re: How the West will finish this year.

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hogcard1964

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5. Arkansas
6. Miss St
7. Ole Miss

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LSU has won 8+ games for 18 years in a row. That isn't going to change this year. O isn't Nick Saban, and he has an accent, but at LSU he has a 10-4 SEC record. If Ensminger gets the offense clicking...

Pig boy keep smoking that corn silk

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LSU - Honestly who the frick knows what O will do. It seems he is in over his head and will screw stuff up

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LSU's SEC record since 2012:
2012, 6-2, (2nd) Miles
2013, 5-3, (3rd) Miles
2014, 4-4, (5th) Miles
2015, 5-3, (4th) Miles
2016, 5-3, (3rd) Miles 1-1, O 4-2
2017, 6-2, (3rd) O

Last year was the best record since 2012. I don't think O is in over his head as much as he's just not a world beater.

I predict LSU will go 5-3 again (L's to AU, UGA, Bama - or something stupid like beating UGA but losing to A&M). Probably good enough for 3rd-4th.

To me the biggest game in the West is Auburn at Mississippi State on 10/6. While State will have home field advantage, I believe Auburn comes to town a week after Dan Mullen's return to Starkville, and it could be difficult for State to get up for big games two weeks in a row.

If State wins, then they may be setting themselves up for a collision course with Alabama on 11/10 with the SEC West Championship on the line.

If Auburn wins, their schedule becomes very easy until the gauntlet they face at the end of the year. After going to Starkville, their schedule looks like this:

vs. Tennessee
@ Ole Miss
OFF
vs. Texas A&M

That's a very manageable schedule before having to come to Athens.

Its a weird year (with the exception of Alabama being the team to beat). I'm pretty confident putting Auburn at two. Past that, there's more question marks than on the Riddler's costume.

A&M: over the last few years sort of thought of as a "soft" team. I think it may take Jimbo a few years to get them week in-week out competitive. I'm interested to see Jimbo coach a mentally fragile team. I'm certainly not ready to crown them but they are a "safe" third, but I could see two blowouts (Clemson and Alabama)in the first month collapsing this team. They could win 6 as easily as 9.

LSU: brutal schedule. One loss could start hot seat rumors. O is, well, O. I don't believe he is capable of coaching a team to more than 9 wins, which will get him fired eventually. The 2017 Auburn win will be his coaching career highlight. They could win 9 or 5, and neither would surprise me.

Mississippi State: I think they're more talented than last year, but could easily take a step back due to offensive coaching philosophies. I don't think Morehead will use his QB as a battering ram, which is their returning QB's strong suit. If they try to drop him back, pro-style ... they don't win six games. I think Mullen would win 9 with this team. Not knocking Morehead, the team was just recruited differently than I believe he will moving forward.

Ole Miss: will be great offensively this year. I believe they really figured out the OC's system in the last half of 2017. But good God, that defense. If they have a defensive pulse, our favorable schedule makes 8 wins obtainable. Otherwise, OM is staring five/six wins in the face.

Arkansas: I like Chad Morris, but they will be awful for a bit. Schedule does them no favors, putting winnable Ole Miss after a month stretch of at A&M, at Auburn, then Alabama and the OM game is in Little Rock. Also, Mizzu comes after LSU and at State. They do get Vandy and out of conference is an embarrassing breeze, but I think a good year for the 'backs is six wins. I'm almost halfway sure one of those wins will be a miracle against Ole Miss, as God has apparently decreed.

And we could also finish the season with Auburn in the playoff or Gus on the hot seat, as is their tendency. I guess my point is, this is the year Saban gets run out of the SEC!

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Maybe 3rd best in the west.

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You realize that we are returning 2 first team All SEC Defensive linemen and also have 3 other seniors in our 2 Deep as well as a JUCO transfer who word on the street is going to open lots of eyes this fall.

I'll give you Alabama, but what other D-Line in the West is better than State?

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Ark, OM and State will be fighting to stay out of last.

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State has 17 starters returning from a 9-4 team. Can you name the last time State finished last in the West?

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vs. Texas A&M...very manageable

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A&M is 3-0 at AU, average score: 44-25.

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1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. Texas A&M
4. Mississippi State
5. LSU
6. Arkansas
7. Ole Miss

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Swap A&M and Miss St. and I think it looks about right currently