SEC Preview 2010

SEC Preview 2010

West:

The SEC west features the overwhelming number one team in the nation. The defending National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide bring back their quarterback, running back, and maybe most importantly, their coach. Nick Saban has done amazing things at Alabama. He took an underachieving program to the top of the rankings. Bama has lost only two games in the last two years, and should be right back in the title hunt this year.
The question in the West is what are the teams behind Alabama going to do. Auburn should be better this year. SEC fans will know the name Cameron Newton. The ex-Florida Gator could win the starting quarterback job out of fall practice, but one way or another, Newton will see the field this year on the plains.

Arkansas has the offensive talent to challenge Alabama in the league. The Tide have to travel to Fayetteville to play the Hogs, so Arkansas will have their chance to unseat the Kings of the West. My guess is that Arkansas will underachieve this year. Ryan Mallet doesn’t have the mental makeup to last a long, hard season in the SEC. Not to mention, Bobby Petrino has be getting a little antsy. He hasn’t run out on a team in almost two years…

LSU will be looking for a new coach after this season. Les Miles won a title just a few years ago, but those were Nick Saban’s players, and Tiger fans have seen a lot of talent translate into nothing on the field. LSU will lose in Atlanta in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game, and Miles will be on his way out from there. Funny thing is, North Carolina, who LSU will lose to in Atlanta, will be where LSU turns for a new coach. I expect Heals coach Butch Davis to be the front-runner for LSU.

Bad year for Mississippi. First an oil spill and then a long fall for Rebels and Bogus Bulldogs alike. If I had to pick one to stink a little less, I’ll take the Bogus Bulldogs.

East:

Never in the history of the SEC have we seen a season like we will see this fall. Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee will all have new quarterbacks and new defensive coordinators. Tennessee also has a new head coach. Florida’s head coach was retired for about 20 minutes, and Georgia will feature a 3-4 defense.

The obvious first impression for any prognosticator would be that South Carolina should be in position to win the East this year. They have an experienced quarterback, stability within the coaching staff, they play three of their four hardest games of the year at home, and they have a very solid defense. So South Carolina will play in the Dome in early December right?

Wrong.

There is one indisputable fact that South Carolina has going against it. They are South Carolina. They will find some way to screw it up. The only thing South Carolina has done since Spurrier got there is ruin Georgia’s season in 2007 as well as Florida’s season in 2005. Both of those teams would have played in the SEC title game if it weren’t for a loss to the Gamecocks, and Georgia might have had a shot at the National title in 2007. Funny thing is, in 2005 South Carolina finished the season 7-5 and they were a game worse in 2007 when they finished 6-6.
So, with the lame cocks out of the picture, we are left to speculate which of the Big 3 rebuilding programs can make it to Atlanta. Tennessee is out. There talent level has dropped off after losing Eric Berry on defense, and Bryce Brown has left the program.

So, it’s down to Georgia and Florida. By the time we make it to Jacksonville, we will know what these two teams are. The winner of the game in Jacksonville should play Alabama in Atlanta. My heart says Georgia, but my head says Florida.