The SEC East Division has been justifiably critiqued as the lesser of the two sides in college football’s deepest conference. The Missouri Tigers have won the division in the past two years after arriving as a very good, but not great, program from the Big 12.
Next season, traditional powers Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida will be looking to reclaim ownership of the East. South Carolina is still looking to give head coach Steve Spurrier his first SEC title and must rebound from a setback season. Kentucky is improved but outmanned and Vanderbilt looks to be down and out once again. Let’s take a look at where the division stands heading into the push to national signing day.
Missouri Tigers
The back to back champions of the SEC East still do not get their due. Mizzou has taken advantage of the inconsistency of Georgia and South Carolina along with Florida and Tennessee having been down. Defense has been the difference for the Tigers and they ranked 19th in the nation for fewest points allowed last year. Mizzou now faces the challenge of having to move on without defensive coordinator Dave Steckel, who moved on to Missouri State where he will be head coach. Barry Odom has the tough job of replacing Steckel. Mizzou has much work left to do on offense where starting quarterback Maty Mauk will return. The Tigers ranking of 101st in the nation in passing offense must be addressed. Mizzou ranked a solid 29th nationally in the most recent ESPN recruiting rankings.
Georgia Bulldogs
Each year the Bulldogs are touted for being as talented as any team in the SEC. But each year head coach Mark Richt’s team self-destructs with sloppy play and a lack of consistency. Once again it is looking like a bumper crop of recruiting as UGA’s projected class ranked third by ESPN. The Bulldogs will work to replace starting QB Hutson Mason.
The biggest problem for Georgia in recent years has been a soft defense. Last year, UGA ranked 63rd in the nation for rushing defense and that, more than anything else, must be improved.
Florida Gators
First-year head coach Jim McElwain inherits a program that has lost its fun and gun offensive identity. Recruiting has been sluggish during the coaching transition and McElwain must first salvage a respectable class. Next, he must spend the offseason getting the offense jump started. Football has not been fun in Gainesville for the past five years and McElwain must also improve the team culture.
South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina is coming off a disappointing 7-6 season in which they were inept at every phase of the game. The bad season calls into question whether or not head coach Steve Spurrier and the program reached its peak in 2013 and is now in the middle of a long regression. Fundamentals, a new quarterback, and a much stronger defense are all top priorities.
Tennessee Volunteers
Head coach Butch Jones will head into his third season on the job with plenty of momentum and a program that is clearly on the rise. Tennessee earned its first bowl win since 2007 and its first winning season since 2009. ESPN projects Tennessee to have the fifth best recruiting class in the nation.
Jones has stopped the bleeding but much remains to be done, especially on the offensive side of the line. Tennessee ranked 93rd in the nation for total offense, 72nd for passing offense and 92nd for rushing offense. Tennessee will be the trendy pick to challenge for the SEC East title in 2015 and Jones must also control expectations along with keeping his team focused on continuous improvement.
Kentucky Wildcats
A 5-1 start showed that head coach Mark Stoops had a program that was rapidly improving but a six-game losing streak to end the year demonstrated that the Wildcats lacked the depth to hang in for the long haul. Kentucky has impressed everyone with their improved toughness and fight but simply needs more athletes. ESPN ranked Kentucky at 30th nationally for its projected recruiting class which is a good sign.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Derek Mason’s first year on the job as head coach was a 3-9 debacle. It is more likely than not that the three-year run of his predecessor, James Franklin, was a brief respite from the Commodores traditional role as a doormat.
