If the 2013 SEC football season didn’t entertain you then I have nothing to offer, because you must be dead inside. Alabama lost two consecutive games, newcomer Missouri played in the SEC championship, Auburn had, quite literally, a miraculous season and the SEC didn’t claim a national title for the first time in seven years. After everything that transpired, I can comfortably say that it would take Jesus Christ, himself, coming down to play for Alabama to truly surprise me in 2014.
With that said, I have predicted the outcome of every SEC football team’s 2014 season. I am not a scientist and there was no magic formula, just stats and lots of speculation. For all I know, Kentucky could run the table this year and win the National Championship, although, considering hell has yet to freeze over, I doubt that will happen. But you never know. The following is simply my best guess as to how the 2014 SEC season will play out. If you disagree with my choices, as the great Justin Timberlake once said, cry me a river.
Teams are listed in the order that I predict they will finish in their division (last to first).
Let’s get into it:
The East
7. Vanderbilt (4-8): Oh, Vanderbilt. Bless your heart… It’s been a rough few months for Commodore fans. James Franklin, the ‘Dores heralded former head coach, jumped ship for Penn State, took a whole group of recruits with him, and left Vanderbilt’s football program destitute and shivering out in the cold right before National Signing Day. Former Stanford assistant coach, Derek Mason, has taken the wheel in Nashville and so far seems to be a quality hire. Mason salvaged a decent recruiting class and has kept upbeat about the state of the program but no matter how much positivity he or all of Vanderbilt’s fans can muster up, 2014 is not going to be good to the ‘Dores.
Schedule:
Simply put, the Commodores got screwed by James Franklin and should reevaluate a year from now when the grass is a little greener.
6. Kentucky (5-7): The Wildcats are on an upswing. 2014 provided arguably the greatest recruiting class in the history of Kentucky football and somehow Mark Stoops has revitalized and reinvigorated the Cats’ fan base despite a less-than-stellar campaign in 2013. 2014 will be a better year in Lexington, no doubt, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, this is still SEC football and Kentucky is still, well, Kentucky. Until the 2014 recruiting class has time to grow, the Wildcats will stay near the bottom of the SEC East.
Schedule:
Kentucky Schedule Stiff competition and a young team will force Kentucky into a losing season yet again but they will vanquish their in-state archenemy, Louisville.
5. Florida (5-7): If you have a worse record in three years than Ron Zook, chances are you might not be a great coach, and Will Muschamp has done just that. Muschamp is 22-16 overall and 13-11 in the SEC while Zook, who was fired after his third year, went 23-14 overall and 16-8 in the SEC. Florida fans might defend Muschamp and say: “But, he was 11-2 and went the Sugar Bowl in 2012!” Well, he also went to that Sugar Bowl and got pistol-whipped by a totally inferior Louisville team and then followed it up with the worst season in the history of Florida’s football program. And, yes, I know there were a lot of injuries last season and I know they fired Brent Pease and got a new offensive coordinator and it’s true, that could make all the difference for the Gators. To their credit, Florida will return Jeff Driskell at quarterback after he was injured for the majority of last season. Quinton Dunbar gives talent at the receiver position, Kelvin Taylor should be a quality player in the backfield, and the Gators defense should be tough, as expected. But the bottom line remains that for the Gators to succeed they must completely reinvent themselves on offense and I don’t know that they can do that with Will Muschamp as their head coach. Full disclaimer: I realize I could be completely wrong here, and I will take the chastising I deserve when that time comes, but as I said earlier, Justin Timberlake.
Schedule:
Florida will limp through a losing season and will be looking for a new coach by December.
4. Tennessee (7-5): I like to refer to Tennessee football as the Rex Grossman of the SEC because they’re still in the league but all of their notoriety comes from things that happened a decade ago. Despite this, it looks as though this program may be quickly rising from the cellar they’ve been dwelling in the past few years. With a consensus top five recruiting class for 2014 and a coach who did in more in one year than Derek Dooley could do in three, Tennessee may be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. As for 2014, to say their schedule is daunting is an understatement and they have a young team with limited leadership to boot. All five of UT’s starting offensive linemen left for the NFL and the Vols have three potential quarterback options, none of which have been terribly impressive to date. Although, UT should have an improved defensive attack along with a set of uber-talented freshman and sophomore receivers which should lead to at least a winning record in 2014.
Schedule:
Tennessee has a winning record and goes bowling for the first time in three years, but they will have to win a couple of games they probably shouldn’t and avoid losing games they should probably win.
3. South Carolina (8-4): No more Jadaveon Clowney. No More Connor Shaw. Where will the Gamecocks go from here? South Carolina still has a legend for a head coach in Steve Spurrier, a senior quarterback in Dylan Thompson, and one of the best running backs in the country in Mike Davis but this team will not be at the same level as it has been recently. Though, a top twenty-five recruiting class, as well as a talented defense should help the Gamecocks remain in the top half of the SEC East.
Schedule:
South Carolina will have another solid year and continue their annual whipping of Clemson.
2. Missouri (9-3): Missouri is an interesting case. Quarterback James Franklin and running back Henry Josey have graduated, but Maty Mauk steps in at the quarterback position after an impressive 2013 season that saw him more than fill the large shoes of an injured James Franklin. Along with Mauk the Tigers return an excellent set skill-position players. Mizzou did lose some key defensive players such as SEC defensive player of the year, Michael Sam and linebacker Kony Ealy, but the defensive unit should still be solid. The recent dismissal of wideout Dorial Green-Beckham could also hurt the Tigers’ attack but Mauk is talented and quick on his feet and if a team is worth its weight, losing one receiver will not break them.
Schedule:
Missouri’s offense should carry them to another impressive season.
1. Georgia (11-1): Despite the constant rumors that Mark Richt has lost contol of his Bulldog team, Georgia will have lots of talent and a weak schedule in 2014, which should result in a successful season. Aaron Murray is finally gone but his replacement, Hutson Mason, seems to be more than adequate and already has on-the-field experience as a result of Murray’s season ending knee injury last year. Mason is not only a quality quarterback but his receiving corps is top-notch. Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley, and Chris Conley all return at the wideout position. And arguably the best running back in the country, Todd Gurley, will be lining up for the Bulldogs in the backfield. Georgia must stay healthy after an injury-plagued 2013 season and new defensive coordinator, Jeremy Pruitt, will have to bolster the Dawgs lackluster defense if Georgia wants to win the SEC East. UGA will be tested from the start, but if they can begin 2-0, I think the Bulldogs will have another opportunity to lose to Alabama in the SEC championship game.
Schedule:
A favorable schedule and tons of returning talent will make 2014 a special year for the Bulldogs.
The West
7. Arkansas: (3-9) Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks are in for another doozy of a season, and by doozy I mean disappointment. Arkansas won’t be awful, per se, but the SEC West is just a juggernaut of a conference division to play in. On top of their stout SEC West schedule, the Hogs have to travel to Lubbock, TX to face Cliff Kingsbury’s rising Red Raiders. Arkansas is yet to find its starting quarterback and there are also position battles taking place at wide receiver and tight end. Arkansas had a decent recruiting class for 2014 and improvements will be expected by next year but a tough schedule and uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball will bog down the Hogs.
Schedule:
Arkansas won’t win an SEC game for the second straight year but they’re moving in the right direction.
6. Texas A&M: (6-6) RIP Johnny Football… Okay fine, Johnny Manziel is not dead but the era of Johnny Football is over for the Aggies and I’m sad about it. Manziel was the most exciting player in college football and even if you weren’t rooting for A&M, they were entertaining to watch. Now that’s over. The Aggies have a quarterback battle on their hands and the guy who was in the lead for the starting job, Kenny Hill, recently got a DUI and is suspended indefinitely. Primary wideout, Mike Evans, is also gone. And to say Texas A&M’s defense was bad last year is an insult to the word “bad”. The only place the defense can go is up but that won’t make up for the invaluable losses on the offensive side of the ball. Kevin Sumlin has been able to put together two straight stellar recruiting classes and the impact of those acquisitions should start to show in the coming season. In 2014, A&M will make it to a bowl game but without Johnny Manziel under center, the Aggies just won’t be the same.
Schedule:
With the loss of Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M will lose its elite status in the SEC but will still make it back to a bowl game.
5. Ole Miss: (8-4) Hugh Freeze is a great coach and has the Rebels moving quickly in the right direction. A large chunk of last year’s roster will be returning and should be bolstered by another quality recruiting class this year. Ole Miss will be a tough and more mature team in 2014. Though, as I said earlier, the SEC West is a monster. Senior Bo Wallace will lead the Rebels’ offensive attack and, pending some litigation involving a fight at a fraternity house, sophomore Robert Nkemdiche will anchor the defense. There will be serious talent on both sides of the ball but Ole Miss has a daunting schedule. Boise State is not an easy season-opening game and Tennessee will be coming to Vaught-Hemingway as a cross-divisional match-up for the Rebels. Ole Miss will continue to build on their previous success in 2014 but will finish right in the middle of the SEC West pack.
Schedule:
The Rebels will finish 8-4 but unfortunately that only gets you to fifth place in the SEC West.
4. Auburn: (9-3) Auburn head coach, Gus Malzahn, is a nothing short of a miracle worker. He took a team picked to finish near the bottom of the SEC West and turned them into a national championship contender. For 2014, the Tigers are back with tons of talent and a great recruiting class. Nick Marshall is under center and is flanked by plenty of talent at the skill positions. Running back Tre Mason left for the NFL in 2013 and won’t be easy to replace but seniors Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant should be more than capable in the backfield. If anything keeps the Tigers from repeating as SEC champions, it will be their defense. Auburn lost key defensive players to graduation and the NFL, most importantly defensive tackle Dee Ford, although, they have adequate replacements like defensive tackle Carl Lawson. Auburn will be a serious contender in the West but they simply won’t be as lucky in the coming season. War Eagle will finish fourth.
Schedule:
Auburn will lose the magic they had in 2013 but will still have a quality season.
3. Mississippi State: (10-2) Here’s the surprise pick for 2014. Success for Dan Mullen has been a long time coming at Mississippi State and this year could be the time when the Bulldogs finally breakthrough to the upper echelon of the SEC. State’s offense will be led by quarterback Dak Prescott, who has received hype as a potential Heisman trophy candidate. The Bulldogs’ defense will be the real difference maker in 2014. All but three players return on defense and pass-rusher Chris Jones should be a force to be reckoned in his sophomore season. In addition to talent on both sides of the ball, State has a favorable schedule. It will be up to Dan Mullen to make all the pieces work together in 2014 but if he can solve the puzzle, Mississippi State has the potential to send a shockwave through the SEC. (I wrote an entire article about MSU breaking through in the 2014 season that can be read here)
Schedule:
Mississippi State will upset Auburn and be the surprise team in the SEC West.
2. LSU: (10-2) LSU is set for another good year under Les Miles. The Tigers lost quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who will most likely be replaced by Anthony Jennings. Jennings is talented and already played a few snaps in an SEC game after Mettenberger went down with a knee injury late last season. The biggest question mark for LSU will be how well they can move the ball after the loss of ultra-talented skill position players like wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and running back Jeremy Hill. The incoming freshman class includes players who will have to step in immediately and make an impact, such as overall number one recruit, running back Leonard Fournette. Defensively, the Tigers return plenty of quality players and will be solid, as usual. LSU also has a favorable schedule and should come out of the 2014 season near the top of the SEC West.
Schedule:
LSU will have another successful season but will still finish second to Alabama.
1. Alabama: (12-0) Only Alabama fans could be supremely disappointed that their team had a two-loss season. 2013 saw the Tide go 11-0 then drop its final two games that included an embarrassing loss to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and the now-infamous Iron Bowl kick-six. But Nick Saban is not a man to be trifled with. Despite the loss of beloved quarterback AJ McCarron, the Tide should have enough talent in the wings to make up for any drop-off from the loss of “The Game Manager”. Blake Sims and Florida State transfer Jacob Coker will battle for the starting spot under center and will be accompanied by the likes of Amari Cooper at wide receiver and TJ Yeldon at running back. Alabama’s defense is stacked, as usual. The Tide’s passing defense will be the only real question for Kirby Smart’s squad after the leader of the Tide’s secondary, Vinnie Sunseri, unexpectedly left for the NFL. Unless there are drastic lapses in defense like those that the Tide had in its last two games of 2013, Alabama will be in top form once again. Look for the Crimson Tide to run the table on their way to another SEC championship.
Schedule:
Alabama will top the SEC yet again and have another shot at a national championship.
The Southeasterner 