By Jeff Kendall
OK, it's finally here, the long-awaited annual SEC preview. I would put a number in front to say what annual edition this is, but I forgot. I think its the ninth, but who knows. Here we go.
SEC Offensive Player of the Year -- Marcus Lattimore, RB, USC (I would go with Aaron Murray, QB, UGA, but he has no receivers to throw to)
SEC Defensive Player of the Year -- Chris Marve, LB, Vanderbilt
SEC Comeback Player of the Year -- John Brantley, QB, FU
SEC Freshman of the Year -- Keihl Frazier, QB, AU
East Division Champ -- USC
West Division Champ -- LSU
SEC Champ -- LSU
East Division
1) USC (10-2, 6-2) -- The Ol' Ball Coach has that swagger back and finally a South Carolina team to match. Garcia is a mess, as he would rather be at a fraternity house than playing ball, but he is a meathead athlete, so he doesn't know anything else except football. If he can keep his head in the game, he is a good enough QB and will have Spurrier on his butt enough to win some games. It doesn't hurt to have one of the best RBs in the country with Marcus Lattimore, along with one of the best WRs in the country with Alshon Jeffrey. The defense will again be decent. I really like Stephon Gilmore at CB. The schedule sets up nicely, but there will be the inevitable USC brain fart along the way to cost them a game they should win, I think at Miss State on Oct. 15.
2) FU (7-5, 4-4) -- I really like Will Muschamp as a D-Coor, but not sure if he is really head coaching material, plus can anyone of us imagine a former UGA DB coaching at FU? That’s a head scratcher. Anyway, there is enough talent to win, but the problem is two-fold: a new staff is revamping the entire O and D, and there are no true RBs on the roster to run the pro-style offense that Charlie Weis will run. The schedule isn't great either with the four-game stretch in the middle of the season with LSU, uat, AU, and UGA. I really like John Brantley and think he will be a pleasant surprise in Gainesville. If Charlie Weis can turn Brady Quinn into a first-rounder at Notre Dame, he should be able to do something with Brantley.
2) UGA (7-5, 4-4) -- I would have UGA above FU to finish second, but as mush as I think Murray is the best QB in the SEC, he has no receivers to throw to and he has a true freshman starting at TB with no one else behind him. Plus FU still has UGA's number on a fairly consistent basis, save a year here or a year there. I think Todd Grantham is a decent D-Coor, but I am not a huge fan of the pure 3-4 that he likes to play. Mark Richt may be in his last year before he heads up I-85 to Chapel Hill but still has enough talent to make it to a bowl behind the arm of Aaron Murray.
2) Kentucky (7-5, 4-4) -- Morgan Newton returns at QB without having to split time with anyone, and an experienced O-Line will be there to protect him. I think Joker Phillips is a good coach, and now that he is in his second year, he knows his way around. UK is not just a basketball school anymore, and they should make it to yet another bowl again this year. I believe that will be five in a row.
5) Tennessee (5-7, 3-5) -- I wasn't so sure about Derek Dooley when he was hired, and the jury is still out whether he has the genes to be a successful coach in the SEC, but he is headed in the right direction. Bray at QB is good, but still young. Another year of experience, and he will be in the top three or four QBs in the conference. UT is still young everywhere, but the coaching staff is recruiting well. They are still a year away, but I think in the coming years, we will see a revival of the '90s with FU and UT fighting it out for the division.
6) Vanderbilt (5-7, 1-7) -- The out-of-conference schedule will get them close, but that is always Vandy -- close but just short of a bowl. I really like their LB core, especially Marve. He could start on any team in the SEC. Vandy always has good LBs. Smith is their returning QB, but supposedly he is actually in a QB battle... that is not good. New coaching staff, same old Vandy.
West Division
1) LSU (11-1, 7-1) -- I think Craig Kragthorpe will be very good for Jordan Jefferson. He still isn't an SEC QB, but with the talent around him, the gambler Mad Hatter as the coach and a very favorable schedule, LSU has a shot at the national title... with a caveat. If their is a QB battle still in the middle of the season between Jefferson and Mettzenberger, then all bets are off. That aside, I am to the point now that I really like Les Miles. He is still a nut, but I am warming up to his style. He is a player's coach, and shows confidence in his players, whether they actually warrant it or not. The defense is strong and the skill players on offense are strong as well. I don't see this as a dominant SEC team, so I think a loss is very possible, but they are good enough to win, and from there, we all know the SEC is well, the SEC.
2) uat (10-2, 6-2) -- I am not buying into the hype over in turd-town. The defense should be very good again, and that should be good enough for a 10-win season, but who do they have on offense? There are three returning starters on the O-line, so Trent Richardson should be a 1,000-yard back. There is a QB battle between two guys who would have problems starting on most other teams in the SEC. There are no proven receivers, except for Marquis Maze, who is average, and no back-up to Richardson at RB. If they can win all their games 3-0 then it is all good, but their offense will have to show for a few games, and there just isn't enough there.
3) Arkansas (9-3, 6-2) -- Arky had a shot to win the division until the third play of their first scrimmage this past week when their only RB went down with a busted ankle -- probably out for the year. With Bobby P running the team, the O will score, and I like Tyler Wilson, but he will have some growing pains being a first-year starter, especially with no running game. The WR core is by far the best in the country, which will make it tough to double-team any one of them, but as always, you have to be able to run to win in the SEC. I still don't think much of the Arky D, but it doesn't have to be great, or even good -- just average, and they should be that.
4) AU (9-3, 5-3) -- I heard it last year, and I will hear it again this year... HOMER! Well, I think I was pretty spot-on with AU last year, so I'm going higher than the "experts" again this year. I know, no experience, so AU will be lucky to win five games. But as the coach says, "Not so fast my friend." Auburn may not have the experience, but it does have the talent with the last two recruiting classes. The BCS Championship MVP returns for just his sophomore year, with RB 1a, Onterrio McCalleb, back for his junior year. Even with Cammy Cam gone, these two should easily run for more than 2,000 yards. There is a QB battle going on between Jr Barret Trotter, Soph Client Moseley, and TFr Keihl Frazier. Anyone could end up starting, and with Gus Malzahn back as O-Coor, the QB position will not be a concern, contrary to popular belief. The defense is the same with little experience but plenty of talent. This will be a rebuilding year, but 2012 will be big.
5) Miss St (8-4, 4-4) -- If MSU played in the East , I may pick them over USC, but they don't, so I won't. Dan Mullen may be in his last year in Starkvegas, and not because he is going to get fired. He is positioning himself for bigger and better, maybe UGA when Richt heads to UNC (just speculation on my part). Chris Relf at QB is not good at all, but Mullen has made him into a Cam Newton Jr. His size is similar, but his passing and running are not as good, though Relf is good enough to run the Mullen offense. As mentioned, MSU's biggest problem is playing in the best division in the best conference in the country. Think of MSU as FU under Meyer with Tebow running the offense, just with 2-3 star players instead of 4-5 stars.
6) Ole Miss (4-8, 0-8) -- Thankfully Ole Miss has four games out of conference. Houston Dale always seems to turn in a good season when not expected, but not this year. Brandon Bolden returns as the team's lone star at RB. He could start on most teams in the SEC, but he is all they got. Nutt got what he wished for by getting out of Fayettenam, but be careful what you wish for. At least there is The Grove and the hotties in Oxford.
That's all I got for this year. Let the rebuttles begin.
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