who will we face in the east and why if we make it to the secc game

ut v bama is not out of the realm of possibility

those might be the two best defenses in the sec (or ncaa)

 

I think that we get to beat up on terdersee twice this year.

 

Are you pullin' some leg? Those two won't even be the best 2 defenses in the conference this season :dis:

 

(distracting self from hurricane)

Doesn't' Aubarn return almost it's entire defense from last year? Knowing that, I can understand your above post. Give us some details about the Aubbie defense, who's back, etc etc.

People don't give Aubarn much of a chance this year but they are one good Brandon Cox year from yet another great season. Just as last year when they were one good Jason Campbell year form a great season........

 

It could be a good year defensively for AU, all the pieces are there. There's a lot of talent, experience, and leadership despite the loss of two of our playmakers - Carlos Rogers (CB) and Junior Rosegreen (MLB). The DE tandem of McClover and Groves is widely considered the 2nd best nationally, behind that of NCSU, with McClover as #1 nationally. The ironic thing is that Groves may actually get beat-out by Gunn. The defensive depth is absolutely sick.

Two of AU's studs are back from season-ending injuries last season: Antarrious Williams (LB) was the leading tackler when he went down in the UGA game, and David Irons (CB) is back from a knee injury that sidelined him for the entire season. And when I say "back," I mean they are back.

The quality depth at LB is very, very good and nearly all of it with exceptional speed. The unquestionable MVP of the D is Travis Williams . He's one of those guys you always hear referred to as a "football player" and he is very good at reading offenses - it is his real strength and it makes everyone around him better.

The 2 big question marks on everyone's mind are at CB and the new DC. AU will miss Carlos Rogers as he shutdown one side all season last year. But AU skated by with a little luck last season by remaining healthy - they were very thin at CB depth. Not the case this season as there is plenty of depth at CB and Safety. IMO, the secondary has better "balance" this season, which should neutralize some of the loss of Rogers.

Gibbs is the new DC as Chizik departed for the Asst. HC job at Texas. Chizik was a great DC and it's as yet unknown whether Gibbs can sufficiently fill his shoes. The optimists like to point out that the particular 4-3 scheme AU runs won't change because it's Tubs' specialty. The detractors like to point out that any change is bad for the first year following (though they back away from saying the same thing about Borges)

As with any defense, how good they are (statisticall speaking) will depend on the offense's ability to keep them fresh and good field position will usually determine thier effectiveness. AU's kicking game is very good, the best in the conference and this should not be overlooked when evaluating the situations their D is likely to face. This is where I think several SEC teams could struggle this season. UT, LSU, UGA, and AU all have uncertainties at the QB-leadership position and/or with special teams.

IMHO, the three best defenses are all in the West:
1) LSU
2) AU
3) Bama
4) UT
T5) UGA
T5) UF

LSU's defense can excell if their offense and kicking game can come together. Auburn's can excel if their offense disproves the naysayers that are focused on the departures rather than what remains. Bama's defense can excel if they remain 100% healthy.

The challenge I have with putting Bama's defense higher is due to the near impossibility of remaining 100% healthy in the brutal SEC...... and they play some of their toughest opponents (LSU & AU) in the final 2 games of their season.

Anyway, that's just my $0.02.

 

I'm going to have to guess that you're being very sarcastic, particularly about bama. They should have a pretty good and solid D, but I see no evidence for saying they could possibly be the best in the SEC, let alone the country.

In losses in 04 Bama's defense gave up:
27 to Arkansas
20 to South Carolina
17 to Tennessee
26 to LSU
21 to Auburn
20 to Minnesota

I think there will be at least 2 or 3 defenses in the SEC better than Bama's, including LSU's.

 

Some Bama sniper is gonna bust a cap in ole phat phil's ass before that happens. I'm trying to find some special sniper ammo now, you know, those Krispy Kreme bullets frozen in liquid nitrogen.:hihi:

 

i used the word "MIGHT" for a reason.

they are gonna both be very good defenses, the only ones that might be better are lsu and auburn.

 

and considering how bad their offense was, that showed how good their D was. i was impressed with their D against lsu last year. thought it was better than lsu's

 

Tenn? Maybe. A bunch of tough road games, but the top three in the East all have major holes to fill. Wouldn't bet against them.

Bama? Don't think so. Check the depth chart on the O-line. Not enough experience. Plus, if they have more than one significant injury on the O-line, it'll mean another long rehab for the ultimate fragile QB, Brodie Croyle. The Gumps will start 4-0 against a bunch of losers, everyone will be sniffing their jocks, then they'll come crawling in with four losses in their last seven.

I see LSU and Tenn in a rematch.

LSU doesn't need great QB play, just solid, and I think our starter should improve greatly over last year. Also, Les will blow the dust off the 75% of the playbook that Nick would let Jimbo use (or the QB's couldn't execute). LSU's defense should be as aggressive as ever with an AWESOME D-line.

Auburn will be LSU's toughest competition in the West. Bama 3rd.