NCAA Football: SEC East preview

I love college football. LOVE it. It was my first love. One that started all the way back in 1984. I was a kid living in Oklahoma, and the Sooners were the hottest ticket in town. I was hooked. The Jamelle Holieway-Spencer Tillman-Lydell Carr option took me in and never let go.

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Fast-forward 30 years later, and I am still a college football junkie. I spend my Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and most of Tuesday watching every game I could record over the weekend. For love of the game, I guess.

For the last four years, I have picked every single 1-A vs. 1-A college football game against the spread. I will do the same this year. But leading up to that, I am going to do a conference by conference preview. That’s right, for love of the game. And for those of you that are rabid fans like I am.

This piece will focus on the SEC East . Teams are in the projected order of finish. The AAC is here. The Coastal division is here. The Atlantic division is here. The Big 12 preview is here. The Big Ten East is here. The Big Ten West is here. The Pac 12 North is here. The Pac 12 South is here.

Davis could have a huge season for the Gamecocks. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports

1. South Carolina:

Schedule: vs. Texas A&M, vs. East Carolina, vs. Georgia, at Vanderbilt, vs. Missouri, at Kentucky, vs. Furman, at Auburn, vs. Tennessee, at Florida, vs. South Alabama, at Clemson

Prediction: Losing Connor Shaw, who was a great game manager, could hurt. Bruce Ellington was an often underrated receiver who is also in the NFL now. Dylan Thompson is now handed the reins to this team, and he played well over the last couple of seasons when Shaw was out. RB Mike Davis is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. WR Shaq Roland could be a big time playmaker. This offense might be more explosive than last year’s version. Darius English will replace the number one overall pick in JaDeveon Clowney. The linebackers and secondary are all young except for Sharrod Golightly, who is the leader of this defense now. They will be tested early, but are good enough to lead the Gamecocks to the SEC Championship Game.

They avoid Alabama and LSU, but draw A&M and Auburn. There are plenty of potential pitfalls for the Gamecocks this year, including two in September. They are at Auburn, Clemson, and Florida, who are all very good teams. I would not be surprised if the Cocks lost two games, but even then, they would probably still win the East. I have them at 10-2

If he stays healthy, Gurley is a Heisman candidate. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

2, Georgia:

Schedule: vs. Clemson, at South Carolina, vs. Troy, vs. Tennessee, vs. Vanderbilt, at Missouri, at Arkansas, vs. Florida at Jacksonville, at Kentucky, vs. Auburn, vs. Charleston Southern, vs. Georgia Tech

Prediction: The loss of Aaron Murray will hurt tremendously – just look at the bowl game last year – but Hutson Mason has been practicing with the first team for nine months now. He will have a better feel for the offense and his teammates. RB Todd Gurley is also a Heisman candidate. WRs Michael Bennett and Chris Conley are possibly the best duo in the SEC. The defense, led by LB Ramik Wilson, might be even better than last year. Wilson may be the best LB in the country, and the veteran secondary led by Damian Swann is impressive as well.

Injuries torpedoed Georgia last year. If they had stayed healthy, who knows what might have happened. The loss of Murray worries me a lot. Todd Gurley can and will carry this team early, but can he handle the workload without breaking down? Those questions have me putting the Bulldogs just a notch below South Carolina. They play two very good teams to open the season, and might lose both of them because of the QB situation. I think Mason will be fine later in the season, but earlier could be a problem. I see Georgia at 9-3

The seat is mighty hot for Muschamp right now. Mandatory Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports

3. Florida:

Schedule: vs. Idaho, vs. Eastern Michigan, vs. Kentucky, at Alabama, at Tennessee, vs. LSU, vs. Missouri, vs. Georgia at Jacksonville, at Vanderbilt, vs. South Carolina, vs. Eastern Kentucky, at Florida State

Prediction: I’m going to get a lot of grief for putting Florida third, and I get it. Still, I didn’t do this without paying attention. Florida barely had enough players to field a team by early November with all of the injuries they suffered at QB and the offensive line. The Gators did the right thing by not firing Muschamp, and I think him and his players repay the university for sticking with him. Jeff Driskel will start, but if he is inconsistent again, Skyler Mornhinweg could take over. Muschamp is coaching for his job, after all. RBs Mack Brown and Kelvin Taylor both ran well last year, and should do so again. WR Quinton Dunbar is a stud. This offensive line, when healthy, is a bunch of maulers. There are questions on defense though. The Gators lost DT Dominique Easley, LBs Darrin Kitchens and Ronald Powell, and CBs Jaylen Watkins, Marcus Roberson, and Loucheiz Purifoy, all of whom played key roles last year. There is still talent on this defense such as LB Michael Taylor, and DTs Leon Orr and Darious Cummings. The secondary has some questions, most of which will not be answered until after the first couple of games.

Luckily for the Gators, the first three weeks are a breeze. Then they head to Tuscaloosa. So long as they don’t get blown out there, they still have a good chance to win more than they lose. Which is all fans should hope for after the disaster that was the 2013 season. I have the Gators at 8-4, but they could just as easily go 6-6 or worse.

The elusive Mauk looks to build on a solid freshman campaign. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

4. Missouri:

Schedule: vs. South Dakota State, at Toledo, vs. Central Florida, vs. Indiana, at South Carolina, vs. Georgia, at Florida, vs. Vanderbilt, vs. Kentucky, at Texas A&M, at Tennessee, vs. Arkansas

Prediction: Losing QB James Franklin will hurt, but not nearly as much as losing RB Henry Josey. His comeback last year spurred a magical season for the Tigers. However, the magic is over. QB Maty Mauk played well last year when he played, but can he do it over a full season? The loss of the dynamic Dorial Green-Beckham hurts just as much, if not more, than Josey. The Tigers still have some talent on offense, but not nearly as much as last year. The defense lost DEs Michael Sam and Kony Ealy, and CB E.J. Gaines to the NFL. Markus Golden and Matt Hoch still make the line solid, but again, not as good as last year.

The Tigers caught lightning in a bottle last year. If they could manage to do it again, this schedule really favors them. They don’t have to play Alabama, Auburn, or LSU. That is as easy as an SEC schedule gets. I still have Missouri at 8-4, but it is all due to the relative ease of their schedule.

Oct 19, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Justin Worley (14) during warm ups prior to the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tennessee:

Schedule: vs. Utah State, vs. Arkansas State, at Oklahoma, at Georgia, vs. Florida, vs. Chattanooga, at Mississippi, vs. Alabama, at South Carolina, vs. Kentucky, vs, Missouri, at Vanderbilt

Prediction: Justin Worley has proven to be a solid quarterback. RB Marlin Lane is also a solid player. True freshman WR Josh Malone could be a the big playmaker that the Vols sorely need. The Vols lost four starters from the offensive line to the NFL, which really hurts. That unit needs to come together, and quickly. The defense, led by LB A.J. Johnson is a pretty solid unit, and should be better than last year.

Replacing nearly a whole offensive line is tough to do. Their opener against Utah State is pretty tough. Then they get Oklahoma, Georgia, and Florida in consecutive weeks. This is a tough schedule for the Vols. They will be a better team than last year, but the record likely won’t show it. I still have them at 5-7, same as last year.

Is LSU transfer Stephen Rivers the next great Vandy QB? Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

6. Vanderbilt:

Schedule: vs. Temple, vs. Mississippi, vs. Massachusetts, vs. South Carolina, at Kentucky, at Georgia, vs. Charleston Southern, at Missouri, vs. Old Dominion, vs. Florida, at Mississippi State, vs. Tennessee

Prediction: The losses of WRs Jordan Matthews, Chris Boyd, and Jonathan Krause loom large. LSU transfer QB Stephen Rivers has the pedigree, but he is starting the season behind Patton Robinette, likely because Robinette is the only one with starting experience. Stephen is the younger brother of San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers. RB Jerron Seymour returns, but this is mainly a pass first team. Rivers needs to develop a rapport with his new WRs quickly. Vanderbilt always seems to have a solid defense, and this year is no different. Led by LB Caleb Azubike and DT Vince Taylor this should be a solid unit once again.

Who did Vandy pay off to avoid Alabama, LSU, and A&M? They have the easiest conference schedule by a long shot, not to mention a OOC schedule that would make Florida under Steve Spurrier blush. I see Vandy at 5-7, but with only one conference win.

Heard gives Kentucky a legitimate threat at RB. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

7. Kentucky:

Schedule: vs. Tennessee-Martin, vs. Ohio, at Florida, vs. Vanderbilt, vs. South Carolina, vs. Louisiana-Monroe, at LSU, vs. Mississippi State, at Missouri, vs. Georgia, at Tennessee, at Louisville

Prediction: Nebraska transfer Braylon Heard should give the Wildcats the best RB they have had in quite some time. Some think QB Patrick Towles is the second coming of Tim Couch (he was really good in college, you know!). WRs Demarco Robinson and Javess Blue give Towles a couple of solid targets. Defensively, DE Alvin Dupree is very underrated. Opposite end Za’Darius Smith is no slouch either. Behind the line though, there are plenty of question marks.

This offense should be the best the Wildcats have had in the last decade. I have them going 3-9, but I would not be surprised if they stole a game from an unsuspecting conference foe this year.

Come back later today for the SEC West prediction!

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