VFL's 2016 SEC Predictions

[VFL1995]

Football is creeping closer and as the new season approaches I figured I would go through each conference and make my predictions for each team. I did by research and I tried my best to pick some upsets to make it more realistic. Also I figured I'd make some predictions for each team. You don't have to agree with me but this is how I see the SEC turning out in 2016.

SEC West:
1. LSU Tigers: 11-1(7-1)
Losses: Arkansas
1. Alabama Crimson Tide: 11-1(7-1)
Losses: LSU
3. Ole Miss Rebels: 8-4(5-3)
Losses: Florida State, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU
4. Auburn Tigers: 7-5(4-4)
Losses: Clemson, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia, Alabama
4. Arkansas Razorbacks: 7-5(4-4)
Losses: TCU, Texas A&M, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State
6. Texas A&M Aggies: 7-5(3-5)
Losses: Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs: 7-5(3-5)
Losses: LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M, Alabama, Ole Miss

SEC East:
1. Tennessee Vols: 10-2(6-2)
Losses: Florida, Alabama
2. Florida Gators: 8-4(5-3)
Losses: Vanderbilt, LSU, Arkansas, Florida State
2. Georgia Bulldogs: 9-3(5-3)
Losses: Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida
4. Vanderbilt Commodores: 6-6(3-5)
Losses: Georgia Tech, Georgia, Auburn, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee
5. Missouri Tigers: 6-6(2-6)
Losses: Georgia, LSU, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas
6. Kentucky Wildcats: 4-8(1-7)
Losses: Florida, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisville
6. South Carolina Gamecocks: 4-8(1-7)
Losses: Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Clemson

SEC Championship:
LSU over Tennessee

Bold predictions for each team:
Alabama-
•Alabama will struggle at QB all season but will still win 11 games due to the immense talent at other positions
•The defense will be just as good as last season despite losing some key players

Arkansas-
•RB play will be just as good as last years with Rawleigh Williams and Devwah Whaley
•The Hogs defense will be Top 5 in the SEC

Auburn-
•QB play will be significantly improved
•The D-Line will be one of the SEC's best

Florida-
•QB play will struggle the few weeks of the season but will pick up as the season goes along

Georgia-
•Jacob Eason will be good but won't be as good in his Freshman year as many think
•The secondary will emerge as the SEC's best

Kentucky-
•The WR corps will be one of the best units on the team but their talent won't be shown much due to QB play

LSU-
•Leonard Fournette will win the Heisman Trophy as LSU claims the SEC and a berth in the Playoffs
•Brandon Harris will be much improved
•The secondary will be one of the best in the country

Mississippi State-
•By seasons end, Nick Fitzgerald will be one of the SEC's best QB's

Missouri-
•The offensive line will give up the most sacks in the SEC
•The defense will be one of the SEC's best

Ole Miss-
•Chad Kelly will have a very good season but not as good as 2015 due to so much talent leaving
•The RB's will struggle

South Carolina-
•QB play will be improved enormously, McIlwain will assert himself as the starter
•The offense will be better than expected but the defense will struggle

Tennessee-
•The WR corps will be improved, along with Dobbs accuracy
•Barring injuries the D-Line will be one of nations best

Texas A&M-
•Trevor Knight won't be as good as many think

Vanderbilt-
•Vandy will start the season 6-2
•They will upset one of the big 3 in the East(Florida, Georgia, Tennessee)

 

[B_dub]

Good stuff. I think LSU is a extremely talented team but I still have my doubts on Harris. If he does show vast signs of improvement, no doubt they'll be a really tough team to beat.

 

[rmilia1]

Dream scenario for SEC higher ups. A 12-1 LSU AND am 11-1 Bama would both be locks for the playoff

 

[nddulac]

Dream scenario for SEC higher ups. A 12-1 LSU AND am 11-1 Bama would both be locks for the playoff

Not if there were three other p5 teams with one loss or fewer.

 

[KingKoolKat75]

Dream scenario for SEC higher ups. A 12-1 LSU AND am 11-1 Bama would both be locks for the playoff

They do that and I will go all onepeat on their ass !

 

[rmilia1]

Not if there were three other p5 teams with one loss or fewer.

A 1 loss Bama is getting in ahead of everyone other than a 1 loss or fewer Oklahoma/Ohio St/Michigan type team. MAYBE a 1 loss conference champion like a FSU/USC/MSU/CLEMSON but that's 50/50. I'm relatively confident Bama would get the nod

 

[rmilia1]

They do that and I will go all onepeat on their ass !

You know it'd happen.

 

[KingKoolKat75]

You know it'd happen.

If we got another Bama/LSU type National Championship I would freak.

 

[Codaxx]

You know it'd happen.

Too many variables to say that. I hope Bama goes 11-1, gets left out of playoffs, and beats someone like a baby seal in a bowl game. That would speed up playoff expansion real quick

 

[rmilia1]

If we got another Bama/LSU type National Championship I would freak.

There are very few team that would go ahead of an 11-1 Bama. Conference Champs or not the list is probably less than 8 teams (assuming they weren't unbeaten) do you think a 12-1 Wisconsin that wins the B10 or a 12-1 Washing u on that wins the P12 goes ahead of 11-1 Bama with their only loss coming to 13-1 SEC Champ LSU?? Yeah... me neither

 

[rmilia1]

Too many variables to say that. I hope Bama goes 11-1, gets left out of playoffs, and beats someone like a baby seal in a bowl game. That would speed up playoff expansion real quick

Yeah of course there are variables. More times than not on this situation Bama is in though. I'm all for 8 teams though

 

[KingKoolKat75]

There are very few team that would go ahead of an 11-1 Bama. Conference Champs or not the list is probably less than 8 teams (assuming they weren't unbeaten) do you think a 12-1 Wisconsin that wins the B10 or a 12-1 Washing u on that wins the P12 goes ahead of 11-1 Bama with their only loss coming to 13-1 SEC Champ LSU?? Yeah... me neither

Not sure...you might be right.

 

[rmilia1]

Not sure...you might be right.

They are realistically probably the only team I'd currently say that about. Their recent success combined with historic tradition plus the SEC rep would make it pretty certain (see 2011). Certain teams may get that nod on a year by year basis but not consistently. OSU for example probably would have got in last year if Clemson wasn't unbeaten and the 2 other one loss teams weren't historic powers. Like say UNC had beat Clemson. OSU would have gone ahead of them or a 1 loss Iowa or Clemson. Or if OKST had gone 11-1 instead of Oklahoma OSU would have gone ahead of them too but Bama gets the benefit of the doubt in those kind of situations almost every time. They've earned it I suppose but doesn't make it easier to swallow. The Tide basically gets a free loss every year imo

 

[TexasExes98]

SEC is all Bama until proven otherwise. Bama doesn't need an experienced QB to turn around and hand the ball off to the RB.

 

[Goldbug]

Alabama is so ridiculously strong that they have some games on their schedule where I could be their QB and they would still win. Saban now is what Bud Wilkinson used to be in his day: light years better than any other coach in the country at getting the very best out of good players.

 

[Codaxx]

Alabama is so ridiculously strong that they have some games on their schedule where I could be their QB and they would still win. Saban now is what Bud Wilkinson used to be in his day: light years better than any other coach in the country at getting the very best out of good players.

I woudl say his biggest advantage is simply stocking a roster. I have no idea what happens in a recruits living room, but I would love to see Saban work a recruit and his family. The transformation from media Saban to living room Saban, must be mind blowing to watch

 

[tducey]

Interesting predictions, thanks for sharing.