C34's 2016 SEC West predictions

[Coach34]

2014- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?19000-C34-s-SEC-West-preview-2014&highlight=UPig

2015- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?32521-C34-s-2015-SEC-West-Predictions&highlight=2015+West+predictions

2016 should be an interesting year in the wild, wild, West. Lots of questions abound:

Is this the end for the Gus Bus or Sumlin?
Has Mullen been distracted and allowed the program to fall back some?
Can Saban/Kiffin do it 3 years in a row?
Has OM cheated enough to contend 2 years in a row?
Can Bielema start winning before October gets here?

1. LSU- Miles goes from getting fired, then gets a reprieve from the Governor, to SEC West Champ in 2016. This is the most talented team he has had in his tenure. 6 projected 1st round picks in the April NFL draft. The best TB in the country. A really good WR group. Lots of talent on the OL- but the questions remains- has Brandon Harris continued to progress enough to win big games? LSU will be hell on D- they return their entire DL plus everybody in the Secondary has started. Beckwith returns at LB in the middle. This is the SEC's most talented team in 2016.

2. Bama- this is the SEC's 2nd most talented team in the SEC. Lots of questions at QB and TB- but talent isnt one. It is the 1st time in the Saban era that they havent returned a TB with significant experience. They have the best TE in the SEC in Howard and one of the best WR's in Ridley. Kiffin has done a really good job with their offense- but for some reason wont stay with the run vs OM. Hopefully he has learned his lesson in 2016. Defensively, they lost alot from last year- but they are replacing them with more top talent. And they are coached by Saban. Enough said. Their road schedule in 2016 is pretty rough and could lead to a couple of losses at OM, LSU, UPig, or Tenn. I dont think they go thru that unscathed.

3. Ole Missus- The 3-7 teams in the West are as big of a crapshoot as there has ever been. I'm going with OM simply based on their returning QB and WR's. They have OL issues but Freezus does have his guys get the ball out quick. Should be decent at RB. Defensively, their DE's are very good and they wont be bad at DT. Lots of questions at LB and in the Secondary. Conner returns at safety- great run-stopper but average in coverage. They were 13th in pass D last year in the SEC and probably wont be much better this year. Their stretch of Georgia at home then SEC games at UPig and at LSU will be a critical stretch for them after losing to Fla State and Bama. If they can beat Georgia to get some momentum they should be ok,- a loss to Georgia and they could be headed for a last place SEC West finish. A brutal September could also be a problem for this team that doesnt have alot of depth.

4. Auburn- I'm not counting The Gus Bus out yet. They should be pretty good on the OL and will be damn good on the DL. The Gus Bus is always going to #RTGDF pretty well- and this year wont be any different with Jovon Robinson. QB and new WR's are big question marks for this bunch. May see some freshman WR's getting time early. We'll see what their juco transfer has- Malzahn has had a ton of success with juco's in Cam Newton and Nick Marshall. Dont bet against him here either. Defensively, their DL is loaded. Lawson, Adams, Cowart. They also signed 2 5-star guys for more depth. They lost all 3 starters at LB- so there is concern there. Secondary returns 3/4 and with their DL getting pressure- should improve on their 11th in the SEC Pass D. They have a brutal early schedule- but their big games early are at home to help ease some of their younger guys into things. Huge road games at State and OM for this bunch.

5. A&M- Talented WR's and what should be a solid OL. Veteran QB that has showed flashes of being pretty good. Mazzone has been good historically- so a small scheme change could also help them. Best DE in the country that must be accounted for. An outstanding DC that made them better on D last year. Still likely a 3-5 SEC West team though

6. State- Questions at QB and RB. An OL that doesnt look very good. Really good starting WR's with no depth. All new TE's. This will be Mullen's toughest job on offense since 2011 when he had all the OL injuries after heavy losses from the year before and Relf got beat up physically. Expect QB's to throw 15+ interceptions. Fitzgerald throws a good-looking deep ball- but can his OL protect long enough to allow him to do it against teams not named UMass or South Alabama? New DC Peter Sirmon will be asked to do alot this year. The DL should be solid- but is probably the 6th best in the West. The LB'ers will be very good and safety should be vastly improved. This team just isnt very good at CB or on the OL though- and injuries to these positions would be devastating. Cant lose to BYU on the road or 6 wins wont happen for this team.

7. UPig- Bert will start getting the heat come October. Allen #2 will be his QB and has been in the system awhile. They have to rebuild the OL and have no decent experience at RB. They lost a damn good TE but have lots of experience at WR.
Defensively they were awful but young. They return damn near all of them though. Their home schedule is brutal and this is why I pick them last in the West. Toss up games on the road doesnt usually turn out well. Bielema will need another November miracle in 2016.

[Houston Nutt]

The main thing to take from this is like you said, 3-7 could all be interchangeable. Solid list

[Pollodawg]

I expect to see maybe the best head coach we've had in my adult lifetime placed on the hot seat if this season doesn't go like some want, which is incredibly stupid. However, I think we'll be aight this go around.

[MarketingBully]

Move Auburn to six or seven and move MSU up to five and it's about right. Auburn is terrible and Kevin Steele sucks.

[NCDawg]

Seems to be pretty accurate predictions. I agree LSU will be very tough on defense with Orgeron and their new DC. But, as you say, never count Saban out. I agree about State also. Mullen has not emphasized increasing the talent on the OL and that, along with inexperienced CB's, will probably be our undoing.

[FISHDAWG]

Move Auburn to six or seven and move MSU up to five and it's about right. Auburn is terrible and Kevin Steele sucks.

Auburn @ Davis-Wade will not be a push over this year ... this game concerns me

[Commercecomet24]

Pretty accurate, I think Auburn probably finishes below us and we finish at 5, but like you said 3-7 could be interchangeable. I know everyone thinks the OL isn't good, but we were a totally different team when Jenkins and Calhoun were in the game together, Clayborn is solid and the tackles should be ok. I think Desper is the weak link on the OL. Now I do believe we will struggle against the elite dl's but we should be fine against everyone else.We don't have much depth at this point though. Should be interesting.

[Tbonewannabe]

Reading what you wrote last year, I really hope our Oline steps up and gels like they should. It doesn't seem to be a talent problem as much as it seems like every play an Oline either doesn't know who they should block or just whiff on them. There was too many plays when you go back and look that we are blocking 4 on 5 or 6 with 1 Oline just not doing anything. It wasn't even the same guy but it rotated through about the whole damn line. Last year was probably the worst job Hevesy did as a coach and he definitely doesn't make up for it in recruiting.

[Houston Nutt]

LSU will not win the West with anemic quarterback play. Somehow Les Miles will find a way to disappoint.

[Bothrops]

LSU will not win the West with anemic quarterback play. Somehow Les Miles will find a way to disappoint.

Possibly, but that team is absolutely loaded and hungry. They're are gonna beat the hell out of some people this year, including us.

[Coach34]

LSU will not win the West with anemic quarterback play. Somehow Les Miles will find a way to disappoint.

He might

I think Harris will be a little improved- and they also have the transfer from Purdue that could factor into the mix. But when you got their OL and Fournette- their QB only has to make a few throws. They were a 10-3 team last year and return an insane amount of talent- plus probably 5 true impact freshman

[PMDawg]

1. LSU
2. Bama
3. A&M
4. Ole Miss
5. Auburn
6. MSU
7. Arkansas

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

2014- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?19000-C34-s-SEC-West-preview-2014&highlight=UPig

2015- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?32521-C34-s-2015-SEC-West-Predictions&highlight=2015+West+predictions

2016 should be an interesting year in the wild, wild, West. Lots of questions abound:

Is this the end for the Gus Bus or Sumlin?
Has Mullen been distracted and allowed the program to fall back some?
Can Saban/Kiffin do it 3 years in a row?
Has OM cheated enough to contend 2 years in a row?
Can Bielema start winning before October gets here?


6. State- Questions at QB and RB. An OL that doesnt look very good. Really good starting WR's with no depth. All new TE's. This will be Mullen's toughest job on offense since 2011 when he had all the OL injuries after heavy losses from the year before and Relf got beat up physically. Expect QB's to throw 15+ interceptions. Fitzgerald throws a good-looking deep ball- but can his OL protect long enough to allow him to do it against teams not named UMass or South Alabama? New DC Peter Sirmon will be asked to do alot this year. The DL should be solid- but is probably the 6th best in the West. The LB'ers will be very good and safety should be vastly improved. This team just isnt very good at CB or on the OL though- and injuries to these positions would be devastating. Cant lose to BYU on the road or 6 wins wont happen for this team.

Yep. Offensive line problems. Mullen hellbent on starting Shump. A young DL and replacing our best QB ever. Anybody thinking 8+ wins this year is either a sunshine pumper or has enough of an agenda against Mullen to want him fired. Anything above the Birmingham Bowl is gravy for this team.

[mic]

There is
LSU and Bama
And the rest
UMiss has road games at LSU , Ark , and AM With UGA and Bama at home.
Just don't see them winning 3 of those
Will a bunch of 5-3 and 4-4 teams IMO ..

[NCDawg]

Wonder when Mullen is going to comply with his promise to get us to Atlanta. Hate to say it, but we may not ever see a West championship again in our lifetime, or at least no time in the distant future. Really hope I'm wrong. The '98 SEC game was the most electrifying game I've ever seen.

[Spiderman]

2014- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?19000-C34-s-SEC-West-preview-2014&highlight=UPig

2015- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?32521-C34-s-2015-SEC-West-Predictions&highlight=2015+West+predictions

2016 should be an interesting year in the wild, wild, West. Lots of questions abound:

Is this the end for the Gus Bus or Sumlin?
Has Mullen been distracted and allowed the program to fall back some?
Can Saban/Kiffin do it 3 years in a row?
Has OM cheated enough to contend 2 years in a row?
Can Bielema start winning before October gets here?

1. LSU- Miles goes from getting fired, then gets a reprieve from the Governor, to SEC West Champ in 2016. This is the most talented team he has had in his tenure. 6 projected 1st round picks in the April NFL draft. The best TB in the country. A really good WR group. Lots of talent on the OL- but the questions remains- has Brandon Harris continued to progress enough to win big games? LSU will be hell on D- they return their entire DL plus everybody in the Secondary has started. Beckwith returns at LB in the middle. This is the SEC's most talented team in 2016.

2. Bama- this is the SEC's 2nd most talented team in the SEC. Lots of questions at QB and TB- but talent isnt one. It is the 1st time in the Saban era that they havent returned a TB with significant experience. They have the best TE in the SEC in Howard and one of the best WR's in Ridley. Kiffin has done a really good job with their offense- but for some reason wont stay with the run vs OM. Hopefully he has learned his lesson in 2016. Defensively, they lost alot from last year- but they are replacing them with more top talent. And they are coached by Saban. Enough said. Their road schedule in 2016 is pretty rough and could lead to a couple of losses at OM, LSU, UPig, or Tenn. I dont think they go thru that unscathed.

3. Ole Missus- The 3-7 teams in the West are as big of a crapshoot as there has ever been. I'm going with OM simply based on their returning QB and WR's. They have OL issues but Freezus does have his guys get the ball out quick. Should be decent at RB. Defensively, their DE's are very good and they wont be bad at DT. Lots of questions at LB and in the Secondary. Conner returns at safety- great run-stopper but average in coverage. They were 13th in pass D last year in the SEC and probably wont be much better this year. Their stretch of Georgia at home then SEC games at UPig and at LSU will be a critical stretch for them after losing to Fla State and Bama. If they can beat Georgia to get some momentum they should be ok,- a loss to Georgia and they could be headed for a last place SEC West finish. A brutal September could also be a problem for this team that doesnt have alot of depth.

4. Auburn- I'm not counting The Gus Bus out yet. They should be pretty good on the OL and will be damn good on the DL. The Gus Bus is always going to #RTGDF pretty well- and this year wont be any different with Jovon Robinson. QB and new WR's are big question marks for this bunch. May see some freshman WR's getting time early. We'll see what their juco transfer has- Malzahn has had a ton of success with juco's in Cam Newton and Nick Marshall. Dont bet against him here either. Defensively, their DL is loaded. Lawson, Adams, Cowart. They also signed 2 5-star guys for more depth. They lost all 3 starters at LB- so there is concern there. Secondary returns 3/4 and with their DL getting pressure- should improve on their 11th in the SEC Pass D. They have a brutal early schedule- but their big games early are at home to help ease some of their younger guys into things. Huge road games at State and OM for this bunch.

5. A&M- Talented WR's and what should be a solid OL. Veteran QB that has showed flashes of being pretty good. Mazzone has been good historically- so a small scheme change could also help them. Best DE in the country that must be accounted for. An outstanding DC that made them better on D last year. Still likely a 3-5 SEC West team though

6. State- Questions at QB and RB. An OL that doesnt look very good. Really good starting WR's with no depth. All new TE's. This will be Mullen's toughest job on offense since 2011 when he had all the OL injuries after heavy losses from the year before and Relf got beat up physically. Expect QB's to throw 15+ interceptions. Fitzgerald throws a good-looking deep ball- but can his OL protect long enough to allow him to do it against teams not named UMass or South Alabama? New DC Peter Sirmon will be asked to do alot this year. The DL should be solid- but is probably the 6th best in the West. The LB'ers will be very good and safety should be vastly improved. This team just isnt very good at CB or on the OL though- and injuries to these positions would be devastating. Cant lose to BYU on the road or 6 wins wont happen for this team.

7. UPig- Bert will start getting the heat come October. Allen #2 will be his QB and has been in the system awhile. They have to rebuild the OL and have no decent experience at RB. They lost a damn good TE but have lots of experience at WR.
Defensively they were awful but young. They return damn near all of them though. Their home schedule is brutal and this is why I pick them last in the West. Toss up games on the road doesnt usually turn out well. Bielema will need another November miracle in 2016.

Pretty much agree.

Only way OM loses to UGA at home is if the AK-47 is hurt. UGA ain't gonna be that good.

I have yet to understand how anyone thinks Smart is an upgrade over Richt.

[TUSK]

I'll give it a shot:

Alabama
LSU

Ole Miss
MSU
Texas A&M
Auburn
Arkansas

Bammer's slate may be too tough to go undefeated... @LSU and @UT are my biggest concerns, but I think they'll probably be favored in both...

I do think this team will be better (overall) than last year's version...

[SDDawg]

Close but not quite:

1. Bama because Miles will screw it up
2. LSU is too loaded
3. A&M will move past the QB controversy and is stacked on D
4. MSU because of Mullen and surprisingly strong D
5. Auburn with its last gasp for Gus
6. OM and the demise of Freeze, starts this summer with round 2 from the NCAA
7. Arky, just too much to replace and weak D

[dawgday166]

Wonder when Mullen is going to comply with his promise to get us to Atlanta. Hate to say it, but we may not ever see a West championship again in our lifetime, or at least no time in the distant future. Really hope I'm wrong. The '98 SEC game was the most electrifying game I've ever seen.

Not while Saban is at Bama. He'll never beat Saban.

[paindonthurt]

?

2014- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?19000-C34-s-SEC-West-preview-2014&highlight=UPig

2015- http://www.elitedawgs.com/showthread.php?32521-C34-s-2015-SEC-West-Predictions&highlight=2015+West+predictions

2016 should be an interesting year in the wild, wild, West. Lots of questions abound:

Is this the end for the Gus Bus or Sumlin?
Has Mullen been distracted and allowed the program to fall back some?
Can Saban/Kiffin do it 3 years in a row?
Has OM cheated enough to contend 2 years in a row?
Can Bielema start winning before October gets here?

1. LSU- Miles goes from getting fired, then gets a reprieve from the Governor, to SEC West Champ in 2016. This is the most talented team he has had in his tenure. 6 projected 1st round picks in the April NFL draft. The best TB in the country. A really good WR group. Lots of talent on the OL- but the questions remains- has Brandon Harris continued to progress enough to win big games? LSU will be hell on D- they return their entire DL plus everybody in the Secondary has started. Beckwith returns at LB in the middle. This is the SEC's most talented team in 2016.

2. Bama- this is the SEC's 2nd most talented team in the SEC. Lots of questions at QB and TB- but talent isnt one. It is the 1st time in the Saban era that they havent returned a TB with significant experience. They have the best TE in the SEC in Howard and one of the best WR's in Ridley. Kiffin has done a really good job with their offense- but for some reason wont stay with the run vs OM. Hopefully he has learned his lesson in 2016. Defensively, they lost alot from last year- but they are replacing them with more top talent. And they are coached by Saban. Enough said. Their road schedule in 2016 is pretty rough and could lead to a couple of losses at OM, LSU, UPig, or Tenn. I dont think they go thru that unscathed.

3. Ole Missus- The 3-7 teams in the West are as big of a crapshoot as there has ever been. I'm going with OM simply based on their returning QB and WR's. They have OL issues but Freezus does have his guys get the ball out quick. Should be decent at RB. Defensively, their DE's are very good and they wont be bad at DT. Lots of questions at LB and in the Secondary. Conner returns at safety- great run-stopper but average in coverage. They were 13th in pass D last year in the SEC and probably wont be much better this year. Their stretch of Georgia at home then SEC games at UPig and at LSU will be a critical stretch for them after losing to Fla State and Bama. If they can beat Georgia to get some momentum they should be ok,- a loss to Georgia and they could be headed for a last place SEC West finish. A brutal September could also be a problem for this team that doesnt have alot of depth.

4. Auburn- I'm not counting The Gus Bus out yet. They should be pretty good on the OL and will be damn good on the DL. The Gus Bus is always going to #RTGDF pretty well- and this year wont be any different with Jovon Robinson. QB and new WR's are big question marks for this bunch. May see some freshman WR's getting time early. We'll see what their juco transfer has- Malzahn has had a ton of success with juco's in Cam Newton and Nick Marshall. Dont bet against him here either. Defensively, their DL is loaded. Lawson, Adams, Cowart. They also signed 2 5-star guys for more depth. They lost all 3 starters at LB- so there is concern there. Secondary returns 3/4 and with their DL getting pressure- should improve on their 11th in the SEC Pass D. They have a brutal early schedule- but their big games early are at home to help ease some of their younger guys into things. Huge road games at State and OM for this bunch.

5. A&M- Talented WR's and what should be a solid OL. Veteran QB that has showed flashes of being pretty good. Mazzone has been good historically- so a small scheme change could also help them. Best DE in the country that must be accounted for. An outstanding DC that made them better on D last year. Still likely a 3-5 SEC West team though

6. State- Questions at QB and RB. An OL that doesnt look very good. Really good starting WR's with no depth. All new TE's. This will be Mullen's toughest job on offense since 2011 when he had all the OL injuries after heavy losses from the year before and Relf got beat up physically. Expect QB's to throw 15+ interceptions. Fitzgerald throws a good-looking deep ball- but can his OL protect long enough to allow him to do it against teams not named UMass or South Alabama? New DC Peter Sirmon will be asked to do alot this year. The DL should be solid- but is probably the 6th best in the West. The LB'ers will be very good and safety should be vastly improved. This team just isnt very good at CB or on the OL though- and injuries to these positions would be devastating. Cant lose to BYU on the road or 6 wins wont happen for this team.

7. UPig- Bert will start getting the heat come October. Allen #2 will be his QB and has been in the system awhile. They have to rebuild the OL and have no decent experience at RB. They lost a damn good TE but have lots of experience at WR.
Defensively they were awful but young. They return damn near all of them though. Their home schedule is brutal and this is why I pick them last in the West. Toss up games on the road doesnt usually turn out well. Bielema will need another November miracle in 2016.

[Coach34]

Nope- while I think they have the best team- they still have to prove it and beat Bama

[TUSK]

Nope- while I think they have the best team- they still have to prove it and beat Bama

while I will agree with you that LSU will have more '17 1st Round draft picks, I'm not certain they are more talented, overall...

[Jack Lambert]

Auburn @ Davis-Wade will not be a push over this year ... this game concerns me

The last time we thought Auburn was going to be a push over at this time of year was when Relf was a Senior. They are not going to be much better then last year however I don't know how good we are going to be.