The headline and slug say SEC team but should they say EAST team? I wasn’t sure if I should change a headline in here or not. — Jim T.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hear politicians ask it all the time, but what if athletic directors adopted the same policy when evaluating the football program: Are you better off than you were four years ago?

Here’s how the seven SEC East programs would answer that question:

Florida: Better

The Gators were riding high in August 2013, coming off an 11-win season in coach Will Muschamp’s second year. The Gators didn’t light up the scoreboard in 2012, but quarterback Jeff Driskel did just enough in Brent Pease’s offense to be successful.

Driskel suffered a broken leg in Game 3 against Tennessee. Backup Tyler Murphy guided the Gators to wins over UT, Kentucky and Arkansas, but things soon went south. After a 4-1 start, the Gators lost their next seven games, as a shoulder injury sidelined Murphy and Skyler Mornhinweg took over as the signal-caller.

The Driskel injury exposed an under-recruited quarterback depth chart (hurt by the transfer of 2012 signee Jacoby Brissett). Even if Florida’s yet-to-be-named starter gets hurt this season, there are four much better backups waiting on the bench. The Gators are undoubtedly better off in 2017.

Georgia: About the same

The Bulldogs were defending SEC East champs four years ago. QB Aaron Murray’s senior season of 2013 got off to a rough start with a Week 1 loss at No. 8 Clemson. Mark Richt’s squad ultimately finished 8-5, but it was arguably a better squad than the record shows. The Clemson loss was only by three points on the road. A late season loss to Auburn was a product of “The Prayer at Jordan-Hare” play and the 2013 Tigers’ incredible luck. Loss No. 5 came in the Gator Bowl against Nebraska with Hutson Mason at quarterback after Murray tore his ACL.

In coach Kirby Smart’s second season, the Bulldogs are expecting a much better record than 8-5, but this year’s Bulldogs are closer to the 2013 squad than one might think.

Kentucky: Better

Big Blue Nation would rather not think about the 2013 season. The Mark Stoops era got off to a very rough start, with the Wildcats going 2-10 overall and 0-8 in SEC play.

Coming off the first bowl berth since 2010, it’s easy to say that Stoops’ Troops are much better off than they were four years ago. The Wildcats have experience at quarterback in Stephen Johnson and Drew Barker, plus a returning 1,000-yard rusher in Benny Snell Jr.

Missouri: Worse

Coming off a 5-7 season in 2012, Mizzou surprised the SEC East and won the division with a 7-1 conference record, finishing with a 12-2 record overall in 2013.

It doesn’t look like the Tigers are quite ready to compete for the division again in 2017. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel has built a high-powered attack with Drew Lock at quarterback. Head coach Barry Odom’s squad, however, lost its top defenders in defensive end Charles Harris and linebacker Michael Scherer, two veterans on a unit that struggled mightily in 2016.

South Carolina: Worse

Four years ago, South Carolina was in the middle of its three-year run of consecutive 11-win seasons under Steve Spurrier. In his second season, coach Will Muschamp guides a program which went 3-9 and 6-7 the past two seasons. While Muschamp has the Gamecocks on the rise, and they could even be an SEC East sleeper this season, no one is really expecting an 11-2 season and No. 4 finish this year.

The Gamecocks are better off than they were two years ago, but not four years ago.

Tennessee: Better

Back in 2013, coach Butch Jones was laying the first bricks of the post-Derek Dooley rebuild. Jones’ first team fell short of a bowl berth, going 5-7 overall and 2-6 in SEC play.

In his fifth year on Rocky Top, Jones is in a bit of a rebuild after losing QB Joshua Dobbs and DE Derek Barnett, but no one expects a 5-7 season. If the Vols replicate Jones’ first season, the coach will certainly be out of a job by December.

Vanderbilt: Worse

Much like South Carolina, the 2013 season was also the peak of an impressive run for Vanderbilt under then-coach James Franklin.

Entering his fourth season in Nashville, coach Derek Mason has the Commodores trending upward, but it has been a slow rebuild. Franklin led the 2013 team to a 9-4 season and a ranked finish (No. 23/24 in the polls). The Dores might go bowling again, but this doesn’t look a 9-4 squad that will finish ranked.