SEC Media Days predictions are out...

[FQDawg]

Link here.

We're picked third in the West and actually got one vote to win the SEC.

 

[MSUDC11]

Very reasonable. I fully expected us to be 5th behind A&M and LSU just because.

I wonder who voted for us to win the SEC. David Pollack?**

 

[patdog]

Seems about right. Looks like we're getting shorted on the All-SEC representation though. Only 3 3rd teamers other than Sweat & Simmons on 1st team. Also interesting, how is Missouri getting a vote to win the SEC championship but not getting a vote to win the East? And there's this: Only six times since 1992 has the predicted champion at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship.

 

[engie]

Seems about right. Looks like we're getting shorted on the All-SEC representation though. Only 3 3rd teamers other than Sweat & Simmons on 1st team.

Yeah, this part was a bad joke.

David Reese preseason all-SEC third team? He hasn't taken a friggin snap. Wasn't even a very hyped recruit. So, basically CeCe Jefferson says he's a beast in the weight room and Mullen takes him to Media Day and he's rewarded with preseason all-SEC over every single one of our current linebackers and countless other proven commodities around the conference?

He might end up being a beast, but that is ridiculous.

 

[MissState1]

Kentucky and tennesse both got a vote to win the East. LOL!

 

[GloryDawg]

They must put a lot of stock in the fact SC beat Michigan. SC was a average team playing in a very below average side of the conference. Take GA out of it and it's like the AAC.

 

[VegasDawg13]

Only six times since 1992 has the predicted champion at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC Championship.

Considering you could have just picked Bama every year or picked Florida every year and done better than that, that's quite a pathetic stat.

 

[VegasDawg13]

Yeah, this part was a bad joke.

David Reese preseason all-SEC third team? He hasn't taken a friggin snap. Wasn't even a very hyped recruit. So, basically CeCe Jefferson says he's a beast in the weight room and Mullen takes him to Media Day and he's rewarded with preseason all-SEC over every single one of our current linebackers and countless other proven commodities around the conference?

He might end up being a beast, but that is ridiculous.

Giving out an award for a season that hasn't started is inherently ridiculous.

 

[MSUDC11]

Yeah, this part was a bad joke.

David Reese preseason all-SEC third team? He hasn't taken a friggin snap. Wasn't even a very hyped recruit. So, basically CeCe Jefferson says he's a beast in the weight room and Mullen takes him to Media Day and he's rewarded with preseason all-SEC over every single one of our current linebackers and countless other proven commodities around the conference?

He might end up being a beast, but that is ridiculous.

Florida actually has two players named David Reese. One is a freshman, the other is a junior who led them in tackles last year.

 

[FQDawg]

Finally, something engie doesn't know.

 

[Seinfeld]

Crazy to think that if we had landed Raekwon, we’d have 3 of 4 All SEC first teamers on the DL

Also, with Bama drawing Mizzouri and UT from the East this year, I think that pretty much means that we’ll have to come away with a win against them this year if we want to have any prayer of going to Atlanta

 

[Mayor of Little London]

Very reasonable. I fully expected us to be 5th behind A&M and LSU just because.

I wonder who voted for us to win the SEC. David Pollack?**

Does Brandon Walker get to vote?

 

[engie]

Florida actually has two players named David Reese. One is a freshman, the other is a junior who led them in tackles last year.

I’m an idiot then. Guess that makes better sense

 

[MSUDC11]

Crazy to think that if we had landed Raekwon, we’d have 3 of 4 All SEC first teamers on the DL

Also, with Bama drawing Mizzouri and UT from the East this year, I think that pretty much means that we’ll have to come away with a win against them this year if we want to have any prayer of going to Atlanta

Bama’s schedule is really, really favorable. Their big OOC game is Louisville in their first game without Lamar Jackson. They don’t play a road game against a Preseason Top 25 team and their three toughest games (A&M, State, Auburn) are all in Tuscaloosa.

I don’t see any way they aren’t undefeated when we play them. The only chance for a loss is if something weird happens in a night game at LSU, but I can’t convince myself that Saban could ever lose to Ed Orgeron. I know he lost to Croom once, but that was a very different Alabama.

 

[aTotal360]

Bama always has an easy schedule because they don't have to play Bama.

 

[johnson86-1]

Bama’s schedule is really, really favorable. Their big OOC game is Louisville in their first game without Lamar Jackson. They don’t play a road game against a Preseason Top 25 team and their three toughest games (A&M, State, Auburn) are all in Tuscaloosa.

I don’t see any way they aren’t undefeated when we play them. The only chance for a loss is if something weird happens in a night game at LSU, but I can’t convince myself that Saban could ever lose to Ed Orgeron. I know he lost to Croom once, but that was a very different Alabama.

That will also be Louisville's first game without Peter Sirmon. I would say losing a heisman quarterback and losing sirmone means you're basically staying even.

 

[Shmuley]

I'm telling you, that game may not be decided until the middle of the first quarter.

 

[Dawgzilla]

I'm gonna go ahead and eat a little crow right now. I did not expect State to get the media love it is getting this offseason. Despite our returning starters, I thought everyone would have the opinion that Mullen has left so State is back to being a doormat. Never thought we would be voted third, and I thought a preseason Top 25 ranking was unlikely, so I was probably wrong.

However, I'm disappointed. Not because I wanted to be right, but because I don't want the team to get over confident. Better to earn the rankings than fall victim to preseason hype.

As Lane Kiffin said, what is the antidote for Rat Poison?

 

[patdog]

That's about as easy as an SEC West schedule can get.

I think Georgia repeats as SEC champion though. ​

One interesting thing about Bama's schedules is they've only played 2 road non-conferences game since 2003 (and 1 of those was at Duke). Almost all of those "neutral" site games are much more accessible from Tuscaloosa than from the other school.

 

[Cubswillwinitonedaydawg]

If I looked at the all SEC list right, Vandy had 0 on any team, even with 3 teams and a few ties. Not that crazy, but a little surprising that they would have none. Sharks only had 3.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Satan lost to Anthony Johnson that day

 

[johnson86-1]

I'm gonna go ahead and eat a little crow right now. I did not expect State to get the media love it is getting this offseason. Despite our returning starters, I thought everyone would have the opinion that Mullen has left so State is back to being a doormat. Never thought we would be voted third, and I thought a preseason Top 25 ranking was unlikely, so I was probably wrong.

However, I'm disappointed. Not because I wanted to be right, but because I don't want the team to get over confident. Better to earn the rankings than fall victim to preseason hype.

As Lane Kiffin said, what is the antidote for Rat Poison?

I'm not sure getting picked third in the West is going to get our players over confident. Bama is Bama, Auburn is good and returning a lot (although replacing 4 of their starting OL). Those are the only two safe bets (although I'm not sure Auburn's OL is being property taken into account; have no reason to think they dont' ahve good backups but replacing that many OL is usually hard for non-bamas).

A&M was not good last year but have a new big name coach. LSU had a good record last year, but was uninspiring and still have O running the show. We return a lot but have a new coaching staff. We're basically picked barely at the top of the teams with serious question marks. I think the West will end up being ok this year between Bama, Auburn, and us, but I do think this will be a relatively down year, where the fourth best team won't be that good.