There wasn’t a single college football expert that predicted things would fall apart for the SEC the way they did last holiday season when the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers all lost their bowl games but that is exactly what happened. That group of what is supposed to be elite teams combined averaged out a 15-point margin of defeat collectively.
The SEC appears to be a conference in transition but they are still very much widely regarded as the nation’s most powerful and one that is ready for the challenge they will face from the other conferences this season. A big part of the problem SEC teams face can be attributed to the grind of some of the toughest schedules in the nation with absolutely zero room for error most weeks. Here is a look at what to expect in the SEC for the 2015 college football season.
Best Coach in The SEC: Nick Saban, Alabama
The fact that Saban’s status as the best head coach in college football is actually being questioned after his team went two years without winning a national title is testament to how scrutinized he has become.
The reality is that the only reason he is judged on such a ridiculous level is because he set the bar that high. Saban demands excellence of both his players and himself and the fact that he has lost only 11 SEC games in eight seasons at Alabama is testament to his greatness. The Crimson Tide always seem ready for whatever adversity they face and while they might not have won a national title last year, they were still the SEC’s best.
Even if Alabama doesn’t win it, you know that come November, they’ll be one of the teams in the mix. That’s because Saban has this team ready to play each and every week – especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Who Will Win The SEC: Alabama
Expectations for Alabama have never been as low as they are heading in to this season with only 10 returning starters – the second fewest in the SEC this season. However, that hasn’t stopped the Crimson Tide from being listed as the SEC championship favorites at +250 odds to win another conference title.
That position is based largely on Saban’s ability to restock the talent level and get the most out of his team’s potential. Alabama is listed as the third choice to win this year’s national championship behind only Ohio State and TCU according to the Las Vegas odds. Despite the considerable turnover they will deal with, they should once again have enough talent to win another SEC title this season.
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Sleeper Team To Win The SEC: Arkansas
Arkansas has certainly had its work cut out playing in the SEC West and will once again have a lot of ground to cover. They’re competing with Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU in an absolutely loaded division. The Razorbacks schedule won’t do them any favors with road games against Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU, and yet still they are getting a lot of traction as a sleeper pick to win the SEC this season.
Third-year starter Brandon Allen has the potential to thrive at the quarterback position this season and the fact that Arkansas’ offensive line can be even better than it was last season will help. One thing the SEC is short on is quality quarterbacks and some people make the case that Arkansas has the best one.
This is a team that has been growing over the last couple of seasons and the fact that they posted an 0-5 record in one-possession games last season is testament to that they are not as far away from turning things around. The schedule is a bit daunting but on paper, Arkansas is supposed to be better than Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss and maybe even LSU. If that proves to be fact, they’ll contend for an SEC title.
