With the impending doom that awaits us all in November, let's take a moment to revel in the fact that we'll at least have barbaric athletic competition for the next few months to distract us from the embarrassment that is sure to follow during the debates and general election.
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Cheers to SEC Football returning, and Making Saturdays Great Again. I, for one, am looking forward to planning my entire weekend around teams I'm overly emotionally invested in, while I'm sure ladies everywhere are looking forward to BYE Weeks, or as they call it, Terrific Lady Day.
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So, without further adieu let's get to some SEC Football Predictions for 2016!
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SEC EAST
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1. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS 10-2
Alright Vols, here's your chance. Georgia is breaking in a new coach, Florida has major issues with scoring, and the other 4 teams in the East are going to struggle to make a bowl game. If you don't win the East this year, I don't know when it will happen. Tennessee should start out 3-0 before Florida comes to Knoxville, but that's where things get tough for the Vols as they get the Gators, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Bama all in a row. That's a tough stretch, but the beginning of the season and the end of it set up nicely for Tennessee to get back to Atlanta.
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2. GEORGIA BULLDOGS 9-3
Georgia should be just fine, but I think they are going to struggle at QB this year. Jacob Eason should be the starter by the time the Bulldogs head to Oxford, but he's still a true freshman; he's going to make mistakes, and Georgia didn't put up huge numbers on offense last year. If Nick Chubb stays healthy they have a chance at heading to Atlanta, but I think they're a year or two away. The opening game against the Tar Heels in Atlanta should be a good litmus test for Georgia to gauge how the rest of the season will fair.
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3. FLORIDA GATORS 8-4
The big question for the Florida Gators this year, is can they beat Tennessee again, and spoil Vol Nation's chance at a trip to Atlanta? Florida completely fell apart down the stretch last year, but they still have a lot of talent on that team. Like the Vols, they should start out 3-0, but true road games against Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida State, along with the cocktail party in Jacksonville are going to pose a real problem for Florida's chances to represent the East in the SEC Championship game.
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4. KENTUCKY WILDCATS 7-5
I struggled with this one, but I think Kentucky secures a bowl victory before November arrives, and then they coast into a middle tier bowl at 7-5. Southern Miss isn't an easy opponent to start the year, but home games against the Golden Eagles, Gamecocks, Vandy, and Mississippi State set up nicely for the Wildcats to get to a bowl and for Mark Stoops to get another year in Lexington.
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5. VANDERBILT COMMODORES 5-7
Here's where things get difficult. The bottom of the SEC East is going to be bad. I think Vandy has the best defense out of the 3 remaining SEC East teams, and along with the fact that Vandy isn't breaking in a new coach, I have them beating both South Carolina and Mizzou, but I'm not super confident about either of those picks. If the Dores get to 5 wins, I think Derek Mason gets another year in Nashville.
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6. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS 4-8
The Gamecocks have to start the year on the road in Nashville, and then turn around and go to Starkville in Week 2. Both of those games are going to be challenges for Will Muschamp, and when the Pirates come to town in Week 3, South Carolina isn't going to get a break. I don't think the Gamecock faithful expect Muschamp to be Steve Spurrier overnight, but they better be patient, because they are likely in for a multi-year rebuilding cycle.
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7. MISSOURI TIGERS 3-9
It's really hard to believe that 2 years ago this team won the SEC East. Having to go to Morgantown in Week 1 isn't a great way for Mizzou to start the year, especially after they just cut their RB Trevon Walters for stealing. Maybe I'm wrong and the Tigers will be a lot better under Barry Odom, but I think Mizzou is going to struggle mightily this year.
SEC WEST
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1. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE 11-1
"And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." - Exodus 32:6 4 National Titles in the last 7 years, while having serious questions at QB, demonstrates that the Crimson Tide know how to win big. With true road games against Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee, and LSU, it's not an easy road for Alabama, but they're going to be favored in all 4 of those games, and I don't see any team knocking the Tide off their perch.
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2. OLE MISS REBELS 10-2
This young lady pretty much sums up what Draft Night looked like at my house this Spring. Ole Miss has a brutal schedule to start the year with games against FSU, Bama, and Georgia all before the month of October. Still, they return the best QB in the SEC and have a team loaded with star WRs. The biggest question for Ole Miss remains their offensive line which lost two players to the NFL, and they're going to be tested early and often against the Seminoles, Tide, and Bulldogs. The 2016 Rebels may be better than last year's Sugar Bowl team, but if they don't start out at least 2-2, it could be a long year in Oxford based on that schedule.
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3. LSU TIGERS 9-3
LSU is loaded with talent this year, but they have Brandon Harris at QB. I don't know why people are thinking LSU is going to win the National Championship, because the blueprint on how to beat them has pretty much been written in stone. Stuff the box and make Brandon Harris throw the ball to beat you. If you let Leonard Fournette run on you, it's going to be nearly impossible to beat the Tigers, but if you do what Alabama and Arkansas did last year and take away their running game, then LSU becomes one dimensional, and that dimension ain't good.
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4. TEXAS A&M AGGIES 8-4
The Aggies have probably just about as many questions as any team in college football. They have Trevor Knight, who may be the 2nd or 3rd best QB in the league and some good offensive weapons, but with kids dropping Texas A&M from consideration nearly everyday, and rumors swirling around College Station, that this is a do or die year for Sumlin, things could get nasty real fast. If A&M starts out 1-3 in the first month of the season, which they could certainly do with games against UCLA, Auburn, and Arkansas, Sumlin may not make it to November. However, if he starts out 3-1 or 4-0, and wins the games he's supposed to, he should get another year to turn things around.
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5. AUBURN TIGERS 7-5
Another team in complete turmoil is the Auburn Tigers. Right off the bat, Auburn gets a team that was a hair away from winning a National Title with arguably the best player in America, as the Clemson Tigers journey to the Plains. Auburn is not winning this game, and I don't even think it's close. If they prove me wrong, God Bless them, but I think this thing gets ugly fast. Auburn does get home games against LSU, Texas A&M, and Arkansas which are big swing games for them, but they have to go to Ole Miss, Georgia, and Alabama. Assuming they win the games they are supposed to and lose the games they aren't, 7-5 is about where they should finish.
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6. ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS 7-5
Arkansas finished 8-5 last year with wins over Tennessee, Auburn (OT) Ole Miss (OT), LSU, and Kansas State and losses against teams like Toledo and Texas Tech proving who knows what this team is capable of. Arkansas still has a massive offensive line, but they are replacing a lot with their QB, TE, and both RBs off to the NFL, so there's going to be at least some drop off. I think they make a bowl, but they aren't a contender to win the SEC West.
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7. MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS 5-7
With the best player in school history off to Dallas, there's going to be some growing pains with his replacement, but Dan Mullen has done a very good job at getting the most out of his players. I think the Bulldogs start out 2-0 when they head to Baton Rouge, but it's going to take some quirky things to happen for them to beat the LSU Tigers. If the Bulldogs can win a conference road game or two, they may continue the bowl streak under Dan Mullen, but a season that ends with Texas A&M, Bama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss doesn't bode well for the Bulldogs.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
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TENNESSEE vs. ALABAMA
In a rematch that sees the winner likely going to the College Football Playoff, I think the Vols jump out to a lead, but Bama's defense forces Josh Dobbs to make mistakes and their talent propels them back into the Playoffs, as they win their 5th SEC Championship under Nick Saban. Bama 31 Tennessee 20.
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