re: Bama vs Wisconsin football stuff (it's game week boys and girls!)

-Thoughts on MSU
--I will be very, very surprised if they're any good. Their 9 returning starters puts them 121/127 in FBS. And they don't recruit well. They have Prescott, but who will block? Who will run?
--Oh, and there was always talk last year of their first string D and their second string. The first string was as good as anyone. The second string... was a little rough.
--To me, 2014 MSU was a classic case of a senior-laden team having huge success early due to their edge and experience, and fading late as other teams catch up. Take away the seniority, and they're just an untalented team with a couple of decent players. It will take a great coaching job by Mullen (whom I believe to be an excellent coach but a poor recruiter) for them to be even competitive in the West.

-Thoughts on Ole Miss
--Initial impression: if you're a top 5 team one year, and return 16 starters, you /really/ ought to be good.
--Hilton, Elston and Conner are solid safeties, and they won't really miss Prewitt. They lost both corners, but replace them with two 4* JUCO guys. Shepard was slated to start last season before injury.
--In short, this is a /solid/ looking team.
--Still, there's no depth (much like last season). They need Treadwell and Tunsil early, because the TCU game showed just how drastic the drop-off is after them.
--It's unfortunate we play them early. Their experience and first string talent is impressive. It will be injuries that will likely kill them.
--I can't help but feel that this is an underrated squad (due to the TCU debacle). When healthy, on paper, they are as good as they come.
--Much of this hinges on Kelly. However, I don't understand why Johnson at AU, with his limited reps, has all they hype, while Kelly, who has far more experience as the NJCAA 1st team QB, gets none. I kind of feel that the preseason predictions for Auburn and Ole Miss this year are generally backward (I wouldn't fault anyone for picking OM to win the SEC for the first time ever).
--They better enjoy it though, because they are going to fall off a cliff next season unless they can convince their 5* players to stick around.

-Thoughts on UT
--There is every single reason to think they get better. They return virtually everyone of note outside of AJ Johnson.
--The problem is that better may be good, and not necessarily great. This was a 6-6 regular season team last year. There's a lot of hype after the win over Iowa, but Iowa absolutely limped into the bowl.
--With Oklahoma week 2 followed later by UGA and UF, Tennessee may well be 3-3 going into their game against Bama. A better team, but a 7 or 8 win season is still likely.

-Thoughts on UGA
--Good news: Jenkins and Floyd chose to come back. Bad news: The rest of the front 7 will not. Herrera and Wilson were both 110+ tackle players at LB, and the lack of any returning DL will have to hurt.
On offense, Georgia was 1st in the SEC in rushing last year, but only 9th in passing. (If you want to understand the UF/USC losses, that may be why. Both teams had consistent issues defending the pass, but UGA probably wasn't good enough to exploit it).
--The question will be if they can pass. Malcolm Mitchell is the only receiver on the roster with at least 100 yards receiving in his career. They will likely start a new QB in Ramsey. The running game may be good, but it's hard to win if you're one-dimensional.

-I'm curious to see how Southern Cal holds up this year. I've predicted that 2015 and 2016 would be rough for them just due to their numbers and the way probation shakes out. They should have about 75 players on scholarship, but most all of them are underclassmen. When that big group matures, they may be great, but national title talk for an 8-4 team from last year may be pretty premature.

-I will be really interested in watching the Ohio-State versus VT game on Monday. Ohio State may have the revenge factor, but they will be out their top 4 receivers, and VT should have a top 5 defense. It gets hard to move the ball when you're on your #5, #6, and #7 guys. Otherwise, Ohio State really does look legit. You can't forget that college football is /not/ a balanced sport. Sometimes, there is a team that's just absurdly good. Ohio State is such a team, and it's all about focus.