SEC West ?

Query by GEAUX TIGERS: SEC West ? What does everybody think about this. This came off of ESPN.com. LSU to repeat in the West July eight, 2008 9:00 AM Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Reduced We shift our emphasis to the Western Division nowadays, exactly where Auburn and LSU are the two most talented teams. Each have quarterback concerns, although, which could leave the door open for somebody else to sneak up and win the division. My predictions kick everything off again nowadays followed by five concerns that could define the West race and then the leading 3 video games to observe. Later on on nowadays, I will have a two-element Q&A with Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who's had the Chick-fil-A Bowl and spring practice to put in his spread offense. one. LSU: There's an outdated adage in football that says muscle up front each offensively and defensively wins each time more than the flash and dash of skill players. No one in the SEC has a far better blend of offensive line personnel and front-7 personnel on defense than the defending national champion Tigers. On offense, center Brett Helms, enormous guard Herman Johnson and tackle Ciron Black are all All-SEC caliber gamers. And even with the reduction of Glenn Dorsey on defense, the Tigers return Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman at the ends, as effectively as BCS nationwide championship star Ricky Jean-Francois, who can perform the two tackle and end. The best point about Ryan Perrilloux's dismissal was that he did not go by means of any of spring practice, meaning there will not be as huge an adjustment this fall to redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee and junior Andrew Hatch. Lee is the probably starter at quarterback. He'll be asked to be more of a caretaker than anything, and it's usually nice to have the stable of operating backs and receivers that will surround him. LSU has to go to Auburn on Sept. twenty and hasn't won at Jordan-Hare Stadium because 1998, but that drought ends this season. 2. Auburn: Tommy Tuberville has been so steady at Auburn and won so numerous massive games that you wonder if his achievement is taken for granted on the Plains. By no means shy about shaking factors up, Tuberville has a new offensive coordinator (Tony Franklin) and a new defensive coordinator (Paul Rhoads) this season. The Tigers will also have a new quarterback. Sophomore Kodi Burns and junior school transfer Chris Todd exited spring practice in a battle that was also close to get in touch with. Todd is the greater passer, but was plagued by a sore throwing shoulder all spring. Franklin enters the season expecting both to perform. The defense will be a trademark Tuberville defense - rapidly, aggressive and nasty. End Antonio Coleman and tackle Sen'Derrick Marks will be two of the greater defensive linemen in the league. The schedule also functions out nicely for the Tigers, who get Tennessee, LSU and Georgia all at house. Auburn is a lot good ample to win the division and just might, but I feel LSU is a little bit far better up and down each lines of scrimmage. three. Alabama: A toss-up here among Alabama and Mississippi State, but I feel the Crimson Tide's touted signing class will be adequate to get them in the top half of the division. This team will look far more like a Nick Saban crew from commence to finish this season. In other phrases, will not appear for an additional epic collapse in November. Significantly of the burden falls on senior quarterback John Parker Wilson. When he played well final season, Alabama typically played properly. Wilson likes what he's witnessed of new offensive coordinator Jim McElwain's method and wants to spread the ball out to a lot more of his playmakers this fall. Appear for freshmen to play key roles on both offense and defense. The Crimson Tide are specifically thin at linebacker. Judging from the quantity of arrests (ten within the final year), Saban is even now trying to get the kind of grip he wishes on this group. He's acted swiftly on the much more critical infractions. If the Tide are going to make some respectable noise in the West race this season, the last issue they require is a lot more off-the-field trouble. All in all, this group even now lacks the kind of top quality depth it will take to win big in the SEC. four. Mississippi State: Mississippi State's patience with Sylvester Croom was rewarded last season, as the Bulldogs won eight games and their 1st bowl game because 2000. Croom was named the SEC Coach of the Year and just lately pocketed a new contract extension and increase that requires his annual salary to $ 1.7 million. It's well deserved for a man who walked into a mess at Mississippi State when he arrived in 2004. Croom is adamant that the Bulldogs' greatest days are ahead of them. For that to occur, they require to add a lot more offensive firepower. Croom has tried improve the speed on the offensive side to match that of the defense. But outside of 240-pound running back Anthony Dixon, the Bulldogs don't have a surplus of established offensive weapons. Senior no cost security Derek Pegues leads a defense that was opportunistic and rock-reliable a yr ago. One issue we know about Croom's teams is that they never quit, nor do they discourage simply. The Bulldogs will win a couple of huge games this season. They just won't win adequate of them to challenge for the West title. 5. Mississippi: Seeing Houston Nutt strolling the Ole Miss sidelines will be unusual, but Nutt will be the 1st to tell you: It was time for him to get out of Arkansas, and most of the Hog Nation feels the same way. For all that former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron did wrong in the course of his a few-year remain in Oxford, he did recruit quite nicely in spots. So Nutt has some talent to operate with, and he's also got a quarterback that Ole Miss fans are anxious to see. Texas transfer Jevan Snead had a big spring and gave the Rebels a dimension in the passing game they by no means had under Orgeron. The other guy to view on offense is incoming freshman tailback Enrique Davis, who was one of the best prep school players in the nation a year ago. Nutt joked a number of weeks ago that Davis certain did appear good on film and that "we're going to uncover out actual quick how excellent he is on the area." Hunting at the Rebels' schedule, it really is not too large a stretch to assume that they could be 4- heading into their trip to Florida on Sept. 27. 6. Arkansas: Bobby Petrino says Arkansas needs to be his last task. Effectively, seeing is believing. A coaching nomad for most of his occupation, Petrino is back in the university game immediately after leaving the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the evening last yr. He's received his work cut out these initial couple of many years. The Razorbacks are replacing just about everybody on offense and defense. Casey Dick is the quarterback for now, but Petrino stated following spring practice that Dick will have to perform to preserve that task. The Hogs had been so run-oriented under Houston Nutt that you wonder how effectively and how quickly these players will change to Petrino's quickly-paced, pass-driven offense. That variety of transformation doesn't just take place overnight. It requires recruiting classes and patience. Then again, it didn't take lengthy for Petrino to make Louisville an offensive juggernaut. He's 1 of the very best offensive strategists out there and keeps teams off stability with an array of distinct formations and aggressive play-calling. As great as Petrino is, he'll need to be a miracle worker for the Hogs to be a factor this season. Finding to 7 wins would be a coup. Best answer: Answer by patwhiteisdynamite I think the #1 group will be Auburn. But they will have one loss on the season against West Virginia. Lets Go Mountaineers!