🏈 Auburn picked ninth in SEC by one rogue league SID

[BAMANEWSBOT]

SEC's order of finish for the upcoming season and All-SEC teams.

In the overall league voting, Alabama was picked to finish first by eight SIDs, while Auburn was picked first by six.

The Crimson Tide were picked to win the SEC West, and South Carolina was picked to win the East and play 'Bama in the SEC title game.

OK. All of that is perfectly reasonable.

What isn't reasonable?

Steve Spurrier on being picked to play for the SEC title: "Been chasing that forever, it seems like. Maybe we'll get it, maybe not. We're going to keep trying."

On another South Carolina front, defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward noted the Gamecocks may have to get creative, with the absence of Jadeveon Clowney leaving a hole at defensive end. "We don't have a dominating defensive end, so we're probably going to have to do something different," Ward said. "We have a lot of good young talent at linebacker."

And in the least surprising news, Alabama coach Nick Saban gave zero indication of whether one of his quarterbacks has gained a lead in the race to replace AJ McCarron. The overwhelming assumption among fans is Florida State transfer Jacob Coker will be the guy.

The vote of one rogue SID. That person -- the voting was anonymous -- picked the Tigersto finish ninth in the league.

That person either knows something everyone else doesn't or wants to poke a little fun at the Tigers. Whatever the case, call us dubious about the intentions of that vote.

FOX Sports reports:

 

[TerryP]

I was amused by this article; not the content, but the term "rogue" being used to describe the SID's vote.



I'm not posting this to defend his (SID's) opinion or to debate whether or not Auburn will finish 9th in the SEC. It's all about this writer for FOX calling the SID "a dishonest or unprincipled man."

What brought this to mind this morning happens to come from ESPN. (I wouldn't put it past FOX Sports to call ESPN rogue, but that's a story for another day.) This is simply for perspective.

Rod Gilmore commenting on Brian Fremeau's, ESPN College Insider page, and his post season projections.

ESPN puts Auburn at #19 with a 3% chance of making the playoffs.

Fremeau's projection

Projected finish: 8-4 (5-3)
Chance to make playoff: 3 percent
Chance to win SEC: 4 percent
Toughest games: Oct. 25 versus South Carolina (52 percent), Nov. 15 at Georgia (50 percent), Nov. 29 at Alabama (22 percent)

Why they'll make the playoff.
1. No one can stop Gus Malzahn's offense

Consider this for a moment: Only seven of 125 Division I FBS teams threw fewer passes than Auburn did last season. Why? Because the Tigers really didn't have to throw the ball. No one can stop Coach Malzahn's rushing attack, which he brilliantly shields with his own cloaking device (an up-tempo spread attack). Even Alabama coach Nick Saban hasn't been able to solve it. The Tigers' run game plays faster than cars move in the "Fast & Furious" movies. They run plays while defenses are still trying to line up, and just when defenses believe they're getting a bead on Malzahn's scheme, Malzahn changes gears.

Losing three SEC games (UofSC, UGA, and Bama I'll assume) and Kansas State?

In 2013 a 5-3 record would have been good enough for a 5th place finish in the conference, a 3rd place finish in the division, and an invitation to one of the bowl games held in Florida.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Rogue can be a less harsh descriptor as someone playfully mischievous, or an outlier or nonconformist. Although not the base definition, that use seems to be getting more exposure in print these days.

RTR,

Tim