🏈 An early review of the SEC west...

[jdpas29]

bash me if you must but here are my thoughts team by team with some predictions..

West:

tamu: Easily the best offensive team in the conference and maybe even the country. Their defense is still suspect however. Not that it will matter bc no one can keep up with them on the scoreboard. I think they likely win out with the only close games coming against auburn and LSU (LSu is the only team that has slowed down their offense fairly consistently).

Auburn: I think this years Auburn team is down just a bit from last year. The running game is not quite so effective and the receiving core is not a surprise bright spot. Their defense is suspect against the power run which Arkansas exploited quite well in the first half. They will have trouble with LSU, Alabama, Tamu, possibly ole Miss.

Alabama: Alabama is a scrappy team this year. We are not accustomed to playing backyard scramble on offense, but that is what this team will have to do (and do well) to score enough points to keep up with the aforementioned teams. I don't have any confidence that Coach Saban is going to jump on board with that type of offense. If Blake Sims is asked to play like AJ or Croyle, we will drop 3 games to Auburn, Tamu and possibly this early Florida game if they have learned how to score points yet. Bama's defense is good and maybe great, but the secondary is suspect at this point.

Ole Miss: I think this will likely be one of the better teams ole miss has put forward since the Eli era. Their defense hits very hard and their linebacker play was impressive in week 1. When Bo has a decent game, they will be hard to beat.

LSU: This team has QB problems and will be made one dimensional by any decent run-stopping defense. I think they have bigger problems than anyone is saying right now. Ole miss may beat this team. That's why i put them in this spot.

MsST: Another team with QB problems. I don't buy the hype. The guy can run a little but is not very accurate in the passing game especially under pressure. Their defense is not all that.

Arkansas: Unfortunately the running game for Arkansas is about all they have. Their defense is still holier than a pharisee.



***** for Bama fans ONLY --- don't read otherwise ---- It is possible for Bama to win the west this year if tamu implodes on defense completely and Auburn stops running the HUNH.

 

[bamafan4ever]

Not going to bash you. You said "predictions" so you are calling it as you see it which is fair enough. Personally, I just don't think there has been enough water under the proverbial bridge to make any predictions yet. Week 1 has a weird way of not being a great predictor of things to come.

 

[TheChief]

Agreed totally. If Coker can beat out Sims, I'll change my mind. Without that happening, meaning Coker really is no better than Sims, Bama loses three games this season. We'll see how close we are at the end of the year.

Sample size one game. I hope, I mean really hope, I'm wrong.

 

[red55]

LSU: This team has QB problems and will be made one dimensional by any decent run-stopping defense.

I don't know . . . [HASHTAG]#14[/HASHTAG] Wisconsin held LSU to just 129 yards rushing and the LSU QB threw for 239 yards. LSU leads the nation in yards per pass with a 26 yard average. It's just one game, but it doesn't exactly scream "one-dimensional running team".

 

[psychojoe]

Not going to bash you. You said "predictions" so you are calling it as you see it which is fair enough. Personally, I just don't think there has been enough water under the proverbial bridge to make any predictions yet. Week 1 has a weird way of not being a great predictor of things to come.

This says it for me. Are the Aggies the offensive juggernaut they appeared to be, or did South Carolina just have a turd of a game? We will learn a little more about the Gamecocks this weekend. I personally liked what LSU did the last twenty minutes of their game, and they did it through the air, using receivers most of us never heard of. I do think that Arkansas is better than last year, but I can't point to a single SEC game on their schedule and say they will win. I like Ole Miss's defense, but I don't think he is a winning quarterback at the SEC level. Mississippi State thinks they will be better and contending, but they are who they are. Two (or maybe three) years ago they came into BDS undefeated, got thrashed, and went into the tank for the rest of the season. The Boogs will again be very good on offense, suspect on defense. I do not see them getting so many favorable bounces this season.

As you guys know, I am a "glass half full" guy when it comes to our team. DePriest's return should stabilize the linebackers. We will be looking at Eddie Jackson and at Tony Brown as well as Sylve at one corner, and we should have some idea about who will be the guy at that position after Saturday. As CNS said on his TV show, Sylve was usually in position, he just did not turn and play the ball. If he doesnot acquire this skill he won't see the field much more.

We've hashed and rehashed our offense. We should have a bit better idea after Saturday's game.

One week in, all I will commit to is Arkansas as last in the west.

 

[planomateo]

I'm in the wait and see camp on all the teams. Not enough data points to make any meaningful conclusions on whats going to happen.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Nice perspectives, although, as has been said, it's early yet. I don't think we lose three, and I'm not completely sure MSU is the west's bottom feeder. I think atm will show some cracks offensively as the year progresses. LSU has such good athletes that they can usually overcome Les' coaching decisions, but not this year.

 

[jdpas29]

I watched the LSU/WISC game a few times and LSU got gashed by the running game. Inexplicably, WISC got away from running gordon3 after halftime it seemed. The LSU qb is inaccurate and got away with a lot of terrible passes. A good secondary will pick him off a plenty.

 

[MissingRing]

Agreed totally. If Coker can beat out Sims, I'll change my mind. Without that happening, meaning Coker really is no better than Sims, Bama loses three games this season. We'll see how close we are at the end of the year.

Sample size one game. I hope, I mean really hope, I'm wrong.

I'm encouraged to know that there are other Alabama fans who have the same view of the QB situation that I do. Whatever may be said in favor of Blake Sims, I can't get over the feeling that we are about to bring a tricycle to Talladega.

 

[252BAMA]

I watched the LSU/WISC game a few times and LSU got gashed by the running game. Inexplicably, WISC got away from running gordon3 after halftime it seemed. The LSU qb is inaccurate and got away with a lot of terrible passes. A good secondary will pick him off a plenty.

LSU played a minimum of 9, and sometimes all 11, in the box in the second half. Wisconsin had little choice but attempt to pass.

 

[mhardiman]

I watched the LSU/WISC game a few times and LSU got gashed by the running game. Inexplicably, WISC got away from running gordon3 after halftime it seemed. The LSU qb is inaccurate and got away with a lot of terrible passes. A good secondary will pick him off a plenty.

So in other words LSU should have success in the air, and won't be one dimensional against us. I'm not worried about Florida, but I think we loss one or two against Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU or Miss. St. I see no chance against Texas A&M or Auburn.

 

[jdpas29]

sorry for the confusion... what i'm saying is that the old adage about shutting down the run and making them try to beat you with the pass will likely work well against this LSU team. I don't think their passing game is going to win it for them against a defense that can stop the run.

It's the same way people are going to treat this year's Bama team...

 

['65 Cobra]

My biggest concern is that, going back to the Aubbie game, I am not seeing any real, significant, impactful change in our ability to defend against the HUNH. As a result, TAMU, Ole Miss, and Aubbie remain concerns.

 

[mhardiman]

^ Exactly my concern too; my concern has nothing to do with offense, except I don't think we can out score those three teams. Also stopping teams that are balanced or may have a good or decent passing game.