1. LSU Tigers: Last season: 8-5 (3-5); 3rd (Won Chick-fil-A Bowl)
The dominance that LSU had exhibited over the SEC West finally came to an end in 2008. A lot of that was due to their struggling defense which gave up a ton of points. However, 2009 looks to be different.
The Tigers have a lot of players returning on both sides of the ball. This team will be m
uch smarter than last season. The defense struggled to keep teams out of the endzone in the big games like Florida and Georgia. That same defense will be smarter and have more experience in 09'.As for the offense, it also has a lot of starters returning. They have running back Charles Scott returning for his senior season and wide receiver Brandon LaFell led the SEC in receptions in 2008 with 63. Things aren't so certain at the quarterback position with Jordan Jefferson. He only has two career starts under his belt, but to his credit they were solid performances. He's also a threat to run which is always a plus in the college ranks.
The difficult road schedule is probably the biggest obstacle for LSU reclaiming the SEC West. They have to battle Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss on the road. If they can win two of those three crucials games, then the SEC West title will return to Baton Rouge.
Predicted 2009 Record: 11-1
Predicted finish: 1st
Key Players to Watch: Charles Scott, Brandon LaFell, Ciron Black
2. Alabama Crimson Tide: Last season: 12-2 (8-0); 1st (Lost Sugar Bowl)
The Crimson Tide started off the season 12-0 in 2008, and only the mighty Florida Gators stood in their way of going to the National Championship game. As many of you already know, the Gators stole the show and left Alabama with the Sugar Bowl. The Tide couldn't even save face after that, losing to Utah in convincing fashion.
Now the Tide have to figure out a way to finish out the strong start this season. The offensive side of the ball got hit extremely hard by the NFL draft. They lost John Parker Wilson, Andre Smith, and Glen Coffee, only to name a few. The inexperience on offense might keep Alabama from repeating in aruably the toughest division in college football.
The defense will be one of the best as always. The roster is loaded with seniors on defense and they will wreak havoc on every offense they face. The schedule doesn't look all that bad either. All of their tough games are at home with their toughest road game being at Ole Miss. Enough said. I still don't think they're balanced enough to beat LSU and they will have to settle for a respective second place in a loaded division.
Predicted 2009 Record: 10-2
Predicted finish: 2nd
Players to watch: Javier Arenas, Terrence Cody, Mike Johnson
3. Ole Miss Rebels: Last season: 9-4 (5-3); 2nd (Won Cotton Bowl)
The Rebels enjoyed their most successful season in 2008 since Eli Manning left. They topped it off by defeating Texas Tech, a team that had a good chance at the national championship game out of the Big 12.
Things looking very promising that the Rebels will have another successful season. The schedule is maybe one of the easiest in the SEC, which could hurt them if they want a national championship berth. Ole Miss has a realistic chance at starting the season 4-0 before their meeting with Alabama in Oxford. The Rebels really don't have a single road game where they're not going to be the favorite.
The roster is extremely balanced and junior quarterback Jevan Snead may be one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC outside of Time Tebow. The defense also has a ton of experience and firepower with two monsters lining up on each end of the defensive line. Both Greg Hardy and Kentrell Lockett will create chaos for opposing offensive lines.
The SEC is wide open for the taking and if the Rebels can figure out a way to win the games they are suppose to win, then only LSU and Alabama will be standing in their way of a BCS title game appearance. I'm just not ready to put the Rebels ahead of Alabama and LSU, but good times still clearly lie ahead for Rebel fans.
Predicted 2009 Record: 9-3
Predicted finish: 3rd
Players to watch: Jevan Snead, Greg Hardy, Shay Hodge
4. Auburn Tigers: Last season: 5-7 (2-6); 5th
Much like Tennessee, the 2008 season was one to forget for the Auburn Tigers. The achilles heal for the Tigers last season wasn't their defense, but their anemic offense that only reached the 20-point mark twice in conference play. The offense will have a little more experience under its belt for 2009, but whether that will produce points on the scoreboard is still a mystery.
New coach Gene Chizik will have to rely on his defense to win a lot of games. That may not be such a bad thing because the defense will be solid. The strongest part of the defense is definitely the secondary. The team has been reported to have an overload of secondary players and have been moving some to other positions. That's always good news.
Don't be surprised if Auburn pulls a few upsets this season, especially when they're at home. You can't forget, the SEC is a defensive-minded conference, and Auburn will thrive off their defensive play. They also get both Alabama and Ole Miss at home which will be huge for an Auburn team that will be tough to beat at home. Auburn will creep into a bowl game, but it still won't be the kind of season that Auburn fans were once accustomed to.
Predicted 2009 Record: 7-5
Predicted finish: 4th
Players to watch: Ben Tate, Josh Bynes, Walter McFadden
5. Arkansas Razorbacks: Last season: 5-7 (2-6); 4th
The Razorbacks had a very disappointing year following their loss of Darren McFadden to the NFL. They had a lot of big opponents on their schedule that they didn't even compete with, including a 42-point loss to Texas. They also lost a few games that they clearly should have won. With all that in the past, the Razorbacks have to look ahead to 2009. However, the road schedule doesn't look very promising. They have to play Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, and LSU all on the road. Talk about brutal.
If things couldn't get any worse with the schedule, they also have three games that will be on neutral sites, dwindling their home schedule down to only five games. They also lost the heart and soul of their offense for the second-straight year in quarterback Casey Dick. His replacement is Ryan Mallet, a transfer out of Michigan, who has a lot of potential but has consistency issues.
The offense definitely won't be the worst part about this team. The defense is ranked as one of the worst in almost every defensive category. They'll have to make a drastic improvement from last season if the Razorbacks want any chance at a bowl game. We're looking at a team that could be an SEC West title contender in 2010, but not in 2009.
Predicted 2009 Record: 4-8
Predicted finish: 5th
Players to watch: Michael Smith, D.J. Williams, Malcolm Sheppard
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs: Last season: 4-8 (2-6); 6th
This team just can't seem to get over the hump and every year they seem to get closer and closer. Last season they were just a few close games away from making a bowl appearance, particularly the 3-2 loss against Auburn.
It's hard to be optimistic when looking at the Bulldogs squad, but they have some bright spots. One great spot is at the running back position where senior Anthony Dixon figures to be a big part of the offense, including coming out of the backfield to catch passes. Dixon had 869 yards rushing along with seven rushing touchdowns in 08'.
The Bulldogs better hope that Dixon has a great year both running the ball and catching the ball, because the wide receiver position is down right ugly. The Bulldogs will probably have to rely heavily on short passes to their tight ends if they want to pass the ball at all. Mississippi State is also very thin on defense as they only have two starters returning. As much as I hate to say this being a sympathetic Vanderbilt fan, it looks like another year at the bottom is looming for the Bulldogs. Usually the SEC West is a little more up for grabs, but not this season.
Predicted 2009 Record: 3-9
Predicted finish: 6th
Players to watch: Anthony Dixon, Sean Brauchle, Pernell McPhee
No comments:
Post a Comment