Some Adjustments to SEC Projections for Upcoming Season

Now that it's officially under way, we can start changing our mind on league

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Aug 27, 2023 12:06 AM EDT
Original:
Aug 26, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Don't get too excited because I'm not about to be so objective as to move Arkansas to the top of the SEC West. We do have at least some practice observations now that has caused some adjustments to earlier thoughts. Now that Vanderbilt has started the season officially after a rain delay, it's okay.

The Razorbacks, no doubt in my mind now, will be an improved team. The only problem is just about every team in the SEC West likely improved, too. Even Mississippi State as reports are saying their defense is much better physically and has a certain attitude that's more aggressive.

Nothing will change much at the top of the league. It's the final year of divisions and Georgia has got to have a total collapse to not be at the top of any projection in the East. They probably are the odds-on choice right now to add a third national title until somebody shows they can be beaten.

Alabama is going to be at the top of the West, but Texas A&M is my surprise team of the year. They've quietly assembled a front line that's probably deeper than anybody else in the league with talent. I was paying attention when Bill King of Nashville said a few weeks ago they may have a three-deep line-up of five-star recruits across the middle.

The Aggies should have their offensive problems from a year ago fixed with Bobby Petrino taking over there and I'm not really paying attention to all that chatter about a clash of egos with Jimbo Fisher. He's content that he wouldn't walk away broke if he was fired and Petrino may not want to be a head coach again anyway. The odds are pretty good he likes not having to deal with the media, boosters and everything else, freeing him up to draw up offenses and coach quarterbacks.

LSU is going to be right there with them. Brian Kelly may be the most stable coach they've had in Baton Rouge for the last 20 years and the talent is there for him to do something really special. The Hogs may be walking into a buzzsaw in Baton Rouge in the fourth week of the season.

On my list, I'm moving Ole Miss into the fourth spot and they could jump up a little bit if the ball bounces the right way a few times and everybody stays healthy. The Rebels' problem is a lack of proven depth (which is the case just about everywhere else in the league).

The rest of the league is just too close to call. That includes the Hogs which have a ton of questions to answer before SEC play starts and that's the same thing keeping a lot of accurate projections about the others. The Hogs, Auburn and Mississippi State will come down to injuries, breaks of the game and officials' calls.

In the East, after Georgia, Tennessee is going to be next. Not that I think the Vols are ready to knock off the Bulldogs. They are going to have to do it before I'll buy into that. How Josh Heupel manages to keep them together through another year will go a long way in future predictions.

Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina will be the next in the line and not particularly in that order. All have positives, questions and I think the answers for the Gators are going to be better than anyone suspects right now. Missouri and Vanderbilt are going to battle out trying to stay out of the basement. The Commodores are showing signs of offensive stability in their opener, but it isn't over, so they've got to finish.

As this is the first re-do of summer projections, there is some shuffling. Expect more now that the season has officially started. Everybody has a juggling of the order and few people hang on to the bitter end following that.