SEC East Prediction #1: Missouri
Dec 6, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel on the field prior to the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2014 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Junior College Players have signed and enrolled. The 2015 signing class have all inked their Letters of Intent. Most teams have started or are about to start Spring Practice. Once the 2015 signing class sets foot on campus, we will know what each team will bring to the table for the 2015 season. That means it’s time for me to make my Spring Practice Predictions for the 2015 season.
2015 SEC East Prediction #7: Kentucky
2015 SEC East Prediction #6: Vanderbilt
2015 SEC East Prediction #5: South Carolina
2015 SEC East Prediction #4: Florida
2015 SEC East Prediction #3: Tennessee
2015 SEC East Prediction #2: Georgia
I have Missouri walking away with a third straight SEC East title. Do I think they pull away from the rest of the division, or do I think they squeak it out? Here is my prediction for how their season plays out.
| Opponent | Home or Away | Predicted Outcome | Wins | Losses | SEC Wins | SEC Losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri State | Home | Win | 1 | |||
| Arkansas State | Home | Win | 2 | |||
| Connecticut | Home | Win | 3 | |||
| Kentucky | Away | Win | 4 | 1 | ||
| South Carolina | Away | Win | 5 | 2 | ||
| Florida | Home | Win | 6 | 3 | ||
| Georgia | Away | Loss | 1 | 1 | ||
| Vanderbilt | Away | Win | 7 | 4 | ||
| Mississippi State | Home | Loss | 2 | 2 | ||
| BYU | Home (Arrowhead Stadium) | Win | 8 | |||
| Tennessee | Home | Win | 9 | 5 | ||
| Arkansas | Away | Loss | 3 | 3 | ||
| 9-3 Overall; 5-3 SEC |
So yes, I have predicted five teams in the SEC East to go 5-3 in conference play creating a massive logjam at the top of the division. I also had to sort through all of the tie breaker scenarios. The first tie breaker in this scenario is the head to head record for all teams involved. It is also the only one that matters if this were to happen the way I have it currently. Missouri would have a 3-1 record against the other four teams involved in the tie, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee would have 2-2 records against the other four teams, and South Carolina would have a 1-3 record against those four teams. I may have messed up the second, third, and fourth place tie breakers messed up, but I was more concerned with getting the top team right.
I think Missouri will have just enough to win a division that is pretty even one through five. Pinkel has done an amazing job at that school, and he will have a veteran quarterback that will give them just enough of an edge to overcome the competition.
The East will be better, and they will have a number of good teams. I don’t think there will be a great team in the division though. And if there is a five way tie at 5-3 I’ll be shocked. I don’t expect to get every game I predicted right, and just being off one or two could throw these predictions way off. It may not be a great division, but it will certainly be an interesting one.