Everyone loves bold predictions. Until they read them and it goes against their team, of course. Then the guy writing it doesn’t know a flying hoot about what he’s doing.
How will the 2016 season shape up in the SEC? It’s anyone’s guess. So let’s go ahead and do it.
5. Florida will win the SEC East … again
Last year in Jim McElwain’s first season, the Gators were a revelation the first half of the season, going 6-0 and looking like some sort of team of destiny. Well, the “destiny” was losing starting QB Will Grier and going 4-4 the remainder of the way with an offense that loosely resembled a man after a bottle of George Stagg playing 9 holes of golf. This year’s version will usher in Luke Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State with a lot of hype about him. The offensive line should be a little better after giving up 45 sacks. The defense will be typically harrowing, but this club is more fit than last year for McElwain and go ahead and lay your chips on the Gators in the East, this time a little more predictably (obviously).
4. LSU is just gonna LSU
The Tigers are the source of much hype (as per usual) coming into 2016. They’ll be favored to knock off Big 10 power Wisconsin in the season opener, only putting that hype into overdrive if it happens. The schedule sees Alabama and Ole Miss both coming to Baton Rouge. So where’s the hitch? Well, LSU is going to be LSU, and anymore, that means they’ll be pretty good but don’t go expecting them to compete for the SEC West crown. They’re going to be good to excellent at all position groups other than the most important one, and you simply cannot win championships without going through spurts relying on your passing game to get you game winning drives. Even in their title seasons, simply serviceable QB play was enough. It’s been awhile since even that was in town.
3. Ole Miss will win the SEC West
Disclaimer: I HATE picking against Alabama because it’s just a stupid thing to do, but sometimes in rare cases, Alabama takes a year where they decide not to win a championship, providing more grist for the motivation mill for the next season. It’s hard not to like Ole Miss. They have one of the more stable quarterback situations in the conference with Chad Kelly. They get the Tide at home, early. Their crossover opponents from the East are Georgia at home and Vanderbilt. They’re strong along both lines. The defense could be Hugh Freeze’s best. I’ve talked myself back into it.
2. Arkansas will finish top 3 in the SEC West; South Carolina will finish last in the East
These are two unique guesses lumped into one, but when you only get five, this is the route we’ve got to go. For Arkansas, they’ll need a better pass rush and to not let by so many passing yards, especially late in games. They allowed nearly 1,000 more yards through the air in 2015 than in 2014. The schedule features a lot of home games against contenders, and really, the key will be how far along Austin Allen at QB comes along. As for South Carolina, they’re trending down. There will be obligatory new regime change to deal with, plus what they’ve been building on offense really since Steve Spurrier got there is almost the polar opposite of what Will Muschamp will likely bring. QB instability hemorrhaged the Muschamp era at Florida. If that doesn’t change, same doin’s here.
1. Three SEC teams will be mentioned in the CFB Playoff hunt late in November, but only one will get in, and that will be Ole Miss
It’s a given that the SEC champ will get in, unless that team is a 4-loss outfit who upsets the champ from the other division, and then CHAOS and DOOOOOOOM break loose. The guess here is that Alabama takes a few lumps but with maybe 2-losses, is in the picture late, and then the SEC East and West predicted champs here (Florida and Ole Miss) are in the picture as well. There are signs that the East is getting better. Certainly things are trending up at Florida and Tennessee immediately. The chasm is still too wide, though, with the SEC West, where it feels like 3-5 teams annually would sweep the East. So Ole Miss, you’re getting in as far is one person is concerned. The bad news is, that person is rarely right.
