Alabama will win the wild, wild SEC West
This has a chance to be one of the wildest SEC West races in a long, long time. Below is how my five research magazines broke it down followed by my own picks. Give me your projected finish and tell me where I’m wrong.
SEC WEST
Athlon: Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State
Lindy’s: LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State
Phil Steele: Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State
Sporting News: Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State
The Kickoff: LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State
What we learned: The three-way battle among Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss is going to be “Must-See” football this season. Two of the magazines picked Ole Miss to win the division and make its first-ever appearance in the SEC championship game. Two others picked LSU to bounce back from an 8-5 season and make a run to Atlanta. Alabama, the defending division champion, was picked by only one magazine to repeat. Mark your calendars: Alabama is at Ole Miss on Oct. 10. LSU is at Alabama on Nov. 7. Ole Miss hosts LSU on Nov. 21.
TONY’S PICKS
Alabama: A lot of assumptions are being made about Alabama. Because the Crimson Tide must replace veteran quarterback John Parker Wilson and three starters on the offensive line, it logically follows that they cannot repeat as SEC West champs. I respectfully disagree. Alabama will be a different team, especially on offense, but will still find a way to get to Atlanta on Dec. 5. Let’s start with the offense. Last season Alabama could pretty much wear opponents down by steamrolling them with that huge offensive line. This season, behind new QB Greg McElroy, Alabama will have to show a little more finesse on offense. There is plenty of talent on that side of the ball if the offensive line comes together. The reason I like Alabama in this division is that that Tide is not going to need that many points to win. The defense is that good. Nine starters return and, yes, Alabama will miss the exceptional leadership of safety Rashad Johnson. But the linebackers (Rolando McClain, Dont’a Hightower) are great and NG Terrence Cody is now in shape and ready to play his best football.
LSU: LSU went 8-5 last season for two reasons. No. 1, the Tigers could never settle on a quarterback. It took most of the season for freshman Jordan Jefferson to grow into the job and now it appears LSU is set at the position. No. 2, head coach Les Miles made a major mistake by not hiring a proven defensive coordinator to replace the departed (to Nebraska) Bo Pelini. The Tigers finished ninth in the SEC in total defense (325.5 ypg). Miles has corrected that mistake by hiring veteran DC John Chavis. Over the years Chavis has proven that when he has good athletes, particularly up front, his defense is pretty good. LSU has a bunch of really good athletes in its program. The only thing that kept me from picking the Tigers to win the division was the schedule: They have to go to Georgia, Alabama, and Ole Miss while getting No. 1 Florida at home (on Oct. 10).
OLE MISS: The Rebels are getting a lot of love and they should. They have the second best quarterback (Jevan Snead) in the SEC and a bunch of guys who can make plays. They also have the best schedule among the SEC West contenders as Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and LSU all come to Oxford. Florida rotated off the schedule and Tennessee came on. But there are a couple of issues that keep me from jumping on the Ole Miss bandwagon. One is physical. Ole Miss has to replace a first-round draft choice (tackle Michael Oher) on the offensive line and first-round draft choice (tackle Peria Jerry) on the defensive line. Bobbie Massie, a big-time recruit, could wind up at that offensive tackle position. If Jerrell Powe, who has been waiting in the wings for a long time, can come through at the defensive tackle spot, the Rebels may be okay. The other concern I have for Ole Miss is psychological. Ever since the Rebels upset Florida (31-30) last year in Gainesville they have been billed as the “next big thing” in this league. Ole Miss is pretty much a consensus Top 10 pick in the preseason. This is a different mindset for the Ole Miss football program. How it handles the hype remains to be seen.
ARKANSAS: Despite having the worst defense in the SEC last season (375.2 yards per game), Arkansas finally started looking like an SEC football team in the second half of 2008. Three of the final four losses in a 5-7 season were by a total of six points to Kentucky (21-20), Ole Miss (23-21) and Mississippi State (31-28). Then the Hogs upset LSU 31-30 to finish the season. There are a couple of reasons I believe Arkansas will make a significant step forward in Bobby Petrino’s second year. The defense will be better because it has to be. Nine starters return and some new talent is coming in to help. The offense will be better because Petrino now has a quarterback (Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett) who knows how to run it. Petrino also went out and got some help for running back Michael Smith, who rushed for 1,072 yards last season but took a considerable pounding to his small frame (5-7, 173 pounds). Arkansas is still waiting to see if Southern Cal transfer Broderick Green (6-1, 242) will be eligible for the fall. The schedule, however, is a bear with trips to Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, and LSU.
AUBURN: New coach Gene Chizik insists that the program will be built methodically with no short cuts. That is an admirable goal, but it means that Auburn is probably going to take its lumps in the short term. No question that Chizik is trying to shake things up with the hiring of Gus Malzhan as his offensive coordinator. Malzhan’s offense put up huge numbers at Tulsa but I’m not convinced that any of the quarterbacks he had in camp this spring can run the offense as it is drawn up. Will Auburn get frustrated and turn to a true freshman like Tyrik Rollison? The offensive line looks a little thin to me and I don’t see a whole of big plays from the wide receiver position. It doesn’t help that WR Tim Hawthorne broke his foot and will be out for at least four weeks. The defense is still a work in progress but there are some hopeful signs for new DC Ted Roof. Auburn is going to need to play good, consistent defense while the offense tries to figure out what it is doing. Auburn gets a break in scheduling because first four games (Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, West Virginia, Ball State) are at home.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Like Auburn, Mississippi State is trying to install and entirely new offensive system without the proven talent to run it. Dan Mullen, the former OC at Florida, takes over as head coach but there are no Tim Tebows to be found in Starkville. Senior Tyson Lee is the guy until true freshman Tyler Russell arrives in August. Russell was Mr. Football in the state of Mississippi last season and looks like the perfect athlete to run Mullen’s system. But will Mullen entrust the team to a true freshman out of the gate? There also seems to be a dearth of guys who can catch the ball. The defense will be run by veteran Carl Torbush, who will take five returning starters and try to make something of it. Four of Mississippi State’s first five games are against Auburn, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Georgia Tech. It looks like a pretty bumpy first year for Mullen.
Programming note: Today I am in Florence, Ala., where Terry Bowden is now the new head coach at Northern Alabama. Later today I’ll be sitting down for a roundtable with all of the Bowden coaches: Terry, Bobby, Tommy, and Jeff. I’ll have a report for you on Wednesday.
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257 comments Add your comment
m
July 14th, 2009
8:50 am
It is a good thing that Utah isn’t in the sec…because they would obviously win the sec west hands down.
sec….floriduh and the 11 dwarfs.
Anonymous
July 14th, 2009
9:02 am
Little “m,”
If I thought you were that clever, I might suspect that you were a Dawg fan with a twisted sense of humor, since you do such a fine job of embarrassing Georgia Tech alumni and fans on the AJC blogs. How does it feel to know you are shunned by your fellow fans of the team you support?
Do you have any sense of just how childish your comments are? Your attempts to provoke Dawg fans and others have reached the level of good, old-fashioned silliness. You are a cartoon.
Miles
July 14th, 2009
9:09 am
Unlike the SEC East, predicting the top team in the SEC West is actally pretty difficult…I’ll go with LSU…Jordan Jefferson is a well kept secret…
Atlanta Gator
July 14th, 2009
9:13 am
Well, with regard to the SEC Western Division, I can say with great certainty, confidence, knowledge and insight that I have absolutely no idea which team is going to win the division in 2009.
I am confident that the West winner will be one of Alabama, LSU or Ole Miss, but would not bet the ranch on any of them. Arkansas has the potential to play the spoiler, but does not have the horses to challenge for supremacy. Auburn is in the first year of a new coaching regime, and has a lot of rebuilding to do. Ditto for Mississippi State, and even more so.
Of the three contenders, LSU has the hardest schedule, playing Florida at home and Georgia in Athens. Ole Miss and its coach have a history of not being able to win the big games win they matter most. Alabama must replace its starting quarterback and any number of key offensive and defensive starters, but has ample young talent. None of these three teams is perfect, none is overwhelmingly dominant, and all have the potential to step up and seize the crown. It’s going to be fun, competitive football to watch.
m
July 14th, 2009
9:13 am
Tony,
Finish the ACC before you start harping on the over-rated SEC and their gomers. What about UConn? Write it down, the Jackets will play UConn in Orlando for the ACCC.
m
July 14th, 2009
9:13 am
Tech’s ACC schedule is so tough that they needed some patsies to play in their non-conference schedule.
So where best to find patsies then the sec….ugag, vannerbilt and mippy pippy st. Too bad we play Jacksonville St. in the other game…it would be nice to drop them and pick up one of the other sec patsies like alabammer or tennnersee or awBARN.
Tech, the only team in the nation to play THREE sec patsies.
45-42….glad it hurts so bad.
m
July 14th, 2009
9:15 am
m imposter alert:
Please note that m at 9:13 is a crybaby imposter.
m
July 14th, 2009
9:15 am
Note that the 9:13 post wasn’t me, just another mutt loser.
MiltonDawg
July 14th, 2009
9:15 am
Ole Miss will be the dark horse in the division. Bama’s QB is unproven and has questions marks all over him, just like LSU. Auburn will have it’s struggles again with new HC & OC. Miss St will upset GT!!
M?? know your conferences buddy. UCONN is Big East GT Genius!!
On Probation??
July 14th, 2009
9:18 am
Tiger fans are excited over the possibility of having one of the most explosive offenses in the nation with Jordan Jefferson at quarterback, Charles Scott, Keiland Williams and Richard Murphy returning as the three featured running backs, and Brandon LaFell, Terrance Tolliver, Trindon Holliday and Rueben Randle as the primary wide receivers. Also, Richard Dickson returns as perhaps the best receiving tight end in the SEC and Mitch Joseph as one of the best blocking tight ends in the conference. Keiland Williams, Trindon Holliday and possible Morris Claiborne will be returning kicks and Chad Jones and Holliday will be returning punts. If the team can cut the interceptions down to half and not turn the ball over with fumbles, the LSU offense will be very good. In my opinion, if Jefferson has the kind of year he is capable of having, the Tigers will be playing in a BCS game next January.
On defense, Tiger fans are looking forward to seeing Chad Jones and Patrick Peterson have break out years. Jones could be one of the top safeties in the SEC, and Peterson could very well be the best cornerback in the SEC. Tiger fans are also looking forward to seeing Harry Coleman play outside linebacker.
LSU’s defensive line is a question mark at this time. LSU will have to replace Tyson Jackson, Marlon Favorite, Kirston Pittman, Tremaine Johnson and Ricky Jean Francois. Rahim Alem will be one of the top defensive ends in the SEC, but after Alem it looks a little scary. Drake Nevis, Charles Alexander, Pep Levingston and Al Woods all look great in uniform, but have been a bit disappointing on the playing field. I expect redshirt freshmen Chase Clement, Cordian Hagans, Chancy Aghayere and Sidell Corley to see lots of playing time early in the season before the start of SEC play. If the above redshirt defensive lineman are not getting the job done, I would not be surprised to see Sam Montgomery and Chris Davenport receive plenty of playing time.
I believe LSU will be stronger at linebacker than they have been in the last six years. I really like Coleman and I expect Jacob Cutrera, Kelvin Shepard, Perry Riley and Ryan Baker to have break out seasons. I also expect Ace Foyil to have a great season as a second team linebacker and a special teams players. I mentioned Jones and Peterson in the defensive backfield as potential stars and I also expect Chris Hawkins, Ron Brooks and Jai Eugene to play very well
LSU Baseball National & SEC Champions
July 14th, 2009
9:18 am
Tigers win SECW
Geaux Tigers!!!
Anonymous
July 14th, 2009
9:21 am
Little “m,”
The sad truth is no one can tell the difference between you and your imposters. Nor does anyone really care, frankly. You and your imposters are equally without redeeming qualities of any kind.
Gen Neyland
July 14th, 2009
9:21 am
Miles is right. The SEC West has a problem the East doesn’t. We have Florida…Chavis’ defenses can play. Last year at Tennessee, his D was on the field for 70% of any given game and I never saw a guy cramp up. They had one of the better D’s in college football and I expect Chavis to use what he inherited at LSU to the fullest extent. CJC’s defenses will bend but it’s hard to break them drive after drive. The LSU offense has had a year to realign themselves and CLM will get her chugging in 2009. Yeah, the West is gonna be a lot of fun to us observers from the East but I’m giving the nod to LSU and not because of a one game show against GT. Yet I will admit, there is a place in my heart to see Ole Miss top the heap.
Otto
July 14th, 2009
9:22 am
LSU’s QB has not proven much and Arkansas’s early schedule is brutal for a young team that had a terrible defense. Ole Miss and Bama fight it out for 1st. LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas fight it out for 3rd.
Otto
July 14th, 2009
9:23 am
Will CJC’s defense bend like the UCLA game last year?
CrimsonRedScarlett
July 14th, 2009
9:25 am
When will all the prognosticators take note that home field is virtually meaningless in the Alabama-LSU and Auburn-Georgia games?
Before a new airport was built, going to Fayetteville was a miserable road game for everybody.
SimpleDawg
July 14th, 2009
9:26 am
Does Georgy Tech have a place for their little morons to go to and post their petty thoughts.
These little pricks seem to have an inferiority complex regarding the SEC in general and UGA specifically.
You little yeller fellers should really get a life.
Bama Aaron
July 14th, 2009
9:28 am
Ole Miss is not the great team that people are making them out to be. I promise you Nutt will lose at least 2 that he shouldn’t. LSU will be Bama’s main rival for the west this year and I don’t think they have the talent to get it done.
Alabama will meet UF in the Dome again this year. The Tide’s question marks aren’t all that much. New QB will step in with more talent than the old one…for those that don’t know he just outshown McCoy, Bradford and others at the Manning QB camp. Once the O-line is set this team will be very, very difficult to beat.
One-Liners For 7/14/09 | MrSEC.com
July 14th, 2009
9:30 am
[...] get a million pageviews and calls from Rebel fans because of it. Just as he desires.You can read his explanations and team-by-team previews right here, but here’s The AJC’s Tony Barnhart’s picks for the SEC West: Alabama, LSU, Ole [...]
DawginLex
July 14th, 2009
9:38 am
m’s obsession with UGA continues. Did a UGA guy steal your girl? Oh wait, blow up dolls don’t count……………..
Atl aufan
July 14th, 2009
9:42 am
I like LSU to win the division or maybe Ole Miss will finally get their shot. Meanwhile I don’t think Auburn has a much rebuilding as everyone thinks. Tubbs left the program in decent shape but Tony is right about the QB situation. If we get decent play out of them we could go 8-4 or 9-3.
CJW80
July 14th, 2009
9:42 am
QB play in SEC is huge, almost every team in SEC has great Defense, Rb, Wr were the SEC we get great talent, We found out the hard way after we had to kick our starting QB of the team last year and play a combo of Freshman. Therefore I will say 1. Ole Miss–best QB in the West, lost best defensive player to Falcons, but easy schedule should help
2. LSU– Defense is going to be sick, QB Jefferson has alot of weapons around him and liked his play agaunst GT in peachbowl, horrible schedule.
3. Alabama– great D , to many pieces to replace on offense ( even the great Nick Satan had down years at LSU, Alabama fans are going to find that out and come back to reality)
Nick "Satan" Saban
July 14th, 2009
9:43 am
Thank god we don’t play in Athens this year… damn that blackout was intimidating.
Rebel Rouser
July 14th, 2009
9:45 am
Ole Piss will win the west. Alabama will go 0-13.
UGA National Champions 2009!
Git R Done! 5000 people work for me.
RR
Will
July 14th, 2009
9:49 am
I think LSU, Bama and Ole Miss are all right there together. So to me it comes down to schedules. And that clearly favors Bama. So I am going with them as bad as I hate it. The rematch in Atlanta will be a pretty good one.
JaxDawg
July 14th, 2009
9:52 am
Ole Miss is the solid pick to win the west when you take a look at their schedules.
Ole Miss gets Bama, Ark, Tenn,& LSU at home, their road schedule is: Memphis, SC, Vandy, Aub, and Miss St.
Bama is next as they rotate Kent and SC as their changable east teams, get Tenn at home, but do have to play @Miss
LSU has an uphill battle: back to back @UGA, then FL & have to play @Miss. Vandy could be a dangerous game coming after opening at Washington and playing at 10:00pm, very late game & cross country travel could hurt.
LSU has a ton of talent, but with that schedule, I think it will be a two team race between Bama and Ole Miss, but have to give the edge to Miss because of their schedule.
David
July 14th, 2009
9:52 am
Ole Miss, Alabama (may have the best SEC team by the end of the year), LSU, Ark, Auburn, Miss State puppies
JB
July 14th, 2009
9:57 am
My vote is LSU………..Any team that can do what they did to the unbeatable, all world Tech team got my Attention……..Bee’s still trying to heal their stingers…..Dwyer went to end zone AFTER the peach bowl ( chik’n bowl whatever) just to sniff it………
JB
July 14th, 2009
9:59 am
by the way…….i’ve watched the replay of LSU/Tech bowl game twice this summer and enjoyed it both times….It’s a real pick me up for the off season !
MyWhiskeyClear
July 14th, 2009
10:03 am
With a sibling matriculating at the Capstone in the Fall I now feel a loose connection with the University of Alabama. So, with that I feel entitled to an opinion on the SEC West. I believe that Ole Miss is definitely riding high emotionally with the generous preseason ranking and the upset of Florida last season, but with Oher and others gone the line play could suffer. And against some of the best O and D-lines in the country they will need to either find more grown men or some real scrappers to fill those gaps. Being a Tech fan who attended that miserable Peach Bowl I happen to believe that LSU is legit now that they’ve settled on a QB. I do not know if Bama will live up to last year’s success but if they do I will have one very delighted sister and high hopes for the upcoming series that pits them against my Jackets. As far as fanship…I gotta pull for Ole Miss. Call me a lover of underdogs when it comes to title shots. As a longtime Tech fan I come by it honestly.
MyWhiskeyClear
July 14th, 2009
10:05 am
JB, breathe, son. Calm yourself. Who are you so angry at? Tech isn’t in the SEC anymore. And they’re not scheduled to play LSU this year.
Will
July 14th, 2009
10:06 am
Tony-
Good read and I think it will be a toss up between the 3.
George-
Alabama and Auburn virtually play the same schedule except Bama plays #15 Va Tach and au plays #23 West Va. Also the only surprise for auburn is that Chizik will stop his 10 game losing streak sometime this season.
jabster
July 14th, 2009
10:06 am
Auburn and Missy State will play each other for the SECW basement.
JB: Did you actually get all the way to the end of the Peach Bowl before your “happy ending”? I don’t believe for a second you watched it to enjoy a good football game.
joe
July 14th, 2009
10:13 am
oh geez tony…get out of bed with Urban and Nick. To shun Ole Miss is a slap in the face. Give other teams credit instead of the gator-Bama love affair with the media. Sick of it……Who beat Fla last year??? who beats Fla the year after a NC???
JB
July 14th, 2009
10:13 am
Jabster, I just fast forwarded to the good parts….it only takes about 45 minutes to watch it with Comcast DVR…….great stuff……
JB
July 14th, 2009
10:15 am
whiskey….it’s the Rings and m…..hope ya’ll have a good year…….
Jeff
July 14th, 2009
10:16 am
Yeah Tony….how about the UTES!!! to take a note from the arragant bama fans…..what was it at the half??????????????????????????????????????? hmm…bama made the SEC look soooooo good didnt they. Pick em “Mr. College football”….hahahaha a titale that’s almost as funny as what Utah did to bama on national TV
Bamafan
July 14th, 2009
10:16 am
LSU and Alabama will fight it out for the SEC west title. If Alabama’s
offense line can get better as the season goes on the crimson tide can
win the west and give the gators a dog fight for the title.
bank walker
July 14th, 2009
10:18 am
I have to disagree big Tone. I am liking LSU, Ole Miss, and then Bama in the West. I think LSU will have a good defense under Chavis.
War Eagle Beagle
July 14th, 2009
10:19 am
Arkansas will finish no worse than 3rd in the west. I could even see a better finish for them if all the chips fall right. Petrino is going to have that team ready to play. The defense is going to be alot better, and the offense will be one of the best in the country. It is going to be a long year for my Tigers, but Arkansas fans have alot to look forward to. Houston Nutt will choke like he always does when he is actually picked to do something. The tide will probably win the West but watch out for the Hogs.
MyWhiskeyClear
July 14th, 2009
10:23 am
I’m right there with you on ‘m’…As for the bowl rings that had the ‘HATE game’ score engraved inside them by vote of the Tech seniors as kind of a highlight of their season, well, I don’t think it hurt anyone….especially you. Thanks for the well wishes on the season. I’d love to see the day that a rivalry like Tech-Ga or AU-UA is a top 5 match-up. Of, course that means each team has to have a great season.
JB
July 14th, 2009
10:29 am
thanks whiskey……by the way….i’ve never seen a post from a Tech person say, ‘hope ya’ll have a good year”…..you could make history and be the first ?
KR
July 14th, 2009
10:29 am
Since all of the amateur prognosticators are weighing in, I’ll give it a shot.
Mississippi State will have moments of glory, but they still have a firm grip on the bottom of the list.
Arkansas is a genuine middle of the pack team. Ole Miss isn’t as good as their hype would have you believe. Auburn isn’t as bad as they are made out to be. It’s a toss-up between these three teams for positions 3, 4 & 5.
Alabama and LSU are toss-ups as well. However, Bama’s softer schedule makes them the favorite to win the SEC West.
WAR EAGLE!
WTF???
July 14th, 2009
10:29 am
HAWGS & DAWGS IN THE DOME……
Not really, but it’s a thought…
Capstone Report » A couple of other links & thoughts
July 14th, 2009
10:30 am
[...] Barnhart picks Alabama to win the SEC West. Barnhart writes, “The reason I like Alabama in this division is that that Tide is not going to need that many [...]
Paddy
July 14th, 2009
10:31 am
ANYBODY but Arkansas. You know “that coach” still lives down there. Hope they lose them all until he leaves. Which could be anytime and for sure in the middle of the night.
Jake Adams
July 14th, 2009
10:34 am
If I understand you correctly, Tony, you are picking Alabama and LSU over Ole Miss because you don’t think Ole Miss can handle the “hype”?
http://www.theolemissblog.com
gdawginkalamazoo
July 14th, 2009
10:44 am
“The defense will be better because it has to be”. Tony, good one. Ranks right up there with “let’s win one for the gipper”.
I see LSU winning the West now that they have the QB settled and as the General said Chavis running the D. He has always had good defenses and LSU in recent years has always had the talent. That Florida game will be one wild atmosphere. I just don’t see the love for Bama and Ole Miss with all the replacements. Especially Bama at QB. No matter the “talent” that is one tough position to show up in and make progress your first year. Look at Stafford and Tebow when they first stepped in. Give the Bama QB a year to adjust then put them back up there.
Tony Barnhart
July 14th, 2009
10:45 am
Jake Adams,
As I said in my comments, the ability of Ole Miss to handle being a favorite, a new position for the Rebels, is just part of it. Losing two first-round draft choices, one on each line, is also a factor. I would love to be wrong on Ole Miss, because I have a great deal of respect for Houston Nutt and for the school. But right now that’s the way I see it.
TB
Aaron Henderson
July 14th, 2009
10:45 am
So far, Ole Miss’s car accident can play major havoc with their team, and basing their season on a big bowl game seems a bit premature. So, I’d say they’d finish 3rd.
The Alabama/LSU dogfight is for 1st…. and quite honestly, the team to beat is Alabama. They had some tough losses in personel – it’s college football, everyone has losses! but what they have coming back can more than make up for it. Their defense will be just as stout, and it’s not like Greg McElroy is just in off the cotton fields… he’s been in the system, he knows what he needs to do, and having a big stable of running backs will help, as well as having the best receiver in the SEC in Julio Jones… he put up numbers last year when he knew he was going to be double teamed…. and look how good he was… this year, the sky’s the limit for him.
And, I would love to see the rematch of Bama/Florida….. It would be time for the Tide to roll…..
Otto
July 14th, 2009
10:58 am
LSU may have the team for 2nd but they don’t have the schedule.
Bama and Ole Miss fight it out for 1st.
LSU due to schedule and Jefferson being better than the last year’s QB but still not great will fall to fighting with an improved Auburn and Arky for 3rd.
Arkansas’s early schedule I think will drop them to 5th.
Auburn has a solid QB in Caudle. Give him the snaps and stop messing around with Burns.
Tony Barnhart
July 14th, 2009
11:04 am
Joe,
If I’m in bed with Urban Meyer, I’ve got a lot of company. The fact is that Florida has virtually everybody back from a national championship team. The Gators are No. 1 in every preseason poll that I’ve seen. I went down there for two days and watched them practice in the spring. So I think my pick of Florida in the SEC East is a reasonable one based on the information I’ve gathered.
I made my case for the pick of Alabama in the West. It is not a slap in the face to not pick another team. As I told somebody else, I hope I’m wrong about Ole Miss because it would be neat to see them finally get to Atlanta. But that is not what I see right now.
TB
m
July 14th, 2009
11:04 am
Tony,
The ACC plays the sec in 7 regular season games. Last year the ACC beat the sec 6 out of 10 in the regular season.
You want to make a little wager that the ACC kicks the sec’s arse again??
Tony Barnerheart picks the SECW - SECTalk Forums
July 14th, 2009
11:04 am
[...] [...]
obomaisaclown
July 14th, 2009
11:05 am
BAMA WILL REC. SECOND LETTER LOI WHICH WILL UPSET The SEASON AS TALK OF PROBATION AND SABAN LEAVING WILL BE TO MUCH OLDE MISS AND LSU WILL BATTLE FOR ATLANTA , WITH OLDE MISS WITH THE BETTER QB WINS
bill
July 14th, 2009
11:08 am
Tony,
Terry Bowden is now the head coach at NORTH Alabama (UNA stands for the University of North Alabama), not Northern Alabama.
Enjoy your trip to Florence. Stop by Trowbridges right down the street from campus for some ice cream.
MyWhiskeyClear
July 14th, 2009
11:10 am
JB, thanks. I expect the main difference you’re noticing is that I went to Tech and am the social type (not as rare as everyone believes, but Tech isn’t the way it was 20 years ago). Anyway, it’s two birds with one stone since most Tech fans on these blogs seem to age between 10 and 16 and choose to root for Tech as a way to rebel against the norm or something. Since that’s the situation it makes sense that they can’t muster up a “have a good season” for a neighboring team. Actually attending Tech helps one realize that all the “To Hell With Georgia” stuff is not meant to go far enough to prevent communicating intelligibly with our rivals…how would any work ever get done in companies like Coke, Chick-Fil-A or Home Depot that hire many graduates of both schools? No, hatred without boundaries is the mark of fools.
Now, back to the topic at hand, in the SEC West it’s Geaux Tigers or Roll Tide!
Get Real
July 14th, 2009
11:12 am
There is NO way I see that NUTT or ole miss for that matter being able to live up to this expectations. The NUTT never has. He is great at sneaking up on people but losing what they lost on the offensive and defensive lines is gonna hurt even with who they got coming back. I believe LSU will take the West this year. Too much talent. Oh yea “Nick “Satan” Saban I sure wish UGA could play in that arm pit called tuscaloosa again. When was our last lost there? What year was it?
m
July 14th, 2009
11:12 am
Please note that the post 11:04 is another mutt imposter, they just can’t deal with it.
m
July 14th, 2009
11:17 am
Tony,
The wager could go like this:
If the sec beats the acc, then I agree not to post on your blog for a year.
If the acc beats the sec (again), then you agree to drop the idiotic Mr. College Football title and replace it with Mr. SEC homer-gomer.
Deal?
Charles
July 14th, 2009
11:19 am
Tough call in the West…don’t think Bama can win it with that O-line though. Their defense will keep them in games, but they’re going to struggle on offense this year.
I believe LSU will win it, despite Miles.
Matt
July 14th, 2009
11:20 am
OnProbation??— you should site your source. You ripped your comment directly from dandydon.com. Yeah, I read it everyday. It’s the post from 7/10/09
Some Morning Links | Blogging on the Arkansas Razorbacks
July 14th, 2009
11:20 am
[...] Who is going to win the SEC West this year? Tony Barnhart weighs in with his opinion on his blog this morning. Barnhart lists the predications [...]
Got 12?
July 14th, 2009
11:21 am
In discussions regarding the top of the division, forget about Auburn, Arkansas, and Miss St, this year.
LSU’s schedule is too tough and they’re not that good as a team. They have great individual talent. And don’t read too much into the bowl victory. They lost 3 out of their last 4 to close the regular season. The only victory in that stretch was a come-from-behind game over Troy at LSU.
It’s Bama or Ole Miss. Both have favorable schedules. While both have holes to fill, Bama, by far, has the better defense. So, Bama wins the West.
gdawginkalamazoo
July 14th, 2009
11:21 am
Tony or a Bama fan can somebody tell us who Bama has coming in at QB with experience? This is a legit question. I think I missed something on that one. Because without the expereinced QB (either long time in the program and familiarity with the offense etc, or just being a God gifted athletic talent) I don’t see Bama pulling it off. Again maybe next year.
It would be nice to see Nutt win the West after what the Arky people put him through but LSU seems poised to win, especially after the dismal season last year.
Nachos - the "disgrace" to all 'Bama fans
July 14th, 2009
11:22 am
bama might lose 1 or 2 but they will back in the dome come first of December.
Vince Neil 4 president
Michael Z
July 14th, 2009
11:23 am
So Utah would win the SEC West, huh? That’s like saying that Ole Miss should have won the national title last year since they beat UF. If you can’t see the difference between a one-game upset (against a team missing most of its OL, no less) and a sustained championship run that requires a team to play SEC competition week after week, then perhaps you should take up another hobby.
Disappointed
July 14th, 2009
11:25 am
Tony send me some of that, which you have been smoking!! No way Alabama wins the west. Ole Miss, & LSU has a lot of fire power. Respect the Strength. Hell, I do.
“Ramblin Wreck until I die!”
On Probation??
July 14th, 2009
11:25 am
Tony didn’t you pick uga to win the SEC and BCS last year??
So bama fans don’t start order your SEC Championhisp or BCS tickets yet….just asked the uga fans….
Got 12?
July 14th, 2009
11:25 am
Kalamazoo,
Our starting QB, Greg McElroy, is a fourth-year junior. That is both a “long time in the program and familiarity with the offense.”
Nachos - the "disgrace" to all 'Bama fans
July 14th, 2009
11:27 am
Disappointed – go walk down the “screet” and get robbed you Tech douche rocket.
#1 BAMA FAN
July 14th, 2009
11:28 am
Tony, you have it correct BAMA will win the West and battle the GATORS for the SEC. Hey “m” need to check the upcoming schedules because GT and BAMA are going to meet and then you won’t have much to say. RTR
The Recruiting Guy » Blog Archive » The Wild, Wild West
July 14th, 2009
11:28 am
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/barnhart-college-football/2009/07/14/alabama-will-win-the-wild-wild-sec-west/?c... [...]
Warrior Eagle....
July 14th, 2009
11:29 am
bama win the SEC West….you talking about…..the payroll tide….criminal tide….tuskaloosers….probation city usa….?
nope…no can do…..lost 2 all american o linemen….qb (even though it was sarah parker wilson…) a couple of high profile coaches….(in a fizzy…)….just don’t see it….
UF is a lock in the East…but the West…..flip a coin….UM or LSU
Plain Truth
July 14th, 2009
11:30 am
Tony, Your justification of why Ole Miss won’t win the West is exactly the way I feel about Alabama. Bama must replace seven starters on offense that includes an NFL first round offensive tackle, their QB, and starting running back.Ole Miss returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense. Including their starting QB,all three running backs, both WR’s and add Bobbie Massie to the mix to an offensive line that returns three starters and two back ups. Alabamas defense is good…not great and struggled in games against the better teams they played in the SEC. Terrence Cody is way over rated. If you watched the Bama games, most teams ran right at him.I would rate their defensive line behind Georgias, Floridas and Ole Miss (especially with the addition of Jerrell Powe). We’ll see how good Bama is in their first game. Va. Tech will be a good test and I expect the the Hokies to win a close battle.I see Bama losing 3 or 4 games…Saban teams always seem to disappoint their fans when expectations are high. Either LSU or Ole Miss will win the West….Tony…you need to quit drinking the Alabama Kool Aid…Saban is not as great a coach as you media folks make him out to be and Alabama has many weaknesses …both Florida and Utah showed everyone that last year.
Rebel Rouser
July 14th, 2009
11:31 am
Sorry guys I haven’t been here. Was closing another million dollar deal for my company. You know I manage 50,000 employees right??? My DeKalb Junior College certificate has done wonders for me.
Georgia was robbed in the blackout game
Mutts 2009 NATL CHAMPS
RR
Warrior Eagle...
July 14th, 2009
11:32 am
Michael Jackson was my hero. I love sleeping in my bed with little boys. Gene Chizik best coach in the country.
Wawwwwwwwwwwww eagle
Otto
July 14th, 2009
11:36 am
gdawginkalamazoo, who has a more experienced QB in the west?
Arkansas? Mallet had his moment in the big house but this is a new system and Arkansas has not defense.
LSU? Jefferson put 38 on GT big deal. UGA put 42 on them and took the 3rd quarter off. He didn’t look that great against Arkansas. Also LSU’s strength in their championship years is their DL which has plenty of new players.
Auburn hasn’t decided on a QB and nobody is even watching Miss. St.
Ole Miss, yes finally a sold QB. I hate to say it but Ole Miss handling the pressure is a big question mark. However they do have the schedule to help them out. Finebaum points out today when ‘09 Auburn is your toughest road game, you have an easy schedule for the SEC.
So yes I think a 4th year Jr behind a big Bama OL and another good defense can win the west. McElroy has more raw talent than JPW ever had and that is not knocking JP. Will they beat UF? I highly doubt it.
Long Dawg
July 14th, 2009
11:38 am
M, you are as dumb as our are jelous. The ACC vs SEC was 6 and 6 last year. Why do you not include the bowl games? Because Tech got humiliated by LSU that’s why. Also, 50% of the ACCs wins were against two SEC teams, Mississipi State and Vanderbilt.I’ll bet you tech loses 2 out of 3 of their SEC games this year and the for sure one will be in Atlanta in November. Payback is gonna be a bitch.
BCS Champs Again
July 14th, 2009
11:39 am
Russell Sheppard…aka Percy Harvin with an Arm at QB…will take LSU to the SEC West championhip…..
dan
July 14th, 2009
11:40 am
As a UGA fan I can say that Sanford Stadium has never been much of a homefield advantage for the Dawgs. I’m worried about that LSU game in October. They’re very talented and if UGA doesn’t come into that game with their heads on straight, they will get blown out. Also, it wouldn’t shock me if Auburn came into Athens and beat UGA this year. That Ben Tate is the real deal, and Auburn is as talented as anyone on defense. And if our defense continues to play half ass football, Auburn will come in there and make us look bad. The point I’m making here: UGA better not assume that they will have an instant W against any team from the West.
Matt
July 14th, 2009
11:43 am
Jefferson put 38 on GT as a true Freshman in only his second start. With all the weapons around him, all he has to do is avoid become Jarrett “Pick-6″ Lee. The LSU offense is going to be very explosive and yes Russell Sheppard will have a lot to do with it.
On defense, last year was dissapointing to say the least but because of the that suckfest, a ton of younger players saw action. This year may feature 5 or 6 new staters but they all have played a good amount of ball in games that matter. This D, lead by Chavis, is going to be very scary next year.
The West comes down to the winner of LSU-Ole Miss. Those are the two teams with the least amount of questions. LSU almost beat Bama last year but instead gave the game away.
alabamadawg
July 14th, 2009
11:43 am
Since Saban signed 85 players in his three recruiting classes at Bama, just exactly how many does he have to give out this year ??? Considering 85 is all you can have at any given time on your team…LSU wins the west…Chavis is the difference maker…
coachdawg 2000
July 14th, 2009
11:44 am
I will qualify my comment by saying am a lifelong bulldog fan and alumnus. We’ve lost BIG gmaes to all of the sec teams at one time or another so therefore i hate them all equally. That being said i feel that i can be impartial because i don’t have a special hatred like I do for the EAST (BUT I ADMIT fLORIDA IS THE CLASS OF THE entire college football world,THIS YEAR). I think that LSU is going to win the West Talent is talent, and eventhough Saban has pput together 3 excellent classes,Mile had a 2 year head start on him. So I think that peole are discounted the impact of losing an excellent(at least in 2008)game manager that JPW was. Ole Miss looks like a team that should take it but I just get the feeling that they are little bit more pretender than contender (kind of like UGA 2008). The “right reverend) doesn’t have a track record for handling hype very well. WATCH OUT FOR ARKANSAS! I hate their coach but teams usually take off in the second year under a new coach (Bama 2008,UGA 2002). I don’t think they will win it but i think they will play a huge factor in who does(thye seem to play bama and lsu tough). Auburn (why did y’all fire Tuberville, but thanks for doing so) and mississippi state are non-factors.
So here’s my pick:
1. LSU
2.Bama
3.Ole Miss
4.Arkansas
5.Auburn
6.Starkville Imposters
Long Dawg
July 14th, 2009
11:45 am
Back to the subject. I agree with Tony. Alabama is going to win the West. LSU’s schedule is just too tough and just because they beat Tech 38 to 3 doesn’t mean they have arrived. Les Miles is still the most over rated coach in the SEC, their quarterback is still unproven except against a mid tier ACC team and John Chavis just ain’t gonna have the chemistry with the players he had at Tennessee.
gdawginkalamazoo
July 14th, 2009
11:49 am
Otto, thanks. I really had no idea who the backup was at Bama. Okay I can agree that a 4th year junior can cut it. But still a first year starter it will be tough.
Otto
July 14th, 2009
11:52 am
Coach you are correct Les had a head start and those players are gone.
As stated above:
LSU’s defensive line is a question mark at this time. LSU will have to replace Tyson Jackson, Marlon Favorite, Kirston Pittman, Tremaine Johnson and Ricky Jean Francois
You are a life long UGA fan so you should know what turnover on DL can do to a team.
Jefferson does not have much more experince than McElroy at Bama.
LSU also has to play UF and UGA which Ole Miss and Bama do not.
The turnover on DL, a new DC, an unproven QB, and one of the harder schedules in the SEC west drops LSU to 3rd.
dan
July 14th, 2009
11:55 am
As for my SEC WEST Predictions
I’m going to say either LSU or Ole Miss. Ole Miss reminds me a lot of UGA in 2002 in that they were learning how to win in 2001 and put it all together in 2002( UGA also had some great NFL players that didn’t come back in 2002 like Randy McMichael, Charles Grant, and Will Witherspoon).
But here’s the thing: I want to see Florida lose, and between Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss, I feel LSU has the best shot at beating them. I can see a scenario where Florida beats LSU in the regular season( especially since they have a bye), and then they play a 10-2 LSU team in the SEC Championship and lose. It’s almost identical to 2001 when Tennessee went 11-1, beat LSU during the regular season, and lost to them in the SEC Championship.
If Ole Miss or Bama played Florida, the media would naturally bring up how Florida lost to Ole Miss the year before and how “epic” last year’s game versus Bama was. If that happens, Florida will be ready and blow both of those teams out. But if they already beat LSU once in the regular season, and especially if that game is close; then I think the Gators will have a tough time in a rematch with the Tigers.
Otto
July 14th, 2009
11:58 am
gdawginkalamazoo, Thanks and I agree it will be tough. However, everyone in the west but Ole Miss has some major question marks.
McElroy was a heavily recruited QB out of Texas who followed Chase Daniel in HS brekaing his records. The rating services like him yes as we know that can turn out either way. He has made some very nice throws in the limited playing time he has had.
BCS Champs Again
July 14th, 2009
12:02 pm
bama will destroy the hokies…in atlanta…the question is will thye beat them as bad as lsu di…56-7? who is bama’s back up qb….cause he will be seeing some action early this year…..
ldavis
July 14th, 2009
12:04 pm
people in arkansas are pretty excited about the potential football team we will field this year.
mallett has had a year to just sit and learn Bobby Petrino’s offense. He will be good to go.
our running back situation is solved.
our oline is deeper.
we have the best pass catching TE in the SEC.
our receivers are young and very talented.
the defense will absolutely be tons better than last year. we are going to score a lot of points this year, so if they can just improve some we will be fine.
our front seven returns and we’ve added 3 four star defensive backs to the mix (2 jucos).
people in arkansas aren’t calling SEC champ or anything, but we have a chance to do some big things this year.
but the sched. is very brutal indeed.
Matt
July 14th, 2009
12:04 pm
LSU beat VT 41-7
gdawginkalamazoo
July 14th, 2009
12:05 pm
Otto, the game time experience would be my concern. He will have to get out to the gate quickly and successfully to build a ton of confidence. My same concerns that I have with Joe Cox. I haven’t looked at Bama’s schedule yet but Joe will have to come out on fire against OSU if we have a chance to win that one. IMO I think he can get it done.
David
July 14th, 2009
12:07 pm
My gut feeling is LSU will bounce back big time this year. I think they will beat UF and beat UGA in the SEC championshiop to make it to the BCS championship. I’m not sold on Ole Miss for some reason.
1. LSU 7-1
2. Alabama 6-2
3. Ole Miss 5-3
4. Arkansas 4-4
5. Auburn 1-7
6. Miss St 1-7
Matt
July 14th, 2009
12:07 pm
Idavis– I agree that Arkansas fans should be excited for the future of Razorback football but I still think the hogs are a year away. I look for them to pull an upset or two but don’t really see them beating the like of LSU, Bama, and Ole Miss all in one year. I just hope hope they don’t beat LSU again…
Gator Growl
July 14th, 2009
12:09 pm
Am pulling for Ole Miss but thinking LSU may be back in the hunt. It’s gonna go down to the last game, maybe even the last play of the season.
Bama Rules
July 14th, 2009
12:12 pm
Lets face it! Alabama is the greatest team in the country. Nobody is better than Bama.They have the best players,coaches,stadium,and fans.I wouldn’t be surprised if they went undefeated and Saban was made coach of the year.If you don’t believe me just ask Nacho, Bama Stan, Tide Rising and every Redneck in the state of Alabama. Rooool Tide
» Alabama will win the wild, wild SEC West | Mr. College Football
July 14th, 2009
12:12 pm
[...] here to see the original: Alabama will win the wild, wild SEC West | Mr. College Football Comments (0) Posted by on Tuesday, July 14th, [...]
ldavis
July 14th, 2009
12:12 pm
matt,
i think we will likely lose to bama and lsu. those road games are very tough.
as far as ole miss (this isn’t just some nutthugger hate) many here feel we will have their number this year. they barely beat us last year and our team was absolutely awful. we have added so many weapons and i feel OM is, at best, slightly less than they were last year.
barnhart made good points about massie and powe potentially replacing oher and jerry on the O and D lines. however, i absolutely feel arkansas will come in 3rd place this year in the west.
I have a lot of confidence in Mallet, even though he’s kind of a crackhead. he is a natural leader, has a great arm, and knows the offense backwards and forwards.
DO NO forget how important it is in this league to have a QB. I feel we have one, and that because of that we will be in every game we play this year.
Otto
July 14th, 2009
12:13 pm
GDawg, I don’t like the way the VT game sets up. VT could win the game if the new OL lineup and QB don’t geet off the gates quickly. If they don’t how long is the hangover.
That said the OL has the talent and size and the west has some major question marks on Defense at LSU, Ark, and Auburn.
Who knows? but it is fun to sit here and debate this and if there is this much room for debate the season should be good.