The Alabama Crimson Tide once again took their place atop the SEC West en route to both a conference championship and a national title in 2015. After dealing with substantial turnover again this offseason, Alabama is once again projected to be the favorite within the division and conference. The Crimson Tide will certainly have their work cut out and just like every other team in the conference there is some reason for doubt. Here is a look at potential pessimistic predictions for all seven SEC West teams lined up according to their order of finish in the division last season.
Alabama
It is pretty obvious that Alabama has earned the benefit of the doubt over the years based on their ability to consistently contend on the national stage on an annual basis. However, the Tide will deal with substantial turnover this season including the loss of their starting quarterback and Heisman trophy-winning running back. Even in a rebuilding year Alabama has the talent to contend for an SEC championship but a tough schedule and substantial turnover will provide reason for pessimism. USC, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn could all provide tough tests and the pessimistic point of view has the Tide losing at least a couple of those games and being challenged for top spot in the SEC West this season.
Ole Miss
The Rebels took a big hit after losing Laremy Tunsil, Robert Nkemdiche and Laquon Treadwell to the NFL and even with star quarterback Chad Kelly back in the mix they could struggle. The ceiling is still fairly high for Ole Miss but expectations could be a little bit inflated considering the talent they lost. The Rebels have the potential to produce an impressive record in the SEC but the more likely scenario has them struggling against some tough competition in Florida State, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Auburn and Arkansas while failing to live up to expectations.
Arkansas
Arkansas has the potential to be a very good team in the SEC West this year but there is reason for caution with an absolutely loaded schedule that will feature games against Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn and Florida in the SEC as well as TCU out of the Big 12. The Razorbacks’ defense needs to improve and there are some obvious question marks about whether the offense can be consistent enough to contend in the SEC West but the realistic prediction would be a .500 record with some highs and lows in conference play this season.
LSU
LSU is expected to contend for an SEC West title in 2016 and anything less than that could mean Les Miles losing his job as the head coach. Star running back Leonard Fournette leads an impressive cast of talent but he certainly needs more help if the Tigers are going to contend with the top teams within their division. A tough schedule that features games against Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss and Texas A&M will make for a rocky road and it doesn’t help that Arkansas and Wisconsin both figure to be tough tests as well. LSU wore down as last season wore on and we won’t ignore the potential for that to happen again in 2016.
Texas A&M
The Aggies lost the top two quarterbacks on their depth chart in a single offseason but still should make out just fine with former Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight under center. The bigger question is whether or not there is enough talent around him to contend in the loaded SEC West. Alabama will undoubtedly be the toughest test for the Aggies but beyond a difficult schedule they also have to look internally to the distractions that have taken place off the field this offseason. Texas A&M really struggled with consistency a year ago and there aren’t enough reasons to expect things to change much in 2016.
Mississippi State
The Bulldogs will be in tough following the end of the Dak Prescott era and there isn’t a lot of optimism right now at Mississippi State following the loss of the best player in the program’s history. The Bulldogs return a substantial amount of talent but a tough slate and the loss of their star quarterback could mean struggling to hit the .500 mark in conference play.
Auburn
An improved defense and a return to health for several top players should have Auburn back in the mix as a contender in the SEC West this season but a lot will have to go right for them to live up to their potential. The more realistic point of view is that the Tigers will struggle in tough games against Clemson, Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M while trying to at least finish above .500. The pessimistic point of view is that those tough losses will wear down the team with the potential for injuries to have a significant impact once again as Auburn falls short of expectations in 2016.
