Who was the biggest letdown in the SEC?
We know about the SEC’s successes. Alabama’s in the College Football Play-Off, Florida unexpectedly won the SEC East, and Derrick Henry should win the Heisman.
But who were the biggest letdowns? We rank each SEC team by how much they let us down this year.
- Auburn — We stupidly called for them to win the SEC Championship Game, without thinking that Will Muschamp would revamp one of the country’s worst defenses in 2014, and Jeremy Johnson would take over easily from Nick Marshall. None of that happened. Auburn was awful all season long.
- Georgia – The offense looked AMAZING early on….and then they played Alabama. And then Nick Chubb got injured a week later. And it all fell apart. Mark Richt was fired at season’s end — a move that some saw coming and some were surprised up. A bit like UGA’s season.
- Missouri – The defense was fantastic almost all season long. The offense was disgustingly awful.
- LSU – Before the season started we predicted that LSU wouldn’t be very good, throwing out shade against Brandon Harris and the fact that LSU’s schedule as the season went would find them out. We were right — but only after everyone had given Leonard Fournette the Heisman when he ran roughshod against an awful schedule. And when the second half of the season came along, LSU lost three in a row and the black clouds circled around Les Miles. Although LSU turned things around against Texas A&M and Les Miles kept his job, this was one hell of a letdown for the Tigers.
- Arkansas – We had the Razorbacks really ploughing the way with a 9-3 season, but we didn’t have them losing to Toledo at home. It wasn’t a good look.
- Texas A&M – After smashing Arizona State and looking good for a few games thereafter, people were talking about A&M and being potential play-off candidates, Kyle Allen then went crazy against Alabama, throwing INTs after INTs, and the Aggies couldn’t stop the run. A lot of people want to end the career of offensive co-ordinator Jake Spavital.
- Kentucky – We were quite excited after they beat South Carolina on the road, but then the Wildcats pretty much fell apart, falling to 5-7.
- Mississippi State – Kept Dak Prescott, but let down their fans hugely with heartbreaking losses to LSU and a letdown loss against Ole Miss.
- Tennessee– Vols fans are ready to put a statue outside Neyland Stadium for Butch Jones after they went 8-4 overall. The win against Georgia put a lot of smiles on Big Orange fans’ faces, but their losses of three games in a row while having the lead in the fourth quarter wasn’t a good look.
- South Carolina– Steve Spurrier leaving mid-way through the season? See this one coming?
- Vanderbilt – It was Vanderbilt. That’s all we have to say. They were predictably poor-to-below mediocre. Hardly a letdown.
- Ole Miss – Losing the SEC West because of a fluke 4th-and-25 was hardly a letdown, and Ole Miss’ monster win over Bama definitely made the fanbase feel better.
- Alabama – Won the SEC Championship. You couldn’t rush on them. Derrick Henry could win a Heisman. So the fans will allow the loss to Ole Miss? But really, really wasn’t a letdown.
- Florida – Went 10-2, won the SEC East – and looked legit right until Will Grier got himself suspended for PEDs. What a season.