SDS: The Best of The SEC West

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Ahhhh, pre-season prognostications. The very air abounds in these this time of the year. I'm sure Brad Crawford is a good guy and all, but I have to wonder how much research (or just personal opinion) actually went into this particular projection? I guess a guy in his position has to write something, right?

If as a fan you can be objective, maybe you want to create your own list of the "Best of the West". Here's part of his list. There's more, check the article.

Best running back

Leonard Fournette, LSU

Earlier this offseason, perhaps you remember the heated debate between myself and fellow SDS staff writer Christopher Smith on who we thought deserves the title of 'SEC's best tailback' this season. I'm like Georgia's Nick Chubb, but Smith delivers valid points in Fournette's favor. You can't go wrong with either, that's for sure. Fournette became one of the league's most explosive players over the second half of his freshman season while Chubb dominated during Todd Gurley's absence in the East. It's a shame the two ballcarriers won't settle it on the field this fall — unless both meet in an appetizing SEC Championship Game.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/projecting-best-sec-west-awards-2015/

[hoghiker]

Not much out of the ordinary. Saban as coach of the year is how far out on a limb Crawford crawls. Miss Bears get lots of individual attention. Hogs not any. We'll se how it plays out.

[NaturalStateReb]

Not much out of the ordinary. Saban as coach of the year is how far out on a limb Crawford crawls. Miss Bears get lots of individual attention. Hogs not any. We'll se how it plays out.

This is the year that several of those big recruits that Freeze landed 3 years ago will be juniors, then up and out to the NFL draft. 

[Hog N Bama]

Not much out of the ordinary. Saban as coach of the year is how far out on a limb Crawford crawls. Miss Bears get lots of individual attention. Hogs not any. We'll se how it plays out.

Yeah...30-0 still fresh in MY memory. Never heard of the OL "best of the West" he mentions

[ChicoHog]

Yeah...30-0 still fresh in MY memory. Never heard of the OL "best of the West" he mentions

You must have a short memory or not pay attention to other teams because Tunsil was very highly recruted and played as a true freshman and has dominated most DL he has faced.  I hope we can take him and his teammates down again this year but he is a very talented player. 

[Dominicanhog]

Not that I strongly disagree with any of his picks, but it does seem a bit blatant that we are the only team not mentioned in the article... maybe we are just that bad, that's why you play the game.

[lefty08]

I think it's funny how Fournette continues to have praised heaped on him. He's a talented back for sure, but I struggle to remember an SEC running back ever being hyped so much compared to his production

[Theolesnort]

Basically this is another one of those flawed by human logic perception polls kind of things that is played out in the minds of and I use again the word FLAWED humans. It is a condition that affects us all and is just to common to put much stock in. It reminds me of these recruit rankings that are so subjective that they become laughable. I can understand a handful of truly genuine studs that everyone wants to recruit because they are just that, studs but this, he is the 34th best left tackle in the country or the 21st best running back bla ba bal stuff is just nonsense yet people will take that stuff and perception becomes reality to them. This just becomes a sport in itself to some people who take these ranking seriously and to be ranked high becomes a accomplishment in itself though no real competition on the field was attained. Silly stuff in reality. Yesterday on Finebaum ESPN had a future power poll of the top 25 teams for the next three years. It was done by a 6 to 8 team of so called ESPN experts that projected into the future who would being doing what ever. Now I can understand Arkansas being left off because of our recent past but Missouri was left off also who recently has a good resume where other crap teams were included just because of name recognition. Really silly stuff if you put a lot of stock into the perceptions of a few flawed and in this case silly men although they are to put it mildly EXPERTS in the field. These are just projections for the future by men who only have a few things to go on while a whole lot of other stuff is hidden from their view. Basically it is the perception of a few men who have a limited knowledge of what they are projecting yet a large number of people look at this poll and it becomes a reality as if something has already been accomplished, as if someone can read the future.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Basically this is another one of those flawed by human logic perception polls kind of things that is played out in the minds of and I use again the word FLAWED humans. It is a condition that affects us all and is just to common to put much stock in. It reminds me of these recruit rankings that are so subjective that they become laughable. I can understand a handful of truly genuine studs that everyone wants to recruit because they are just that, studs but this, he is the 34th best left tackle in the country or the 21st best running back bla ba bal stuff is just nonsense yet people will take that stuff and perception becomes reality to them. This just becomes a sport in itself to some people who take these ranking seriously and to be ranked high becomes a accomplishment in itself though no real competition on the field was attained. Silly stuff in reality. Yesterday on Finebaum ESPN had a future power poll of the top 25 teams for the next three years. It was done by a 6 to 8 team of so called ESPN experts that projected into the future who would being doing what ever. Now I can understand Arkansas being left off because of our recent past but Missouri was left off also who recently has a good resume where other crap teams were included just because of name recognition. Really silly stuff if you put a lot of stock into the perceptions of a few flawed and in this case silly men although they are to put it mildly EXPERTS in the field. These are just projections for the future by men who only have a few things to go on while a whole lot of other stuff is hidden from their view. Basically it is the perception of a few men who have a limited knowledge of what they are projecting yet a large number of people look at this poll and it becomes a reality as if something has already been accomplished, as if someone can read the future.

Well if you think that is silly, you'll love this.

According to these folks:

Overrated: Alex Collins

But I might agree with this one:

Underrated: The Arkansas front seven.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/2015-sec-east-overrated-underrated-2/

I know the link says "east" but as of this time, until they catch the mistake, it is the "west".

[daBoar]

I do think Collins of last year struggled at times against the front 9's he faced consistently... the result of the nation's #100 passing attack versus more top 25 defenses than faced by anyone.

[JackJohnson]

I wouldn't trade Jwill or Collins for any other individual RB in the country much less any other tandem  :razorback:

[Theolesnort]

If Collins were to work as hard at his craft as JWill then it would be impossible to call him overrated and be taken seriously. Collins needs to be more serious about what he wants to do and where he wants to go.

[bigdaddyhawg]

I think it's funny how Fournette continues to have praised heaped on him. He's a talented back for sure, but I struggle to remember an SEC running back ever being hyped so much compared to his production

Completely agree.  They make it sound like he's coming off a 1,500 yard season last year.

[Theolesnort]

Well if you think that is silly, you'll love this.

According to these folks:

Overrated: Alex Collins

But I might agree with this one:

Underrated: The Arkansas front seven.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/2015-sec-east-overrated-underrated-2/

I know the link says "east" but as of this time, until they catch the mistake, it is the "west".

It's not as if I am against these prognostications because they do give us something to dwell and think about before the season does start. But some people take this stuff to seriously, they even get mad because their team was left off or to lowly rated. It as if this stuff is gosple truth when the truth is it is one man's or a group of men's opinion and is highly speculative and should be taken with a grain of salt all the while entertaining. Sure it is great it someone has a high opinion of your program but if they do not it is just another motive to prove them wrong and say I told you so. LOL

[MuskogeeHogFan]

It's not as if I am against these prognostications because they do give us something to dwell and think about before the season does start. But some people take this stuff to seriously, they even get mad because their team was left off or to lowly rated. It as if this stuff is gosple truth when the truth is it is one man's or a group of men's opinion and is highly speculative and should be taken with a grain of salt all the while entertaining. Sure it is great it someone has a high opinion of your program but if they do not it is just another motive to prove them wrong and say I told you so. LOL

I understand and you are right, pre-season stuff like this is just to gain readership whether it be negative or positive. I could write a blog and state that I predict that BA will throw for 325 yards against Alabama. Arkansas fans would love it, Alabama fans would have an absolute meltdown. It doesn't have to be true or supported by facts. As you say, all that matters is what occurs after the ball is tee'd up in the Fall.

[EastexHawg]

Fournette gained over 1,000 yards and averaged 5.5 ypc as a true freshman.  In his last two games, which are freshest in the prognosticators' memories, he carried 30 times for 289 yards and three TDs.  That's 9.6 yards per carry.

Jonathan and Alex carried a combined 67 times for 312 yards over their final two games.  That's 4.7 ypc, less than half of what Fournette gained.  Jonathan was a junior, Alex a sophomore who played extensively the year before and was obviously more experienced. 

I'm not saying it proves he is and will be the better back, I'm just saying an unbiased observer can at least understand how someone could look at all the factors involved and come away thinking Fournette is primed to have an outstanding season.

As for who is right and who is wrong in his predictions...until the season has played out and all the numbers are in the books, it's really impossible to tell.  Harry King, Phil Steele, and the guys who write this and other blogs may be completely full of feces...or they may be right.  Calling a prediction blatantly and obviously wrong doesn't make any sense.  Wait until the season is over and the predictions have been proven incorrect to crow about how wrong they were.

[NaturalStateReb]

Not that I strongly disagree with any of his picks, but it does seem a bit blatant that we are the only team not mentioned in the article... maybe we are just that bad, that's why you play the game.

I think the deal here is that Arkansas, mostly, isn't a superstar team.  It's a blue-collar, bring-your-lunch-pail bunch right now.  That's not the kind of thing that attracts a lot of notice during the talking season.

Williams and Collins are arguably the best RB tandem in the country, but because they're a tandem, neither is going to get the love that a single, featured back like Chubb or Fournette will get.

[HogInFlorida]

It's hard to argue any of that. Leonard Fournette averaged over 5.5 yards per carry and eclipsed 1000 yards on an absolutely HORRIBLE offense with less of a passing attack than we've had in a long time. And Tunsil has played like a pro-ready lineman in both pass blocking and run blocking for 2 years now. Best newcomer, freshman and breakout players are all shots in the dark but it's hard to argue any of the established players he listed.


Bielema has called this team the Bad News Bears over and over again. No real standout superstars like Chubb, Clowney, Julio Jones or whatever. They're just solid across the board and work well together.

[HamIAm]

... In his last two games, which are freshest in the prognosticators' memories, he carried 30 times for 289 yards and three TDs.  That's 9.6 yards per carry...

It amazes me how everyone keeps forgetting Fournette's 9 yards on 5 carries performance the week before when LSU played Arkansas.  If you want to be "the man" you can't have weeks like that.  Was he sick or something, was it one of those Les Miles moments? 

Chubb meanwhile chewed us up for 202 yards rushing on 30 carries.

I just hope that performance isn't a motivator for Fournette when we play this year.

   

[PorkSoda]

It amazes me how everyone keeps forgetting Fournette's 9 yards on 5 carries performance the week before when LSU played Arkansas.
   

the real question is why he only got 5 carries. 

[MuskogeeHogFan]

the real question is why he only got 5 carries. 

I think that some of our LSU friends who frequent our site indicated that it was a decision by Les Miles, to help him avoid a loss in confidence. Others speculated that he might have been injured. Still others said it was because on his few carries, we shut him down. Who knows the real answer, but it doesn't look good for him or LSU whatever the case may have been.

[lefty08]

Could be the same reason the bama receiver only had 2 catches. Our D was great at shutting down the strengths of opposing offenses. Well, except for Chubb and the option early against Auburn

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Could be the same reason the bama receiver only had 2 catches. Our D was great at shutting down the strengths of opposing offenses. Well, except for Chubb and the option early against Auburn

I think our defense was on their heels vs. Georgia because the offense handed them so many opportunities. Against Auburn, we simply got out-schemed offensively in the second half, which again, put the defense on their heels. Both sides of the ball have to play confidently and hold up their ends.

[Rison Razor Hog]

the real question is why he only got 5 carries.

Maybe it was the 1.8 ypc to that point?