SEC Bloggers: 5 Bold Predictions, Part II

CFN's SEC Bloggers share their second set of five outside-the-box predictions for the 2011 football season. From Florida going winless in October or Tennessee (yes Tennessee) winning the Eastern Division, to LSU's Jordan Jefferson having a good season - IF he's permitted to play.

Barrett Sallee: Jordan Jefferson will actually have a good season.

I know that I’m in a huge minority here, but assuming (and that may not be a good idea) that Jordan Jefferson suffers no punishment from his alleged involvement in a Baton Rouge bar fight, the senior signal caller for the LSU Tigers is poised to have a great season - at least, by Jordan Jefferson standards.

Jefferson has taken his share (and the share of about 50 other people) of criticism during his time in Red Stick, but this year, he will turn heads...at least enough for LSU to seriously contend for the crystal football. Let’s be honest, Jefferson doesn’t have to be great for LSU to be successful. He doesn’t even really have to be good. He just has to be average, and take care of the football.

LSU was basically two bad quarters, one vs. Auburn and one vs. Arkansas, from being undefeated and headed to the Georgia Dome to face South Carolina for the SEC title. This was despite Jefferson throwing for only 1,411 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. This year, he’s got a lot of help.

LSU has a very veteran offensive line, a stable of running backs that are all capable of being feature backs, and a receiving corps that returns three of its top four players from a year ago. On top of that, he has an offensive coordinator (Greg Studrawa) who’s not named Gary Crowton.

The table set for Jefferson to fix his reputation in a hurry...if it's not already too late.


Russ Mitchell: Florida goes winless in October.

We wrote about it in greater detail earlier this summer, but Florida will go gopher in the month of October, and sport the big goose egg.

Before you just shake your head and move onto Harris, remember it would have happened last year if not for a breathless OT Gator victory in the WLOCP. Moreover, predicting it for 2011 isn’t that big of a stretch considering this Florida team has issues (i) with new coaches and their new schemes, (ii) consistent offensive production and (iii) serious questions at quarterback (sorry, not believing head coach Will Muschamp’s post-scrimmage hype that all is dreamy here).

Then there’s the issue of depth at running back after Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. Actually, let’s start with those two, who are the poster-children of failed expectations. We hear Rainey’s having a breakout fall camp and will likely get the nod ahead of the overhyped Demps. However, given durability, discipline and a whole host of other questions, forgive us for not holding our breath.

Then there’s the loss of several key players in the secondary, and a wide receiving corps that might be decent with the starters, but has yet to have much in the way of 2s stepping forward.

Finally, the slate. Two brutal matchups in Alabama at home followed by LSU in Death Valley – and we do mean brutal – will leave the Gators bruised and battered, physically and emotionally, and 0-2 on the month.

After a quick stop to do some laundry, it’s no rest for the wicked, as UF must fly back out west to play the defending champion Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare. This might be the Gators best chance at a win, as the Tigers are replacing eight starters on defense, and some kid named Newton – however, it’ll have to be a road win, never an easy prospect in our conference.

After that, it’s back out on the road once again to play Georgia. No advantage for Florida, as the Bulldogs have scheduled their bye week ahead of this contest, as Florida does nearly every season. The Gators will enter Jacksonville physically battered and emotionally staggered, maybe even starting a new quarterback in Jeff Driskel, as after three consecutive conference losses Muschamp looks ahead to 2012. The Dawgs? They’ll have righted the ship after a 2-3 start, feasting on a soft mid-October of @ Tennessee and Vandy, before that aforementioned bye.

Oh, how will the honeymoon feel, Will, after a winless October? Welcome to the SEC Muschamp – we’ve missed ya.


Gabe Harris: The SEC will have 11 bowl-eligible teams.

The SEC regularly sends more teams to bowl games than any other conference, and will do so again in 2011. With a caveat. Ten teams went bowling in 2010, and the league will send 11 this year (Texas A&M not included).

Book your flight and room

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina. These teams are too talented and have too favorable a schedule to do anything but go bowling this year. Anything less and a new coach should be on the sidelines in 2012. Two of this group will be in BCS games while the others will be bowling in Florida and New Orleans for sure.

Go ahead and ask off from work

Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, and Tennessee. These teams have the talent and coaching to be in the above group but the schedules and young rosters will likely keep them from a December/January trip to Florida, but I hear that Atlanta and Nashville are beautiful that time of year.

Make sure the flight is non-refundable

Ole Miss and Kentucky. These two schools have manageable enough schedules to visit lovely Memphis and Birmingham (at least the BBQ will be good) though the game between the two could be a swing one and it’s in Lexington. Ole Miss doesn’t want to be 1 of 2 schools not bowling two years in a row. Who's the other?

I didn’t really want to travel this holiday anyway

Vanderbilt. Poor, poor Vanderbilt. New head coach James Frankin has the ‘Dores trending upward - they are recruiting in ways never before seen in Nashville. Alas, it will not be enough in 2011, though any improvement will be worth celebrating. 2012 could see Vanderbilt move up a group.


For the second half of this column, CLICK HERE.