Ranking the SEC, from Bama to Vandy (and Georgia No. 4)
Mark Richt is confident Georgia can rebound from a tough summer and going 4-4 in the SEC.
Twelve head coaches stood at the podium during last week’s SEC media days. Shockingly, not one declared, “Thank goodness for Tums because this season could be an unmitigated disaster.”
There’s nothing like the optimism of July, when nobody has lost a game yet. So how do things really stand in the SEC? Here’s a loose guide. I’ve ranked the 12 schools by a combination of perceived current strength and the program’s direction. Feel free to debate.
Looking Down On The Villagers
♦ 1. ALABAMA: It was funny when Nick Saban lost to Louisiana-Monroe in 2007. There haven’t many opportunities to laugh since. Alabama is 16-0 in the SEC’s regular season in the last two seasons (it only lost to Florida in the 2008 conference title game). The Tide is coming off a BCS title and could repeat. Direction firmly established.
Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have established the SEC's pecking order
♦ 2. FLORIDA: The Gators are 26-2 with a BCS title in the last two seasons. To recruit, they open the front door. The only questions center on the health of their head coach (Urban Meyer) and the success of Tim Tebow’s replacement (John Brantley). But the program is too strong and too deep to expect a significant descent any time soon.
♦
A Step Below
♦ 3. LSU: Almost placed the Tigers fourth but they did win the BCS title only three years ago. The question is: How much of Les Miles’ early success was residual from the Saban era? His SEC records in his first three seasons: 7-1, 6-2, 6-2. In the last two (with most of Saban’s players gone): 3-5, 5-3. Miles is catching as much heat as Mark Richt. This year’s rebuilding effort includes replacing seven defensive starters. LSU fans want to see progress.
♦ 4. GEORGIA: Richt went 4-4 in the SEC in two of the last four years, not catastrophic. But the last four BCS champions came from the SEC. That changes the grading scale. The 2008 Bulldogs underachieved. The 2009 team was bad enough that Richt finally felt compelled to dump three assistants, including defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. This year’s team should fare well, partly because of an easier schedule. But there are questions at quarterback (freshman) and on defense (new scheme). Richt needs to firmly establish direction.
Usually Good For An Upset
Steve Spurrier hasn't cracked the elite at South Carolina like he did when he was at Florida.
♦ 5. SOUTH CAROLINA: Steve Spurrier made his mark on offense. His South Carolina teams have been strong on defense. Even he mused that for the first time in his career, he received a salary bonus for his team’s graduation rate, not a bowl game. South Carolina is a stable and competitive program with a great fan base. But Spurrier can’t recruit talented skill position players to Columbia. It wouldn’t be a shock if he retires after this season.
♦ 6. ARKANSAS: Every season there’s one team that’s overrated by media and fans. This year it’s Arkansas. The Razorbacks have a very good quarterback in Ryan Mallett. But what about the rest of the team? And the coach? Bobby Petrino was a success in Conference USA and the Big East. Big wow. He’s 5-11 in the SEC and, it should be noted, Arkansas wasn’t exactly a train wreck when he took over (Houston Nutt went 11-5 in conference in his last two seasons).
♦ 7. MISSISSIPPI: Almost put Ole Miss ahead of Arkansas. Nutt inherited a team that had four straight losing seasons and is 18-6 in two years. He has done better with Ed Orgeron’s players than Ed Orgeron did. But the Rebels have lost eight starters on offense.
♦ 8. AUBURN: The Tigers were a punch line when they hired Gene Chizik to replace Tommy Tuberville. But just because Auburn didn’t fold up last season (8-5, 3-5), let’s not assume greatness just yet. The Tigers went 2-5 after a 5-0 start before beating Northwestern in the Outback Bowl. This year’s quarterback, Cam Newton, has talent but also some baggage: He started at Florida but was suspended after being arrested and charged with stealing another student’s laptop. Bottom line: It’s too early to judge Chizik.
♦ 9. TENNESSEE: Derek Dooley inherited a mess, on and off the field. Dooley has all the makings to be a great head coach but he might be overmatched at this point of his career. The Volunteers are short on talent and too much of Dooley’s time right now is being occupied by just giving the team structure and discipline.
♦ 10. MISSISSIPPI STATE: Dan Mullen, a former Florida and Utah assistant, still needs to separate himself from Urban Meyer’s shadow. But he did a solid job in year one and made a terrific hire in defensive coordinator Manny Diaz (Middle Tennessee State). These Dogs may be moving up.
No Place To Go But Up
♦ 11. KENTUCKY: Joker Phillips usually had great offenses as an assistant, but this is a program that went 16-39 in the SEC under Rich Brooks. Three months to basketball practice.
♦ 12. VANDERBILT: New coach Robbie Caldwell has a lot of one-liners. He’ll need them.
♦
A look back at SEC media days
♦ Dooley calmly moving from one fire to next at Tennessee
♦ SEC media days: Tennessee and Dooley take center stage
♦ Spurrier’s lament: Team is better academically than on field
♦ Richt’s words, actions haven’t changed ugliness at Georgia
♦ SEC media days: Waiting on Richt as NCAA hovers at Georgia
♦ NCAA inquiry is the last thing Georgia and Mark Richt need
♦ It’s no coincidence Saban suddenly is concerned about agents
♦ SEC media days: Hey, who let the BCS in here?
♦ We’re LIVE at SEC media days (with no shortage of storylines)
♦ NCAA reportedly investigating Florida (but temper excitement)
♦ Can Dogs end Alabama-Florida monopoly in SEC title game?
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
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358 comments Add your comment
DIT
July 25th, 2010
5:14 pm
I know that I saw on the Home of the AJC that there was actually a blog for the Tech posters. Words of advise… USE IT! Go to your own blog! The mindless dribble by some of the tech people on here is the same on every blog that is written about UGA or the SEC.. Just get’s old.
Damon Evans
July 25th, 2010
5:14 pm
Too hot to fish,too hot for golf and too cold at home…..
FUZZUP
July 25th, 2010
5:15 pm
Romedog, thanks, but who is Joe Hamilton?
DIT
July 25th, 2010
5:17 pm
Romedog, thanks, but who is Joe Hamilton?
D’OH!
Billy Knight
July 25th, 2010
5:18 pm
HEY POAD? What’s Techs lifetime record against the dawgs? I’m just a casual fan. The way tech fans talk one would think they own the series?
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
5:19 pm
DIT ..The Techies can’t find thier own stadium..How do you expect them to find thier own blog?
Paveway#5
July 25th, 2010
5:21 pm
It’s kind of sad to see all the Dawg fans getting so excited this year (just like the year before, the year before that, etc.). How long is it going to take for UGA fans to realize that UGA is simply no longer relevant in the SEC? In the national picture, UGA isn’t even a blip on the radar, and hasn’t
been since the preseason #1 ranking two years ago.
Sit back and be grateful for the seven or eight wins you’ll get every year. Coaching genius Mark Richt may take you to 10-2 or even 11-1 occasionally, but Florida will still win the SEC, meaning no BCS bowls and no top 10 final ranking. Most years, UGA will be very lucky to finish in the top 25, and only after a big bowl win over a nobody opponent.
It’s a different world now, and Dawg fans, like Miami and Ole Miss fans, need to adjust their expectations downward to reflect reality.
Unfortunately nothing is going to change until UGA changes its mediocre coaching. That’s where the difference is, and that’s why everyone outside Bulldog Nation just laughs at Dawg fans getting so excited year after year about what a great recruiting class UGA gets. It doesn’t matter how many
blue chip high school players go to UGA, they simply don’t get the coaching they would get at Florida or Alabama, to name two schools whose programs are far ahead of UGA. And that’s not going to change as long as Mark Richt is in
Athens.
Get your heads out of the sand and face reality. And mediocrity and irrelevance.
And get used to seeing those red panties everywhere.
DIT
July 25th, 2010
5:21 pm
Point taken TUCK FECH. I guess I was asking and expecting for too much
jumbeauxtiger
July 25th, 2010
5:25 pm
I agree also as I don’t believe anyone will run the table. Bama and Florida are the favorites but don’t be surprised if one of these schools, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia and S.Carolina win their division. I also think this may be the year the SEC champ doesn’t make it to the BCS title game.
This is shaping up to be one of the interesting seasons in years.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Pi$$onaDawg
July 25th, 2010
5:25 pm
TUCK FECK where are your season tickets? My tickets are Sec. 224L Row 5 seat 38.39.40.41 Gate 8.
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:28 pm
So, you are picking Auburn to finish 5th in the west? You are crazy, just look at their schedule. If they take care of business at home (which they can) they could be 10-1 or 11-0 going into the Iron Bowl.
I guess I can’t blame you Schultz, who would read your stuff if you weren’t blowing smoke up Georgia’s butts.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 25th, 2010
5:29 pm
can you email me more than 1 yr of ticket stubs from that same seat? Sorry i don’t think you ar truthful, but the state of georgia is stupid and for the last 12 yrs. a UGA grad has been in the governer’s office. I hope you understand me not trusting you.
Sure, Jeff
July 25th, 2010
5:30 pm
I love the way the AJC thinks these responses to inflamatory article’s is the voice of the “Bulldawg nation”, whatever that means, and a corny term in and of itself. You have the same 150-200 people posting over and over and this is how we supposedly get our reputation by the AJC as being “overboard”. Sure Jeff ….Whatever….probably 10% of those who post never even went to UGA…..Sure, Mark Richt is “catching a lot of heat”? From who? You? Finebaum? That guy form the Orlando Sentinel? All manufactured by 3 “has beens”….Oh yes and maybe from the 150 who post here who never attended a class in Athens…Get lost…
Benard the beeboy
July 25th, 2010
5:30 pm
Dawgies will lose 6 games this year. Chickens will take them to the woodshed in Columbia. Take plenty of Rolaids mutt fans. Say Adios to Mark Richt! Says who? Says me at http://www.beeboy.org
Terry
July 25th, 2010
5:31 pm
4-4 in the SEC is catastrophic. This is Georgia, not Vandy. With our talent rich state and no one but Gtech in state to worry about, we should NEVER be 4-4 in the conference.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 25th, 2010
5:31 pm
Dillion tell him AU is set to do some great thing more than UGA. If uga ram the ball like GT then maybe the dawgs could win 57 games on that high school schedule, but BOBO is the play caller and murry can’t over come BOBO.
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:32 pm
And for the record, Georgia will NEVER find a better coach, man, or role model than Mark Richt. To fire him would be a mistake.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 25th, 2010
5:34 pm
TERRY and an UGA player should never get a diploma and not be able to read. IT DOES HAPPEN.
Glenn
July 25th, 2010
5:34 pm
Jeff your such a idiot, you must do favors for the boss to even have a job. Your days are numbered with all the complaints you get. It just makes me think less of the AJC because of the likes of you.
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
5:34 pm
Pi$$onaDawg …Whose team do you embarrass and have seats for? Want to make the world a better place…then tie a rocket to your @ss!
Pi$$onaDawg
July 25th, 2010
5:35 pm
DILLON: For the RECORD just call ATHENS CLARKE COUNTY JAIL.
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
5:35 pm
Well said Dillon! GO DAWGS
DIT
July 25th, 2010
5:38 pm
People ignore Piss. That’s why he is on here just to see what kind of reaction he can get. He has nothing better in life to do. Can you blame him, his team is GT.
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:39 pm
TUCK FECH – calm down a little dude. This is what happens when over-zealous SEC fans get on a message board.
Pi$$onadawg – thank you very much buddy. War Eagle! By the way, look for DT Denzel McCoy, one of your incoming recruits to do some great things. I played some high school ball with him briefly and he was a force inside.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 25th, 2010
5:41 pm
TUCK where are your UGA season tickets? What you don’t have any? What you get your hat at the Tractor & Feed Supply store? TUCK give a real ticket. scan it and email it to me. Pick 4 tickets from 4 different years in the same seats. Please prove you are a REAL DAWG and go to games. Please prove you actually bleed red & black and not just redneck and beer.Please prove the UGA FAN TRUTH to be a lie. Like Jack said in a few good men PLEASE TELL ME YOU HAVE MORE THAN THAT!
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:42 pm
TUCK FECH – I used to be a Georgia fan until I was accepted at Auburn. I still cheer for them though… when they are not playing AU.
Tiny Tim Tebow
July 25th, 2010
5:43 pm
Gratefuldawghead, the dawgs are gonna wish they were DEAD after the whipping they get in Jacksonville. Then its gonna start up again “FIRE CMR”. yOU JUST HIDE AND WATCH.
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
5:46 pm
Dillion… Fear the Thumb! ..Really you want to be buddies with an idiot that compares UGA football with 911, politics, and Vietnam? IGNORANCE Runs Rampant for yall while Ealey runs for the DAWGS!
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:47 pm
UGA will finish 10-2. win one game they should not have won – Florida, and lose one game they should have won – S. Car. The other loss will come from either Arkansas or AU, but not both.
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
5:49 pm
Dillion good luck with your studies at AU! Tiny Tim we still Own the series and Urban hasn’t cloned Tebow yet.
Ready for some SEC football!
GO DAWGS!
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:49 pm
TUCK FECH- I actually played against Ealey’s team in high school. The kid was a beast. I honestly think UGA will have a good bounce back year.
JM
July 25th, 2010
5:50 pm
Georgia does not have an SEC caliber quarterback on its roster, so at best they might go 7-5 if they get a few breaks…more likely 6-6.
Reality
July 25th, 2010
5:51 pm
UGA will struggle to beat South Carolina. Remember, Kentucky defeated the dogs not too long ago. I would put UGA at #6 in the SEC.
Aladawg
July 25th, 2010
5:51 pm
To all the Tech fans please have your sisters or mamas wear their red panties for a couple of days then send them to me. I’ll wear them on my head.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 25th, 2010
5:51 pm
Dillon if you get a chance go to the Apiary and spend some time with the Eagles. TOO freaking cool. Your Golden Eagles can almost lift you off the ground with their Wing strength. To take a lunch and to get to watch those EAGLES work is amasing. I have always wanted to see the WAR EAGLE really fight UGA V…. I would be a fun return for UGA VI trying to bite your WR in the EZ a few years back.
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:53 pm
TUCK FECH- everyone’s a buddy until they start talking smack at me (or about AU) and thank you I really appreciate it.
Delbert D.
July 25th, 2010
5:55 pm
@ Tide Rising
July 25th, 2010
4:46 pm
Tide Rising – Don’t try to make sense of it. It’s impossible.
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:57 pm
Pi$$onadawg- yea! I actually heard about that, and heard it was really cool. I work with the football team and we get to see the birds up and close. It’s really cool to see. Back when Uga bit our WR, I was a UGA fan and thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I’ve learned otherwise though
Dillon
July 25th, 2010
5:59 pm
Just for the sake of discussion, what’s everyone’s opinion of the SEC East vs. the West? Which division is better. I tend to think the West is better this year but in the long haul, the east takes it.
Uncle Rico
July 25th, 2010
6:04 pm
It is hilarious how Pi$$onHimself continually embarasses the Maggot Faithful with his barely literate and biggoted rantings….each posting from this un-educated loser becomes ever more embarassing….It is rich how GT loves to talk about ignorant, Wal-Mart, sidewalk fans and this guy is the poster child for such a fan, only he waves the flag for the Mustard and White….too funny….I know they must be proud
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
6:12 pm
Dillion ..Ealey ran all over my former high school on his way to the State Championship.
Reality…News Flash the DAWGS usually do struggle with South Carolina!
Uncle Rico…AGREED!
boots
July 25th, 2010
6:12 pm
Jeff, “Miles is catching as much heat as Mark Richt.” Uh… a few journalist keep talking about how CMR is on the “hot seat,” but that is just something asserted by the Orlando Sentinal and then repeated by others trying to stir up controversy. How many legit members of the DawgNation are really that unhappy with our coach? Do want to win more, sure, but there is no one in the nation I would rather have leading our team than him. Stop trying to drum up something that isn’t there.
boots
July 25th, 2010
6:13 pm
Pi$$ = St. Simons. Give it a rest, dude. You are an idiot.
SSIgator
July 25th, 2010
6:15 pm
boots -
I for one am VERY happy Richt is the UGA coach.
anon
July 25th, 2010
6:17 pm
how is it Florida’s only questions center around Urban’s phony health scare and John Brantley? Jeff, you don’t think they’re going to have questions on defense replacing all that talent on the field, and off it as well, with a new DC?
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
6:19 pm
SSIgator…funny! Have to give Charlie Strong some credit for running Coach Fabris off his staff the first week. Florida made Martinez look terrible, but we are still happy with RICHT!
GO DAWGS!
SSIgator
July 25th, 2010
6:19 pm
anon -
Your comments seem be more fitting about UGA except for the coach of course.
Devildog
July 25th, 2010
6:23 pm
It’s a lot easier to wait until the season’s over to get an accurate ranking.
TUCK FECH
July 25th, 2010
6:25 pm
SSIgator Think Meyer will have a “Woody Hayes Moment” when UGA does beat Florida? hahahaha
SSIgator
July 25th, 2010
6:27 pm
TUCK FECH -
After the UGA stunt in 2007, Urban will be long retired before that happens.