There's not much to say as everyone is currently sporting an undefeated record, but somehow we managed to say a lot! Last season began terrifically, and ended tragically. However the chances of our beloved Bulldogs going 7-0 to start this season are not as promising this time around. Still, you never know what can happen on any given Saturday, so let's take a quick run through the SEC and see how everybody is shaping up, shall we?
Arkansas - The Razorbacks have a favorable start to their schedule this season, with the ability to tune up throughout their first three games before travelling to New Jersey to face a Rutgers team that stunned them last season. I'm predicting a 4-5 game skid starting with Rutgers or Texas A&M, though, which will be a big test for this team. Can they keep their heads up through the tough stretch mid-season? I'm looking at anywhere from 5-7 to 7-5 for the final record for the Hawgs. What you got?
Auburn - Auburn and Arkansas were both reeling after disappointing seasons last year, so there are several
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| Gus Malzahn practicing his bird calls... |
Florida - Florida is still not the Florida of Steve Spurrier's hay-day but they are definitely getting back to form. After a 2 year hiatus the Gators returned to some semblance of the Spurrier and/or Meyer eras. This year you can expect to see more improvement as they get to avoid Alabama and Texas A&M this time around. That should lend itself nicely to a more favorable run down the schedule, which means to me that the Gators can look to go somewhere around 8-4 to 10-2.
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| Insert inappropriate comment about doggy style here. Giggity. |
Kentucky - The Wildcats are replacing Joker Phillips with Mark Stoops, and they're hoping like hell that energizes this lackluster team and ignites a spark in 2013. Still, this is a tough schedule for a team that isn't equipped to deal with the likes of Alabama or Louisville, so don't expect a miracle. Kentucky goes 3-9, MAYBE 5-7, tops.
LSU - The Tigahs, however, are poised for another top 10 season this year, provided they don't take a step back on the defensive side of the ball. The offence should be at least slightly improved over last year's team, and LSU has done well enough in regular season games and recruiting over the last several years to have a healthy stable of athletes ready to take over at any given position. The most likely losses for the Bayou Bengals this season would result from games at Georgia and Alabama, and possibly when they host the Aggies. Look for LSU to go around the 9-3 to 11-1 range.
Mississippi State - As much as I'd like to say how MSU is also poised to burst onto the scene of the top 25 landscape, it's just not very likely this season. Going in to the fifth year of the Dan Mullen era the Bulldogs are doing fairly well in the recruiting and red shirting game, and that's going to be paying dividends going forward, but there's still a lot of ground to cover. Life in the SEC west is never easy, either, and barring some sort of miracle in the form of breakout players (plural, one just won't do it) or incredibly lucky breaks the Dawgs are looking at very probable losses to Alabama, LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M. The swing games on the schedule are Oklahoma State to start the season (and this will tell us a LOT about how prepared we are for the tougher in-conference games this season), Auburn, Bowling Green and Arkansas. Probable wins appear in the form of Alcorn, Troy and Kentucky.
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| Projected look for north endzone once expansion is complete. Don't mind the ghosts... |
Now, if MSU manages to give Ok. State a good, close game or per chance even walk away with a 'W' then spirits will be very high among the fan base for the next two weeks leading up to another swing game at Auburn. But even if the Bulldogs run the table in their first four games the biscuit wheels will likely be falling off the gravy train when LSU comes calling. And that's just the first half of the season... November proves to be a brutal month almost every year for the Dawgs, and this year is no different with back to back games facing South Carolina, Texas A&M and Bama.
One exciting note, though. The Egg Bowl has returned to Thanksgiving Day! I personally love this as it's great exposure for the schools and the SEC being (I believe) the only college football played that day. And regardless of how both teams perform leading up to this annual slugfest it's sure to be a great game with a lot of pride on the line, and more than likely one or both schools will be vying for that all-important 6th win to become bowl eligible. Speaking of bowl games, I DO think the Dawgs go bowling again this year, even if it's a lower tier bowl. So my prediction for Mississippi State this year is that they will go in the neighborhood of 6-6 to 8-4. And 8-4 would be miraculous in my opinion as it would likely include wins over Ok. State, Auburn, Arkansas and/or Ole Miss.
Missouri - Mizzou struggle mightily in the first run through the SEC, plagued by injuries and bad luck, but they still managed to reel off 8 wins. They will benefit from having Alabama roll off the schedule this year, and hosting home games against some of the tougher foes like Florida, South Carolina and TAMU. That being said, I expect the Tigers to perform at about the same level this year, perhaps slightly improved. Therefore, my prediction is that Missouri will end up with something like 7-5 or 8-4.
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| It's a liger-rebel-shark... It's pretty much the worst mascot. |
South Carolina - The Gamecocks went 11-2 last season, and they have what I would call a fairly favorable schedule to repeat that level of performance. True they are having to reload at a number of positions, but
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| CLLLICK! |
Tennessee - Derek Dooley is out and Butch Jones is in at Tennessee, and the Vols are hoping Jones can turn around the depressing trend of losing over the last few seasons. Tennessee is totally decimated, talent-wise. They actually have solid players on both sides of the ball manning their lines, and as any fan will tell you, strong lines can be the anchor of a solid offense/defense. The question is basically everywhere else on the field. There are a lot of unknowns and unprovens wearing the burnt orange this season, so bearing in mind they went 5-7 last season, look for the Vols to drop in around 5-7 to 6-6. Going bowling would be a major coup for Tennessee this year.
Vanderbilt - I have tried to wrap my head around this team, but I just can't. We will know a hell of a lot more about Vandy after they open the season against Ole Miss, but again, depending on which Rebelshark team takes the field that day the true barometer might be the South Carolina game in week 3. James Franklin has done an outstanding job taking the Dores to back to back bowl games for the first time in... hold on lemme check my numbers here... oh, here it is, NEVER. Last season marks the first time the Commodores ever attended back to back bowl games. That's a strong start to a head coaching gig. Can Franklin and his team capture and continue to use that momentum to raise the bar, or will there be an inevitable backslide? My gut tells me Vandy will go 5-7, even though they won 8 regular season games last year. So considering that, I'll put Vandy at 6-6 to 8-4, and another historic bowl game attendance record will probably enough for James Franklin to get his own Bear Bryant-esque statue in Nashville.
...and that does it for us up here in the booth! Just in time, too, because it's HALFTIME!!!! (I would've inserted a gif from Ace Ventura but gifsoup is the slowest, shittiest site ever)
*halftime festivities and shenanigans*
*commercial break*
*bathroom dash*
...everybody back now? Good!
Mr. Hooch: Welcome back to the second half of our preseason SEC preview! We now go live to our man on the scene, Professor D! Professor, what month is it? What does that mean? What are you doing? Why didn't you do it earlier? And most importantly, whatcha got for us on the SEC college football front?
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| Great catch. Great season. Great job, Diamond Dogs! |
Alabama. 2012 Record: 13-1
Shit. Just shit. Yeah, the SEC won another championship but did
it have to be the Crimson Tide? I really hate those @$$ #073$. Preseason
favorites? Wow didn’t see that one coming. Sure Nick Saban might be the
greatest college football coach of all time but why does he have to be at the
school with the absolute worst fans in the history of sports? Yeah, those crazy
Italians who boo their own player cause he’s black, or those Egyptians who
shoot opposing teams fans when they lose a game, still not as bad as Alabama
fans.
The worst part is, the SEC is using the expansion as an excuse to pad
their schedule. For the second year in a row Alabama will not play Georgia,
South Carolina, or Florida. Or a suddenly relevant Vanderbilt for that matter!
In two years Alabama has played Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky from the SEC
East. Are. You. Joking. I’m sick of the SEC defending its top teams (I’m
looking at you Kentucky Basketball). Did you see the SEC championship last
year? Think about that game and imagine if the Tide had to play South Carolina,
Florida, or Georgia in the regular season. If they did, my money is Alabama
isn’t in the national championship, and yeah, that may mean the SEC streak
comes to an end, but it’s fair. I realize as a State fan our permanent rival is
perennial bottom dweller Kentucky, but come on. In 2012 LSU had to face South
Carolina and Florida. This year they get Georgia and Florida. How is this fair?
Whatever SEC, have some confidence in your programs to take care of business
and stop picking favorites in the off season. That said, yeah, Alabama’s
schedule probably means they run the table again in the SEC West, but you
better believe LSU and Texas A&M will be giving them everything they’ve
got, because Les Miles is about as sick of the SEC scheduling practices as
anyone. I’m not even going to bother to predict a W-L for the Tide because I
probably would just give up on this year if I did. “But Professor, Alabama has
to play Virginia Tech to open the season!” Yeah, and last year they had
Michigan. Virginia Tech went 7-6 last year and their starting running back got
kicked off the team this offseason. I’m done.
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| This dedicated Bama fan has eaten a double cheeseburger basket for every win on the Bama schedule since he was old enough to count to 3... he's now counting to 4, and hopes to make it all the way to 5 by next Christmas! |
Arkansas 2012 Record: 4-8
Arkansas fans should take notes from Mississippi State last
season. The Razorbacks have a pretty good shot
of starting the season 4-0, but
they could end it anywhere from 4-8 to 7-5. The pivotal game for me is week 4
against Rutgers. If the Scarlet Knights make a shish kabob out of the little
piggies then hold tight, because the next 8 games are in the SEC. Past the
first four the only real chances Arkansas has of picking up a win are Auburn,
Mississippi State, and Ole Miss, and from what I’ve seen so far, I’ll give them
one of those three after opening 4-0 for a final record of 5-7. I could be
wrong though, you never know what team is going to catch fire in the SEC and
end up in 3rd place. (Editor's note: and you never know what KIND of fire is going to catch way up there in Arkansas...)
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| This is not the kind of fire Razorback country wants to see this year... |
Auburn 2012 Record: 3-9
I’d love to see Auburn stay on the bottom of the SEC West for a
few more years, but the reality is they’ve still got a couple top 5 recruiting
classes that have been in development, and I think pure talent will carry them
back into the middle of the pack in the SEC this year. For the Tigers, it all
starts and ends with the quarterback. They never really found a reliable passer
to take the pressure off of a decent run game, and that cost them plenty of
games last year. This year is shaping up for more of the same, but in my
opinion the Tigers made a serious coaching upgrade to Gus Malzahn. With Malzahn
at the helm I look for Auburn’s offense to take an immediate step forward, so
the questions for me are mostly on defense. Can the Tigers stop from ending up
in a shoot out every game? We’ll see. For Auburn I see the pivotal games being
against Mississippi State and Arkansas. There are other opportunities to pick
up SEC wins against Tennessee and Ole Miss, but the State game in week three
should set the tone for Auburn’s season, much as it has the past four years.
Closing the season out against Georgia and Alabama means Tennessee may be
Auburn’s last chance at a bowl game. I think I’m going to pick Auburn at 6-6
this year, but I’m not telling you the losses, cause with Mississippi State,
Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Tennessee on the
schedule, well, I’m just not dumb enough to pick those just yet.
Florida 2012 Record: 11-2
The Gators may have lost a bowl game against Louisville last
year, but man did they make the Cardinals wish they’d stayed home. It seemed
like every play a Gator was knocking some poor Louisville player out. I was
really impressed with the Gator’s toughness last year. The defense was really
something special, and although they lost a load of it to the NFL, you can
expect to see more of the same from this unit as they, like
the-team-that-shall-not-be-named, will simply reload players for another run.
Once again the big question for Florida is on offense. Last year’s offensive
line couldn’t hold together long enough to get the Gator’s offense going, and
it could be the same story this year. I look for Florida to remain stagnant
this year, easily top 3 in the SEC East, but not quite ready to take that extra
step forward Georgia took last year. It scares me to do this, but I’m going to
give Vanderbilt the preseason benefit of the doubt (because really, how often
do we get a chance to do that?) and call Florida’s season at 8-4.
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| BOOP! "Hey ref! He got my nose!!!" |
Georgia 2012 Record: 12-2
How about the Georgia Bulldogs? Last year they had a ferocious
defense and a freshman running back tandem that would make the Devil (read:
Saban) himself jealous. Sure they may have lost some talent on defense, but
they’ve got plenty of replacements on that side of the ball, and those two
freshman running backs? Well now they’re sophomores, with a whole season of
experience under their belt. Which should make anyone that compares last year’s
Georgia-Missouri and Georgia-Alabama games drool in anticipation. So that about
wraps up what you can expect out of Georgia this season right? Right?!?! No?
But what could I possibly be missing? Oh yeah, a Heisman-watch quarterback who
threw for 3893 yards with a 64% completion percentage and a passer rating of
174.8.
Georgia. Wat R U doin? Georgia. Stahp.
Seriously though, these guys are far and away my favorites in
the SEC and I look forward to a Georgia v. You-Know-Who match up to end the
season. The only thing stopping me from calling the Bulldogs at 12-0 is that
they open the year with Clemson and South Carolina (SEC scheduling is a sick,
sick joke. I hate them. Seriously). I think Georgia takes at least one loss
from those two teams as they break in some new linebackers, but if that
juggernaut offense can get them out of a jam I look for Georgia to run the
table in the East with LSU and Florida the only real opponents left in their
way. 11-1. I feel like I should also go ahead and say I predict Georgia to win
the SEC Championship this year.
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| Wait, what? You fired me for that!?! This is a FOOTBALL! I coach FOOTBALL!!! *sigh* God I hate Kentucky.... |
I’m going to be honest, football is way down the list of things
that come to mind when I look at the word “Kentucky.” There’s those awful games
against Mississippi State in basketball (both the SEC Tournament Championship
and the regular season water bottle matchup/fiasco. We were up by like 14 and
they called 8 shooting fouls against us!!!! That was stupid ridiculous!!!! Damn
it I’m angry again....), last year’s sweep of the (then 5th ranked) Wildcats on
the last weekend of the regular season in baseball, and finally this year’s
series loss (by three inches) in baseball. Yeah, football just hasn’t been
Kentucky’s sport the past few years, and I don’t see that changing under new
head coach Mark Stoops. To say the Wildcats were bad last year would be an
understatement, winning just two games total and none in SEC play. The good
news is the defensive line should be pretty good, and the quarterback play
should improve. The bad news is those quarterbacks (currently 3 competing for
starting time) don’t really have anyone to throw to, or a running back to take
the pressure off (they only have 2 on the entire roster thanks to injuries).
I’m not even going to bother predicting important non-conference games for
these guys as quite frankly, they all are, because Kentucky shouldn’t be
expecting many wins in SEC play. In conference the only winnable games are
Missouri and Tennessee, and I wouldn’t count on either of them. There is of
course always the chance of an upset against Mississippi State or Vanderbilt,
but don’t hold your breath. I’m picking the Wildcats to finish 3-9. Hey, that’s
improvement for these guys.
LSU 2012 Record: 10-3
Well folks, LSU wasn’t picked to finish in the top 5 nationally
or even the top 2 in the SEC West this year. That means we’re all chomping at
the bit to finally get a little payback against these guys right?! If so, I
hope you have good dental, because I’m calling bull shit on LSU’s preseason
ranking. Yeah, maybe this won’t be the same Tiger team we saw slug it out with
Alabama the past three times they’ve met, but that doesn’t mean they won’t win
a bunch of games. Best I can tell the analysts are counting on a tough schedule
(have I said enough about this? No. The SEC scheduling practices are
ridiculous, bordering on cheating) and a “depleted” defense to take LSU down a
few pegs. Hehe, yeah I remember the good ol’ days too, reading similar stories
about Alabama’s defense having growing pains going into last year. Good times.
The fact is, LSU is a powerhouse. Like Alabama, LSU is seeing levels of talent
(both coaching and playing) unheard of in college sports. We probably need a
new word for schools like those two in college football actually (Yeah, I know,
Alabama gets Dynasty, but truth is if it wasn’t them it would be LSU). I look
for the Tigers to come back hard on defense, maybe not up to last year’s
standards, but enough to let the offense score
points and win games. “Score points?
But Professor D! This is LSU, they don’t really score a whole lot of points do
they?” Well sure the Tigers have been a run-first offense in the past,
preferring to wear down opponents before outright violating them in the 4th
quarter, but this year might be different, and it all starts with the offensive
line. You guys remember Mississippi State’s amazing season in 2009? Remember
what we learned that year? A good, experienced, offensive line, not a great
quarterback or a great running back, is the key to putting up good numbers on
offense, and LSU will have just that in 2013. They return 4 starters from last
years line to protect thus-far-underachieving quarterback Zach Mettenberger and
open up running lanes for who-cares-they-are-all-huge-please-don’t-injure-our-linebackers.
Worse news for opponents is Les Miles went out and got himself an NFL offensive
coordinator to call the shots on a new scheme that should better take advantage
of Mettenberger’s strengths. And they kept most of their receiving corps from
last year too. Not enough for you? Running backs (I swear LSU grows them on a
farm somewhere, and they are definitely GM). Remember last year when everybody
kept pointing out that Blue was injured and LSU didn’t have a top guy to run
the football? Didn’t matter, cause the offensive line (that’s coming back, I
remind you), opened up holes big enough that Tyler Russell could have put up
100 yard rushing games. The only thing stopping LSU from a Western
Division/SEC/National championship is the same thing that’s stopping everyone
in the SEC. Ala-freakin-bama (Go Georgia!). Texas A&M? Maybe, but I’m not
ready to bet on it just yet. I’m gonna say the Tigers to pick up double digit
wins for the fourth year in a row and go 10-2. Oh yeah, one last thought. That
“top guy” running back last year’s preseason analysts were freaking out over
because he was gonna miss the season? He’s back.
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| Les Miles has a promising career as an Elvis impersonator if his coaching gig doesn't pan out... |
Ole Miss 2012 Record: 7-6
Go to hell.
Seriously though, Hugh Freeze recruits by telling high
schoolers he fears for their souls if they go to Mississippi State and that Dan
Mullen is an honest to god heathen. Go to hell. I cross my fingers the NCAA
finds foul play in their recruiting and hammers them to hell for it. Have I
used “hell” enough yet? No? Go to hell Ole Miss. Now to the important things.
Well State fans, it was fun while it lasted, but Ole Miss is
officially off the bottom of the SEC West. The real question is who will
replace them (please be Auburn please be Auburn please be Auburn)? The
whatever-you-call-thems (yeah I’m still doing that) have all the skill players
on offense this year with the return of Bo Wallace, Jeff Scott, and Donte
Moncrief. Add to that the four members of the offensive line that return and
you’ve got a recipe for one darn good offense. The defense on the other hand is
a little suspect. Hugh Freeze will be required to play a lot more freshman on
that side of the ball than most SEC coaches would care too.
Lucky for him he’s
got a top 10 recruiting class to pull from. So let’s recount: Starting
experience on offensive line, full set of skill players, and loads of talent on
defense. Sounds pretty good right? Yup, and it could play out that way for
sure, paying off with as many as 9 wins and bowl game to push them to 10. Wow,
what a year. Thing is though, I don’t buy it. As good as Ole Miss’ team could
be this year, that’s as bad as the Re... Black... oh whatever’s season could
go. The defense is fresh. Sure there’s talent but Ole Miss opens their season
against a more seasoned, veteran Vanderbilt team (although the two do share
similar strengths and weaknesses), followed by a cupcake, Texas, bye week, then
Alabama. If everything falls into place Ole Miss could for sure go 3-1 in that
stretch, but that new defense raises questions. Vanderbilt, Texas, and Alabama
will all come out swinging and I don’t think they can hold up. I think 1-3 is
more likely than 3-1, but I’ll split it and call 2-2 for the first four. The
best news Ole Miss gets this season is their schedule is a walk in the park by
SEC standards, with the only tough stretch being four games against Alabama,
Auburn, Texas A&M, and LSU. This is the critical part of the schedule,
because despite returning four starters and all that talent on defense, the
thing that will eventually define Ole Miss’ season is depth, and they don’t
have it. There just aren’t any backups to fill injury holes on the Offensive
line, and beyond the probable starters, experience and talent are hard to come
by on defense. Those four games could take a physical toll, one the whatever’s
aren’t built to recover from. They don’t have to win many of those four, infact
1 would be enough, but they’ve got to escape with the team intact to finish out
the winnable games at the end of the season, closing with Arkansas, Missouri, and
Mississippi State. I’m not buying the hype this year. I think Ole Miss takes a
step forward, but it won’t be the kind that results in high win numbers. I call
the whatchamacallit’s season at 6-6.
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| Who knew the Woodchuck could dance?? |
Missouri 2012 Record: 5-7
Missouri will probably take a couple steps forward as a team
this year. Unfortunately, this is the SEC, everyone takes a couple steps
forward each year (Except Auburn and Arkansas). Mississippi State has improved
by leaps and bounds the past four years and still haven’t managed to crack the
top 3 in the SEC, and look at how long it took South Carolina and Arkansas. It
takes a long while chipping away to earn your way to the top in the SEC, and
Missouri just hasn’t put in the work yet. I’ll take a step back from picking on
the Tigers (although seriously, three Tigers is enough, let’s make Auburn the
War Eagles again please?) this year and say I think they’ll get there, just not
this year.
Last year Mizzou had just about the worst injury record of
anyone in the country (except for maybe Kentucky) and while that killed them
then, it could turn out to be a blessing this year, as they return plenty of
experience on both the offensive and defensive lines. They also get a much
easier schedule this year, well, sort of. See they’ve got what I’m gonna start
callin’ the State 2012 schedule. The Tigers could easily (ish) start off the
season 4-0 and not win another game. After opening against 4 cupcakes they get,
in a row, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky,
Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. Sure Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ole Miss are
winnable, but they are also, you know, not. I’ll give Pinkle some credit and
call the Tiger’s season at 6-6. Don’t worry kitten, you’ll get there.
South Carolina 2012 Record: 11-2
Oh man is South Carolina going to be interesting. They had a
great showing in their bowl game against Michigan (I’ll give you a moment to
remember that Gator Bowl... done? Alright back to it) but ignore that one game
and remember the rest of South Carolina’s season. Part of the big three in the
SEC East, South Carolina did well last season, but they featured a run game
that was often suspect, a thin defense (relative to Georgia, Florida, LSU, and
those other @$$ hats), and a really good passing game. Too bad most of those
receivers are gone, as are the running backs from an already mediocre rushing
attack. What’s more is the
defense that gave up big games last year lost the
entire linebacker corps as well as a starting safety. “But Professor D! They’ve
still got Clowney don’t they!” Oh sure they’ve got Clowney, but while one
player may be able to carry a team on offense (Cam Newton, Johnny Manziel) it’s
much tougher to do on defense. Especially should the standout get injured. The
real good news going into this year is that the Gamecocks return starting
quarterback Connor Shaw and veteran backup Dylan Thompson. The bad news is the
schedule. South Carolina starts the year off hard with North Carolina, Georgia,
and Vanderbilt. Then they go against a pretty soft middle with UCF, Kentucky,
Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi State (sure, we could be part of the tough
back stretch for the Gamecocks, but we’ve to to perform before I put us there).
If the Gamecocks can open up without any injuries they should be in good shape
to close out the year with their Big 3 status still in shape (albeit the
consensus third of the group). Overall I think South Carolina will take a step
back this year, although I’m counting on Steve Spurrier’s magic to keep it from
affecting the win loss record too bad, going 8-4, maybe even 9-3, but I think
they’ll be subject to a couple of good upsets, earning one back in an upset of
their own.
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| HOU-AHH!!! |
Tennessee 2012 Record: 5-7
Oh Tennessee. I really though the Volunteers had a decent shot
last year, but a defense that couldn’t stop my high school football team from
scoring doomed them to one heck of a disappointing season. I really like Derek
Dooley. I really wish he had a better chance at Tennessee, but the truth is, he
had pieces and just never did anything with it. Lucky for the new head coach
Butch Jones the Volunteers return a stellar offensive line and a dangerous
rushing attack. Even the loss of star quarterback Tyler Bray and one hell of a
receiving corps shouldn’t dappen fans spirits too much. That offense didn’t win
them too many games anyway. The defence was okay at best, but injuries and
questionable coaching took that okay defense and made it atrocious. All of that
comes together to paint an okay-but-not-great picture for the Volunteers. To be
honest I’m not sure if the schedule is a strength or an asset. True they play
five stellar teams in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oregon,
and a couple middle-of-the-roaders in Vanderbilt and.... well probably Auburn,
Missouri, or Kentucky will turn out better than expected. Overall I’m gonna
call Tennessee to repeat last years record at 5-7 in what hopefully Volunteer
fans will remember as a rebuilding season.
Texas A&M 2012 Record: 11-2
Last year Texas A&M shocked the SEC with the unbelievable
athleticism of Johnny Football, going 11-2 and knocking off eventual National
Champion Alabama in what was, for me, the most fun game of the season. Man that
was great, and everything I’m reading says if Manziel is eligible, the Aggies
should do it again. Hmmm. I just don’t know. Texas A&M had an unbelievable
offense last year, mainly because they just didn’t go backwards, and
truthfully, you almost didn’t want them to. The Aggies were actually more
dangerous on 2nd or 3rd and long than they were in short down situations.
Manziel mostly just passed for a
couple of yards here and there, or handed it
off to running back Ben Malena (averaged almost 6 yards per carry, which is
just stupid) for a few short gains. It was when they were beaten Johnny
Football really starred. He was downright lethal in long yardage situations,
somehow managing to escape pressure, find open receivers, or mysteriously end
up ten yards ahead of the closest defender. So why am I apprehensive about
jumping on the Texas A&M bandwagon this year? The trenches. Texas A&M
started the same five offensive lineman every game last year, and not all of
them are coming back. What’s more, the Aggies will also have to replace most of
their front seven on defense, and while that unit wasn’t the most effective on
the team, they still kept Texas A&M in games long enough for that offense
to do something unbelievable. Speaking of offense, the Aggies also lose three
of their top four receivers (although not the star, Mike Evans). Good thing
their replacements are pretty much all four star recruits. In summary, yeah,
Texas A&M could be just as good as advertised, but the combination of new
defensive linemen, new linebackers, new receivers, new offensive linemen, and a
whole conference of defensive coordinators with experience against their
offense, means this could be a tough year for the Aggies. Of course all of this
depends on Manziel (what an ass he’s turned out to be) being eligible to play
this year. If not, oh man it could get rough. Without Manziel, I think A&M
goes between 5-7 and 7-5, split it and call them 6-6. If Johnny Football can
play though, I think the Aggies get up to 10-2 again this year, losing the
tiebreaker to LSU for second in the SEC West.
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| Was Manziel's first season lucky, good, or both? |
Vanderbilt 2012 Record: 9-4
There are three teams I’m really going to be pulling for this
year: Mississippi State (of course), Georgia, and Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt took a
huge step forward going 9-4 last year and James Franklin has become one of
the
hot names in the world of College Football. I would really like for them to
keep moving forward and have another 8 or 9 win regular season, but
unfortunately I just don’t think it’s going to happen. This is going to be one
of those reviews where I really hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t see it right
now. Vanderbilt won a lot of games last year thanks to some true veteran
leadership on offense, never feeling like they had lost a game until the final
seconds ticked. They knew their jobs and executed well. This year the
Commodores will have to find a way to repeat that level of confidence. The
defensive line particularly will need some relief from its freshman and
sophomores as they return just one of last year’s starters. Vanderbilt’s front
seven isn’t overly athletic, so they’ll have to rely on depth to consistently
win games, and depth is not something Vanderbilt is known for. The good news on
defense is most of the secondary (one of the best in the country) will return
for another year. If the front seven can do their job, the Commodores will be
stout on defense, allowing the offense to put up some wins. It helps, of
course, that the offense will be lead by one of the best receiving corps in the
nation. They return a whole slew of starters who showed star power last year,
and may get some production out of the talented freshman and sophomores Vandy
has recruited under Franklin. The two big questions on offense are quarterback
and offensive line. The quarterback play by Austyn Carta-Samuels could turn out
okay thanks to the plethora of targets and work he put in last year learning
Franklin’s system, but the fact is Vandy is starting a quarterback with no
experience in the SEC, and that can lead to some headaches. Much like the
defensive line, the offensive line isn’t exactly swimming in talent. They’ve
got Wes Johnson who functions as Barrett Jones LITE for the ‘dores, playing all
five positions and giving them some much needed flexibility, but if Vandy wants
to repeat last years success the linemen are again going to have to play well
above their talent levels. This season I expect the Vanderbilt of old to rear
its ugly head, a lack of depth eventually ruining what was once a promising
run. The Commodores will start strong, but fade as the SEC schedule takes its
toll, still going a very respectable 7-5 (I really want to say 8-4 but I just
can’t bring myself to). Like I said, I really hope I’m wrong and we get another
9, or even 10 win Vanderbilt team. Wouldn’t it be great to see an SEC East
stacked with Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and a 10 win Vanderbilt?
Although if Vandy gets 10 wins they’ll probably just supplant South Carolina in
the Big 3 out East, eh, still great.
Mississippi State 2012 Record: 8-5
It all comes down to this. The year we find out what Dan Mullen
has had cooking behind the scenes these past four years. Names like Chad
Bumphis, Johnthan Banks, Corey Broomfield, and Cameron Lawrence will certainly
be remembered by State fans for years to come, but they will never again wear
the Maroon and
White. Bumphis and Banks have been stars since they first
started as freshman back in 2009, but it’s time for the new kids to take over.
Can Jameon Lewis finally settle down and run a rout? Can Joe Morrow finally
break through and take advantage of that enormous frame? Will the secondary be
able to recover from the losses of Darius Slay, Johnthan Banks (who will both
probably start in the NFL this year). Corey Broomfield, and their coach? I have
no idea. This is going to be an interesting year as we learn just what kind of
development our coaches have been able to pull together on the sidelines the
past few years.
 |
| Oh Dan definitely has something cookin for Hugh... |
The secondary is almost entirely new faces, as the only
returning starter is Nikoe Whitely, who while excellent in run support, will
have to improve his coverage skills this year. The good news here is there is
both talent and experience behind him. State’s coaches have done a good job
getting playing time for the then backups, now starters, and that should pay
big dividends early this year. On the other side of the ball, the receivers are
also almost entirely new faces from last year, but again, like the secondary,
there is both talent and experience. Jameon Lewis, Ricco Sanders, and Robert
Johnson all have playing time, while the sheer size of target Joe Morrow has
made his name well known to State fans. This unit will have to grow up fast
though to give Tyler Russell a chance to showcase some offseason improvement
(hopefully). If Russell made similar strides going into this year as he did
going into last, Mississippi State’s offense could get deadly. In addition to
two veteran quarterbacks the Bulldogs return four running backs with game
experience, and add a freshman who, by all accounts, is making a hard push for
playing time. Two words. Red. Shirt. There is no reason to be five deep at
running back when you’ve got a proven committee that includes a thousand yard
rusher. Even better offensive news is that Gabe Jackson passed up a chance to
go to the NFL last season and will again start for Mississippi State. That
means State will return a wealth of experience on the
offensive line that
should result in better protection for Russell, and nice holes for the running
backs. Overall, I like the outlook for Mississippi State’s offense, if the
receivers can get in form early. Returning to defense brings us to the strength
of that unit. The front 7. The defensive line should benefit from a year of
experience for Quay Evans and Denico Autry, and all signs point to a heavy
increase in production from this unit, which lost just one, underperforming,
senior. A few years of deep recruiting classes have also given the Bulldogs
depth on the line, a necessity in the SEC and an oft-missed piece of past
Mississippi State squads. That just leaves the linebackers, arguably the best,
most talented, and deepest unit on the field. Benardrick McKinney is an All-SEC
linebacker in the making with speed, talent, size, and just for kicks,
intelligence and vision. Behind him are hard hitting coverage specialists
Deonte Skinner and Matthew Wells, and there isn’t much drop off in talent after
the starters. Defensive Coordinater Geoff Collins went on record saying there
may be as many as 10 guys who play at linebacker this year, which is good news
considering the up-tempo offenses of Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.
 |
| Gabe Jackson |
Speaking of coaches, the move of Geoff Collins to sole
defensive coordinator is a good one. Consensus is the players have been hyped
in practice and everyone is anticipating higher pressures on opposing
quarterbacks. If true that would go a long way to breaking in a new secondary
at the beginning of the year. The addition of Deshea Townsend has likewise, so
far, been a huge boost to the defense. Conventional wisdom is the loss of three
starters and their coach would hamstring a secondary, but Townsend’s energy has
given the Bulldogs confidence the younger guys can step up. As far as coaching
my biggest concern is on offense, where the play calling has been suspect for
the past three years. Far too often State’s offense has been predictable, and
we’re now too far removed from that magical game against Florida where we ran
it down their throats four straight quarters to cut it anymore. Something has
to be done. We have plenty of weapons on offense, and it’s past time the
coaches started utilizing them.
Overall the outlook for Mississippi State’s season is pretty….
eh. Scheduling makes it difficult, as early losses could sour this team and
lead to a disappointing season, while an upset or two could launch this team to
an era of talent and execution not seen ‘round these parts in… ever (excluding
baseball). Unfortunately, I’m feeling pretty pessimistic, calling the Bulldogs
at 6-6 and a fourth straight bowl game. If we beat Oklahoma State, that
schedule starts looking more like an 8 win season. Either way, it’s important
for State fans to remember, after the years we’ve suffered a couple of down
ones that still end in bowl games (not the Egg Bowl, we don’t have to count
that one anymore) is a huge leap forward for this program. Mullen, keep it up
(and maybe get a new offensive coordinator).
Mr. Hooch: ...and there you have it, folks! If you're still reading now I commend you on sloughing your way through this monstrous first post of the season. There's a lot for you to digest and ponder as we count down this final week until that most glorious opening kickoff, so as always be sure to tell us what YOU think! Who knows, if you're smart or entertaining enough you might earn yourself a cameo on next week's blog!
Thanks for reading, and be sure to check us out on Twitter (@MisterHooch) and Facebook (House of Hooch)! You can search the names or click the lovely little links at the top of this page, whatever tickles your fancy! Until next time, happy trails, #HailState and #GoDawgs!
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