GKS Contributor
Hotty Toddy…Ole Miss SEC West Champs?
Yes folks it’s that time of year! August heat, an exciting aroma of freshly-cut grass, last minute summer vacations and, most importantly, the greatest sport ever known to man – college football!!
You can already envision the cheerleaders cheering and shouting popular campus cheers and chants and real life mascots, as well student body elected mascots dressed up, patrolling the sidelines trying to pump up their students’ sections. And, most importantly, the teams finally emerging from their respective locker rooms’, following pre-game pep talks under the cover of dozens of flags being woven by cheerleaders and under the cover of earth-shaking chants by a mob of anxious fans!
Nowhere in the United States is this atmosphere more prevalent than in the toughest conference in college football – the mighty SEC. Yes, folks, its here, and it’s time to play some SEC football.
This year, the SEC West will be as tough as ever with Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss battling for the West crown and with Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State trying to ruffle feathers and prove they are much improved and they need to be reckoned. Let’s preview LSU, and predict the three contenders.
LSU
My beloved Tigers are coming off a very disappointing 8-5 (3-5 SEC) season where the quarterback play was atrocious at best (7 picks to the house, yes 7) and with a defense that looked as if they were competing for a single A high school state championship rather than just playing to SEC offensive caliber athletes and schemes.
However, in came Jordan Jefferson who had a breakout game versus Arkansas in defeat and then stamped his name as the Tiger signal caller in a 38-3 rout of Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl.
Now in 2009, in comes John Chavis as D Coordinator with 20 plus years of experience in the SEC of which most of his defenses finished highly ranked year in and year out. This season Chavis will have the likes 6 returning starters and a potentially dominant secondary with highly rated CB Patrick Peterson and SS Chad Jones leading the way.
The question marks on defense reside in a relatively inexperienced line backing corps and defensive line. Jacob Cutrera at middle linebacker and Charles Alexander at defensive tackle could provide the glue to unify the chemistry of all the outstanding but inexperienced talent around them to emerge as an impressive and intimidating defense.
Combine this with Chavis’ very aggressive and attack style schemes, the defense could easily return that defensive glory back to Death Valley.
The offense will be very, very good as long as Jordan Jefferson carries over his momentum from his last two starts in the 2008 campaign. He will be very well protected with arguably the best offensive line in the SEC and maybe the nation.
Leading this core is three-year starter and team captain Ciron Black at left tackle, senior right guard Lyle Hitt and junior returning starter at right tackle Joseph Barksdale. This unit should be outstanding. There is not much to be said about the backfield; seniors Charles Scott and Keiland Williams in their final campaign in purple and gold behind this offensive line? The Bayou Bengals should lead the SEC in rushing. Enough said.
The questions on offense remain at the receiving corps. Senior Brandon Lafell, Chris Mitchell, tight end Richard Dickson and junior Terrance Toliver head up this group. All of these outstanding athletes have the talent, size and speed to have huge seasons because of how strong the running game will be. However, due to the fact that the Tigers played without a quarterback last season, it remains unseen if Jordan Jefferson can get the ball to these playmakers so they can prove their worth.
X Factors! In come nationally topped ranked athletes Russell Sheppard and WR Reuben Randle whom will undoubtedly receive playing time in their freshman campaigns. Both of these stars will be ALL-AMERICANS by their junior seasons and it remains unseen if offensive coordinator Gary Crowton can successfully scheme their contributions into this very talented offesnse; both men MUST touch the ball every game.
Finally, and my personal favorite, is 5 foot 5 national track champion Trindon Holliday who ran the 100 meter dash in a flat 10.0 seconds; No, seriously! Give mighty mouse the ball and let him change the momentum at any time in any game.
All in all, the Bayou Bengals have every piece in place and led by the mad hatter, Les Miles, to not only win the west but compete for a BCS bowl game.
PREDICTION:
As stated above, the three expected challengers in the West will be Ole Miss, Alabama and the Tigers.
Ole Miss will be led by a very, very, very good quarterback in Jevon Snead and an outstanding defensive line, not including one of the most underrated coaches in the nation in Huston Nutt. Although they lack the rest of the pieces per say, we all remember what the rebels were able to do in similar circumstances of wining on emotion under Eli Manning. They were one first down away from knocking LSU out of the national championship and possibly advancing themselves.
Alabama and the leader of the evil empire Nick Saban return the core of a defense that ranked #2 nationally last season as is Saban’s mantra. Although they have to replace Glen Coffee at running back, John Parker Wilson at Quarterback and All-American Andre Smith at left tackle, they have adequate players and including freshmen all-American Julio Jones, they should be just fine on offense. An adequate offensive combined with maybe the best defense in the nation(Florida Gators may be just better), Bama’s 2009 team looks eerily like LSU’s 2003 National Championship team in which Saban directed. Watch Out!
Summary
LSU has the toughest road ahead with their season being decided in four games; At Georgia, home vs. Florida and on the road at Ole Miss and at Bama. Bama gets South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU at home, but have Ole Miss in Oxford. Ole Miss gets Arkansas, Alabama and LSU at home. Neither Bama nor Ole Miss has to face up against Georgia or Florida.
I predict LSU beats Ole Miss, but loses to Bama and Florida to finish the SEC at 6-2. Ole Miss will beat Bama, but lose to LSU and South Carolina to finish SEC play at 6-2 also. Bama will beat LSU, but lose to Ole Miss and Tennessee to finish SEC play at 6-2 as well.
In the end and by virtue of a higher BCS ranking to resolve the three-way tie-breaker, the REBELS represent the West in the Georgia Dome to face the Florida Gators. Hotty Toddy? Geaux Tigers! Play Ball…..
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