2015 SEC Football Projections

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats 3h3 hours ago

.@AthlonSports season preview ranks UK as the #55 team in college football for this coming season. Boom makes a cover http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/kentucky-wildcats-2015-preview-and-prediction ...\

This is a critical season for Stoops and Kentucky. The administration has given him the resources — huge raises for him and his staff, a $120 million stadium renovation that opens this fall and a $45 million practice facility under construction — and Year 3 is time to deliver results.

The positive vibes of a 5–1 start last fall vanished with the Wildcats' 0–6 finish. But after three straight top-40 recruiting classes and three springs and summers to develop that talent, Stoops is confident the tide is turning. "Significantly better right now," he says. "I think it's hard to put into words exactly. I definitely feel like we're developing them to be a winning football team."

[jbcarol]

Athlon's Vandy preview

t's difficult to put a positive spin on Derek Mason's first year as a head coach. Coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons, Vanderbilt slumped to 3–9 overall and failed to win a game in the SEC. Mason's second Vanderbilt team should be improved, thanks in part to more experience on both sides of the ball and upgrades on the coaching staff. But the Commodores will have to be drastically better, especially on offense, to make a move in the SEC East, where seemingly every program — with the possible exception of South Carolina — is on the uptick...

[jbcarol]

ESPN's Auburn Preview

Back-to-back defeats (Iron Bowl and Outback Bowl) made for a disappointing finish to '14. But despite the departure of the Tigers' QB and RB, there is still plenty of optimism on the Plains with the arrival of D-coordinator Will Muschamp...

Auburn ran the ball on 68 percent of plays the past two seasons with Nick Marshall under center (1,866 rush yards, 23 TDs combined), but a change at QB—and the loss of RB Cameron Artis-Payne (SEC-high 123.7 ypg)—means a change in style. Expect more balance with pro-style passer Jeremy Johnson (11.8 ypa on 37 throws in '14) and the return of WRs D'haquille Williams (730 yards in 10 games before a right knee injury)... Still, the core of coach Gus Malzahn's offense—the hurry-up, no-huddle—will never change. "We believe in playing fast and up-tempo," says O-coordinator Rhett Lashlee, whose unit dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in the SEC in total plays in '14.

In Auburn's eight wins, it failed to score a touchdown on just seven of 35 red zone trips. In the Tigers' five losses, their red zone TD rate dropped from 80 percent to 43.5 (just 10 TDs on 23 drives inside the 20)...

[jbcarol]

Braden Gall ‏@BradenGall 4h4 hours ago

Projected records, ind. awards, team previews, top storylines, top games, players to watch in SEC in 2015: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/sec-football-2015-predictions ...

Nine SEC teams appear in Athlon's top 25 projections for 2015, including all seven teams from the West Division. Georgia is the favorite in the East...

...Missouri's Maty Mauk and Arkansas' Brandon Allen will be looking to take the next step in their development. It's no secret quarterback play is a huge part of how the season will play out. Considering the overall uncertainty of this position, there's an extra layer of intrigue surrounding the quarterbacks in 2015.

...In the West, Arkansas was one of the hottest teams in the SEC at the end of 2014. The Razorbacks will be a tough out once again and could improve their win total by two games if quarterback Brandon Allen improves under new coordinator Dan Enos...

[jbcarol]

Jim Kleinpeter ‏@JimKleinpeter 5h5 hours ago

Ranking #LSU's 2015 football schedule: Which are the Tigers' biggest games? @tigerdroppings, @lsufball, @geauxtigers http://s.nola.com/C5uBizJ

Arkansas, Nov. 14

It's a tough call between this game and Auburn. I switched them back and forth before settling. I'm just not convinced the Hogs are as good as their late season run in which they shut out LSU and Ole Miss. With two 1,000-yard rushers, four starters back on the offensive line and a senior quarterback, the Hogs will be an offensive force with the ground-and-pound run game. But they have some serious holes on defense with the loss of end Trey Flowers and linebacker Martrell Spaight. It's going to be a difficult win for LSU, which plays the Hogs after Alabama. That was part of the explanation for last year's 17-0 faceplant...

Brett Duke, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, File photo

[jbcarol]

5Dimes have released their over/unders for SEC football

West
1. Alabama

9.5 over/under with the over at -145 and the under at +105

2. Auburn

8.5 over/under with the over at -165 and the under at +125

3. Ole Miss

8.5 over/under with the over at -110 and the under at -130

4. Arkansas

8.5 over/under with the over at +120 and the under at -160

5. LSU

8 over/under with the over at -125 and the under at -115

6. Texas A&M

7.5 over/under with the over at -215 and the under at +165

7. Mississippi State

7 over/under with the over at -115 and the under at -125

East
1. Georgia

9 over/under with the over at -135 and the under at -105

2. Missouri

7.5 over/under with the over at -180 and the under at +104 (sic)

3. Tennessee

7.5 over/under with the over at -140 and the under at +100

4. Florida

7.5 over/under with the over at +110 and the under at -150

5. South Carolina

7 over/under with the over at -120 and the under at -120

6. Kentucky

6 over/under with the over at -145 and the under at +105

7. Vandy

3 over/under with the over at -135 and the under at -105

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson ‏@SethEmersonAJC 16h16 hours ago

Terry Godwin, the Georgia incoming freshman WR, was picked in the 33rd round, 990th overall, of the MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves.

Terry Godwin's mother doesn't think "any kind of money" will keep her son from playing football for Georgia. http://m.ajc.com/news/sports/college/braves-draft-georgia-football-freshman-godwin/nmZtz/ ...

[jbcarol]

Parrish Alford ‏@parrishalford 54m54 minutes ago

Count Billy Brewer among those who believe #OleMiss football will do big things in 2015. http://insideolemisssports.com/2015/06/11/brewer-expects-big-year-for-ole-miss/ ...

There's a lot of excitement for Ole Miss this season from a lot of different directions, some this summer having the Rebels just outside the top 10.

Well, Brewer is on board with the expectations. Here's what he had to say about Hugh Freeze:

"He's here at the right time, right place. They're doing a great job recruiting, everything's in the right place. They know what they want on defense, they know what they want on offense, what kind of players they want and what they want to do with them when they get them here. They've done the best job I think in the SEC."

Will the recruiting translate to wins? Brewer thinks so and not just for one big year.

"Everybody's cutting their eyes to them. These guys have done a wonderful job. Well, they're having success, and they're beating everybody. That's the deal now. Not only are they beating people, they're going to be playing for championships quick, pretty quick. I would not be surprised if this is a banner year. This is going to be a big year."

[jbcarol]

David Morrison ‏@DavidCMorrison 7m7 minutes ago

On the blog: Our 2015 opponent previews continue with Kentucky- http://bit.ly/1B7Af6U .

Game Date/Time/TV: Sept. 26/TBA/TBA

Site: Commonwealth Stadium (62,093); Lexington, Ky.

Nickname: Wildcats

Location: Lexington, Ky.

2014 Record: 5-7, 2-6 Southeastern

Coach: Mark Stoops (Iowa, 1989); 7-17 (2 years)

Series vs. MU: Missouri, 3-2

Last Meeting: Missouri, 20-10, in Columbia (2014)



What's Coming Back?

Starters

Offense: 7

Defense: 8

Specialists: 2

Total: 17

Returning Leaders

Passing

Patrick Towles (6-5/241, Jr.): 198-of-339 passing, 2374 yards, 14 TD, 6 INT, 127.32 rating; 145 carries, 256 yards, 6 TD

Rushing

Stanley "Boom" Williams (5-9/196, Soph.): 74 carries, 486 yards, 5 TD; 17 catches, 162 yards, TD

Receiving

Ryan Timmons (5-10/201, Jr.): 45 catches, 536 yards, 2 TD

Defense

Tackles- Josh Forrest (6-3/233, Sr.): 110

TFL- Forrest: 8.0

Sacks- DT Cory Johnson (6-3/297, Sr.): 2.5

INT- S A.J. Stamps (6-0/197, Sr.): 4

Passes Defended- CB Fred Tiller (6-0/177, Sr.): 11

Three Things to Know

    That Line Was Just Awful: In about every way imaginable. In the run game, Kentucky tied for 79th in the FBS in yards per game (153.2) and held 79th all on its lonesome in yards per rush (4.14). That includes four outings (Florida, LSU, Missouri, Tennessee) in which the yards-per-carry meter failed to tick above 3. In pass protections, the Wildcats gave up 2.83 sacks a game -- good for 101st in the FBS, as you see above -- and a sack every 11.9 pass attempts. And it's not like Towles was a stiff...

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 7m7 minutes ago

Who will be this year's surprise contender in the SEC? @Natalie_Pierre ---> http://ow.ly/OkWy2 

Arkansas and A&M are a couple other teams you should keep an eye on this season...

[jbcarol]

Clay Travis ‏@ClayTravisBGID 24m24 minutes ago

5dimes opens new CFB blines. Vols -3 vs. Oklahoma will surprise quite a few. Florida -1 at UK, Vols -4 at Florida, TCU -20 vs Texas

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 2h2 hours ago

Will 2015 Iron Bowl determine SEC West champion? Phil Steele weighs in on Alabama, Auburn http://ow.ly/Osi8Y

Alabama is the favorite to win the SEC West, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Tide will win the Iron Bowl, says Phil Steele.

The college football prognosticator has three top contenders in the SEC West -- Alabama, LSU and Auburn -- and matchups among those three could be "titanic" in 2015.

"Those are going to be among the best games of the entire football season," said Steele...

[jbcarol]

David Morrison ‏@DavidCMorrison 8h8 hours ago

On the blog: Our 2015 opponent previews continue with South Carolina- http://bit.ly/1IOTNNb .

Nickname: Gamecocks

Location: Columbia, S.C.

2014 Record: 7-6, 3-5 Southeastern (Beat Miami, 24-21, in the Independence Bowl)

Coach: Steve Spurrier (Florida, 1967); 84-45 (10 years at South Carolina), 226-85-2 (25 years overall)

Notable National Rankings

Passing: 20th in yards per game (282.4); 30th in yards per completion (13.25); 36th in passing efficiency (139.94)

Total Offense: 33rd (442.6 yards per game)

Third-Down Conversion Percent: 36th (43.4)

Forcing Negative Plays: 121st in tackles for loss per game (4.0); 118th in sacks per game (1.08)

Rush Defense: 105th in yards allowed per game (212.2); 115th in yards allowed per rush (5.37)

Red Zone Defense: 102nd (88.3% scores allowed)

What's Coming Back

Starters

Offense: 4

Defense: 8

Things to Know

    The HBC Decided it Was Time to Look Into His Defense: And not a moment too soon. South Carolina's defense was record-setting in a bad way last season. The Gamecocks gave up more than 40 points in four games, losses to Texas A&M, Kentucky, Auburn and Tennessee. They gave up more than 450 yards against Texas A&M, East Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee and Clemson, games in which they went 1-4. The rush defense was especially bad, gushing a total of 739 yards in consecutive weeks against Auburn and Tennessee and holding only one opponent (South Alabama) to fewer than four yards a carry. And the difference-making plays weren't there, either. The Gamecocks had fewer sacks than Shane Ray...

[jbcarol]

Courtney Cronin ‏@CourtneyRCronin 2h2 hours ago

ICYMI: @HKellenbergerCL ranks the top SEC games in 2016 (sic) & has some 2L2Q commentary on the worst games ever http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2015/06/17/kellenberger-never-early-rank-top-sec-games/28835089/ ...

Here's a ranking of the top-10 games and then the bottom-five:

2. Auburn at Arkansas, Oct. 24: Gus Malzahn drives the Gus Bus back to Fayetteville, which is always fun for Houston Nutt-related reasons. Plus, it's Auburn's hurry-up, no-huddle offense against Arkansas' running of the Hogs...

And now the bottom five. This won't take long.

5. Missouri at Vanderbilt, Oct. 24: Notice ...

4. Vanderbilt at Florida, Nov. 7: a theme ...

3. Vanderbilt at Tennessee, Nov. 28: here?

2. Vanderbilt at Ole Miss, Sept. 26: Sorry ...

1. Kentucky at Vanderbilt, Nov. 14: Commodores.

[jbcarol]

GoGamecocks.com ‏@gogamecocks 2h2 hours ago

Vegas oddsmakers aren't sold on Gamecocks in 2015 http://scne.ws/BFDWKk  #thestate

The Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology has Alabama as the favorite to win the title, followed by Auburn and Georgia.

SEC East teams, including USC, are the four biggest longshots to win the 2015 title. The Gamecocks rank ahead of Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

Alabama: 5/2

Auburn: 15/4

Georgia: 5/1

LSU: 8/1

Ole Miss: 8/1

Tennessee: 8/1

Arkansas: 10/1

Missouri: 12/1

Mississippi State: 12/1

Texas A&M: 15/1

Florida: 18/1

SOUTH CAROLINA: 25/1

Kentucky: 75/1

Vanderbilt: 100/1

[jbcarol]

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/futures/

Odds to win 2016 College Football Championship Game (1/11/16)

Team    Odds
Ohio State    3/1
Alabama    15/2
TCU    9/1
Auburn    12/1
Florida State    14/1
USC    16/1
Baylor    20/1
Clemson    22/1
Notre Dame    22/1
Oregon    22/1
UCLA    22/1
Georgia    25/1
LSU    25/1
Oklahoma    25/1
Michigan State    28/1
Arkansas    40/1
Ole Miss    40/1
Texas A&M    40/1
Stanford    44/1
Oklahoma State    55/1
Michigan    60/1
Field (Any Other Team)    60/1
Arizona State    65/1
Florida    65/1
Mississippi State    65/1
Texas    65/1
Tennessee    75/1
Wisconsin    75/1
Miami, Fl.    80/1
Arizona    85/1
Georgia Tech    110/1
Louisville    110/1
Missouri    110/1
Nebraska    110/1
Penn State    110/1
South Carolina    110/1

[jbcarol]

David Morrison ‏@DavidCMorrison 5h5 hours ago

On the blog: Our 2015 opponent previews reach the halfway point with the Florida Gators- http://bit.ly/1TABTUr .

Nickname: Gators

Location: Gainesville, Fla.

2014 Record: 7-5, 4-4 Southeastern (Beat East Carolina, 28-20, in the Birmingham Bowl)

Coach: Jim McElwain (Eastern Washington, 1984); 1st year at Florida; 22-16 (3 years overall)



What's Coming Back?

Starters

Offense: 4

Defense: 7

Specialists: 1

Total: 12

Returning Leaders

Passing

Treon Harris (5-11/193, Soph.): 55-of-111 passing, 1019 yards, 9 TD, 4 INT, 146.21 rating; 75 carries, 332 yards, 3 TD

Rushing

Kelvin Taylor (5-10/209, Jr.): 116 carries, 565 yards, 6 TD

Receiving

Demarcus Robinson (6-2/197, Jr.): 53 catches, 810 yards, 7 TD

Defense

Tackles- WLB Antonio Morrison (6-1/225, Sr.): 101

TFL- DE Alex McCalister (6-6/238, Jr.): 9.0

Sacks- McCalister: 6.0

INT- CB Brian Poole (5-10/208, Sr.): 4

Passes Defended- CB Vernon Hargreaves III (5-11/198, Jr.): 16

Three Things to Know

There's a New Sheriff in Town

No-Fly Zone: You don't want to throw to Hargreaves' side, man. Don't even think about it.

[jbcarol]

State's inexperienced line loses more

Bulldogs lost 114 combined career starts from their 2014 o-line and return just 32 starts from the unit. Three starters, which include first-team SEC right guard Ben Beckwith, left tackle Blaine Clausell and center Dillon Day, are among those Dan Mullen's team will be without this fall.

[jbcarol]

SportsTalk ‏@sportstalksc  4h4 hours ago
Las Vegas Over/Under for total wins for South Carolina and Clemson: Tigers 9; Gamecocks 6.5. http://espn.go.com/chalk/story/_/id/13131981/ohio-state-buckeyes-expected-win-115-games-year-according-las-vegas-sportsbook ...

Alabama   9.5 (-135o)   SEC
Arkansas   8 (-140u)   SEC
Auburn   8.5 (-130o)   SEC
Florida   7 (-130o)   SEC
Georgia   9 (-125o)   SEC
Kentucky   5.5 (-130o)   SEC
LSU   8.5 (-130o)   SEC
Mississippi   8.5   SEC
Mississippi State   7 (-145u)   SEC
Missouri   7.5 (-135o)   SEC
South Carolina   6.5 (-155o)   SEC
Tennessee   8 (-160u)   SEC
Texas A&M   8 (-120u)   SEC
Vanderbilt   3.5 (-135u)   SEC

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 2h2 hours ago

SEC preseason top 25 football players, No. 20, Arkansas RB Alex Collins - via @Gator_sports http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20150624/ARTICLES/150629875?tc=cr ...

With a rare blend of speed and power, Collins has emerged as one of the top running backs in the league. Collins has rushed for 1,000 or more yards in each of his first two seasons on campus, totalling 2,126 yards and 16 TDs in his two-year career while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Fumbles are an issue (Collins has fumbled 11 times and lost seven in two seasons) but it hasn't prevented Arkansas coach Bret Bielema from losing faith in him. Collins also has 72 yards receiving and 113 return yards in his Arkansas career, and hopes to show his versatility more this season.

[jbcarol]

David Morrison ‏@DavidCMorrison Jun 24

On the blog: Our 2015 opponent series continues with Georgia- http://bit.ly/1SK42qM . A team that did bad things to Missouri last year.

2014 Record: 10-3, 6-2 Southeastern (Won the Belk Bowl, 37-14, over Louisville)

Coach: Mark Richt (Miami, 1982); 136-48 (13 years)



Notable National Rankings

Offensive Efficiency: 8th in points per game (41.3); 11th in rush yards per game (257.; 7th in completion percentage (67.4); 9th in pass efficiency (156.06); 8th in rush yards per attempt (6.04); 8th in 3rd-down conversion percentage (49.7)

Pass Defense: 5th in yards allowed per game (170.4); 7th in efficiency defense (106.79)

Turnovers: 4th in turnover margin (1.23 per game); 15th in interceptions (16); 18th in fumbles recovered (13)

Tackles for Loss: 85th (5.5 per game)



Returning Leaders

Passing

Brice Ramsey (6-3/213, Soph.): 24-of-39 passing, 333 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT, 148.39 rating

Rushing

Nick Chubb (5-10/220, Soph.): 219 carries, 1547 yards, 14 TD; 18 catches, 213 yards, 2 TD

Receiving

Malcolm Mitchell (6-1/195, Sr.): 31 catches, 248 yards, 3 TD

Defense

Tackles- OLB Jordan Jenkins (6-3/253, Sr.): 70

TFL- Jenkins: 9.5

Sacks- OLB Leonard Floyd (6-4/231, Jr.) 6.0

INT- FS Quincy Mauger (6-0/200, Jr.): 4

Passes Defended- Mauger and SS Dominick Sanders (6-0/189, Soph.): 8

They return 4 starters on the line: The same five guys started all 13 games on the offensive line for the Bulldogs last year. Four of those guys are back and two of those guys are seniors. One of those guys, right tackle Kolton Houston is taking the Elvis Fisher route through school and entering his sixth season at Georgia...

[jbcarol]

 Riley Blevins ‏@Riley_Blevins 14h14 hours ago

ICYMI: Ole Miss opens as favorite vs. MSU in Egg Bowl and at pick 'em when it hosts LSU http://www.clarionledger.com/story/olemisssports/2015/06/26/ole-miss-2-point-favorite-in-egg-bowl-says-first-college-football-lines/29352321/ ...

Golden Nugget casino released the first college football lines on Friday

Ole Miss at Alabama -9.5

Ole Miss -6 at Florida

Texas A&M at Ole Miss -4

Ole Miss at Auburn -4

Arkansas at Ole Miss -1

LSU at Ole Miss PK

Ole Miss -2 at Mississippi St.

[jbcarol]

Conducted by Al.com

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/06/do_sec_football_sids_expect_al.html#incart_river

No. 7 Arkansas

Points: 92

2014: 8-5 overall, 3-5 SEC, 7th West
Coach: Bret Bielema, third season
All-SEC returners: Jonathan Williams, RB-2nd (Sr.); Hunter Henry, TE-HM (Jr.), Denver Kirkland, OL-HM (Jr.); Dan Skipper, OL-HM (Jr.)
All-SEC lost: Martell Spaight, LB-1st; Darius Philon, DT-2nd; Trey Flowers, DE-HM
2014 poll: No. 13 (33 points)

[jbcarol]

Hayden ‏@HaydenPicks

@bmarcello Arkansas is now only -2 after the betting

(Golden Nugget lines for Auburn at Arkansas)

[jbcarol]

Predicting best and worst scenarios for the South Carolina football season

BEST CASE

Sophomore Connor Mitch is the real deal

Pharoh Cooper is a Heisman Trophy contender

The new defensive linemen contribute immediately

The Gamecocks are 4-0 headed to Columbia, Mo., on Oct. 3 That will mean South Carolina is 2-0 in the SEC with a win over preseason favorite Georgia. It also will mean some much-needed confidence for a team that lacked it at points last season.

WORST CASE

North Carolina wins on Sept. 3

Steve Spurrier retires If the Gamecocks lose three more games in the fourth quarter, Spurrier might decide he's had enough.

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC 3h3 hours ago

Ultimate SEC road trip: Week 6 http://es.pn/1HtnwOq

Arkansas at Alabama
You think Arkansas' jump from three wins in 2013 to seven in 2014 was impressive? Go look at the games they lost. To me, they were even more impressive than wins against Texas Tech, LSU and Ole Miss. Only Auburn and Georgia beat them by more than a touchdown, and the Auburn game was tied at halftime.

For my money, the best indication of Arkansas' progress came during a one-point loss at home to Alabama. That's when I knew that Bret Bielema was building something that could work. His defense was stifling, limiting Alabama to its lowest rushing total all season while also holding Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper to a season-low two catches for 22 yards. His offense wasn't so hot, but they fought and didn't give the game away. With a few more weapons on offense, you could see Arkansas becoming a legitimate competitor in the SEC West.

That's why I want desperately to see what happens this season when the series shifts back to Tuscaloosa. Because after last season, Arkansas is confident. The Razorbacks hung in against Alabama and got the follow-through of wins against LSU, Ole Miss and Texas. They've seen what winning looks like now, and that makes them dangerous.

What's more, the optics of this game are interesting to me. After years of being on the same side of the ban-the-no-huddle debate, Alabama and Arkansas have unofficially parted ways. You thought Nick Saban would never embrace tempo on offense, but he finally gave in last season thanks to Lane Kiffin, leaving Bielema alone as college football's traffic cop hoping to ticket everyone for speeding. But the more teams go with speed over strength, the more teams like Arkansas become unique. Whether it's this season or the next, that could present challenges for Alabama.

In the meantime, I won't mind seeing the Tide's stout front seven go against the Hogs' improving offensive line and terrific tandem of tailbacks. Last season, Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams couldn't break 100 yards rushing against Alabama. If that happens again, I'll be shocked -- and impressed.

-- Alex Scarborough

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC 6h6 hours ago

Why Kentucky will -- or won't -- make a bowl game http://es.pn/1HsPt8X

It's Year 3 under Mark Stoops. The program is finishing up a $120 million renovation of Commonwealth Stadium that will be ready for the beginning of the season, and the fans are ready to see results. It's time for Kentucky football to take the next step.

The Wildcats were on the verge of a breakout season last year, but losing their last six games cost them a chance at a bowl game and made Stoops' seat a little warmer for 2015. It might be bowl game or else for the third-year coach.

Emerging playmakers: With two capable quarterbacks and four starters returning on the offensive line, the Kentucky offense should be pretty good this fall. It just needs a couple of playmakers to step up, and Stanley "Boom" Williams and Ryan Timmons are the perfect candidates. Williams came on late last season and wound up leading the team in rushing with 486 yards...

Manageable schedule: No SEC schedule is manageable, but Kentucky needs just six wins to make a bowl game. Assuming the Wildcats take care of business against Louisiana-Lafayette, Eastern Kentucky and Charlotte at home, that leaves three wins left to secure. Florida has had Kentucky's number for quite some time, but the game is at home and the Wildcats nearly pulled the upset last season. Even some of the road games -- South Carolina, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt -- at least seem winnable for this team. It might come down to Louisville and the Governor's Cup just like it did a year ago, and if so, the game is in Lexington.

Last season's Kentucky team should have played in a bowl game. The talent was there. The support was there. Even the momentum was there early on. But a couple of losses midway through the season, and the wheels began to fall off. By the end, it was ugly to watch. Part of that was the culture. This is a program that has endured a lot of losing in recent years. There's a reason the Wildcats haven't been to a bowl game since the 2010 season. If this year's team can't break that streak, it won't be due to a lack of talent. It will be a result of the culture.

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner ‏@MikeBBonner Jun 29

Mississippi State lost 15 starters from last year. That opens doors for these players to have breakout seasons.  http://on.thec-l.com/1Nu4wO7

Five Bulldogs primed for breakout seasons in 2015

Gus Walley

Mississippi State's tight ends caught 35 passes. Malcolm Johnson owned 28 of them. Johnson's now with the Cleveland Browns.

Gus Walley is the only other Bulldog tight end on the roster that has a career catch.

STARKVILLE From media outlets to sports booking in Las Vegas, prognosticators across the country are predicting a down season for Mississippi State.

The Golden Nugget listed MSU as underdogs in seven Southeastern Conference games this season.

[jbcarol]

Matt Murschel ‏@osmattmurschel Jun 27

Florida #Gators ranked No. 62 in the @orlandosentinel's college football preseason rankings. #sec  http://bit.ly/1BVNHLx

Today at No. 62: Florida

Coach: Jim McElwain (0-0 entering first season; 22-16 overall)

2014 results: 7-5 (4-4 Southeastern Conference; third in SEC East)

Offensive starters returning: 4

Offensive starters lost: 7

Defensive starters returning: 7

Defensive starters lost: 4

Key losses: DE Dante Fowler Jr.,WR Quinton Dunbar, OL Max Garcia, OT Chaz Green, OT D.J. Humphries, LB Mike Taylor, RB Matt Jones

Top returnees: CB Vernon Hargreaves III, LB Antonio Morrison, LB Jarrad Davis, DE Jon Bullard, RB Kelvin Taylor, WR Demarcus Robinson, TE Jake McGee, C Trip Thurman, S Keanu Neal, DB Brian Poole, CB Jalen Tabor

Strengths: The Gators' secondary could be the best in the SEC.

Two-time All-SEC cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (6 interceptions, 23 pass break-ups in two seasons) anchors the star-studded unit.

Weaknesses: McElwain did not sugarcoat the state of the program left behind. "The hand we were dealt is really insufficient at some of the areas," he said.

A paper-thin offensive line tops the list of concerns...

[jbcarol]

Why Mississippi State won't live up to last year's success:

    Shaky offensive line

State didn't win the conference last year, but the Bulldogs rode seniors Ben Beckwith, Dillon Day and Blaine Clausell to a five-week stint as the nation's No. 1-ranked team. But now they're all gone and only Justin Malone and Justin Senior remain. When your center is new, your running game could suffer. When your left tackle is new, your quarterback could be in for trouble. Any way you put it, that's a scary situation for Mississippi State's offense.

The rest of the West: There are no doormats in the West. The usual suspects (Alabama, Auburn, LSU) expect to make it to Atlanta, but so do Ole Miss and Arkansas...

[jbcarol]

Acadiana AdvocateVerified account@theadvocateaca

Scouting LSU football opponents: Here's Auburn at a glance, biggest threat, weak spot: http://ow.ly/P3bhA 

Auburn at a glance

    Coach (year): Gus Malzahn (3rd)
    2014 record: 8-5 (4-4, t4th in SEC West)
    2014 postseason: Lost in Outback Bowl, 34-31 (OT) to Wisconsin
    Returning starters: 13 (5 offense, 8 defense)
    Preseason prediction: 4th nationally, 2nd SEC West

SPRING STORYLINE

Jeremy Johnson's time and a switch of philosophy: The Nick Marshall Era in Auburn is over, and the highly anticipated Jeremy Johnson Era will begin this season in an offense that could show some new things. Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound junior and a top 15-ranked QB nationally in the 2013 class, has a better and stronger arm than Marshall. AU's run-heavy zone read attack might see a few more doses of pass this year with Johnson running things.

BIGGEST THREAT

WR D'haquille Williams

WEAK SPOT

Defensive tackle: Like LSU is thin at linebacker, Auburn is thin at defensive tackle. AU has just five DTs on scholarship... Auburn lost four of its five rotating defensive tackles from last season, including Gabe Wright, Angelo Blackson, Ben Bradley and Jeff Whitaker.

[jbcarol]

Ron Higgins ‏@RonHigg Jun 30

Ron Higgins retweeted Bo Mattingly

LSU won two national titles with QBs like Brandon Allen. No reason why Arkansas with a heady QB can't get to Atlanta

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC 5h5 hours ago

Why Missouri will -- or won't -- win the SEC East  http://es.pn/1CdZF3k

Georgia: The Bulldogs are the heavy favorite to win the East. They return arguably the best linebacker corps in the country, the best running back around in Nick Chubb, four starters along the offensive line, and a lot of athleticism/solid experience in the secondary. There are questions at quarterback and with the defensive line, but the Dawgs are still loaded on both sides of the ball. Plus, Georgia's toughest road game is at Auburn, and Missouri has to play in Athens this year.

Unproven WR/DL

[jbcarol]

David Morrison ‏@DavidCMorrison 11h11 hours ago

... 2015 ... previews. Today, it's Vanderbilt- http://bit.ly/1JzDYx3 .

2014 Record: 3-9, 0-8 Southeastern

Coach: Derek Mason (Northern Arizona, 1993); 3-9 (1 year)




Negative Plays Allowed: 7th in Tackles for Loss (4.25 per game); 39th in Sacks (1.75 per game)

Passing Yards Allowed: 49th (218.3 per game)

Fewest Penalty Yards: 50th (630)

Yards per Game: 122nd (288.3)

Turnovers: 121st in Margin (-1.75 per game); 120th in passes intercepted (19); 118th in turnovers lost (29)

3rd-Down Conversions: 121st (30.3 percent)

The good news is that Vandy only lost two players on offense and two on defense. The bad new is that the other 18 decided to return for 2015.

Johnny McCrary (6-4/224, Soph.): 78-of-152 passing, 985 yards, 9 TD, 8 INT, 114.76 rating; 22 rushes, 39 yards

Ralph Webb (5-10/200, Soph.): 212 rushes, 907 yards, 4 TD; 10 catches, 30 yards

Steven Scheu (6-5/245, Sr.): 39 catches, 525 yards, 4 TD

Mason had pretty good success as a defensive coordinator. At Stanford from 2011 to 2013, his defenses finished 28th, 20th and 16th in the FBS. In his first year as head coach last year, Vanderbilt's defense -- returning only three starters, by the way -- plummeted from 23rd in the nation to 70th. Mason felt as if he'd had enough of that. Mason fired defensive coordinator David Kotulski in December. To replace him, Mason turned to someone he knows very well -- Derek Mason. Vanderbilt transitioned from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in Mason's first year last season and had fairly good success with some of its edge rushers. Weatherly thrived in that rush linebacker role, and rising senior hybrid Caleb Azubike put up his second straight solid season. But, even though the offense wasn't doing it any favors, Vanderbilt's defense struggled making some of those game-shifting plays that all struggling teams -- heck, all teams regardless -- need to turn things around. Vanderbilt finished 95th in the FBS in sacks per game, 70th in tackles for loss per game, 112th in interceptions per game and 99th in passes defended per game. Mason's hoping his personal touch -- plus nine returning starters -- will help make that a different story this season.

Poor Passing...

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner ‏@MikeBBonner 3h3 hours ago

Vegas continues to doubt Mississippi State in 2015 http://on.thec-l.com/1LXUbtf

Another sports outlet picked Mississippi State to finish last in the Southeastern Conference's west division.

Bovada sports booking released the over/under win totals for college football on Thursday. It listed Mississippi State's at seven -- the fewest among SEC west teams. Texas A&M, at 7.5, was second fewest. Bovada listed the other five western division teams at 8.5 or more.

Arkansas, Ole Miss Auburn and LSU all were at 8.5. Alabama was at 9.5.

Athlon Sports and Phil Steele both project MSU to finish last in the SEC West. The AP slotted the Bulldogs in Birmingham Bowl at the end of the 2015 season.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 4h4 hours ago

Penciling in Lafayette, EKU and Charlotte as wins, here are the Cats' other three best chances for wins and a bowl: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/07/02/analysis-predicting-path-kentucky-football-make-bowl-game/29641511/ ...

In a fairly impressive feat, Mark Stoops and the Kentucky football program managed to regain momentum this summer after a six-game losing streak to end last season.

Bud Dupree became the program's first NFL first-rounder in a dozen years. Commonwealth Stadium started to sparkle as $120 million in renovations near completion. Construction began on a new $45 million practice facility. Recruiting returned to better-than-ever levels.

But come this fall, when Stoops begins his third season in charge, it will be time to back all that up with results. While he's not on the hot seat and it might be a stretch to call this a make-or-break season, the bottom line is that 2015 will only be viewed as a success – and all that positive momentum will only be sustained – if UK reaches a bowl game.

That requires six wins, which is exactly where Las Vegas oddsmakers just set the over/under for the Cats. So where will those victories come from?

Florida (Sept. 19, Lexington) – The Cats were so close to snapping their brutal losing streak against the Gators last season in The Swamp. Instead, they suffered maybe the most miserable of all the 28 consecutive defeats as a blown call helped Florida escape in triple overtime.

Vanderbilt (Nov. 14, Nashville) – Nothing illustrated how far Kentucky had fallen like a three-game losing streak against the Commodores by a combined score of 100-14.

Louisville (Nov. 28, Lexington) – Just like last year, Kentucky's postseason hopes could come down to its regular-season finale against the rival Cardinals, only this time the big game is at home. The Cats, heavy underdogs and playing on the road in 2014, nearly pulled off a huge upset. They led 40-37 late (on another Boom Williams highlight-reel touchdown) and had a chance to all but seal victory with an interception in the final four minutes. But safety Marcus McWilson dropped it...

[jbcarol]

 AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 15m15 minutes ago

ESPN's FPI projects Auburn win total to drop in 2015 http://ow.ly/PadDG

ESPN's preseason Football Power Index ratings released this week place Auburn 17th nationally and eighth in the SEC.

The most surprising aspect of the ratings? Auburn's projected win total, which is worse than the 8-5 season the Tigers experienced last season. The FPI projects 7.4 wins.

Auburn is listed in the FPI behind SEC rivals Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Tennessee, respectively.

[jbcarol]

Sharon Katz@skatz23
Updated Preseason FPI with 2015 projections now available at http://ESPN.com/fpi

Regardless of the validity of the assumptions, it is a good presentation of the impact of strength of schedule on the chances of going undefeated.

10. Arkansas  8.1 - 4.0

[jbcarol]

David Morrison ‏@DavidCMorrison Jul 3

On the blog: Our 2015 opponent previews continue with Mississippi State- http://bit.ly/1GUzk5P .

2014 Record: 10-3, 6-2 Southeastern (Lost Orange Bowl, 49-34, to Georgia Tech)

Coach: Dan Mullen (Ursinus (Pa.) College, 1994); 46-31 (7 years)



Notable National Rankings

Red-Zone Defense: 1st (63.6 percent scores allowed)

Offense: 8th in Yards per Game (513.; 13th in Yards per Play (6.67); 16th in Points per Game (36.9); 16th in Passing Efficiency (152.68)

Interceptions: 15th (16)

Passing Defense: 114th (272.8 yards allowed per game)

Total Defense: 84th (424.4 yards allowed per game)

Fumbles: 88th in recovered (7); 79th in lost (11)

What's Coming Back?

Starters

Offense: 4

Defense: 3

Specialists: 2

Total: 9

Returning Leaders

Passing

Dak Prescott (6-2/230, Sr.): 244-of-396 passing, 3449 yards, 27 TD, 11 INT, 151.72 rating

Rushing

Prescott: 210 carries, 986 yards, 14 TD

[jbcarol]

Razorbacks on SDS ‏@Razorbacks Jul 4

ESPN Stats & Information projects 6 SEC teams in Top 10 http://sds.to/1KBptsQ

1. Ohio State
2. Alabama
3. Baylor
4. TCU
5. LSU
6. Georgia
7. Oregon
8. Texas A&M
9. Ole Miss
10. Arkansas
11. UCLA
12. USC
13. Tennessee

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC ‏@ESPN_SEC  2h2 hours ago
Why Ole Miss will -- or won't -- win the SEC West http://es.pn/1KLHK58

Why Ole Miss will win the SEC West: Stacked defense ... 2013 recruiting class ... QB Chad Kelly

Why Ole Miss won't win the SEC West:

No true running game...

Brutal road trips: Yes, everyone in the West has it tough when it comes to scheduling, but Ole Miss has to go to Alabama, Florida, Auburn and Mississippi State this season. The scheduling gods were not good to the Rebels. The Alabama game will be a night game inside one of the nation's toughest venues, Florida is an enigma that might be playing with house money, Auburn is a national championship favorite and the Egg Bowl with Mississippi State will yet again be another large hurdle against a team that will be jockeying for position in the West as well. Ole Miss also has to squeeze in home games against Arkansas and LSU in between those trips to Auburn and Starkville.

[jbcarol]

Pat Forde ‏@YahooForde 6h6 hours ago

It's early July. You need a college football column. I wrote one: 40 coast-to-coast thoughts on the '15 schedule: http://yhoo.it/1J1zNEJ

A&M does not leave the state of Texas until Oct. 24, when it plays at Mississippi. Prior to that are four true home games and pseudo-neutral-site games against Arizona State (Houston) and Arkansas (Arlington).

Georgia is not breaking the bank on travel expenses. All 12 games are played within the state or in an adjoining state – the longest road trip is 300 miles to Nashville to play Vanderbilt. A potential 13th game in the SEC championship game would also be in the Peach State. A victory there could put the Bulldogs in Florida for an Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal. Thus if the season goes ideally for Georgia, its 15th and final game – the national championship game in Arizona – would be the only one that required leaving the Southeast.

Mississippi visits Florida for the first time since The Promise. That's when the Rebels upset the Gators in 2008, which led to this Tim Tebow declaration, which is now memorialized on a plaque outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Why? Because Florida won out in '08, including the national title. Promise kept.

Fresh matchups: Alabama-Wisconsin (first meeting since 1928); LSU-Syracuse (first regular-season meeting); Auburn-Louisville (first meeting since 1974); Texas A&M-Arizona State (first meeting)...

That LSU trip to Syracuse is the only time an SEC team will play north of Columbia, Mo. That includes bowl games. Naturally, the one trip true north will be indoors.

Cross-divisional lottery winners: Texas A&M (draws Vanderbilt and South Carolina from SEC East)

Cross-divisional lottery losers: Georgia (draws Alabama and Auburn from SEC West)

Bobby Petrino is undefeated (10-0) in season openers as a head coach. That perfect record will get a serious challenge Sept. 5 when Louisville faces Auburn in the Georgia Dome.

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 3h3 hours ago

Rough road for Razorbacks - via @Gator_sports http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20150707/articles/150709796 ...

Today, we rank the road SEC schedules for each of the 14 teams. Sometimes, it's not who you play but where you play those teams. Of course, things can change as a season goes along.

1. Arkansas: Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU.

Tough road for the improved Razorbacks.

14. Missouri: Kentucky, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Arkansas.

Could the East come down to that final road game?

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner ‏@MikeBBonner 17h17 hours ago

Dan Mullen on preseason polls: They vote us last every year http://on.thec-l.com/1IK0ORj

Despite climbing to No. 1 in the country last year, the respect hasn't followed Mississippi State into 2015.

The Associated Press projected MSU to play in the Birmingham Bowl. Athlon Sports slotted the Bulldogs to finish last in the Southeastern Conference's west division. Las Vegas' Golden Nugget placed Mississippi State as underdogs in seven SEC games and Bovada set the over/under win total at seven.

The next prediction will come during SEC Media Days, which begin next week. MSU coach Dan Mullen hopes nothing changes.

"If they're not going to vote us first, hopefully they vote us last so our guys get motivated and get kind of pissed," Mullen said on the Finebaum Show on Wednesday.

[jbcarol]

Chris Low retweeted
Bo Mattingly ‏@SportsTalkwBo 22h22 hours ago

Over the last 2 yrs Ark scored 0 pts in 4th Q of gms decided by TD or less (0-7 in those games).  Expect different results from Dan Enos.

[jbcarol]

Clay Chandler ‏@claychand Jul 8

If whoever hacked United and the NYSE really wants to do some damage, disable Alabama cable/satellite providers right at Iron Bowl kick.

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman ‏@BruceFeldmanCFB 16m16 minutes ago

#OhioState vs the #SEC's best, Take II: How the #Buckeyes measure up against #Bama's starting 22: http://foxs.pt/1JbsheI

... just how many starters on the SEC's top team -- Auburn, according to the league's media -- would start for the Buckeyes this year? (By my calculation, that number is six Tigers.) Alabama, which was the media's pick to win the SEC West (yet not the SEC overall ... don't ask), figured to be a more compelling challenge when it came to my starting 22 breakdown.

Several Bama fans took me to task for not using the Tide for the matchup, so I decided to do that one. By the way, in my own preseason top 10, I have Bama No. 5 -- behind Ohio State, TCU, Oregon and Baylor -- and I have Auburn No. 9.

After getting some feedback from a few coaches I really trust and an NFL scout, the Tide, which lost to Ohio State 42-35 in the Sugar Bowl last season, would have more guys than Auburn that would start at Ohio State.

But I think it's probably only one more guy right now -- seven as opposed to six on the starting 22.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP Jul 16

In the interest of full disclosure here's how my SEC poll ballot looked:

[jbcarol]

SEC Network ‏@SECNetwork 22h22 hours ago

Who will win the SEC?

According to ESPN's FPI, the Georgia Bulldogs have the best shot at winning it all.

[jbcarol]

SEC Network ‏@SECNetwork Jul 16

SEC East standings:
Georgia
Tennessee
Mizzou
South Carolina
Florida
Kentucky
Vanderbilt

*#SECMD15 media votes: http://bit.ly/1K9jit3

SEC West standings:
Alabama
Auburn (SEC champ)
LSU
Arkansas
Ole Miss
Texas A&M
Mississippi St

*#SECMD15 media votes: http://bit.ly/1K9jit3

#SECMD15 media picks Auburn to win the SEC. http://bit.ly/1K9jit3