East: Georgia
Mark Richt’s squad is loaded, and a preseason favorite to compete for a national title. The schedule is also loaded as the Bulldogs face eight coaches who have won national championships on one level or another – and that doesn’t even count Tommy Tuberville who went undefeated at Auburn in 2004. If the talented Bulldogs can stay hungry and manage that schedule, they’ll be in the SEC title game with a berth in the National Championship game on the line.
West: Auburn
Defending national champ LSU has too many holes to fill to be considered a favorite in the West. Auburn is breaking in two new coordinators, but strangely I have more faith in Tuberville than I do in the gambling Les Miles. There’s no way LSU converts on 4th downs as often as they did last season again!
Sleepers
East: South Carolina
Steve Spurrier predicted his Gamecocks would compete for the SEC East title prior to last season. A rash of injuries put an end to those dreams despite a 6-1 start. If the loaded defense can stay healthy, new coordinator Ellis Johnson should be able to mold them into one of the finest defenses in the nation. A good defense can go a long way.
West: Mississippi State
Was Mississippi State a one-year wonder, or are they going to stick around in the SEC West race again this year? Don’t be surprised if Sly Croom and his rock-solid defense, led by playmaking DB Derek Pegues, make another appearance in the postseason. The Bulldogs beat Alabama and won at Auburn last season, so there’s no reason they can’t pull off a similar feat again. And because it looks like LSU will take a step back coming off their national championship season, anything can happen in the wild SEC West.
On the Rise: Ole Miss
It’s safe to say the Ed Orgeron experiment was a mistake and should just be forgotten. Enter Houston Nutt, whose track record in the SEC proves he’ll be able to bring consistency back to the program. The cupboard is far from bare too, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He’ll need to find a running back, but since when has that been a problem for Nutt? True freshman Enrique Davis will challenge for playing time, but don’t count Dexter McCluster out of the equation. He showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman two years ago, but was later inexplicably moved to wide receiver.
Declining: Arkansas
What were they thinking? Running the successful Houston Nutt out of town is one thing, but to turn around and hire Bobby Petrino is a double-whammy on the program. Petrino is a sound offensive coach, but he will have a hard time commanding respect from his players any more, and he’ll just leave a mess behind when he eventually bolts again (see Louisville and the Atlanta Falcons current situations). Expect some down years for the Razorbacks.
Mark Richt’s squad is loaded, and a preseason favorite to compete for a national title. The schedule is also loaded as the Bulldogs face eight coaches who have won national championships on one level or another – and that doesn’t even count Tommy Tuberville who went undefeated at Auburn in 2004. If the talented Bulldogs can stay hungry and manage that schedule, they’ll be in the SEC title game with a berth in the National Championship game on the line.West: Auburn
Defending national champ LSU has too many holes to fill to be considered a favorite in the West. Auburn is breaking in two new coordinators, but strangely I have more faith in Tuberville than I do in the gambling Les Miles. There’s no way LSU converts on 4th downs as often as they did last season again!Sleepers
East: South Carolina
Steve Spurrier predicted his Gamecocks would compete for the SEC East title prior to last season. A rash of injuries put an end to those dreams despite a 6-1 start. If the loaded defense can stay healthy, new coordinator Ellis Johnson should be able to mold them into one of the finest defenses in the nation. A good defense can go a long way.West: Mississippi State
Was Mississippi State a one-year wonder, or are they going to stick around in the SEC West race again this year? Don’t be surprised if Sly Croom and his rock-solid defense, led by playmaking DB Derek Pegues, make another appearance in the postseason. The Bulldogs beat Alabama and won at Auburn last season, so there’s no reason they can’t pull off a similar feat again. And because it looks like LSU will take a step back coming off their national championship season, anything can happen in the wild SEC West.On the Rise: Ole Miss
It’s safe to say the Ed Orgeron experiment was a mistake and should just be forgotten. Enter Houston Nutt, whose track record in the SEC proves he’ll be able to bring consistency back to the program. The cupboard is far from bare too, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He’ll need to find a running back, but since when has that been a problem for Nutt? True freshman Enrique Davis will challenge for playing time, but don’t count Dexter McCluster out of the equation. He showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman two years ago, but was later inexplicably moved to wide receiver.Declining: Arkansas
What were they thinking? Running the successful Houston Nutt out of town is one thing, but to turn around and hire Bobby Petrino is a double-whammy on the program. Petrino is a sound offensive coach, but he will have a hard time commanding respect from his players any more, and he’ll just leave a mess behind when he eventually bolts again (see Louisville and the Atlanta Falcons current situations). Expect some down years for the Razorbacks.PROJECTED STANDINGS & RECORDS
| East | |
| 1. Georgia | 11-1 (7-1 conference) |
| 2. Florida | 10-2 (6-2) |
| 3. Tennessee | 9-3 (5-3) |
| 4. South Carolina | 7-5 (4-4) |
| 5. Kentucky | 6-6 (2-6) |
| 6. Vanderbilt | 2-10 (0-8) |
| West | |
| 1. Auburn | 10-2 (6-2) |
| 2. LSU | 9-3 (5-3) |
| 3. Alabama | 7-5 (4-4) |
| 4. Mississippi State | 7-5 (4-4) |
| 5. Ole Miss | 6-6 (3-5) |
| 6. Arkansas | 4-8 (2-6) |
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Offense: Knowshon Moreno (RB, Georgia)
Defense: Jasper Brinkley (LB, South Carolina)
Special Teams: Brandon James (KR, Florida)
NATIONAL AWARDS CANDIDATES
Darry Beckwith (LB-LSU) – Arrington, Fave
Eric Berry (DB-Ten) – Arrington, Deion
Tray Blackmon (LB-Aub) – Arrington
Jasper Brinkley (LB-SoCar) – Arrington, Fave
Wes Byrum (K-Aub) – Sproles/Sauerbrun
Dannell Ellerbe (LB-UGA) – Arrington, Fave
Greg Hardy (DE-Miss) - Arrington
Percy Harvin (WR-Fla) – Bo Jackson, Sayers
Brandon James (KR-Fla) – Sproles/Sauerbrun
Ricky Jean-Francois (DL-LSU) – Arrington
Rashad Johnson (DB-Bama) – Deion
Knowshon Moreno (RB-UGA) – Bo Jackson, Sayers, Fave
Captain Munnerlyn (DB-SoCar) – Deion, Fave
Chris Nickson (QB-Vandy) - Frazier
Derek Pegues (DB-MSU) – Arrington, Deion
Chris Rainey (RB-Fla) - Sayers
Andre Smith (OL-Bama) – Bo Jackson
Brannan Southerland (FB-UGA) – Fave
Brandon Spikes (LB-Fla) – Arrington
Matthew Stafford (QB-UGA) – Bo Jackson, Fave
Tim Tebow (QB-Fla) – Bo Jackson, Frazier
Gold Wrenches:
LSU defensive line
Tennessee offensive line
Florida offensive line
Georgia defensive line
Ole Miss offensive line
Florida defensive line
Alabama offensive line
Auburn defensive line
Auburn offensive line
LSU offensive line
Ole Miss defensive line
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