handicapping sec championship team 2008 (1 Viewer)

st dude

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Having done predictions for the SEC West and SEC East, I thought I would throw out some rough odds for who will be champion, as if it were a horserace. So here goes:

3-1 Florida, Georgia, Auburn and LSU. Will anyone be surprised if anyone of these four teams wins the championship game? I actually have Auburn winning the West because they get LSU at home, but I think LSU would have a better chance in the title game if they get there. I like Florida in the East, but can not say there is enough separation between them and Gerogia to make a big betting difference.

5-1 Tennessee . I am sure some Tennessee fans will not agree they do not belong in the 3-1 group, but I think there are enough question marks on offense with Cutcliffe and Ainge leaving, along with playing in the brutal SEC East, to make this a tougher year for them.

10-1 Alabama and South Carolina. Alabama will get some immediate help from a deep freshman class. Wilson is an experienced QB and should be better. Going to Georgia, Tennessee and LSU doesnt help and they need to win at least one of those games. Next year I am thinking Alabama will be a real player. South Carolina has improved their overall talent under Spurrier. They looked very good at times last year. They might sneak up, I doubt it. Thye will beat somebody good and if a 6-2 record wins the East, who knows?

20-1 The field, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vandy, Kentucky, Miss State. A filed team has about as much chance of winning the SEC championship as the Giants do of beating the Patriots. Wait, the Giants did beat the Patriots. Anyway, none of these five teams have ever won the SEC championship since it went to two divisions. Arkansas has had the most success, but with a new coach, the loss of their two great running backs and the lack of an SEC caliber qb to start, I think this will be a rebuilding year. Kentucky will miss Woodson, an understatement. Miss State was coming on at the end of last year and they have probably the easiest SEC schedule, if there is such a thing, so watch out for them. Ole Miss has talent and I think a way better coach than last year. All that being said, it would be a big upset for any of these teams to win their division and a monumental upset to win the conference.

One thing fun about the SEC is BIG games. I am an LSU fan but can park myself in front of the TV for just about any big SEC games. Here are a few to get excited about:

9/13 Ga @ SC If South Carolina wants to be a player they need to win big games at home and this is a big one for them. Ga can stand one loss, maybe two, and they dont want this to be one,

9/20 LSU @ Auburn Fla @ UT - The biggest game in the West happens early. Whoever wins is in the drivers seat. If Tenn wants to compete for the East, this is their biggest home game. What a week.

9/27 Bama @ Ga Tenn @ Auburn - Every week in the SEC its like this. Bama needs a big road win to compete. So does Tennessee.

10/11 LSU @ Fla Tenn @ ga- Anyone think CBS picks the Fla/LSU game up? Will Les MIles go 5-5 on fourth downs again? I'll be there to watch. Georgia needs to win at home.

10/25 Ga @ LSU Bama @ Tenn - I will be at the LSU game figuring out how to watch the Bama/Tenn game. No love lost between bama and tenn.

11/1 Ga at Fla - Thats right , Ga AT Fla. Jacksonville is about as neutral a site for a Florida game as Atanta is for a Georgia game. Right now this game looks to decide the East.

11/8 Alabama @ LSU - Saban returns to Tiger stadium. Nuff said.

11/15 Ga @ Auburn - I get to pull against a red team one week and for one the next. The SEC makes for strange bedfellows, doesnt it?

11/29 Auburn @ Alabama - Who to pull for? We will have to see. Auburn has owned Bama for a long time now and thats not making some Bama folks happy. Saban is in year two of his grace period, but losing to Auburn will make for a very long off season no matter what bowl game they go to.


Now we just have to wait six months
 
Tennessee not only has question marks on offense because of the Cutcliffe departure (which may turn out real well) but our biggest problem is our defensive line. There is some talent there, but it has been so inconsistent. Without good play there our talented LBs cannot make plays.
 
Tennessee not only has question marks on offense because of the Cutcliffe departure (which may turn out real well) but our biggest problem is our defensive line. There is some talent there, but it has been so inconsistent. Without good play there our talented LBs cannot make plays.


You didnt like Cutcliffe? I thought Ole Miss was crazy to fire him. I dont even know who Tennessee got to replace Cutcliffe. Did they get someone better?
 
You didnt like Cutcliffe? I thought Ole Miss was crazy to fire him. I dont even know who Tennessee got to replace Cutcliffe. Did they get someone better?

No, I like Cutcliffe. And bringing him back helped us out. But his play calling abilities are not very good - he will tell you that. And he is more of a great QB coach rather than a great OC.
We brought in the head coach of Richmond as the OC. He runs something more akin to a spread, or so its being reported.
 

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