A way-too-early prediction of how the media will vote the SEC East to finish in 2020
Let’s fast forward 5 months. We’ll be finished with SEC Media Days and the stage will be set for the start of the 2020 season.
What a comforting thought that is.
Not so comforting is the fact that we still have to wait another 5 months for the unofficial start of the college football calendar. But the good news is that we can still make predictions and fire off takes to fill that time. As we know, the media’s prediction for how the divisions will finish is far from the only prediction that’s made in the preseason.
Today, I’m going to do something a little different. Because I don’t want to wait 5 months to get the official media ballot for the order of finish in each division, I’ll do it right here and now.
Before I start, I preface this by saying this is not necessarily what my ballot will look like. There could be similarities, but I, as a voting media member, am predicting how I believe my SEC colleagues will vote.
So don’t chirp me saying that I’m not giving Team X enough love. This isn’t my ballot. This is just how I believe the majority will vote when we convence in Atlanta in July.
Also, it’s worth remembering that the media has accurately predicted an SEC Champion just 7 times since 1992. It might be good to fly under the radar like LSU did last year when it got 3 of the 266 total votes to win the SEC.
Here’s how I think the media will vote on the East (the West will be released Sunday):
7. Vanderbilt
The year was 2017. Oh, I thought you asked me, “when was the last time Vandy wasn’t picked to finish last in the division?” That was 2017 when the Commodores got enough love to be predicted to finish 6th in the East ahead of Mizzou, which actually won 7 games that year and finished 4th in the division. It turned out to be a good prediction that year with Vandy finishing 6th in the division, but it was Tennessee that failed to win a game in conference play.
This year, yeah, there’s not going to be a whole lot of optimism in Nashville. After losing the likes of Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Kalija Lipscomb and Jared Pinkney, there are major questions about where the reinforcements are coming from a 3-win team that just had its coaching staff overhauled by Derek Mason. The quarterback situation looks murky at best, and there’s going to be talk in Atlanta about whether this is a make-or-break year for Mason.
All of that suggests that Vandy will have its usual last-place prediction.
6. Mizzou
This sort of comes with the territory for a non-splashy hire taking over a program that’s been mediocre in recent memory. It’s a different story than last year when we were talking about Mizzou with Kelly Bryant taking over a roster that had talent and a favorable schedule. Now, we don’t know what to expect from this defense in the post-Barry Odom era, and Eli Drinkwitz has had offensive success, but it’s a mystery how it’ll look in Year 1 with former TCU transfer Shawn Robinson.
Mizzou doesn’t often get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the preseason polls. They had some sleeper buzz last year because Bryant was a household name. But this year, Mizzou will be considered fortunate if it can reach a bowl game coming off last year’s ban.
In the coming months about Mizzou, you’ll hear the “R” word a lot. You know, “rebuild.”
5. South Carolina
When you win 4 games and are facing another daunting schedule, it’s hard to convince anyone that you’re about to finish in the upper half of the division. Last year’s disappointing season put Will Muschamp firmly on the hot seat, and as we know, those conversations tend to carry a lot weight when it comes to offseason narratives.
While there are promising underclassmen players on that roster like Ryan Hilinski, Zacch Pickens and the recently-signed Jordan Burch, it’ll be hard for media members to overlook a schedule that has South Carolina facing 6 SEC teams that won at least 8 games last year. Replacing valuable weapons on both sides of the ball like Javon Kinlaw and Bryan Edwards will be no small task, either. If the media has the Gamecocks finishing any higher than this, it’ll be because everyone is not just sipping, but chugging the Mike Bobo-Hilinski Kool-Aid.
4. Kentucky
The Cats are in the midst of their best 4-year stretch since Bear Bryant was in Lexington, yet here’s what the preseason poll predicted for them:
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This year, Kentucky again figures to be on the outside looking in as it relates to the top 3. Whether that should be the case is a different question.
What we do know is that Mark Stoops’ team is suddenly loaded with experience and he just added his highest-rated recruiting class yet. With 15 starters back after last year’s 8-win season, there could be a lot of people who start talking themselves into Kentucky later in the summer. Will they talk themselves into having Kentucky finish ahead of Tennessee? Probably not. After all, it’s the Vols who won that matchup each of the past 2 years.
But in a way, Stoops would be totally out of his element if his team was considered one of the preseason favorites in the division.
3. Tennessee
The Tennessee hype train is going to roll into Atlanta with a bunch of steam. Considering the way that last year started and the fact that the Vols’ quarterback situation is totally up in the air, that’s a credit to Jeremy Pruitt. When you finish the season winning 6 games in a row, people notice. The turnaround was dramatic, and now, Tennessee is going to deal with a different kind of offseason buzz. Well, at least different than anything we’ve seen since 2016.
Yeah, we were guilty, too:
The Tennessee hype train for 2016 is leaving the station. We’re conductors. All aboard! #Team120
— Saturday Down South (@SDS) January 12, 2016
The thing that’ll hold media members back from picking Tennessee to hurdle Florida and Georgia is still what we saw last year. When you lose by a combined score of 77-17 to the division favorites, it’s hard for the masses to justify that step up happening. But with the way Pruitt finished the season with that defense, and now that he’s got a bunch of 5-star talent on that offensive line, the Vols being picked 3rd in the East won’t seem like a leap at all. After all, that’s where they finished last year.
If Tennessee had a returning quarterback of Kellen Mond or Kyle Trask’s caliber, the hype train would really be off the rails.
2. Georgia
Georgia fan, I’m talking to you right now.
Before you tell me I’m an awful human being who should sleep with an eye open for saying the media will predict the Dawgs not to win the division they claimed each of the past 3 years, remember this: Offseason narratives will be taken into account when it comes to the preseason poll. Because of all that offensive talent that Georgia lost, especially on the offensive line, my guess is that there will be slightly more media members talking themselves into Florida as the division winner than Georgia.
That, as Georgia fans have already seen, is going to be at the root of the notion that now is Florida’s time. The lone thing standing in the Gators’ way of making that next step up into a legitimate SEC contender is Georgia. That could still be the case in 2020, especially if Todd Monken’s offense with Jamie Newman takes off. Georgia is loaded on defense, especially in the front 7.
Having said that, we’ve now reached the point where there’s going to be some Georgia fatigue. It’s more exciting to predict the team who has been in the cusp as opposed to the one that’s been there 3 straight years. It’ll be close, but Florida will get the edge.
1. Florida
Here’s something that’s amazing. Last preseason, Florida got 21 1st-place votes compared to 233 for Georgia. Last year, Florida lost to Georgia for the 3rd consecutive year. Last recruiting cycle (2020), Florida had the No. 8 class while Georgia finished No. 1.
Yet despite all of that, yes, I expect the Gators so have a slight edge over the Dawgs in the preseason media poll.
The aforementioned Georgia fatigue is part of that, as is the fact that Kirby Smart’s team completely overhauled its offense and has 9 starters to replace with a new quarterback and offensive coordinator. But Florida has a lot working in its favor. It’ll return a wealth of experience on the offensive line, not to mention several key weapons for Kyle Trask to work with including Kyle Pitts, Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney.
There are obviously some household names gone from this defense like Jon Greenard, Jabari Zuniga and CJ Henderson, but with guys like Zachary Carter and Marco Wilson back for Todd Grantham, that group won’t be predicted to fall off a cliff.
Now, the expectation will be for Dan Mullen to put it all together. Florida is no longer in position where it can rise above expectations just by winning a New Year’s 6 Bowl. Fair or not, the next step will be the entire offseason conversation surrounding the Gators.
For the first time in the post-Urban Meyer era, the Gators will be predicted to win the division.
I agree with picks 3-7, but I’m not so sure the media will move away from UGA just yet. The spring games will probably be the deciding factor for many. If it looks like UGA will have a good passing offense, they could still get the nod. UGA also has the tougher conference schedule, so that will obviously play a part in the voting also.
Yep. Good point about the schedules, though I’m not entirely convinced the media as a whole puts enough thought into it to really consider conference schedule. I do think that spring is long enough for the media to forget about the guys who have moved on and fall in love with new faces, so I agree that spring narratives will likely be the difference between the co-favorites.
Too early to predict how the media will vote on 1 and 2. I think a lot of it comes down to UGA’s spring game. I personally won’t read much into a scrimmage, but the sports media likes to overreact. If UGA’s offense looks unchanged, UF’s narrative will ring out and they’ll probably be 1. If UGA’s passing game is flashy, the media will jump all over that and they’ll likely be 1. Regardless, I’d expect it to be somewhat close, with a significant gap between 2 and 3. But yeah, it doesn’t matter.
I might switch TN and Kentucky. But, seems a fair assessment.
The same team whose all century team lost to UT? I’ll never pick UT over UF and will never pick UK over UT because of the mental block these teams have. Unless UK’s transfer qb is an all-star, the UT roster will be much better. Both teams are built defensively and inside-out. I think you’re either not paying attention to the history and facts or you know something the rest of us don’t about this transfer we.
*Qb not we
There is no logical reason to pick Fla over Ga. Not saying Fla cant win it, but anyone who chooses Fla is just doing so to be the illogical contrarian. Or for clickbait.
Get used to it. A lot of folks who do this for a living have already picked UF and there are more to follow.
I think a lot of people, including myself, expect Florida to have a top 10 defense and a top 10 offense. Seems to me that it would be illogical not to pick them to win the east.
Sure there is. In fact several of those reasons were outlined in the article, read it again.
Having said that there are also several reasons you could pick UGA. It’s just a way too early pick no need to get in a wad over it
UF winning the east this early, with the four year recruiting lead UGA has over the division, would be catastrophic. I’m talking start looking for your next coach catastrophic.
LOL…in your dreams.
Florida has no reason not to win it this year…UGA is losing 9 offensive starters and 3 defensive starters.
How much of your roster are 4 and 5 stars and how much is UF’s? At the rate UGA has been recruiting and in comparing their last few years to the McElwein years, they should have UF outgunned and merely be reloading. Do you feel you’re making excuses here for the coaching staff? I’m not trolling, this is a serious question.
It’s not our fault Florida decided to suck at recruiting for two years–I’d be pleasantly shocked if my team won their division 4 years in a row.
How long will Florida use the talent gap excuse? I thought Mullen was supposed to be 10x the developmental and playcalling coach that Kirby is.
We’re in agreement-UGA has dominated the east and most teams in recruiting. As such, I feel that any lack of winning on UGA’s part, due to said mutually agreed talent gap, isn’t excusable. UGA fans should be irate if you aren’t competing for a playoff spot and going to the sec championship game until the talent levels equal or approach parity. Simply stated, if the more talented team on the field loses, it’s a coaching problem.
Ok cool, didn’t realize Kirby was that good already. Jeez.
we don’t have any players to step in. So last year we played with 22 this year we will only have 2 on offense and 7 on defense. We wont be able to field a team so we will forfeit every game.
If you say he hasn’t developed and isn’t a good playcaller after the last two seasons then you’re delusional.
Kirby or Mullen? They’re both probably better than they were two years ago. I’d argue Kirby’s probably had a more drastic improvement considering he hasn’t been head coaching for as long. Mullen’s probably had a more drastic recruiting improvement because he’s a) at a bigger school now and b) isn’t barely making bowl games anymore.
Nah, Florida winning the East is neither catastrophic nor reason to look for a new coach. Florida’s roster is top 8 in the country in terms of talent (at least according to that SDS article) and consecutive 10-win seasons show that Mullen has Florida in fighting form and beyond any sort of rebuilding or rehabilitating. Florida in 2020 should legitimately be a top-10 team and a very worthy opponent for any team. Georgia would need to lose 4+ regular season games to begin describing things as catastrophic.
In light of my comments above-I’ll pose the same question to you as I think you can provide an honest and astute perspective-are UGA fans making excuses given the recruiting disparity? I don’t know the entire rosters of both teams, but I think UGA should be gunning for a natty and not a division title.
On one hand I do agree that UGA should be gunning for national championship every season given the sustained recruiting success. But having to seemingly hit reset at the QB position while also having a first year OC and new scheme, might mean that not enough is in place to make a strong run in 2020. From 2021 on is a different story though.
That’s fair-my point is likely downplaying the qb issue. We UT fans certainly understand the importance of that.
They are gunning for the NC every year.
I dont agree with that at all.
Returning QB, better pass-catching corps, and easier schedule.
Connor,
You’re an awful human being who should sleep… Juuuust kidding. For me, I’d swap UK and UT but all the picks seem reasonable. I don’t buy all the Tennessee hype. I suspect UGA and UF will be split darn near 50/50 for 1st. I’m all for Florida getting the preseason love so Kirby can play the no respect/underdog card.
I doubt you see Coach Smart do that.
Dawgs dont need to stoop to the “no respect” view. Thats a motivator for losers. Dawgs get plenty if respect. Think how ridiculous that sounds when Dabo starts that stuff.
When Dabo “starts that stuff”, it doesn’t sound ridiculous, it sounds like another championship run warming up.
Maybe its just me but seemingly there have been too many babbling, ridiculous,no value, columns in SDS this week. The worst was the laughingly naive column about conference realignment but there have been several , including this piece of crud.I know its offseason but cone on. Does any SDS editor preview these columns for journalistic value? Doesnt seem like it.
If you’re expecting journalistic value, you’re in the wrong place. SDS is the Jerry Springer of sports writing.
I consider it “The Onion” of sports journalism.
^this
Georgia’s the better team, but has a tougher schedule. Both teams finish with 1 conference loss, but UGA gets the nod with the head-to-head tie-breaker in Jacksonville.
I still expect it to be UGA once the hype dies down over the coming months. Though it will be really close.
Zach Evans is likely to end up at UF, and that’ll cement the “Gators win the East” pre-season narrative.
That, and the fact that UF has a proven QB while UGA doesn’t even know who theirs will be. In most cases, the team with the best QB wins.
What you said regardless of Evans
I mean, I really think Evans is that good to where it could make a significant difference. Other than Edwards-Helaire, we haven’t had to play a particularly great RB since Bama’s stable in 2018, and even then they weren’t really leaning on it that much.
This is the first season in a long time that UGA has substantial question marks. They should have a great defense and that D may very well win some games until the O starts clicking, if they do start clicking. But they could fall into 3rd or lower in the east if the offense struggles. Florida is the logical choice because of what they return but they also have an O line that struggled and probably a small hole or two to fix as well. Frankly the east is just starting to get really competitive again so any of that predicted top 5 could be in 1-3.
Here comes the Tenn hype. Just remember it all started with the South Carolina win. It is a significant accomplishment beating us. We legitimize other teams records…that’s what we do and y’all are welcome.
It was significant last year. The rest of your post is dumb.
Just say thank you and move on.
Looks right to me. I think Florida will be hard to beat, and Georgia’s offense is a huge question mark.
UF
UGA
UK
UT
USC
Mizzou
Vandy
QB is just too important in today’s game and I think that is why the Gators get the nod. However, if UF’s offensive line doesn’t make huge strides having Trask back won’t matter. I think both UF and UGA will have top 10 defenses next year with UGA’s likely being the best in the country (at worst #3 behind Clemson and Ohio State).
Yeah, I was tempted to put Kentucky above Tennessee, because Stoops makes those players better. But Tennessee has recruited well, and Pruitt has them believing in themselves. It’s a close call.
UK has to play UT in Knoxville. The last time that happened an unranked UT team, largely the same as the prior year’s winless in conference team, beat the best team UK has had this century and possibly ever handily. UT won last year in Lexington without a decent qb. They’ve now got a very underrated oline and 3 years of Pruitt guys. Maybe UK backdoors UT, but they won’t win the head to head. UT draws Arky while UK draws Auburn, so they both end up 1-1 in the west. Both likely beat all east teams but UGA and UF. Thus, even assuming OU beats UT, UK needs a fluke on UT’s part or a head to head win.
The East will undoubtedly be between UGA and UF.
I think UGA will enter the WLOCP with one loss (Alabama) while UF enters undefeated (possibly with one loss – LSU).
UGA will have a championship caliber defense right from the start of the season as it returns 9 of 11 starters plus all the crazy talent they have with their back-ups.
By the time the WLOCP rolls around, I would surmise that UGA’s offense will have found its footing and should be operating as a cohesive unit. The running game should be okay with that stable of backs they have. The 10,000 pound gorilla in the room is the uncertainty with the passing game.
So with a championship caliber defense, and a capable running game, all UGA needs to do is get a respectable passing game going. And I think they do just that with a new air-raid OC, a bevy of talent at the WR postion, and some excellent competition at the QB position.
Give me UGA
I believe in their talent more and how are we sure Trask will do what he did last year? Of course, he’s talented but I just trust the UGA talent pool more. UF also lost some pretty good receivers, although their TEs are very good which are returning.
Nevertheless, it comes down the WLOCP
Trask is a proven commodity.
Newman?
I don’t know about him either. Just talking speculatively, which means I could be wrong. We play you guys so we’ll see when it happens lol
Trask & Newman have basically the same passing stats, and Newman had 550 yds rushing last season. Can’t really say one is more proven than the other.
Sure you can. Trask played in and won big games. Newman can’t say that. Maybe he turns out to be great, but we know Trask can compete with good competition. The other guy is pretty much an unknown.
Trask also started only 10 games to Newman’s 12
A prediction about a prediction. Yes. It’s the offseason.
Talking season is always entertaining…The talent gap between these two teams hasn’t closed on either side of the ball,regardless who left this year.Georgia playing BAMA and Auburn vs UF playing LSU and Ole Miss is more relevant to this narrative.
The talent gap hasn’t closed but it is shrinking. This is the closest UF has been to UGA in regards to talent on the roster, in 8 years.
THE best name of all SDS posters!
I can see how the Media might pick Florida. They have a schedule advantage. 3rd year for Mullen. Returning QB. Georgia has more questions to answer, etc.
And, If Mullen can’t get it done with those advantages, when will he be able to?
I hope they do pick Florida. That will just raise expectations for Florida and put more pressure on them. How will they handle that pressure?
And what will the narrative be this time next year if Mullen fails to win the East? That’s where the real pressure will come from.
Well according to most in your camp there is this huge talent gap in Georgia’s favor so there is that.
If we fail to win the East in 2020 it will be disappointing but it’s only year 3 of Mullen so no pressure.
So Kirby didn’t win the NC in year 3 and he was a failure. Mullet, who has been coaching for 10+ years, could lose the east in year 4 and it’s ok? What am I missing?
4 for Kirby and 3 for Mullet *
Yeah that’s hilarious.. people on here are bashing CKS for not winning a nc yet…in only his fourth year as a head coach…and Co is one of those people…then he turns around and claims there’s no pressure on Mullen to at least win a division in his 3rd year…plus Mullen has more experience as a head coach than Smart…I don’t get the logic of some of these fans on here…
Thing is it is Georgia fan who kept telling us how they had the best O line in the world last year and how many 5 star kids they had, more than UF and UT combined, and certainly more than USCjr. This year it is how UGA has the best defense in the universe and how they are the recruiting national champs that just reloaded so it doesn’t matter who left and on and on. No other fan base is so boastful and that is why If Georgia is not in the playoffs every year then there’s something wrong
Don’t kid yourselves.. if Mullen doesn’t beat Georgia this year then talks of hot seat will start.
To be fair Uf fans, mainly you, talk about our recruiting more than we do. But you conveniently avoided the question again. This isn’t about what some UGA fans say, I’m asking you. Why is Kirby a failure for not winning a NC but Mullet is the savior even if he fails again to win the division? I’m genuinely curious.
TheRealcojones, all true, but perception is reality and that’s not always fair, but it is real.
I do believe UGA still has a talent advantage. There’s a difference in a top 8-14 class and a top 3-1 class.
But many believe Mullen is a top 5 coach and he’s (better than Smart) and that Mullen has already closed the talent gap. Fair or not, that is becoming the Media narrative. I don’t buy the Mullen is better narrative, but many do, especially those pulling for Florida.
That same positive press is a negative for Smart, and it’s perhaps the only positive that Mullen has over Smart. Mullen needs to win one soon, because if he doesn’t that narrative will start to work in reverse.
If it reverses, then what will Mullen have over Smart?
Can’t argue with any of that. But I think the reason fans may be a little more patient with Mullen is because of how far down they were from a talent perspective. He had more of a mountain to climb than Kirby. The talent gap is closing but it hasn’t closed.
I can see media favoring UF. However during course of season depth plays a huge role. I still like our 2 deep roster which should give us an edge. Seems media likes to focus on returning players and losses from previous season like its gonna be static or something.
Looking at it today ..I have no problem with Flordia being favored.. after all right now there’s a lot of question marks at UGA..it all depends on Newman and Monken..if they improve the offense just a little to go along with the defense I’ll bet on Uga…if the O and Newman struggle…then the game and the division will be Flordia’s..if I were a Flordia fan I would be nervous as long as 3rd and Grantham is calling plays on D…but none of this crap talk matters in February…we’ll see how it shakes out in the fall
Another prediction and article about UGa losing all their players but Florida lost nothing so they must be the best….blah blah blah…
I didn’t get that from the article. I got that you lost a lot on the O side and not much on the D side while we lost just a little bit on both sides
You could put Uf and UGA as 1a and 1b. I understand everyone picking Florida because UGAs offense has so many unknowns. Either way it’s all going to come down to who wins the cocktail party. I don’t think Uf will be as good on offense this year so I expect UGA to be able to shut them down again. It all depends on if UGA can be at all effective on offense. Too early. Can’t wait for the spring game to get some kind of idea of what the O will look like. Go Dawgs!!
1. GA
2. FL
3.-7. Take your pick
I’m interested in seeing what Bobo can do for you guys.
I think he’ll get a lot more production out of Hilinski.
I sure hope so. I’m excited to see what Bobo can do in SC as well as Paul Jackson. Hilinski played on a bum knee for the tail end of the season, so with him healthy and Bobo mentoring him he should be more productive. I’m in the minority but I am still Team Muschamp, people forget how bad we were with depth when Spurrier left. As far as GA until someone takes the East from them, they deserve to be chosen number one, it’s a no brainer. GA always has a talented nasty D, and I’m interested in seeing whoever comes in at QB work with that massive line, talented, now experienced and hopefully healthy receivers.
Did you actually type the two(2 ) words, Team Muschamp ? My gosh…he’s had what…five(5) years ? Hello…any person that is employed as a Head Coach anywhere can turn a program around in maybe three(3) years, so what’s Will’s excuse ? You need to get back on your meds. Man…that garnet Kool-Aid must surely be strong in S.C. ease off a bit…O.K.
AFan yeah I guess we could be like the Vols paying 6 coaches since Fulmer for an impressive 66-62 record. Not sure your obsession with Muschamp I guess if the team I followed was 1-7 against Muschamp I’d be salty too.
I believe that South Carolina will be good enough to beat any team in the division next year. It’s a matter of if the new coordinators and Muschamp can all get on the same page. I mean they beat Georgia and played Florida tight until the 4th last year. They were very competitive against Bama too.
BLPB, that is probably the best way to pick em!
Of course the dummies in the media will pick Floriduh to win the division. These are the same people who propagate the myth of Sideshow Dan the Clown as a coaching genius. Connor, this is not news. Most already came out to say this after the Dawgs lost all eligible juniors on offense to the Draft.
However, much like the myth of Sideshow Dan, the reasoning is completely made up and not at all true. First of all, the Dawgs aren’t replacing “9 starters on offense.” We’re bringing back five players who started in the bowl game and then a QB who has started almost two full seasons of games. That’s called context.
Speaking of that offense: With our garbage offense last year, we absolutely dominated Floriduh and were up by three scores before Kirby traded time for points, of which the “genius” Sideshow Dan was only happy to oblige to his team’s detriment. So yes, the offense changes, but as I explained to Spencer yesterday, if y’all think the offense can somehow be worse than last year’s, y’all are smoking something.
Now, let’s talk the other side of the ball, where Georgia brought back every draft eligible junior and because of the way Kirby substitutes, replaces the few seniors who left with sophomores and juniors with a ton of reps. We had the No. 1 defense in the conference, and that defense will be better in 2020.
So pair an offense that will be better than last year’s garbage offense with a defense likely to finish best in the entire nation, and of course the media will fall all over themselves to pick Floriduh to win the division. It makes perfect sense.
All we need now is for Sideshow Dan the Clown to say something stupid again, and Kirby will have everything he needs to bulldoze the division, and Floriduh in particular, as he has for three straight years.
I’m predicting Kirby’s worst beat down of Sideshow Dan the Clown yet. Worse than when he brought Missy St. into Sanford Stadium in 2017. You remember that games right Connor? When almost everyone in the media picked his coaching “genius” to win in an upset?
Pick Sideshow Dan the Clown over Kirby Smart at your own risk.
This is so funny.
You lost 9 starters.
BillLet’s Party…I have no obsession with Will Muschamp, except it’ll be good for the Cocks to have him gone. He’s a failed Head Coach at Gainesville & South Carolina. The day he was hired, I was with a friend of mine, who is a big Cock Fan…I told him “Bad Hire !” He was excited about Will…I asked him…”What do you know about Him ” Not much…he said.
Oh yes, a team I follow is 1/7 vs. Will’s teams ? What team would that be ? I do not align with any one team in the SEC…I just love SEC Football, period. No banners hanging in my home for anyone. I post what I post and you post what you post. Any head coach in the SEC that is not winning and does not even have his team playing competitively in our SEC…I will always prefer that he is fired, as any school deserves better…period.
Interesting so what’s your thoughts on Jeremy Pruitt, after all he is 13-12 overall at TN, hardly competitive with losses to schools like GA State and blowouts to competitive teams in the SEC.
1 Georgia
2 Florida
3 Kentucky
4 South Carolina
5 Tennessee
6 Missouri
7 Vanderbilt
Just my opinion of what’s gonna happen next year
1 Fl
2 Ga
3 Tn
4 UK
5 Mizz
6 SC
7 Vandy
Will Muschamp and Derek Mason both get fired
AllGas solid assessment.
Fact driven-very solid
Glad you agree.
Ehhh, maybe I’m nostalgic but I see TN continuing to improve. I think Jacksonville will settle it.
1 Georgia
2 Florida
3 Tennessee
4 Kentucky
5 S Carolina
6 Mizzou
7 Vandy
I think the FL-GA game is a toss up. But I think Florida can lose that game and still win the SEC East. I don’t see Georgia losing the game and winning the SEC East. That’s the tie breaker for me.
I agree with you there…UGA has the tougher draw from the West…that could very well be the deciding factor..
I don’t see the loser of that game winning the division. You would need to other team to lose two games…
Georgia could lose to Alabama and Auburn (or random sece). Alabama’s probably a favorite and Georgia may only be 50-60% running the rest of the sec schedule.
While that could be the case do you believe Florida’s only chance to lose is to UGA? I doubt that..
We could lose to LSU but I think we’d be favored in that game. It’s hard to see a scenario where we lose two of sc, ky, tn, mo. LSU plus 1 loss is possible, but if we beat Ga, what are the odds of them being able to beat Al and Au and rest of the SECe.
Well UGA lost to SC last season and still beat Auburn/Florida…
You never know but UGA could lose to Bama and Auburn but who knows if someone may sneak up and gets the gators as well.
1. UGA
2. UF
3. UK
4. UT
5. USC
6. Mizzou
7. Vandy
Wow. Talk about your guaranteed clickbait article.
What most commenters seem to overlook is that with the schedules next season, Georgia could beat Florida and still lose the division with two losses, to Alabama and possibly Auburn, both of which are in the first half of the season while Georgia is still figuring out its new offense.
Georgia will have a NC caliber defense. The same defense that shut Florida, and everyone else, down last year is about to get better.
Shut everyone down? LSU says otherwise.
We did alright against the number 1 offense, considering our offense couldn’t stay on the field. Ya’ll were good, but our defense was good too.
Allowing 37 points does not meet the definition of “good” defense under any scenario.
Maybe you should look at the season as a whole. We led the SEC in almost every defensive category. Until Dan Mullet actually beats Kirby, Florida is a fools pick.
That’s like saying, until Alabama beats LSU next year, Alabama is a fool’s pick. I wouldn’t pick either Florida or Georgia to beat the other right now because I have zero feel for what Georgia’s offense will look like and Florida’s offensive line will likely be much improved.
And the fact remains that Georgia’s defense was not “aright” against LSU, which was the comment I responded to.
* alright
Doesn’t meet definition of good??? If Alabama held LSU to 37 they win, if Vandy held LSU to 37 they win, if Texas held LSU to 37 they win. Even Ole Miss would have forced OT if the held them to 37…
As bad as our offense played and as much time as our D was on the field, holding Burrow a hundred plus under his avg and EH to 57 yards would certainly qualify as alright imho
And if frogs had wings they wouldn’t bump their butts all the time.
Georgia has an elite defense. But allowing the opponent to score four touchdowns and three field goals, with 481 yards of offense, isn’t “holding” anybody to anything.
If that team averages 580+ and 48+ a game and was held to 480 and 37…perhaps not elite that day but I’d say “aright”
And you lost virtually everyone from the offense that only scored 24 on UF…it’s going to be close. You don’t just roll out good offensive lines when you replace the whole thing. Talking from experience…UF’s line last year was the weak link.
How did we lose 9 starters on offense? Doesn’t add up. Fromm, Swift, Wolfe, Wilson, Thomas, Kindley, Simmons( he was terrible anyway).
Fromm, Swift, Wolfe, Wilson, Thomas, Kindley, Simmons, Mays, and Cager.
Mays wasn’t starter. How about starters from end of season the ones that played in Sugar Bowl.
According to Georgiabulldawgs dot com he started the sugar bowl…
“2019: Played in all 14 games, starting in 11…saw playing time at every OL position…started six games at right guard, two at right tackle, two at left guard and the season finale (Sugar Bowl) at left tackle…played extensively at center in the Missouri game…co-winner of Charley Trippi Award for versatility, given at team’s post-season awards gala.”
And just because you had starters sit out of the ball doesn’t mean they all the sudden don’t count as losing starters..
Bowl*
1. Ga
2. Sc
3.Fl
4. Ky
5. Tn
6. Miz
7. Van
You are a dork.
you are failed abortion
You can be a fan of a particular program without expressing opinions that are just plain stupid.
Tennessee will have a better confwerence record than South Carolina in 2020. And if Terry Wilson is healthy, Kentucky may too. The idea that Scouth Carolina will win more conference games than Florida is just plain ridiculous. Possible. But ridiculous.
you can call it stupid if you want but you lose 3-4 conference games next year. Ga, Sc, Tn, Ky.
Wookie, I think you’ve been hit in the head one time too many.
The simple fact is that it’s extremely difficult to win a division four years in a row, and especially when you’re losing your veteran starting QB, your top two running backs, your two starting tackles, your two starting guards, your starting safety, DT, Lou-Groza kicker, etc. The attrition catches up eventually. Florida has no excuse to not win the East this year.
Oh sure we do. Leghumper’s talent gap.
Why is your Handle “Kirby Smart’? You are worst doomsayer ever. You act like we will be playing next year with same players from last year with no additions while everyone else only adds players and has no losses of their own. Why? What is your love affair with Zach Evans? You act like he is next Herschel or something. I want to be on your side but maybe you need go over to Orange and Blue.
Semper stultus, some of us aren’t just here to troll, attack or cheerlead. We actually say what we really believe because we enjoy analyzing football. Doesn’t mean we don’t love our teams. KS isn’t being optimistic or pessimistic; he’s just stating facts.
And he didn’t compliment Florida. He basically issued a challenge.
I can’t argue with the Mizzou pick. I just hope we are actually building towards something. I continue to fear that firing a coach we knew could conisistently get us to bowl eligible records in Barry Odom and hiring an absolute unknown was a mistake.
I am liking these early predictions. Quite frankly, history shows the Vols always doing better when they are below the hype radar. Of the four games that are considered not to be winnable – Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, and Bama – Jeremy Pruitt will bag one of those this year. Confident he will get a signature win.
I also think that Pruitt will get one of the four biggest games…..I am leaning towards the one with Georgie. The game being about a month later than average will work in the Vols favor. We won’t have quite the SEC grind of Gators, Dawgs and Bama in late September/October that we usually have.
Yeah, this article is chumming for tigers, alligators, bulldogs, and those that volunteer to get in the water with them.
Injuries always play a part in the unpredictability of a season. Not too long ago Saban remarked to the press on how even the deepest teams can suffer a rash of injuries to one position and derail a season(I think it was at safety for Bama at the time). I think we saw this with Kentucky last year. All credit to Stoops, he may not be able to get the depth of some of the bigger schools, but his first 22 compete and he’s done a great job of getting players from Ohio.
When Mullen took over at Florida, every fall press conference he never failed to mention that the NCAA had “condensed” fall practice. This was done to address player safety but it did have an effect on the field. Mullen wasn’t asked about it but he was putting it out there as an advanced CYA clause should the team stumble out of the gate and it DID lose to Kentucky, although I don’t think there was anything that was going to stop that.
However, programs that hired coaches to make significant changes to offensive schemes have struggled out of the gate, sometimes losing momentum altogether, like Taggert, Frost, and Chip Kelly.
Florida fans are all too familiar when Muschamp was HC with the elite defenses and the OC rotation. However, Georgia has recruited elite talent on both sides of the ball. They COULD catch fire and light it up like LSU did, although Burrow did have a year at the school, starts against SEC competition, and familiarity with his teammates.
The article mentions the #8 recruiting class and when Mullen was asked about it, he said “ask me in 2-3 years”. The amount of attrition the team has had from the initial recruiting classes has been well documented. If the transfers do not get approval to play, this could be a team that struggles.
Florida’s O-line wasn’t a bunch of redshirt freshman. To expect the line if composed of the same members, especially at tackle, to sudden turn a corner is more hope than evidence at this time. And if new blue chip guys take their places, there is still going to be a lack of experience and chemistry.
Georgia is the SEC champ, sitting on a plethora of talent. Both UF and UGA have question marks going into the spring game. I think you have to give Georgia the nod until it’s taken from them on the field.
If we are going to listen to Greg McElroy and Danny Kanell, we’re going to have to redefine “expert”.
**Georgia is the SEC East champ
What an obvious glaring omission from this clickbait special Connor…the 2 teams that arguably put up the best tests against National Champ BogKatU last year only dealt with one BYE week SEC team last year and the other team (TrunksnorterU) that put up the best test had an equivalent number of BYE teams and 2 more than the team that beat them (congrats WarBuzzardU). In fact the only team with a HUGE Bye team advantage that failed miserably to get a signature win against a top tier team was GatorbaitorU.
Fast forward to 2020, all SEC teams except BlueTickU and Trunksnorteru on equal BYE week ground therefore I have it from the highest authority that it will definitively be:
1 LeghumperU 11-1 7-1
T2 GatorbaitorU 9-3 5-3
T2 BlueTickU 8-4 5-3
T4 CootU 7-5 3-5
T4 BlueGrassKatU 6-6 3-5
6 ShowMeKittyU 5-7 2-6
7 YachtCaptainU 3-9 1-7
My esteemed Humpers will get schooled in Tuscaloosa as they begin to figure out their offensive identity, but as the past 4 years have shown, these aren’t your CMR pups, these are Kirbys never quit chopping junkyard dawgs. They will ride their talent gap shrinking defense to an early 6-1 record and will destroy 3rd n Grantham once again on all hallows eve as Mullet chews out the equipment manager for dressing the offense and defense in two different colored jerseys, causing Dandy Dan to spend all 6 of his 1st and 2nd half timeouts to give newly hired off field analyst Derrick Mason enough time to run to the team bus to get the right jerseys…Grantham will be fired a few weeks later as SpearchunkerU upsets the Lizards in Tallahissy for their 4th victory of the season…
Gators will thrash Alcorn State in the south fla Boca Raton Bowl to climb back up to a lofty top 13 ranking, thereby reconfirming that their elite Coach is the greatest to never win a division…
Just kidding Cojones…GatorbaitorU has no excuses this year. If they can’t beat LeghumperU with all the offensive turmoil we’ve had last year and this year…well I just won’t know what to think… but I gotta good idea it’ll start with talent gap…
Right Nash? (:
1. Regardless of what happens in Jacksonville, no way Florida loses three games next season. At worst, they lose one. Which means Georgia better not lose two.
2. If you think the Holes will be capable of upsetting Florida next season, you haven’t been following FSU football.
3. Bye weeks don’t matter as much as you think they do.
1. I see a UT upset in their future along with pups and possibly LSU 2. Yeah I’m kinda reaching with that one but I expect Crabmunchers will be much improved post WillyT
3. We’ll certainly find out. This is the third year in a row Mullet has only had to deal with one BYE team so you guys certainly have no excuses… which leads me to my next random thought of inexplicableness…with all this GatorbaitorU bias in the SEC scheduling office I can’t help but wonder why Dan hasn’t gotten over at the very least an SEC conference championship yet…this should be the year for y’all to only lose 1, as was last year. BYE the way who do you see that 1 loss happening to thru your rose colored glasses, Nash? As long as it’s Jxvlle I’m good with that!
I do have a serious question for you tho Nash…if BYEs don’t matter much how do you explain the beginning of the McElWhine death spiral after his inexplicable blowout loss to 2016 version of unranked USCjr, those vaunted SooiePigU boyz of Arky?
1. Florida will dominate FSU next season. The top end of their roster quality is gone and their roster was unbalanced to begin with. It will take Norvell a couple years to build relationships with Florida high schools.
2. Tennessee is rebuilding successfully, but I don’t think they’ll be ready to upset Florida by early next season.
3. Right now, I expect Florida to be favored and beat LSU next season in Gainesville.
4. Given that he took over a 4-7 team, Mullen’s performance in his first two seasons has been spectacular.
5. The drop off in performance under McElwain was due to McElwain and the loss of Scarlett and Callaway to the credit card episode, not bye weeks.
6. I don’t have a particular game that I think the Gators will lose. I think Jacksonville will be a toss-up, and it’s really hard to go undefeated.
Now that’s funny!