Friend of Gridiron Goddess and Tennessee Alumni Byron Earnheart is back for the 5th season running with his humorous and in-depth preview of the mighty SEC for 2011.

2011 SEC Preview

First, I need to disclose one thing…my father petitioned ESPN on my behalf.  In exchange for $180,000, I would offer my prognosticating skills to them.  However, I have decided to take my talents to the Gridiron Goddess for our originally agreed upon amount.

Yeah, I know I’m mixing stories there…but I couldn’t resist.

Well, it’s that time of year again…we in the Southeast have endured apocalyptic like weather and are now ready to seek solace in the embrace of SEC football.  The only logical reasoning for our weather as of late must be the karma from having absolutely dominated the college football world for the past several years.  Logic dictates that it must be so!

In all seriousness, it has been a tough year.  It’s been a year of tornados, 100 year floods, terrible cold, terrible heat, dogs and cats…living together!  It’s been tough.  Yet, despite all of that, the last several weeks have been quite cheerful and, no joke, I think it has a great deal to do with Athlon and Lindy’s putting out there preview books.  Around the coffee shops, people are talking football as if the aforementioned disasters never happened…even in Ole Miss country where there is NO reason to be excited.  But yet…there’s football…the hallowed few months that mark harvest, survival of a brutal summer, and the swelling of chests over school pride.

There have been some changes in my beloved conference.  As of today, my alma mater bids so long to our AD.  To that, I can say…don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.  Mark Richt, the dean of SEC coaches averaging 9-10 wins a year, is on the hot seat.  Urban Meyer has decided to spend more time with his family by playing in ProAm golf tournaments and being a commentator on ESPN and “not” waiting for the Ohio State job.  And that’s before we’ve even looked at the teams this year.

So, here we go…here’s what I think about the teams this year, in their order of finishing within their respective divisions.

West:

Name me one division in a BCS conference that’s better than the SEC West this year.  I would make the argument that this is the best division in the sport…hands down.  But I’m biased.  But, I dare say…find a better one.

1)      Alabama—I mean, who else are you going to pick here?  While I usually don’t like first year QB’s, does Saban’s offense really need a blue chip QB?  Not really.  Trent Richardson will be playing in his seemingly 8^th season and that defense…that defense…so talented and another year older and wiser.  Oh yeah, 4/5 of the line that produced 183 yards rushing is back and another year older and stronger…with Trent Richardson running..did I mention that?

2)      Arkansas—Tyler Wilson is a stud.  He looked amazing when Mallett went out.  The offense is there.  But I don’t think the D has to be that great to maintain this spot due to their schedule.  They’re at ‘Bama and at LSU.  These are the two tough SEC road games and I just don’t think LSU is going to only lose to ‘Bama this year.  Miss State is in Fayetteville and though it pains me, I think, the Hogs beat them.  So, I say all of that to say…I don’t think they need a Saban-esque D to be 2^nd in the West.

3)      Miss State—Yeah, that’s right.  My other boys showed up last year.  Relf ended the year looking like a poor-man’s Cam Newton (a very poor-man’s Cam Newton…I am not comparing the two).  What I am saying, the kid’s an athlete and they have monster RB’s coming back with a receiving core that’s serviceable.  The D is the Achilles Heel.  Losing Manny Diaz hurt…and State’s inexperienced at LB (I love old LB’s).  That said, State return a D-line and backfield that’s older and wiser.  They have LSU at home but Arkansas on the road…thus, I have them ranked…thus.

4)      LSU—I am actually a Jordan Jefferson supporter (when he’s not playing one of my teams).  I think he got a bad rap last year.  Idiot (that’s his new name…just “Idiot”) put him in some bad spots that, of course, he was going to make bad decisions.  That 7/10 TD/INT ratio cannot FULLY be put on Jefferson’s shoulders.  That said…I just don’t see enough returning on either side of the ball to compensate for Idiot and Jefferson.

I think 2-4 are interchangeable this year.  I really ranked these teams based on where their games were being played.

5)      Auburn—first, being 5^th in the West is not a bad thing.  Last year’s 5^th place team when 9-4 , made a New Years bowl, and embarrassed a national powerhouse.  That said, who is Auburn post-Cam Newton?  Michael Dyer?  Ok…he’s good…buuuuut…Darren Bates?  I just don’t know enough about them to rank them ahead of teams that I know something about.  This is like Van Halen post-David Lee Roth…Hagar just couldn’t live up.  He had good pipes…but, yeah…just not the same.  That said, I do expect Dyer to have a good year.

6)      Ole Miss—Well, it seems like the Parks and Recreation department lost a key future alumni and a great marketing tool for what I’m sure is a fine Parks and Recreation department known ‘round the world for its excellent program in that field.  Really?  We were supposed to be impressed with Masoli?  The Brunetti kid is good…heck of a high school player here in Memphis.  But what else do they have.  The Right Rev Houston Nutt may be making his last walk through the Grove this year.  (Although, the Bulldog in me wants to mortgage my house to contribute to a 15 year extension for him!)

East

If there is division in college football that is any confusing to rank than the East, I don’t know it.  Who, really, would you say is the dominant team this year?  And now, say that with a straight face and with conviction. *crickets*  I have no convictions about picks 1-4.

1)      South Carolina—I don’t like their schedule…I don’t like their QB(though he does have some raw talent sometimes)…I REALLY don’t like their coach…but with Florida coming to Columbia, I think, even if they drop a game to someone in the East (UT perhaps), I think the rest of the division will implode.  Lattimore is the only saving grace they have on offense.  Jeffrey was an underrated receiver, in my opinion, and they have a serviceable D

2)      Georgia—Initially, I was going to have them #1.  The old “win one for the Gipper”, returning QB, D that’s not totally horrid…but it’s Georgia.  Picking Georgia high is like betting against the Packers in December…you’ll lose.  They’ve got some players (Aaron Murray is NOT in that category in my opinion), and the schedule’s not too terribly hard.  I’m just not sold on Murray.  I know everyone else is…I’m just not.  Now, he’ll probably win the Heisman and I’ll look like an idiot…but…

3)      Florida—New coach, new system…but still outstanding athletes.  They should out-talent most of their schedule.  Brantley was a bad…VERY bad…fit for Meyer’s system.  However, if Weiss can do ANYTHING in coaching, it’s making QB’s look good.  Tough road games, though, could alter this…but, on paper, Florida should still have the best players on the field any given Saturday.

4)      Tennessee—which Tennessee team will show up?  The ones that looked great at the end of the year or the ones that barely beat UAB in OT?  I’m hoping for the former, but preparing for the latter.  I’ll say this…Tyler Bray is a stud.  The D looks REALLY weak and young.  Receivers shouldn’t be terrible…but I just have no faith in Dooley…yet.

5)      Kentucky—See Auburn above…without Hartline and Cobb, who is this team?  Does anyone really care?

6)      Vanderbilt—yes, they still have a football team. They open with Elon…then they’ll lose 11 straight…

Well, that’s it for 2011-2012.  I see South Carolina playing Alabama…Bama embarrassing them and going on to play for a National Title against USC…oh yeah…nevermind.*

*obligatory slam at Laney Kiffin!