Could the SEC have a down year for 05? 1) Auburn - a team that went 12-0 last year and garnered quite a bit of national attention, lost 4 players to the first round of the NFL draft & replaces their entire backfield. 2) Tennessee - a team that returns 16 starters & is getting alot of press this preseason. Is known to flop under pressure. Has had lots of off the field issues. Benefitting from their blowout win against A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Probably didn't deserve a couple of their wins last season. Tough road games for the upcomming year. 3) Florida - a new coach whom the media is in love with. Talent is lacking in a lot of vital areas. Will his system work in the SEC? 4) Georgia - lost all their "big name" players that have been play-makers the past few years. Will have to rely on the unreliable DJ Shockley for QB. 5) South Carolina - great hire of new coach, not much talent there & all young. Then, there's LSU. 6) LSU - a new coach, considered unproven by some. A team returning around 19 starters that underachieved last season & has a fire within them after the Capital Bowl. QB uncertainty but lots of talent with a good bit of experience under JaMarcuss's belt. Receiving corp, rushing attack, OL & DL all ranked in the top of the COUNTRY.
This bodes well for LSU. We will face teams that are ranked high, yet overrated -meaning we stand a very very good chance to win them & move up through the polls quickly.
Every year seems to be a "down year" for the SEC followed by surprises and "I didnt see that coming" type teams
In my opinion, the most top-heavy conference this year is the Big Ten. Purdue is really well positioned to make some noise, thanks to missing both Ohio State and Michigan on the schedule. So, you have Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue, all potential top 15 teams. Add a Penn State with a great defense and, potentially, they have five teams in the top 25 by season's end.
The SEC will start off with Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, & Florida in the top 25. All of these teams will most likely end up there as well. We'll also have Alabama & South Carolina pushing for spots in there.
I thought the SEC was down a bit last year and will actually be better overall this season. Auburn will of course expected to be down from last season after going unbeaten and UGA has lost a bunch of great players. But I expect both of them to be very good teams, UGA has like LSU brought in fabulous recruits the past 5 years. Auburn alwys has great players waiting in the wings. I believe LSU, Florida and Tenn. will be much better this year. If Bama can go through the season without the key injuries that they have had the past 2 years they will be better on offense if their oline jells. Their defense should be terrific. Miss St should be better just after having been in Croom's system a year, so long as he doesn't kick all of them off the team. Arkansas was very, very young last year and should be much improved. S.C. will be much better under Spurrier I belive as he is a great coach and his offense will at least know how to throw the ball as well as have a great scheme. Ole Miss will have a better record but I don't know if they will be much improved unless they find a QB that can throw the ball.
This type of stuff is said about the SEC being down comes out year after year and every year SEC teams manage to rebound and reload. LSU is loaded, and this team has the talent on campus right now and you couple that with a favorable schedule then 2005 has the potential to be a special year.
I know it comes out every year. I just wanted to see what other people's thoughts were on why it wouldn't be so for the major programs. And I think you mean 2005. I don't know what I'd do if I had to wait until the 2006 season for some LSU football.
