Projected Win Totals For Every SEC Team In 2014
The SEC is almost universally viewed as the best college football conference in America, and it's really hard to argue otherwise. Prior to last year, the last seven national champions had all come from the SEC, and Auburn came within 13 seconds of making it eight in a row. Four of the last seven Heisman Trophy winners have also come from the conference, and every year there seem to be at least two SEC squads with legitimate cases to call themselves the best team in America.
The 2014 season should be as entertaining as ever down south. The conference should boast some of the best teams in America yet again - programs like Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina are legitimate contenders. There's also the 2014 Iron Bowl, which after last year's game, may be the most anticipated regular season college football contest in years.
As we did earlier this offseason for the Big Ten, we decided to project the win total for every SEC team. We think that one team will survive the conference and go undefeated.
Each team has a click-able mini-preview.
East | Record | West | Record |
11-1 (7-1) | 12-0 (8-0) | ||
10-2 (6-2) | Auburn | 11-1 (7-1) | |
8-4 (4-4) | 9-3 (5-3) | ||
7-5 (4-4) | Texas A&M | 9-3 (5-3) | |
6-6 (2-6) | Ole Miss | 8-4 (4-4) | |
4-8 (1-7) | 7-5 (3-5) | ||
3-9 (0-8) | 4-8 (0-8) |
Or, you can start our slideshow instead, which begins with Florida:
Get Started: Florida (4-4) >>>
Florida (7-5, 4-4): Florida wasn't nearly as bad as its 4-8 record indicated last year, as injuries and brutal schedule led to the Gators ending their season with seven consecutive losses. If the Gators struggle like that again, it would be surprising, as this year's schedule is more manageable. It would also mean the hot seat head coach Will Muschamp is currently sitting on would become scorching.
The Gators will have quarterback Jeff Driskel all year. That bodes well for their offense, which was terrible last season. The team has trips to Alabama and Florida State -- but three of its four non-conference games are very easy, and there are a few games in the conference that are pretty winnable. The Gators are talented enough to make last season an afterthought - it's all about putting it in the past.
Georgia (10-2, 6-2): The first few weeks of Georgia's schedule are brutal, as the team kicks its season off against Clemson before traveling to Columbia to take on South Carolina in what will likely be the SEC's most marquee matchup of the early season. After those two games, things open up for Georgia, and it should be able to navigate its schedule until November.
The bigggest game on the Dawgs' schedule is their showdown at home with Auburn. If Georgia can win that game -- and survive the SC contest at the beginning of the season -- it'll have a decent shot at playing for an SEC title. We see them falling to the Gamecocks and the (Auburn) Tigers. Still, another 10 win season for Mark Richt is nothing to scoff at.
Kentucky (3-9, 0-8): Make no mistake - Kentucky's program is on the rise. Top recruits are starting to choose to play their football for Mark Stoops in Lexington. The school's 2014 class ranking was No. 17 in the country, according to Rivals. But for the 2014 season, the program just isn't where it needs to be to be looked at as a serious contender.
In fact, it could end up being a really long season in Lexington. UK's SEC schedule is tough, especially considering the overall lack of talent. Kentucky has three tough road games - at Florida, at LSU, and at Missouri. The Wildcats will also welcome Georgia and South Carolina. Their non-conference schedule has three games the team should win - UT Martin, Ohio and Louisiana-Monroe - and one it should lose - Louisville. Again, Kentucky is doing all of the right things. It's just not going to change overnight.
Missouri (8-4, 4-4): The bad news for Missouri is that it needs to replace a number of key players, like quarterback James Franklin, running back Henry Josey, wide receivers L'Damian Washington, Dorial Green-Beckham and Marcus Lucas, and defensive end Michael Sam.
The good news is that the Tigers have a relatively easy start to their season, and their schedule features three home games against lesser SEC opponents (Vandy, Kentucky, Arkansas). If the team can replace all of the talent it's losing with players like quarterback Maty Mauk and running back Russell Hansbrough, it should be able to get by in 2014. That being said, it's probably a long shot that the Tigers will return to the SEC title game.
Next: South Carolina (7-1) >>>
South Carolina (11-1, 7-1): The Gamecocks are loaded, and should be the favorites to win the SEC East. Sure, the team needs to replace a few players, most notably defensive menace Jadeveon Clowney and quarterback Connor Shaw, but the Gamecocks are still incredibly talented, and have one of the best in-game coaches (Steve Spurrier) in America. Like Georgia, SC has a tough start to the season with home games against Texas A&M and the aforementioned Bulldogs. The Gamecocks then get a breather, with contests against Vandy, Mizzou, Kentucky and Furman.
But the end of the season could be brutal, with trips to Auburn, Florida and Clemson. If Spurrier and Co. can navigate this stretch, then South Carolina will make its first SEC Championship game since 2010. Running back Mike Davis could be the key to a storybook season.
Tennessee (4-8, 1-7): The Volunteers are trending upward under head coach Butch Jones, and we think that Tennessee will be an SEC powerhouse again some time in the next few years. UT had the fifth-ranked recruiting class for 2014, according to Rivals. Unfortunately, as was the case with Kentucky, we don't think that the new talent will make much of an immediate impact.
It certainly doesn't help that the team has an absolutely brutal schedule, with trips to Oklahoma, Georgia and South Carolina, and games against Florida and Alabama. The Vols also get Utah State to open the season - a game that they better not take lightly. Tennessee has several winnable games out of conference, and Jones has proven to be a solid coach, but the Vols aren't quite ready to contend - yet. If UT reaches a bowl game after the season, mark it down as a successful campaign.
Vanderbilt (6-6, 2-6): Sure, the Commodores lost James Franklin and his staff, but the school did a fantastic job replacing him with former Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason. They will need to reload after losing some talent, namely wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a number of top recruits that followed Franklin to Penn State, but Vanderbilt should be okay, as its former coach laid down a solid foundation for Mason to build upon.
Fortunately for Vanderbilt, its non-conference schedule is cake, with home games against Temple, UMass, Charleston Southern and Old Dominion. It would be surprising if Vandy didn't go 4-0 in those games, and pick up wins against some of the worse teams in the SEC, like Kentucky and Tennessee. For a transitional year, a bowl game wouldn't be the worst outcome.
Alabama (12-0, 8-0): The Crimson Tide are incredibly talented and very well-coached, which is a great formula for going undefeated. The team will also be hungry after closing out 2013 on a two-game losing streak, the first of its kind for Alabama since 2008. While it needs to replace several players who left for the NFL, that's never been an issue for Bama under Nick Saban, as the team constantly reloads with top recruiting classes when it loses talent.
As for the team's schedule, all eyes are its regular season finale against Auburn, which will likely decide the winner of the SEC West. It's possible that the Tide get picked off by LSU on the road in November, but we don't see it happening.
Alabama also has the advantage of the Iron Bowl being played at Bryant-Denny Stadium. We've already cleared out schedules on November 29 - we'll be watching.
Arkansas (4-8, 0-8): Bret Bielema is a fantastic football coach, but Arkansas is facing an uphill battle in an SEC West with three national title contenders. The Razorbacks also drew Georgia from the SEC East and take on Texas Tech in what should be a fun non-conference matchup.
The team's defense isn't up to par in the SEC, as it was arguably the worst (over 30 points per game against) in the conference last year. Arkansas can run the ball down anyone's throats, but between its putrid defense and really tough schedule -- which opens with Auburn and later features a brutal three-game stretch of Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia -- it could be a long year in Fayetteville.
Auburn (11-1, 7-1): Auburn's schedule is sneaky difficult. The Tigers will take on their usual rivals Alabama, LSU and Georgia, but also drew South Carolina this year. They'll also be heading to Kansas State to take on the Wildcats in September.
The team will need to replace star running back Tre Mason and tackle Greg Robinson on offense, along with defensive end Dee Ford, but Auburn returns a ton of firepower on both sides of the ball. Add in the fact that Gus Malzahn may be the best offensive mind in football, and Auburn may be one of the most fun teams in college football again. Despite the tough schedule, we'd be surprised if the Tigers aren't in the national title discussion by the end of the season. It could all come down to November 29th in Tuscaloosa.
LSU (9-3, 5-3): LSU needs to reload. It lost its starting quarterback, its starting running back, its two top wide receivers and several members of its defense. This should make its opening game against Wisconsin in Houston, along with its trips to Auburn and Texas A&M, really difficult. The Tigers also travel to the Swamp to take on Florida, and have a huge game against Alabama midway through the season. Star freshman tailback Leonard Fournette better be the real deal.
However, if there's one thing we've learned, it's that you should never bet against the maniacally brilliant mind of Les Miles. LSU is still loaded with talent, and brings in the No. 2 recruiting class in America, according to Rivals. Long story short, we don't expect LSU to win fewer than eight games for the first time during Miles' tenure, but we're not sure the Tigers are national title contenders.
Next: Mississippi State (3-5) >>>
Mississippi State (7-5, 3-5): The Bulldogs are one of the most intriguing teams in America. The squad features a massive Heisman dark horse in Dak Prescott, who has the potential to be a dynamic dual-threat quarterback who bursts onto the national scene. Its defense ended the year on a high note, allowing 11.3 points per game over its last three games. Mississippi State has the talent to do something special this year.
Unfortunately, the team's schedule is rough. There is a three-game stretch to kick off SEC play where the Bulldogs will face LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn, they need to travel to Alabama. The Egg Bowl against rival Ole Miss is on the road. Dan Mullen and Co. are up for the challenge - getting to eight wins would be a huge achievement.
Ole Miss (8-4, 4-4): Like their in-state rival, the Rebels have a quarterback with superstar potential and a nasty defense that could frustrate opponents. Quarterback Bo Wallace is arguably the best passer in the conference, and defensive end Robert Nkemdiche is poised for a monster sophomore campaign.
Unlike its in-state rival, the team's schedule isn't incredibly difficult, although a five-game stretch which includes Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU and Auburn is cruel. Ole Miss also opens the season against Boise State - which is always tricky. Five SEC wins are not out of the question here.
Texas A&M (9-3, 5-3): Unsurprisingly, replacing former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel will be incredibly difficult. The Aggies will also need to replace star wide receiver Mike Evans and offensive tackle Luke Joeckel. But head coach Kevin Sumlin's high-tempo offense will still be incredibly difficult to stop, no matter what group of 11 players it throws out onto the field. The Aggies also return the majority of their starters on the defensive side of the ball.
Texas A&M opens its season with a tough game against South Carolina and finishes with Alabama, Auburn, Missouri and LSU from late October through November. Still, we don't think they'll fall too far.
The Aggies were given 25:1 odds to win the SEC by Bovada - which defensive back Deshazor Everett was not thrilled about. The team would probably have to beat both Alabama and Auburn on the road to make it happen.
