I am excited about the 2015 season, so I have been looking at the our schedule, our opponents and schedule issues affecting our opponents. If I was optimistic before (and I was), I am really drinking the kool-aid now. I do not emphasize how many home games we have because that has been discussed a lot. I wanted to look a bit deeper into schedule timing and SEC East opponents as I describe below.
To start off, we play the two weak sisters of the SEC East in 2015, Vanderbilt and South Carolina (see comments below). You cannot get a better draw from the SEC East for winning it all. Also, if you look at key opponents like Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas (or anyone else for that matter) and their draw, you can see the difference. The rumor has it that Nick Saban is really unhappy with this schedule and I can see why. Alabama has to play their traditional foe of Tennessee and also Georgia, both of whom are expected to compete for the SEC East Title this year. Tennessee had the youngest team in the SEC last year and still managed to play tough against Alabama, losing only 34-20 and lost to Florida in a heartbreaker, 10-9 for an overall record of 7-6 and 3-5 SEC. Tennessee returns virtually everyone and signed a great 2015 class (#4) and are expected to be a tough opponent for anyone this year. Georgia is going to be really tough this year as well although they need to sort out the QB situation (just like Alabama).
Complete list of SEC West vs. East:
Alabama, yikes, Georgia and Tennessee
Auburn draws Kentucky and Georgia, much more challenging than our duo; hopefully Kentucky will improve from last year.
Arkansas draws Missouri and Tennessee; no walkovers there either.
LSU gets SC as well but at least has to play a resurgent (hopefully) Florida.
Mississippi State gets Kentucky and Missouri.
Ole Miss gets Florida and then the freebie of Vanderbilt.
Texas A&M, as mentioned above, SC and Vanderbilt.
Thus, all of our SEC West opponents play at least one, and some cases, two difficult games in the East while we have either two walkovers or a walkover and a yawner, depending on how bad SC is.
Also, the timing of games played is critical as well. Alabama, as mentioned above, has to play Georgia and Tennessee, but when does it play them? How about as the outer two games or bread of the sandwich with Arkansas and us being the meat! Yes, Alabama has to play Georgia on Oct. 3, then Arkansas, then Texas A&M, and then Tennessee on the 24th. Four straight weeks against tough teams. The good news for us is that we get Bama in the third week after a bye for us and after they get Nick Chubb run down their throat in Athens, and then Arkansas pounds them again the following week with a grueling running attack. I bet Tennessee will be looking forward to seeing Nick and the boys that 4th week in October as well.
We get Auburn after they have to play in succession, Kentucky, Arkansas and Ole Miss. And, by the way, they have to play Georgia after they play us, so they will have to play some decent to tough SEC teams 5 weeks in a row.
We play our old nemesis LSU after they play in succession with no break, Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss. That should prepare them for us, I should think.
Our biggest challenges in the schedule:
First, the Arkansas game on Sept. 26. It will be the first SEC game for both of us and they are riding a high following a great close to their 2014 season and their bowl game win over somebody we know. They will be trying to make a statement and it will be a tough game. They have lost their best defensive line talent in Flowers and Philon and also one other player, but their offense returns virtually intact and their defense will still be pretty stout I am sure, but I am glad Flowers is going on to the NFL; he gave us fits last year. This will be a big test for the team.
We have just one, two-game set where we play tough opponents back to back: Alabama on Oct. 17 at home and then the following week, Ole Miss at Oxford. However, as described above, Alabama has its own challenges coming into this game. Ole Miss has a cupcake game the week before us, so they will be well rested on the 24th at home against us. The good news is that the following week we play South Carolina at home before having to play Auburn at home. And, we get Vanderbilt the week before having to play LSU, which is essentially playing a scrimmage before the big game with them.
Comments about SEC East Opponents
Vanderbilt: a dumpster fire; ended ranked 119th in scoring offense and 106th in defense. 0-8 in SEC play, 3-9 overall. HC Mason fired everybody but the waterboy at the end of the season and replaced them in an effort to revitalize the program and now personally calls the defensive plays (desperation?); however, there has been no improvement in talent and the QB position has not been resolved. (Vanderbilt started four different QB's over the course of the season last year to no avail.) Not competitive in the SEC, except maybe against South Carolina.
South Carolina: a train wreck on the way to being a dumpster fire. Had nine recruits decommit from 2015 class; possibly a record for a team not changing head coaches. Class was anticipated as being in top 5, now top 20 (19th) since the Ol' Ball Coach had to backfill with 3 stars.
They lose 12 out of their two deep to graduation and NFL draft including the following starters: QB DylanThompson, human bowling ball RB Mike Davis (to the NFL draft), tight end, two wide receivers (including Byrd), left tackle and left guard and their three best defensive back 7 players.
All that would be bad enough, but South Carolina has the lead this year in another dubious category: transfers out of the program. Ten players, of which 3 are defensive tackles (and including probably their best DT, Blake McClain), a DE, and two LBs have transferred out of the program to other schools. Also, the three possible starting QB's have a combined total of 8 passes completed at the college level.
To say the least, the program is in a shambles. While there is some proven talent in the program, the team the Ol' Ball Coach will field will be the youngest and most inexperienced in a very long time due to all the losses and they will face a brutal schedule this year. They are not expected to do well; in fact not even as well as last year's 6-6 regular season record (3-5 SEC).
II Timothy 2:7
"For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
To start off, we play the two weak sisters of the SEC East in 2015, Vanderbilt and South Carolina (see comments below). You cannot get a better draw from the SEC East for winning it all. Also, if you look at key opponents like Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas (or anyone else for that matter) and their draw, you can see the difference. The rumor has it that Nick Saban is really unhappy with this schedule and I can see why. Alabama has to play their traditional foe of Tennessee and also Georgia, both of whom are expected to compete for the SEC East Title this year. Tennessee had the youngest team in the SEC last year and still managed to play tough against Alabama, losing only 34-20 and lost to Florida in a heartbreaker, 10-9 for an overall record of 7-6 and 3-5 SEC. Tennessee returns virtually everyone and signed a great 2015 class (#4) and are expected to be a tough opponent for anyone this year. Georgia is going to be really tough this year as well although they need to sort out the QB situation (just like Alabama).
Complete list of SEC West vs. East:
Alabama, yikes, Georgia and Tennessee
Auburn draws Kentucky and Georgia, much more challenging than our duo; hopefully Kentucky will improve from last year.
Arkansas draws Missouri and Tennessee; no walkovers there either.
LSU gets SC as well but at least has to play a resurgent (hopefully) Florida.
Mississippi State gets Kentucky and Missouri.
Ole Miss gets Florida and then the freebie of Vanderbilt.
Texas A&M, as mentioned above, SC and Vanderbilt.
Thus, all of our SEC West opponents play at least one, and some cases, two difficult games in the East while we have either two walkovers or a walkover and a yawner, depending on how bad SC is.
Also, the timing of games played is critical as well. Alabama, as mentioned above, has to play Georgia and Tennessee, but when does it play them? How about as the outer two games or bread of the sandwich with Arkansas and us being the meat! Yes, Alabama has to play Georgia on Oct. 3, then Arkansas, then Texas A&M, and then Tennessee on the 24th. Four straight weeks against tough teams. The good news for us is that we get Bama in the third week after a bye for us and after they get Nick Chubb run down their throat in Athens, and then Arkansas pounds them again the following week with a grueling running attack. I bet Tennessee will be looking forward to seeing Nick and the boys that 4th week in October as well.
We get Auburn after they have to play in succession, Kentucky, Arkansas and Ole Miss. And, by the way, they have to play Georgia after they play us, so they will have to play some decent to tough SEC teams 5 weeks in a row.
We play our old nemesis LSU after they play in succession with no break, Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss. That should prepare them for us, I should think.
Our biggest challenges in the schedule:
First, the Arkansas game on Sept. 26. It will be the first SEC game for both of us and they are riding a high following a great close to their 2014 season and their bowl game win over somebody we know. They will be trying to make a statement and it will be a tough game. They have lost their best defensive line talent in Flowers and Philon and also one other player, but their offense returns virtually intact and their defense will still be pretty stout I am sure, but I am glad Flowers is going on to the NFL; he gave us fits last year. This will be a big test for the team.
We have just one, two-game set where we play tough opponents back to back: Alabama on Oct. 17 at home and then the following week, Ole Miss at Oxford. However, as described above, Alabama has its own challenges coming into this game. Ole Miss has a cupcake game the week before us, so they will be well rested on the 24th at home against us. The good news is that the following week we play South Carolina at home before having to play Auburn at home. And, we get Vanderbilt the week before having to play LSU, which is essentially playing a scrimmage before the big game with them.
Comments about SEC East Opponents
Vanderbilt: a dumpster fire; ended ranked 119th in scoring offense and 106th in defense. 0-8 in SEC play, 3-9 overall. HC Mason fired everybody but the waterboy at the end of the season and replaced them in an effort to revitalize the program and now personally calls the defensive plays (desperation?); however, there has been no improvement in talent and the QB position has not been resolved. (Vanderbilt started four different QB's over the course of the season last year to no avail.) Not competitive in the SEC, except maybe against South Carolina.
South Carolina: a train wreck on the way to being a dumpster fire. Had nine recruits decommit from 2015 class; possibly a record for a team not changing head coaches. Class was anticipated as being in top 5, now top 20 (19th) since the Ol' Ball Coach had to backfill with 3 stars.
They lose 12 out of their two deep to graduation and NFL draft including the following starters: QB DylanThompson, human bowling ball RB Mike Davis (to the NFL draft), tight end, two wide receivers (including Byrd), left tackle and left guard and their three best defensive back 7 players.
All that would be bad enough, but South Carolina has the lead this year in another dubious category: transfers out of the program. Ten players, of which 3 are defensive tackles (and including probably their best DT, Blake McClain), a DE, and two LBs have transferred out of the program to other schools. Also, the three possible starting QB's have a combined total of 8 passes completed at the college level.
To say the least, the program is in a shambles. While there is some proven talent in the program, the team the Ol' Ball Coach will field will be the youngest and most inexperienced in a very long time due to all the losses and they will face a brutal schedule this year. They are not expected to do well; in fact not even as well as last year's 6-6 regular season record (3-5 SEC).
II Timothy 2:7
"For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
