🏈 Way TOO Early Bold Prediction

[252BAMA]

2011 deja vu all over again. Bama and LSU will be the top two teams, again. Winner of their game will go 13-0 and the loser 11-1, again. And there it ends. Winner will be in the CFP. Loser will NOT be in the CFP.

 

[bama alum]

2011 deja vu all over again. Bama and LSU will be the top two teams, again. Winner of their game will go 13-0 and the loser 11-1, again. And there it ends. Winner will be in the CFP. Loser will NOT be in the CFP.

I don't think that's too far-fetched. Bama has lost a lot of dominating starters on D, and Fournette will once again be in the middle of another Heisman run. Lester's seat will already be so hot that a loss to Bama - again - will seal his fate. And it's in Red Stick. It'll be a marquee game for sure.

 

[TerryP]

I don't see how they can get through @Auburn and @Florida without at least one loss.

They still don't have QB, and it doesn't appear they've got an OC that can develop one.

 

[BamaFan334]

I think they smoke Auburn and win a festive game against Florida. Auburn will have a very similar year like last year. LSU is going to be good on both sides of the ball. They'll win nine without a quarterback, they're that athletic.

 

[Trob]

I don't see how they can get through @Auburn and @Florida without at least one loss.

They still don't have QB, and it doesn't appear they've got an OC that can develop one.

Neither auburn nor Florida has a QB at this point either. Harris may or may not set the world on fire next season but at this point he's better than anything those two have. He will be in his third year at the helm, has plenty of proven talent and experience at the skill positions and O-line and LSU always fields a solid to great defense. I'd be more surprised if they did lose to either of those teams.

 

[252BAMA]

Phil Steele predicts that the AP Preseason Poll will have Bama #1 and LSU #5.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Ohio State was the consensus No. 1 team in 2015, drawing all 61 preseason No. 1 votes. This year there should be four or five that garner first-place votes. Going with the defending champ in the No. 1 slot is usually a good call, and there’s not a better team to vote No. 1 then Alabama. Last year there were a lot of doubters when it came to the Tide, who were not even picked by SEC media to win the conference (they picked Auburn), let alone the national title. Alabama has to replace quarterback Jake Coker, but the last three national titles by the Tide all came with first-year starting quarterbacks. The Tide had the No. 1 recruiting class for four straight years (2012-15), finishing No. 2 behind only Florida State in ESPN’s 2016 class rankings. With players like defensive end Jonathan Allen and linebacker Reuben Foster turning down the NFL, the defense remains one of, if not the best in the country. The Tide had just 10 returning starters last year and this year have 11 (plus both their kicker and punter), and with Nick Saban still in charge they should grab the No.1 spot in August -- and maybe in January as well.

5. LSU Tigers
Les Miles was on the verge of being fired late last year, but he has proven to be a Tiger with nine lives and bounced back with one of the nation’s top recruiting classes. I have great respect for the folks at ESPN Stats & Info, and their Football Power Index (FPI) has LSU rated No. 1 -- one of my main sets of power ratings agrees with that. The Tigers have 18 returning starters, which is the most in the SEC, and one of those returnees is running back and Heisman favorite Leonard Fournette. While LSU was depleted by the number of players leaving early for the NFL in 2012 and 2013, and three left early after last season, just one starter left early after 2015 (offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins).


Phil Steele