish last in the West. Fans should not give up hope on Dan Mullen because the future is bright under this young coach.
SEC East
1. Georgia
The Georgia Bulldogs came up just a little bit short of winning the SEC Championship which would have led to a more than guaranteed national championship. An SEC East championship and a Capital One bowl win is all the Bulldogs had to show for last season. Georgia is an immediate favorite to win the SEC East for a third straight year. Aaron Murray leads an offense that may finish the best in the SEC when it is all said and done with 9 returning starters. Georgia also returns running back Todd Gurley who was last year's leading rusher. The biggest problem Georgia will have is lack of experience on defense with only 3 returning starters. Returning starters is not always the deciding factor on how good a team will be. Losing players like Alec Ogletree, Jarvis Jones, and Bacarri Rambo will be the biggest hit to this defense. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has made a significant change to the defense since he was hired at Georgia. The Bulldogs have depth, but the lack of experience may hurt them. Luckily, they are still the strongest team in the East behind their offense. Opening up with a game at Clemson will be challenging for the Bulldogs, but luckily Clemson is not an SEC team. That will be a close game and will be extremely important considering both teams are making a run at the national championship. Other than that game, Georgia faces their toughest SEC opponents at home not including the Florida game which is always played in Jacksonville. The defense will have to prove themselves early in order for Georgia to survive this year. But thanks to the coaching skills of Mark Richt and the quarterbacking skills of Aaron Murray, Georgia should find themselves in Atlanta for a third straight year.
2. Florida
Florida has had to come a long way since Urban Meyer left the program. Will Muschamp is restoring order in Gainesville with an 11-2 season in just his second year. While Florida has stood strong defensively, the Gators have struggled on offense the last two seasons. Jeff Driskel returns at quarterback along with 5 other starters on offense. Florida will not have a dynamite offensive year like in the Tim Tebow days, but the offense should improve under second year offensive coordinator Brent Pease. Florida only returns 4 starters on defense and should expect to see some young faces in the secondary. Florida does have depth on defense and should still be one of the best in SEC if all players stay healthy. This just proves once again that it is not always about the number of returning starters. Florida has road games at Miami, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, and South Carolina. There is also the Georgia game that is played annually in Jacksonville. Florida plays Florida State at home this year, but expect to see Florida lose at least one non conference game ( Miami or Florida State). Florida also faces Vanderbilt on November 9th for Homecoming. Although Vanderbilt is usually not an SEC threat, Florida may very well be "hungover" from the Georgia game and play a close one. If Florida beats LSU on October 12th, this team will be hot and may make a run for Atlanta.
3. South Carolina
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has caused a lot of hype around South Carolina. While it is no secret that Clowney is an animal, there are many other factors that make a team successful every year. Clowney will be the leader on a defense that returns 5 starters. South Carolina will have one of the best defenses in the East, but offensively a lot of questions arise. Before Marcus Lattimore's devastating injury, South Carolina relied on a solid running game to balance out their passing attack. Mike Davis is projected to get the call at running back and needs to get
his running game going for this offense to be successful. The Gamecocks do return senior quarterback Connor Shaw, who has the ability to be a running threat. Shaw may very well be the make or break it player for this team. South Carolina will have to face Georgia in Athens, but fortunately avoids Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M out of the West. From October 12th to October 26th, the Gamecocks will have three consecutive SEC road games which may cause a possible upset and a drop in the SEC East rankings. Playing Florida at home does help South Carolina's chances. The Gamecocks have a great chance to beat Florida, but will come up short in a trip to Atlanta due to other losses. Head coach Steve Spurrier will have to prove just how much magic he has left.
Tied- 4. Tennessee
Tennessee has had their fair share of struggles in the past with so many head coaching changes since the departure of Phillip Fulmer. Tennessee will begin a new season with new head coach Butch Jones. They return 5 starters on offense and that will cause some problems playing in the SEC. The Vols will be playing with a new quarterback and a very young group of receivers. They do, however, return an experienced running back in Martin Lane. That may not be enough and the Vols will have to show a lot maturity early in order to hang in the SEC. Defensively, Tennessee is fundamentally sound with 8 returning starters. The biggest question is will this new coaching staff be successful in their first year at a struggling program? Butch Jones will need time like any coach to get his program going. Tennessee does play Georgia and South Carolina at home. They will travel to Oregon, Florida, Alabama, Missouri, and Kentucky. While the Vols may not have a championship season on their hands, expect a close game when they play Georgia. Tennessee does need to watch out for Vanderbilt and Kentucky at the end of the season. It will take at least three years, but Butch Jones is the right fit for this program and will hopefully be the answer to Tennessee's problems.
Tied- 4. Vanderbilt
James Franklin is one of the most underrated coaches in all of college football. He has completely transformed this Vanderbilt squad. He took on the challenge and has delivered with consecutive bowl appearances. Before James Franklin's arrival, Vanderbilt's last three bowls occurred in 2008, 1982, and 1974. Two consecutive bowl appearances are very impressive. The Commodores lost starting quarterback Zac Stacy, but they do return 7 starters on offense. They also return 6 starters on defense including their leading tackle from last season, Kenny Ladler. Vanderbilt has an extremely difficult away schedule with road games against South Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida, and Tennessee. Vanderbilt may not win 9 games like last season, but expect this team to pull off an unexpected upset on at least one of their opponents. James Franklin is a gutsy coach, and he is slowly proving that Vanderbilt is much more than just an academic school.
6. Missouri
Missouri had a tough time their very first year in the SEC. Head coach Gary Pinkel is hoping to regroup and prove that the Tigers are SEC worthy. Missouri has 8 returning starters on offense including quarterback James Franklin. When Franklin is healthy he can be lethal. Defensively, the Tigers have 6 returning starters with their biggest loss being defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson. Leading tackler Andrew Wilson does return this year. Missouri has a tough road game against Georgia, but faces every other big name SEC East opponent at home. They will have a tough road game against Ole Miss and a final home game against Texas A&M. The Tigers will improve on last season and make it to a bowl, but it is going to take time for Missouri to adjust to the SEC. Gary Pinkel has been successful with this team, and hopes to bring more success in the years to come.
7. Kentucky
Kentucky made a very good hire when Mark Stoops was named head coach. Although Stoops is a first time head coach, he already has fans excited by landing some nice recruits in the offseason. It is very challenging for a coach to bring excitement to a football program at a school that is known for its basketball program (even Bear Bryant had trouble). The Wildcats return 14 total starters from a team that went 2-10 last season. Stoops may struggle in his first year with a young quarterback and a young team. If there is a coach in the SEC that needs time to rebuild, the greatest example would be Mark Stoops and his coaching staff. Mark Stoops will coach his first game against Western Kentucky who is now led by former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino. While that game may be interesting, especially since Western Kentucky beat Kentucky last year, the Wildcats have a tough road game schedule. Kentucky must travel to South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. Home games against Florida, Louisville, and Alabama make things a little more challenging. Mark Stoops might not have the best inaugural season ever, but with enough patience from the athletic department and fans, Kentucky will have the team needed to be successful in the SEC.
Other preseason predictions include:
SEC Championship Game
Alabama vs. Georgia
Most Anticipated SEC Game
Alabama at Texas A&M on September 14th.
Most Improved SEC West Team.
Auburn
Most Improved SEC East Team.
Tennessee
Surprise Team.
Ole Miss
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