There is absolutely no question in my mind that I am ready for college football to begin. With the NFL lockout finally over I have been able to whet my appetite by catching a bit of action on the gridiron. No matter what though my heart will always be with the college game. With all of that being said, I feel the need to relaunch and break out my blogging tools again. We'll start with a few of my thoughts on what this season in the SEC may hold for us. I'm feeling a little rusty, but so what here goes nothing...
First things first, who do I expect to be the SEC Champions at the end of this season? I have to go with Alabama. Now, if you have read or really even looked at my blog there is no doubt that my loyalty lies with the Tide. That being said there are numerous reasons why I believe Bama will top the SEC this year. First of all, Trent Richardson. The guy is a beast. If Richardson can stay healthy I agree with many who believe Alabama may have another Heisman contender on their hands. He finished with 700 yards rushing and almost 300 yards receiving last season, and that was running tandem with Mark Ingram. I expect him to dominate the ground for the Tide this season. On top of that, Alabama is returning 17 starters this season. With the likes of Richardson, Maze, and Hanks on offense Alabama has some great weapons. Don't forget the defense though with Dont'a Hightower, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Mark Barron just to mention a few. Alabama should come out very strong this season. The one question everybody has is about the QB race between McCarron and Sims. We'll find out who gets the spot soon, or maybe Saban will go with a 2 QB system. Hmmm...could be interesting.
There are also lots of other teams and coaches to watch this season. South Carolina should be strong this season with Garcia, Lattimore, and Jeffrey returning. The question is can Garcia stay out of trouble. Jeffrey proved against Bama last season that he is just as much of a threat as Lattimore is. I expect to see South Carolina make a real run for the East.
What is Florida going to show up with this season? Who knows, but with Muschamp and Weis at the helm it should definitely be interesting. Weis had a tough gig at Notre Dame no doubt, but he may find the SEC to be even tougher. Florida definitely has some talent as always, so I expect them to do well this season. Arkansas should be another team who comes out swinging. With 13 returning starters and a promising QB in Tyler Wilson, they should make the West tough.
Mark Richt at Georgia looks to have a shot at redeeming himself this season. He has a good bit of talent. He may put Georgia back among the top of the SEC. Houston Nutt on the other hand should just be thankful that most Ole Miss fans are really just interested in the tailgating. I don't expect Ole Miss to really show us much this season on the field. Mississippi State does have Chris Relf though. He could seriously be a breakout player this season. He started looking good at the end of last season. It will be interesting to see what kind of growth he's had during the off-season. Then we have LSU. One of the most talent filled teams in the West, but one of the craziest coaches in the entire NCAA. You never know what's going to happen when the Mad Hatter is in charge.
Finally, there is the returning National Championship team at Auburn. Unfortunately they are only returning with 8 starters. They are a virtually inexperienced team who will be crippled by the loss of their saving grace last season, Cam Newton. I don't expect a stellar season for the champs, but I could always be wrong.
Can't wait to follow the season with all of you. Keep checking my blog for updates, and let's keep it in the SEC for the 6th year in a row!
0 comments:
Post a Comment