SEC Observations

Sep 8, 2012; College Station, TX, USA; SEC logo on the field before a game between the Texas A

Just some random thoughts and observations about the SEC.

• The more things change, the more they stay the same. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Texas A&M all have one loss or less in the SEC West, but let’s be honest, this is a two horse race between LSU and Alabama with the winner of their meeting in Tuscaloosa later on this year in all likelihood deciding who wins this division. Gus Malzahn has Auburn looking better but I just don’t see them pulling the upset this year. Texas A&M is going to have their defense let them down against LSU. Manziel is two tons of awesome, but he doesn’t play defense.
• Is there any better story in the SEC this year than Missouri? After a terrible introduction to life in the SEC last year, they come back and start 6-0. The only thing holding them back from winning the East in my opinion is the fact that they could have lost James Franklin for at least three weeks, and maybe up to 5 weeks. Personally, I hope he makes it back in time for their game down in Oxford and he lights the Rebels up.
• Manziel is playing lights out again, but I just don’t see him winning the Heisman again. Not because he doesn’t deserve it, but I think there is a lot of backlash to his off field antics. Add to that, Bryce Petty out of Baylor is having a sensational year in his own right, and I see the voters going his direction for the Heisman.
• Does anyone else see Ole Miss’s season going a lot like Mississippi State’s 2010 season did? Think about it, Mississippi State benefited from a couple of traditional powers having down years (Georgia and Florida) and Ole Miss is doing very much the same (Texas and Vanderbilt, not a traditional power but everyone expected them to be better than they are). When the competition stiffened up for the Bulldogs in 2010, we cam up short. Same thing is happening this year for the Rebels. Ole Miss could end up 8-4 and a decent to good bowl without a real good win on their resume, just like State did in 2010. They will definitely get to six with Idaho and Arkansas still on the schedule coming to Oxford. If the Troy teams that shows up in Oxford that showed up in Starkville, then I think Ole Miss will wipe the floor with them. If it is the team that we all heard about entering that game, then it could be an interesting battle between two high powered offenses. They can beat Missouri and Mississippi State, but those games are tossups in my opinion.
• Does anyone else think Gus Malzahn is the early leader for coach of the year? He still has games against Texas A&M and Alabama that he will probably lose, but those are the  only other losses I see on the schedule. I know Georgia will be tough, but that teams has been so ravaged by injuries that I just don’t see them being able to keep up with Auburn. Auburn could very well have a 9-3 season on their hands.
• My how things have changed in Florida. Back in the days of Steve Spurrier, that program used to be one of the most fun to watch because it seemed like they could score in less than minute every time they got the ball. Now, under the direction of Will Muschamp, they play a brand of football their own fans have a hard time watching. Florida needs to get to the point where they are competing for SEC East titles in a hurry or Muschamp may have to update his resume.

Just curious, there is always coaching turnover in the SEC, so who do you think will be gone at the end of this year? Are there any seats that are starting to get hot? Let me know what you think.