10 reasons to get excited about the SEC East in 2016
The SEC East had what can be categorically described as a “down year” in 2015. As teams such as Missouri and South Carolina found out, the hard way, life in the division can change as quickly as it does drastically.
Thanks to new talent and coaches, however, momentum can swing in anyone’s favor. It’s part of what keeps us annually coming back for more.
Not that you need them, but here are 10 reasons to get excited for the 2016 season in the SEC East.
CLASSIC HORSERACE
The 2016 season appears to be heading once again for a classic showdown between three of the SEC East’s most successful programs in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
The trio has finished in the top three in the SEC East 12 times in the 23 years that the division has existed. Before the 2015 season, however, the division hadn’t come down to the Bulldogs, Gators and Volunteers since Tim Tebow was under center in Gainesville during the 2009 campaign.
Tennessee is viewed as the favorite, but the division could be up for grabs, giving credence to Florida’s Week 4 trip to Knoxville, as well as Tennessee’s matchup against Georgia at week later in Athens. All of which could set up a winner-take-all during the World’s Largest Cocktail Party slated for Week 9.
MUSCHAMP!
Say what you will about Will Muschamp, but South Carolina’s volatile new coach might be just what the Gamecocks need as they pick themselves up and dust themselves off after the Steve Spurrier era ended with a resounding splat.
A little fire for an oft-times listless squad last year aside, Muschamp’s biggest task will be revitalizing the SEC’s worst defense (No. 95 nationally). The man who essentially crafted SEC East-champ Florida’s defense should be able to point South Carolina in a northerly direction again — even if he won’t have quite the same recruiting clout as the Gators enjoy.
Muschamp appears to be learning from past flaws at Florida, his first head coaching gig.
“I probably made a mistake at Florida trying to change schematically from what they had done before,” Muschamp said via Gridiron Now. “As a result, we ended up not being very good at anything. These days you just don’t have time to make a lot of changes. You have to adapt to what your kids can do.”
It’ll take some time to rebuild the program in Columbia. In the interim, the new Gamecocks head coach will likely fill the entertainment void, much in the same way as Spurrier did with his colorful interviews et al.
After all, at any given moment, Mount Muschamp could erupt in spectacular fashion.
JOSH DOBBS
Expect to hear a lot about Josh Dobbs in the coming months as Tennessee rebrands itself after an offseason of misconduct, internal turmoil and heavy accusations.
Dobbs, however, deserves the praise and should be held up as a model of what a student-athlete should strive to become. The Tennessee quarterback has an opportunity to have a special year guiding a veteran Volunteers squad in what is definitely a win-now-type of season.
The rising senior threw for 2,291 of his career 4,192 passing yards in 2015, to go along with 15 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. He’s no Peyton Manning through the air, but Dobbs did connect on 59.6 of his passes for a 127.02 efficiency as a junior.
If Dobbs matches his 671 rushing yards in 2015, he’ll leave Rocky Top with exactly 2,000 yards on the ground — plus any addition rushing touchdowns to his 20 career scores. With 45 yards on the ground in his first game, Dobbs will uproot Jimmy Streater atop the Vols’ all-time rushing leaderboard for quarterbacks. Dobbs also is five scores behind the former Tennessee signal-caller who co-captained the Vols in the late 1970s.
But Dobbs’ marketability extends beyond the numbers. The aerospace engineer major scored himself a spot on the 2015 SEC Academic Honor Roll, having interned at the aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney before reporting for his junior year.
Outside the classroom, he mentors youth players during his spring break. Dobbs has also proven remarkable humility by connecting with his biggest fans.
In short, the SEC East, and the world, could use more people like Dobbs.
BOWL REBIRTH
The SEC East suffered a down year in 2015 as four of its seven teams failed to qualify as one of the 80 programs to make the postseason. Bowl-wise, it was on par with 1996 for the worst showing for the division. That year also saw four SEC East teams sitting at home during the offseason — though Florida won the national championship.
But things can turn around fast, and several of the have-nots could be knocking on the door of playing an extra game in 2016.
Chief among them might be Kentucky, which is on the precipice of finally reaching a bowl game with a strong offense returning under fourth-year coach Mark Stoops. The Wildcats have fallen a game short (5-7) in each of the past two years, making the coach’s seat a bit warm heading into the year.
Vanderbilt is improving under Derek Mason. Where Stoops is looking to light a fire under his talented offense with the addition of co-offensive coordinators Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw, Mason’s defense remains among the best in the division.
Both coaches hope this is the year they get into a bowl game. The irony being, that they likely need a win over one another to accomplish that feat.
We find out Oct. 8 when the Wildcats travel to Nashville.
KIRBY SMART AND NEW COACHES
Kirby Smart has showed in his first few months in Athens that he’s not afraid to shake things up.
The new Georgia coach is taking helicopters to woo recruits, he’s poaching SEC coaches and then clamping down on where players can transfer if they feel the need to flee his new regime.
The architect of Alabama’s vaunted defense since 2008, Smart appears ready to hit the ground running on his first head coaching gig.
Along with Will Muschamp in South Carolina and Barry Odom taking over for Gary Pinkel in Missouri, the SEC East will see an infusion of new, defensive-minded blood in the coaching ranks.
NEW TALENT
Out with the old and in with the new in the SEC East. While plenty of stars remain, a new crop of talent is ready to take its shot at glory. Among the early names this spring opening eyes in the SEC East is Brandon McIlwain, who is making serious in-roads in his quest to be South Carolina’s starting quarterback in Week 1, especially with the spring-ending collarbone injury to last year’s (technical) starter Perry Orth.
McIlwain is demonstrating his freakish talent this spring, also appearing in seven games for the Gamecocks’ baseball team.
5 star QB & PG All American Brandon McIlwain BP #PGAAC pic.twitter.com/NAbU5cUuds
— ?hris King (@StatsKing) August 16, 2015
Another flashy newcomer is a kicker, filling a void that Florida desperately needs. The Gators finished last in the SEC in field goals last year, falling nearly 20 percentage points (41.2 percent) lower than the next closest team Arkansas.
The leg of Florida’s kicking savior belongs to Eddy Pineiro, who, judging by his trick shots, might be just what the Gators’ maligned kicking game needs.
Trick shots after practice ?? pic.twitter.com/pAiiqICKgT
— Eddy Piñeiro (@EddyPineiro) March 6, 2016
OLD TALENT
All eyes will be on Georgia this fall, specifically on Nick Chubb. The star running back suffered a brutal knee injury that shelved him midway through the 2015 season. Chubb rushed for 2,294 yards and 21 touchdowns in his first 19 games.
The rising junior’s comeback has stunned/not-stunned fellow teammates and coaches with his quick rehabilitation. Oddsmakers are keen to Chubb, also, with the running back sitting at 15-1 odds of winning the Heisman Award this year, ahead of Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly (20-1) among SEC players.
STADIUM RENOVATIONS
Tennessee will follow in the footsteps of Kentucky, Missouri and South Carolina, who recently rolled out major renovations to their respective stadiums — making the SEC East an even more attractive place to take in a game. The Vols are examining plans to widen the Neyland Stadium concourse and improve its concession areas for the 2016 season. Also expect Tennessee to follow in the recent trend of expanding its video displays, sound and WIFI capabilities.
OUT OF CONFERENCE GAMES
The SEC East will waste no time before getting into some key out-of-conference games.
The biggest occurs in Week 2, with Tennessee facing Virginia Tech. Rather than playing in Atlanta, the Vols and Hokies will test their speed in the inaugural Battle at Bristol, when the Bristol Motor Speedway transforms into what it’s referring to as the “biggest college football stadium ever.”
Week 1 has its share as well, highlighted by Georgia playing North Carolina in Atlanta. They haven’t met since the 1971 Gator Bowl. We know it will be Smart’s debut as Georgia’s head coach, but will it also be heralded quarterback Jacob Eason’s?
Also, Missouri travels to West Virginia. The matchup is the first meeting since the Mountaineers replaced the Tigers in the Big 12, after Mizzou jumped ship to the SEC beginning with the 2012 campaign.
And while Massachusetts shouldn’t pose much of a threat to Florida in Week 1, what’s interesting is that the matchup is one of three contests (South Carolina and Mississippi State) between the Minutemen and SEC schools in 2015. UMass, in case you were wondering, is 0-3 all-time against the SEC, with all three defeats coming between 2012 and 2014 to Vanderbilt by a combined 107-45 score.
SOMETHING FOR THE LADIES
If freshman quarterback Jacob Eason can win over the fandom of Georgia’s male fans, he might have it made it Athens. After all, the top-rated signal-caller in the 2016 recruiting class has already won over the hearts of the school’s women.
They might have to wait, however, to see Eason is action. The quarterback is taking reps with Georgia’s third team this spring behind incumbent starter Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey.
Here’s a sampling of the non-NSFW tweets from the ladies directed at the son of former Notre Dame wide receiver Tony Eason.
https://twitter.com/danishepardd/status/690570140262518784
https://twitter.com/amba_4/status/676764114916646912
Yes that is the number one football recruit in the nation @skinnyqb10 pic.twitter.com/m6ufzxWQjE
— Ana Maria (@tequila_lobita) December 12, 2015
When u make @skinnyqb10 ur tree topper because Athens is better than Gainesville any day of the week #CommitToTheG pic.twitter.com/f51D5iLVPk
— Mallory Bentley (@mal_paige) December 8, 2015
@skinnyqb10 UGA Class> Florida Jorts pic.twitter.com/Rwbgc1ebSc
— Jake (@jakepwilkins) December 2, 2015