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ESPN: Why each SEC football team won't win the league title
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:07 pm
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:07 pm
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Spring is a time of optimism around college football, with early enrollees on campus and all your returning players hitting the field for spring drills.
Each team is 0-0, and there is hope that this season will be "the" year for your favorite team.
Well, the folks at ESPN decided to kill some hopes early this year. They put together a list of reasons why each team in the SEC won't win the conference championship in 2017.
Here are their reasons.
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Missouri
What ESPN said: Hey, that defense can't be any worse than it was last year, right? Teams are still running, passing and scoring all over a Mizzou defense that was at the bottom of the conference in just about every defensive statistic last year. Things will get better for the Tigers after a 4-8 debut by Barry Odom, but even getting to six wins will be a struggle.
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Ole Miss
What ESPN said: Simply put, the Rebels are already disqualified from a trip to Atlanta because of their one-year postseason ban. But even if they could get to Atlanta, few would pick them after last year's 5-7 record, especially with defensive questions still lingering and a road schedule that features Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State.
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Vanderbilt
What ESPN said: The Commodores finished the regular season 4-2 in their final six games before getting thumped by NC State in the bowl game. Derek Mason don't care about no stinking bowl loss! He's jacked up about this team, even if it had only 59 healthy scholarship players this spring. Vandy could be a better team in 2017, but it's hard to immediately find more than six wins on that schedule, right now.
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South Carolina
What ESPN said: Will Muschamp shocked us all by taking the Gamecocks to a bowl game in his first year. He also shocked us with impressive quarterback play from first-year starter Jake Bentley, who should have been a high school senior last year. There was growth, but until this team is consistent at getting to the quarterback and stopping teams from rushing for 200 yards each week, the Gamecocks will just be that spoiler team.
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Mississippi State
What ESPN said: Nick Fitzgerald is budding star at quarterback and new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is excited about having seven JUCOs to work with on his side of the ball. This is one of those trendy sleeper picks, but we need to see more from Fitzgerald's arm, better defensive chemistry and see them survive a road schedule that includes Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M and Arkansas.
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Arkansas
What ESPN said: We really don't know what to make of the Razorbacks. The passing game lost four of its top pass-catchers, and that defense is still a mess. Paul Rhoads replaced Robb Smith as defensive coordinator after coaching the secondary last year, but not even he can immediately transform a defense that surrendered 482.9 yards per game, 7.9 yards per play and 37.3 PPG in league play last season.
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Kentucky
What ESPN said: Mark Stoops and his Wildcats finally got over the five-win hump to make it to a bowl game in 2016. They even upset Louisville and Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson for fun. This team is interesting because the offense should be fun to watch, but that defense still concerns us. You just can't win in the SEC if you don't sack the quarterback or if you allow conference opponents to average more than 200 rushing yards.
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Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:07 pm to TideSaint
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Texas A&M
What ESPN said: Oh, man. We've been bitten too much by the Aggies. Those 5-0 starts and 8-5 finishes were painful, but last year's 6-0 start and 8-5 finish was the last straw. Outside of having yet again a new quarterback, some new pieces at receiver and losing the heart and soul of the front seven, Texas A&M isn't winning the SEC because it just can't win in the month of November. The Aggies are 7-9 over the past four Novembers.
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Georgia
What ESPN said: Hey, these Bulldogs are the early popular pick to win the SEC East. Kirby Smart returns 10 defensive starters, has one of the best running back combos in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, and Jacob Eason appears to be a star at quarterback. However, that offensive line is still an issue, and no receiver has stood out as a consistent go-to threat. Eason's decision-making scares us too much, right now.
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LSU
What ESPN said: There's still a lot of talent in Baton Rouge, but you better believe that the jury is still very much out on Ed Orgeron being a head coach at this level. It didn't work out at Ole Miss, and while he's certainly a different person and coach since then, he went from journeyman defensive line coach to the head coach at LSU.
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Auburn
What ESPN said: We've seen this all before: Gus Malzahn has a hotshot quarterback, and the defense should be one of the league's best. Last time Auburn was in this situation, the Tigers went 7-6 in 2015 and won just two league games. It's hard not to like this Auburn team, but do the Tigers have the clutch gene? And can Malzahn stop Alabama? Chris Davis ain't sprinting through that door, folks.
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Tennessee
What ESPN said: Why aim to be SEC champs when another Champions of Life title is on the line? OK, OK, that was petty. But you know you were thinking it, too. Seriously, Tennessee is embracing the underdog role, but that offense is littered with questions. New starting quarterback, offensive line issues, new starting running back, and the search for a go-to receiver are just some of the complications facing the Vols.
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Florida
What ESPN said: The Gators might have won back-to-back SEC East titles, but get ready to hear about why they won't make it three in a row. Florida is in searching of another starting quarterback, but after using two stop-gap QBs in 2016, Jim McElwain might find the present and future in Feleipe Franks or Kyle Trask. Neither one has taken a collegiate snap. Until this offense takes off, the Gators won't win in Atlanta.
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Alabama
What ESPN said: What stops Alabama's reign of terror over the SEC is the fact that the Crimson Tide lost six important starters to its defense. Jonathan Allen, Tim Williams, Reuben Foster and Ryan Anderson accounted for 33.5 of Alabama's 54. 5 sacks last year (61.5 percent) and 64 of Alabama's 118 TFLs (54.2 percent) from last season. That's a ton of production, and it'll catch up to the Tide this year. So will Jalen Hurts' inconsistency throwing the football, which became even more evident in the Tide's last three games of the 2016 season.
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:11 pm to TideSaint
I said this in my thread that got whacked, but I'll restate it because it's the truth:
Alabama should be on the top of this list because their shot at Atlanta and the Natty ends this year in Davis Wade. Saban will "retire" at the end of this season accordingly. Mississippi State may only have 2 wins this season, but rest assured they will at least beat Bama and Ole Miss.
Edit: And we will beat Kentucky as well. frick those blue bastards for ending our best winning streak.
Alabama should be on the top of this list because their shot at Atlanta and the Natty ends this year in Davis Wade. Saban will "retire" at the end of this season accordingly. Mississippi State may only have 2 wins this season, but rest assured they will at least beat Bama and Ole Miss.
Edit: And we will beat Kentucky as well. frick those blue bastards for ending our best winning streak.
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 9:15 pm
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:35 pm to AMSUFan8
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Alabama should be on the top of this list because their shot at Atlanta and the Natty ends this year in Davis Wade. Saban will "retire" at the end of this season accordingly. Mississippi State may only have 2 wins this season, but rest assured they will at least beat Bama and Ole Miss.
By the looks of this, only Auburn, LSU, and Alabama can win the SEC championship
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:38 pm to AMSUFan8
tGrind
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:41 pm to TomRollTideRitter
Offense is not what I'm worried about.
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:43 pm to AMSUFan8
What in the actual frick 
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:43 pm to rmnldr
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y the looks of this, only Auburn, LSU, and Alabama can win the SEC championship
that's basically how the SEC has been in the Saban era. Auburn or LSU only two with any hope outside of bama.
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:44 pm to Tillman
So I guess the next question is, who will challenge Alabama? Auburn or LSU?
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:47 pm to rmnldr
Auburn sounds like they got a better QB situation. LSU probbly better on defense.
I like LSU to beat Bama given what they did to Hurts last year.
I like LSU to beat Bama given what they did to Hurts last year.
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 9:50 pm
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:48 pm to TomRollTideRitter
I think AMSUFan8 is an Ole Miss fan trolling. They pull that crap a lot.
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:50 pm to MullenBoys
Doesn't sound like a State fan.
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:51 pm to rmnldr
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So I guess the next question is, who will challenge Alabama? Auburn or LSU?
Auburn
Ed O and Danny Etling
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:52 pm to BowlJackson
Les Miles and Brandon Harris whooped Auburn in 2015. Why is O and Etling laughable?
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:53 pm to TomRollTideRitter
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tGrind
Rest assured, there will be a whole new set of Evan Stone content this season.
You have only seen tGrind, but you will feel tGrind in 2017, gump.
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:55 pm to Tillman
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LSU probbly better on defense.
Maybe, but Auburn will still be very good on D themselves
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:57 pm to rmnldr
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Les Miles and Brandon Harris whooped Auburn in 2015. Why is O and Etling laughable?
Leonard Fournette whooped Auburn in 2015. And that's about as relevant to 2017 as 41-7 In 2014 is.
Who won in 2016? Who was LSU's QB? What is O's record as HC?
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:57 pm to BowlJackson
Who will replace Adams and Lawson? Is Cowart a DT or DE? And do y'all still have Steele?
Says history is irrelevant then brings up 2016 result and O's record. Noice.
Etling is your only valid point and he's going to improve under Canada.
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Leonard Fournette whooped Auburn in 2015. And that's about as relevant to 2017 as 41-7 In 2014 is.
Who won in 2016? Who was LSU's QB? What is O's record as HC?
Says history is irrelevant then brings up 2016 result and O's record. Noice.
Etling is your only valid point and he's going to improve under Canada.
This post was edited on 4/1/17 at 9:59 pm
Posted on 4/1/17 at 9:58 pm to BowlJackson
i thought they were solid last year. i thought they lost some players though
Posted on 4/1/17 at 10:06 pm to MullenBoys
Yeah I think you're right. I just get a kick out of the grind stuff
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