Big Questions in the SEC this season

Here’s some questions for all the SEC teams on the roster….

1.  Who’s out first: Pittman or Napier? Let’s be honest, Florida’s schedule is evil. It is very conceivable that the Gators will finish 5-7 and not be that bad, but will Florida fans take another season of mediocrity? Sam Pittman’s Arkansas team, on the other hand has been in the morass for a longer than you think. They haven’t had a winning in-conference season since 2015. They’ve only hit 4 conference wins once since 2015. And although Sam Pittman’s a lot of fun to the microphone, his brains will be scrambling. Particularly as OC-and-former-Razorback-HC Bobby Petrino’s waiting on the sidelines, dagger in hand. PREDICTION: Pittman. Probably after about 9 games
2. Should you believe the hype about Texas? Steve Sarkasian recruited/bought a very, very fun offense last year. The defense was also excellent. They deserved a play-off place. But this year, they are hyped to be a National Championship Contender, and why can’t understand why. First of all, we don’t believe the hype about Quinn Ewers. His footwork aren’t great, and his decisions are hardly first-round quality. Let’s also throw this one in: THIS TOP 5 WIDE RECEIVERS ARE GONE. And while the addition of Then there’s the fact that Jonothan Brooks – his star running back is also making NFL dollars (from the NFL). Oh, and then only this week did news come through that very talented sophomore RB CJ Baxter and freshman four-star player Christian Clark are done for the year. And while we don’t think that Texas will fall to pieces, anyone with half a brain would see that it’s not going to be easy for Sarkasian in a world where there is going to be little sympathy both away from Austin or at home. In our view, Longhorns fans should feel overjoyed if they get to 10 wins. Just. Don’t. Miss. A. Play-Off. Game.
3.  Restart Alabama? Now Nick Saban’s gone, the Crimson Tide’s going back to irrelevancy, aren’t they? Right? No. They have the most athletic quarterback in the country in Jalin Milroe, who can change a game with his legs. They’ve got RB Justice Haynes, who averaged 6.7 yards per carry (25 carries, 168 yards, 2 TDs), who’s going to cause problems. Oh, and there’s Ryan Williams,  who’s the country’s 8th-best overall player (per 24-7), and Caleb Odom, who could be equally as bad-ass. New HC Calen DeBoer’s going to have his hands all over this offense, and it’s going to be FUN….if the offensive line gets its act together. In Saban’s offenses they were just big. It’s been pointed out that in a DeBoer offense, they are going to need a lot of speed too. Helping DeBoer will be a schedule that has three marquee match-ups (UGA, at LSU, at Oklahoma), one ‘depends how they are, honestly’ (Missouri), and a lot of dross. PREDICTION: Alabama continues to surge along. They’ll be fine. 
4.  Is Oklahoma under-the radar? It’s weird. Texas and Oklahoma both opted to leave for the SEC, yet no-one seemed to mention OU – a far more successful team in recent years – went with them. As the Mizzodcast – one of our favorite podcasts said: “Why do they get a pass?” Oklahoma last year was a gaffe and a horrible ref’s call from running the table last year, and they continued to recruit brilliantly in 2024 (8th in the country). But for some reason, they aren’t predicted to ‘do anything’ (ranked 17th in the country), while Texas will – apparently – light up the SEC and the known world. But here’s the deal: Oklahoma is far better than a team that misses out on the play-off. Jackson Arnold should be a lot better than his bowl game was – especially with All-American sophomore wideout Nick Anderson (38 receptions, 798 yards, 10 TDs), or handing the ball to Gavin Sawchuk, who was one of the best RBs in college football in the second half of the year. Oh, and Purdue transfer Deion Burks is special, too. The offensive line – which will take a couple of games to gel – is going to stout, even if center Troy Everett is done for the year (knee surgery). Led by LB Ethan Downs, they are going to cause trouble in the backfield, and Billy Bowman’s going to lead a secondary that for years was a problem but for this year could be a strength. PREDICTION: Oklahoma is one of the better SEC teams, and challenges for a play-off spot.
5.  Can Georgia stay out of trouble? Georgia has been a National Championship team this offseason when it’s come to both recruiting And getting kids arrested for speeding offenses. ‘Give a bunch of kids nice cars, they are going are going to drive fast’, ain’t an adage, but it’s a fact. But then there’s a problem like Ra-Ra Thomas, who has been arrested for domestic assault, and Kirby Smart (finally) booted him off the team. But the decision to give Thomas the boot and the problems of more-than-several players have a run-in with the law seems to show a certain lawlessness in Athens that only Kirby Smart can solve…and he’s not bothering to try to stop it. PREDICTION: More arrests, more players kicked off for bad s**t, but more National Championship success.
6.  Is Ole Miss really a SEC contender? After signing Walter Nolen from Texas A&M and a host of other good transfers, Lane Kiffin has almost certainly put together a play-off team. Sure, they are going to miss Judkins, but Ulysses Bentley IV is a freak and back-up RB transfer Henry Parrish (Miami) is pretty good too, by damn. In fact, if you look at their schedule, it’s very possible that they finish 10-2 (losses against Oklahoma and Georgia), and could even go 11-1 (loss at Georgia). PREDICTION: 10-2 sounds about right, unless the defense does something really stupid. 
7.  Will Missouri go from ‘Cinderella’ to ‘Superpower’? Last year was an unexpected, wonderful ride for Eli Drinkwitz and his band of merry men. Brady Cook was better than advertised. The receiving corps of Luther Burden and Theo Wise were as good as advertised. And RB Cody Schrader should have been in the Heisman conversation – that’s how good he was. And boy, were they fun to watch. This year, much is expected. They are pre-ranked at No.11. They’ve recruited pretty well – including getting the best player in Missouri, and 6th overall prospect in edge rusher Williams Nwaneri. DE Johnny Walker is still there, although Darris Smith’s knee injury earlier this week has meant he’s done for the year. PREDICTION: Missouri will be fine. Play-off spot. 
8.  Are there really happy times on The Plains? If you love “General Hospital” or “Days Of Our Lives”, this soap opera from Auburn tops them both. There have been three head coaches, bad records, and enough infighting to fill the gossip columns. It’s been glorious. Well, now Hugh Freeze (Coach No.3) has taken over, and we thought Auburn would be poor, and they were just that. But this, things are looking up. They’ve brought in five-star WR Cam Coleman (overall 5th player in the country), and four-stars Perry Thompson and Malcom Simmons. They also got Keandre Lambert-Smith from Penn State, and Robert Lewis, who had nearly 900 yards receiving from Georgia State. Using the transfer portal, Freeze brought in 14 other transfers, all of which should improve things defensively. The problem? Auburn isn’t deep at quarterback. Payton Thorne, who struggled last year as Auburn’s starter, is going to start this year too. Thorne was second in the SEC in interceptions last year (10). But the good news for Auburn is that they won’t have to face the evil known as the SEC schedule. PREDICTION: Let’s not get ahead of ourselves: Auburn ain’t gonna 
9.  Another year, another pass for a Mississippi State head coach? Former Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby was hired midway through the season (taking over at season-end) to take over in Starkville, which means we’re in the second ‘Year 0’ in two years, after Zach Arnett having to take over after the passing of Mike Leach. If we look at Jeff Lebby offenses, this may go back to the Leachian patterns of being damn fun to watch. Yes, Will Rogers has gone, but Blake Shapen could be a pretty sharp replacement, and they’ve added some competent-if-not-elite receivers. Mississippi State fans would be happy with a bowl game, ecstatic with a play-off game. PREDICTION: 6-6 (2 SEC wins v Florida and Arkansas). Anything would be a success AND a reach. 
10.  Is the mood changing in Kentucky and South Carolina? The seasons from Kentucky and South Carolina were pretty similar from last year. Both teams went 3-5 in conference. Carolina beat Kentucky 17-14 in an unmemorable game. Kentucky beats its hated rival, Carolina lost to them. In the offseason, there were zero rumblings of Shane Beamer’s earlier-than-anticipated departure from Columbia, while Mark Stoops openly whored himself to Texas A&M, but the alumni blocked it. Both teams have been fine-but-not great in the transfer portal game. The quarterbacks are relatively unknown (Kentucky will start with Brock Vandergrift, who spent years on the sideline at Georgia while South Carolina will start with dual-threat sophomore LaNorris Sellers). South Carolina got the transfer of Arkansas RB Rocket Sanders, who could be a lot of fun if he stays healthy. Having said all that, if both finish with losing records, and a lot of grumbling. PREDICTION: Kentucky’s schedule is pretty nasty. They’ll probably finish 6-6, while Carolina’s is downright NASTY, and will send them to 5-7.
11. Will goodwill extend from Texas A&M? Jimbo Fisher’s firing made a lot of people extremely happy, mainly because they thought he was an overpaid a-hole. For us, he wasn’t so much of an a-hole as a guy who was hugely overpaid after a great-but-shortened 2020 season, and didn’t like this when they starting falling away – despite the fact that A&M rarely got blown out of games. Bringing back former DC Mike Elko after his fabulous stint as HC at Duke wasn’t spectacular, but may have been the move of the offseason? Why? College Station needs a steadying ship, and needs to realise that it’s a good-but-not-elite SEC school. One good season – which 2024 promises to be simply because they don’t have to walk through the jungle of the SEC West anymore. But Elko knows that he’s going to have to replace a lot of talent. WR Evan Stewart has taken his talents to deep-pocketed Oregon. Walter Nolan’s gone to Ole Miss, while LT LT Overton’s departed to Alabama. Their best TE in Jake Johnson? North Carolina (to join his brother, Max). It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be positive. PREDICTION: Aggies start with a bang by hosting Notre Dame at night. They’ll finish a satisifying 8-4, which won’t be enough for a play-off spot, but will be enough for people to like the direction of the ‘Elko Experiment’.
12. Is the State of Tennessee continue to go in opposite ways? In East Tennessee there’s Knoxville, the ‘UT’ that goes there. Big Orange. 100,000 people who’s had big expectations since the National Title win in 1999. Josh Heupel. Hendon Hooker. Expectations back. This year – after having a pretty crappy quarterback in Joe Milton – the expectations of having a great season with freshman QB Nico Iamaleava at the helm. He’s already been hailed as the next Peyton Manning. He’ll throw to 3 good WRs in Squirrel White, USC transfer Bru McCoy, and transfer Chris Brazzell. And he can always hand the ball off to Dylan Sampson who had 7 TDs this year. While defensively, they return their best pass-rusher in James Pearce. The sked is doable enough for them to be in the conversation. On the other hand in Northern Tennessee is Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt’s expectations will be that they will have 3 or 4 wins, and that will look like a success? Why don’t they just give it all up, take in the money that being a member of the SEC is giving them, and put a ton of cash into basketball and baseball NIL? I mean, it must be better than this crap year after year….PREDICTION: Vanderbilt continue to circle the drain, while Tennessee circles play-off chances.
13. Will the SEC have a Heisman this season? A lot of people are talking up Quinn Ewers, but for reasons that we’ve outlined, we don’t believe that he’s going to be in the conversation. But there are others. Carson Beck is gonna play on Sundays. If you want to think outside of the box, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III is a first round pick AND one of the Top 5 receivers in college football. If he continues putting up monster numbers, then we gotta chat. And there’s also Jackson Dart, who will put together some serious numbers at Ole Miss (thank you, Lane Kiffin offense), that may put him in the conversation if Ole Miss is good.