Three dark horse Playoff contenders from the West not named Alabama or Auburn
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By most accounts, there’s as many as six teams in the SEC’s Western Division capable of reaching the College Football Playoff this season, all thanks to an abundance of talent and new additions on both sides of the football.
Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan believes there are three teams from the West outside of preseason faves Alabama and Auburn who will be strong enough to contend for a spot in the final four — LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
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In his latest ‘Best of the Rest’ rankings released this week, here’s the reasoning he gave for each squad’s potential run. To be considered in Lassan’s list, teams can not be projected in the Top 10 to start the season (the first AP Top 25 Poll drops Sunday):
LSU
Why LSU Can Make the College Football Playoff: Any of the seven teams in the rugged SEC West has an opportunity to reach one of the four spots in the playoff. Strength of schedule is on the West Division’s side, and the No. 1 from this league will have an opportunity to earn several marquee wins. LSU also has one of the nation’s most talented rosters. Over the last five years, the Tigers average a 6.8 finish in national recruiting rankings, which checks in No. 4 nationally. The three teams ahead of LSU? Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State — the last three national champions. The secondary is among the best in the nation, and linebacker Kendell Beckwith’s emergence provided a boost to the run defense in the second half of 2014. The offense has its share of question marks, but running back Leonard Fournette could be the best in college football. Three starters return on one of the SEC’s top offensive lines.
Biggest Concerns: Quarterback play. Talent level and strength of schedule at the end of the year will matter little if LSU doesn’t get better quarterback play than it did in 2014. The Tigers averaged only 162.9 passing yards per game and tossed only seven touchdowns in SEC action. The battle between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris is expected to last until the end of fall camp. While the talent level is strong on defense, the pass rush hasn’t been as dominant in recent years. Also, will this defense struggle with the transition to new coordinator Kevin Steele?
OLE MISS
Why Ole Miss Can Make the College Football Playoff: Defense. The Rebels limited opponents to just 16 points a game last season and could be even stingier in 2015. Seven starters return for coordinator Dave Wommack, including tackle Robert Nkemdiche and safety Tony Conner. It’s not a stretch to say Ole Miss could have the SEC’s best defense this fall. Quarterback play and establishing the run are question marks for the offense, but the receiving corps should be among the best in the nation, especially with standout Laquon Treadwell back to full strength. The offensive line struggled last season but improvement should be noticeable with five returning starters and better depth. Matchups against Texas A&M, Arkansas and LSU take place in Oxford, and the Rebels miss Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee in crossover play with the East Division.
Biggest Concerns: Even though the defense needs to solidify the linebacking corps and has two new starters at cornerback, there’s very little for coach Hugh Freeze to worry about. The offense? Well, that’s a different story. Will the Rebels end fall camp with an answer at quarterback? Chad Kelly, Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade are competing for the No. 1 job, with Kelly — a former Clemson quarterback and JUCO transfer — considered the favorite to start the opener. The Rebels averaged only 155.5 rushing yards last season. Will the offense develop a consistent ground attack? Road trips to Alabama, Mississippi State and Auburn are challenging.
TEXAS A&M
Why Texas A&M Can Make the College Football Playoff: Once again, Texas A&M’s offense should be among the best in the SEC. The Aggies are loaded with skill talent, return three starters on the line and a rising star at quarterback in Kyle Allen. The defense has lagged at times since joining the SEC, but there’s reason for optimism with the addition of John Chavis at coordinator. The overall talent and depth level has improved on defense under coach Kevin Sumlin, especially in the trenches where the Aggies return standout sophomore Myles Garrett, talented freshman Daylon Mack and seniors Alonzo Williams and Julien Obioha. The schedule is also favorable for a run at the SEC West title. Texas A&M plays Vanderbilt and South Carolina in crossover games with the East Division and hosts Auburn, Mississippi State and Alabama.
Biggest Concerns: Can the Aggies find the next star at left tackle? Cedric Ogbuehi departed College Station for the NFL, leaving a massive void on the left side. Junior Avery Gennesy could be the answer at left tackle and will be under the spotlight early in 2015. The line also needs to generate a better push on the ground. In eight SEC games last season, Texas A&M averaged only 3.8 yards per carry. While defensive improvement should be anticipated under Chavis, is this group a year away from drastically changing the numbers on the stat sheet? The secondary is the biggest concern for Chavis after this unit allowed SEC quarterbacks to complete 60.9 percent of their passes in 2014.
