The 2011 Southeastern Conference Media Days will kick off today in Birmingham, Ala., at the Wynfrey Hotel.
The SEC has to be the happiest conference in America right now. They have won the last five BCS National Championships, two SEC teams played in the College World Series final (with South Carolina beating Florida), and an SEC team (Alabama) won the gymnastics national championship. Outside the Auburn investigation, the SEC seems to be floating on cloud nine. T-Pain said it best with, “All [they] do is win, win, win no matter what.”
But the topic for discussion today is football. For the past decade, the SEC has been very top-heavy, with at least two teams that have had a legitimate chance to not only compete for, but also win a national title. This year is no different.
From Quake’s Take, the conference has two juggernauts that will be looking to sit atop the world of college football and win it all. Those teams are the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The only real problem I see for either team is that they have to play each other on Nov. 5 in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Here Quake’s Take on every SEC team’s season:
Arkansas
Key Loss: QB Ryan Mallet.
Key Returners: RB Kniles Davis. WR Greg Childs.
Outlook: Anytime you lose a quarterback like Ryan Mallet, your team is going to take a step back. Junior Tyler Wilson should be able to step in and lead the Razorbacks through their rugged SEC schedule. Wilson will have plenty of weapons on offense as well. With the return of wide out Greg Childs, look for Coach Bobby Petrino’s offense to have another explosive year. If their defense gets better, this could be a memorable season for the Hogs.
Quake’s Take: You have to play defense in the SEC, and defense is Arkansas’s biggest weakness. The offense will carry them to multiple victories, but hostile road environments like LSU and Alabama will test them. Overall, Arkansas will finish 3rd in the SEC West at 9-3.
Florida
Key Losses: Urban Meyer. OL Mike Pouncey. CB Janoris Jenkins.
Key Returners: QB John Brantley. RB Jeffery Demps.
Key Additions: Head Coach Will Muschamp. Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis.
Outlook: The culture of Florida football changed when Will Muschamp left Texas for the Swamp. Muschamp will preach defense, defense and more defense. Look for new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis to take quarterback John Brantley’s game to a new level.
Quake’s Take: Shaky quarterback and new coach usually do not translate into a lot of wins in the first season. There will be a lot of growing pains for the Gators, and they will finish 3rd in the SEC East with a 7-5 record.
Mississippi State
Key Losses: OL Derek Sherrod.
Key Returners: QB Chris Relf.
Outlook: Head coach Dan Mullen has the MSU community believing in their football team. Heading into his third year, the only question is: Will the fan base be patient if he does not start competing for SEC titles soon?
Quake’s Take: Every time you think Mississippi State is ready to turn the corner and compete with the upper-echelon of the SEC, something happens. Well, look for that same something to happen again this year. With the SEC West being stacked at the top, Mississippi State will finish 4th in the division at 7-5.
South Carolina
Key Returners: QB Stephen Garcia. RB Marcus Lattimore. WR Alshon Jeffrey.
Outlook: On offense, head coach Steve Spurrier has to be pleased. He has Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffrey, who are both supremely talented. He has also has quarterback Connor Shaw to push Stephen Garcia for the starting position. This could be the year that the Gamecocks make it to a BCS Bowl game.
Quake’s Take: This could seriously be the year for Spurrier and the Gamecocks. Everything is aligning for them to be atop the SEC East. They will be tested early in Week 2 at Georgia. That game will decide who wins the SEC East. The Gamecocks will finish 1st in the East, earning another trip to the SEC Championship.
Auburn
Key Losses: QB Cam Newton. DT Nick Fairley.
Key Returner: RB Michael Dyer.
Outlook: This could be a rebuilding year for Auburn. They will be looking to replace their MVP on offense and defense. Running back Michael Dyer will be the number one option for the offense, but will he have enough help to make the Tigers contenders?
Quake’s Take: No Cam Newton. No Nick Fairley. Big problem. Newton was everything for the Auburn offense and without him, the Tigers will look pedestrian on that side of the ball. The Tigers’ fall from grace will be a long one as they finish 5th in the West at 6-6.
Georgia
Key Loss: WR AJ Green.
Key Returner: QB Aaron Murray. RB Caleb King.
Outlook: The Bulldogs lost their best weapon, A.J Green, to the NFL Draft, but they are still talented. Quarterback Aaron Murray will compete to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Quake’s Take: There is no hotter seat in America than Mark Richt’s. If the Bulldogs don’t play up to their potential, Richt could be on his way out. Georgia will finish a close 2nd in the SEC East, saving Richt’s job for one more year.
Kentucky
Key Losses: WR/QB Randall Cobb.
Key Returner: LB Danny Trevathan. OL Larry Warford.
Outlook: Last year, Kentucky won and lost some really close games. WR/QB Randall Cobb provided almost all of the offense for the Wildcats last year. Without him and the lack of talent at the skill position, this could be a tough year for the Wildcats.
Quake’s Take: The Wildcats just don’t have enough talent to compete in the SEC. Head coach Joker Phillips has them heading in the right direction, but they are still a few more recruiting classes away from being able to compete with the big boys. The Wildcats will finish 5th in the East at 6-6.
Tennessee
Key Returners: QB Tyler Bray. RB Tauren Poole.
Outlook: Last season was full of heartbreak for Tennessee. A few breaks here or there, and the Volunteers could have been 7-5 instead of 5-7. Head coach Derek Dooley is the perfect fit for the Vols, but the fan base has to be patient and have realistic expectations.
Quake’s Take: Tennessee is still in a huge rebuilding process. To make matters worse, the Vols have a four-game stretch of Georgia, LSU, Alabama and South Carolina all in the month of October. Ouch. They will compete hard this season and stay in games, but ultimately lack of talent will be their downfall. The Vols will finish 4th in the East at 6-6.
Ole Miss
Key Losses: QB Jeremiah Masoli.
Key Returners: RB Brandon Bolden. DE Kentrell Lockett.
Outlook: Houston Nutt could be on the hot seat this year. His Rebel teams have not performed up to their potential.
Quake’s Take: Houston Nutt’s ball club will finish last in the SEC West. Lack of talent and offensive direction will prevent the Rebels from competing in the league.
Vanderbilt
Key Returners: LB Chris Marve. TE Brandon Barden.
Key Addition: Head Coach James Franklin.
Outlook: The Commodores have finished 2-10 in the past two seasons, and things don’t seem to be getting much better.
Quake’s Take: The one good thing about this situation for first time head coach James Franklin is that they don’t have high football expectations in Nashville. With that said, Vanderbilt is to finish 6th in the SEC East.
LSU
Key Loss: CB Patrick Peterson.
Key Returner: QB Jordan Jefferson.
Outlook: There is no team that recruits on the defensive side of the ball like LSU. They replace more talent year in and year out than any team in the country. Head coach Les Miles and the Tigers will be looking to compete for a national championship.
Quake’s Take: LSU’s defense will keep them in every game this season. They will be tested by Oregon early on, but they will ultimately find a way to get it done in Cowboy Stadium. The only real question mark for the Tigers is quarterback Jordan Jefferson. He’s supremely talented but never seems to play to his potential. If he plays like he’s supposed to, look for the Tigers to play in the national championship game. LSU will finish 2nd in the SEC West with their only loss to Alabama.
Alabama
Key Losses: QB Greg McElroy. RB Mark Ingram. WR Julio Jones. DL Marcell Dareus.
Key Returners: RB Trent Richardson. DB Mark Barron. DB Dre Kirkpatrick. DB Robert Lester. LB Dont’a Hightower.
Outlook: Alabama is one of three teams in the nation that has a legitimate chance of going undefeated (Boise State, Oklahoma). Like the 2009 national championship team, the defense will be the strength of the team. They only have one question: Who will start at quarterback, Phillip Sims or AJ McCarron?
Quake’s Take: Get ready to celebrate, Tide fans. Alabama will finish 1st in the SEC West and go on to face South Carolina in the SEC Championship game. Once there, they will defeat the Gamecocks, earning a trip to the BCS National Championship game in New Orleans. Their opponent will be the Oklahoma Sooners. Coach Saban and the Tide will win their 2nd national championship in three years and sit atop the world of college football once again.
