Bleacher Bloggers
Five Things to Expect This Year in the SEC (Where Games Actually Matter)
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In the first of many blogs on the SEC, I begin with five predictions I've made for the upcoming year. For a complete list of my weekly predictions, feel free to check out my blog, Sports Wrap Up Blog, at www.nola.com/sports.
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1. Regarding the SEC East, the game formerly known as "The World's Largest Cocktail Party" — now simply known as the Florida Gators vs. the Georgia Bulldogs — will determine who represents the East in the SEC championship game. Currently my predictions have Georgia pulling it off as they take advantage of a rebuilding Florida team. Expect Florida to go through some of the same bumps in the road that Georgia did last year with true freshman Stafford at the helm. If Florida does pull it off, expect an exciting LSU vs Florida rematch game on a neutral field in the Georgia Dome. Unfortunately for Eric Ainge and the Volunteer faithful, he was never able to pull things together at Tennessee and they won't be making a ton of noise. The loss of his three starting wide receivers will make him an official bust as he struggles to find a primary target. He could salvage his career if he leads the Volunteers to an upset over Florida at home, providing them with a decent bowl game late in December.
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2. Yes, as so many writers have mentioned on ESPN.com, Kentucky and Vanderbilt have improved their programs. With this in mind, I don’t think the outcomes will be any different for these two teams that still lack depth at several positions. Maybe in another conference they could get away with having a few dominant stars, but not in the SEC. It's the depth that teams such as Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and the other juggernauts of the SEC are able to maintain year-in and year-out that truly sets them apart.
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3. Alabama will play horribly all year but will win the only game that truly matters to Crimson Tide fans: the Auburn game at Auburn. Oh, and let me not forget to mention that I hate Nick Saban, so I won't go much deeper.
Photo courtesy Chuck Cook / Times-Picayune and www.nola.com/lsu
4. LSU will go undefeated, play for the National Championship in New Orleans against USC — and win. While some experts from ESPN.com have these two facing off for the big game in New Orleans, none have LSU winning. Not only is this a game LSU fanatics have been yearning for since 2003, but if these two teams do meet up, it will be in the Tigers' own backyard: New Orleans, Louisiana. While some can claim this to be an exaggeration, this game will have much of the same emotions come out that we saw during the Saints vs. Falcons last year after the reopening of the New Orleans Superdome. These emotions are likely to spill over onto the field during each Trojan possession as Tiger fans deafen the Trojan players.
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5. If Darren McFadden doesn't win the Heisman trophy, it will be on head coach Houston Nutt's shoulders. Since half way through last season, there have been more stories coming out of Arkansas pertaining to Nutt and his players off-the-field problems then there have been on McFadden's performance. The distractions listed below foreshadow a breakdown in Arkansas that will lead to some key losses late in the season. This will not only cost the Razorbacks a good bowl game but will leave a bad image in the minds of voters as the Heisman race tightens up. Currently ESPN.com has McFadden leading the Heisman race.
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