I was going to try for something clever here, but I went back to see what I posted after the same week last season and was floored. I repeat what I wrote then, because literally nothing has changed.
And so, another regular season comes to an end. This last week made one thing painfully apparent: this is the most mediocre the SEC has been in years.
One year’s a blip. Two years in a row are something that should be more troublesome to folks like Greg Sankey and SEC athletic directors. I’m sure they’ll get right on it after Alabama wins the national championship.
As I always do, with each team I’ll add their net yards per game figures, in a crude attempt to ascertain the overachievers and underachievers.
- Alabama (+232.80). While I’m repeating myself, here’s what I said about ‘Bama at this time last year: “The opening betting line for the SECCG is the largest in twenty years.”
- LSU (+102.70). The SEC’s second best team fired its head coach mid-season.
- Auburn (+100.90). The SEC’s third best team scored one touchdown in its last two conference meetings.
- Florida (+61.10). McElwain did a good job managing what he had, but it doesn’t change the likelihood that his team is about to get its ass handed to it in the championship game.
- Texas A&M (+23.90). You gave up 54 points to LSU? Seriously?
- Tennessee (-22.90). I got a lot of things wrong about college football this year, but I think my biggest miss was predicting Shoop would be a major upgrade over Jancek. And, yes, that net yardage figure is correct.
- Ole Miss (+3.00). This team really fell off the deep end after Chad Kelly’s season-ending injury.
- Arkansas (+9.20). You have to wonder if Bert’s name starts showing up on coaches hot seat lists next year.
- Vanderbilt (-51.90). The conference’s biggest overachiever, Vanderbilt was the only SEC team other than Alabama not to suffer a double-digit loss to a conference opponent. Derek Mason did a helluva job, especially in the second half of the season.
- Mississippi State (-12.30). Not a great year, but they’ll take that Egg Bowl win with a smile. Nah, make that a shit-eating grin.
- Georgia (+54.40). The net YPG figure suggests that, once again, Georgia was the SEC’s biggest underachiever. Good to see at least some traditions live on.
- Kentucky (-11.20). Stoops finally breaks through and gets his team to a bowl game. Another raise would seem in order, no?
- Missouri (+20.80). If the Tigers learn to play defense, this team could rise rapidly.
- South Carolina (-70.80). Give Boom credit — this team has no business playing in a bowl game, but it’s one step up on the Mississippi schools in that regard.
Get The Picture 
Georgia finished the season with 7 straight games below the 40th percentile.
It seems like after the Tennessee game this team didn’t execute at the level they were capable of. I want to say they quit or didn’t show up or something like but I don’t know that is the case.
UNC MIZZOU & TENN were all pretty good to great performances but after the Tennessee game every game was a really awful performance.
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Great minds think alike, as I just posted something on this topic.
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I’d put Vandy pretty high. And Kentucky too..Above O’Ms anyhow.
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I thought the AU win was a nice one.
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That’s a pretty good list. Honestly, I wonder who Ole Miss could beat right now. They got waxed by Vandy and State to finish; I bet even SC could push them right now.
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I think you’re a bit high on Ole Miss. What on their resumé makes you put them there? Or since it’s a power poll, do you really think that their team in the condition their in right now (sans Kelly) is the 7th best in the SEC?
I’m not sure I’d have them above use or maybe Kentucky.
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After sixth, the rest of the conference is a complete dumpster fire. You could shuffle the bottom of the conference into any order you’d like and I wouldn’t argue much.
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I think for the first time it is impossible to determine a defensible order for the SEC. I think the Alabama and SC positions are the only ones that would get a majority of votes from any group of fans. The rest are indistinguishable on any given Saturday, and only Kentucky and Vandy can feel good about their season performance. One of the worst SEC years ever…but a 24 point underdog in the SECCG? That seems extreme, even to a Gator Hater.
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Mac, I think that’s spot on.
I’m already dreading trying to come up with next season’s SEC prediction post.
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Watch the Spring games.
You’ll know everything.
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QBR for the win, baby!
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Alabama at 1, the rest tied for last until they distinguish themselves…no need to bang your head against that wall.
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Saban won’t run up the score, but if he wanted to turn Kiffin loose, they could hang 50 on the Gators, with 30+ coming in the fourth quarter against a worn-out defense. So the spread is probably correct, but Saban won’t embarrass a former assistant like that.
But yeah, Mac. You are totally right. SEC is a mediocre mess this year. I still expect a winning bowl season, with most wins coming from east teams.
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Now that you mention that, was it last year the East teams saved the conference from a losing record, or the year before. That said, I still don’t think bowl records are significant as a gauge of power between conferences and teams. Everyone approaches them differently, and some NFL prospects play to avoid injury.
I still would like to see a movement from coaches to get the NCAA to allow RS players to be used in the non-playoff games without penalty.
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After I read this post, I took a look at the full SEC standings and was a little stunned to see that only four teams (Bama, Florida, Auburn, and LSU) had winning conference records. Four out of fourteen! And Bama and UF were the only teams who finished more than one game above .500.
That told me two things: One, this league is in danger of becoming “Alabama and the 13 Dwarves,” the same way Florida State was in the ACC for so many years. Two, the fact that Georgia couldn’t distinguish itself from this more-turd-than-punch punchbowl just makes 2016 that much more depressing.
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I fear the same, Doug.
And I also fear that Alabama may not be as good as we think..giving the competition the SEC has not given them this year.
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Your mention of Bert’s potential of being on the hot seat..but what about Bootch? This is the age of high expectations and low patience. If Bert’s on the hot seat, then the hillibillys have to at least be gathering sticks for a potential bon fire.
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really surprised they havent pulled the trigger on Butch, please.
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Well, I hope Sgt Carter stays, so I’ll just say that he had an inordinate amount of injuries this season. I think they need to give him a few more years to rebuild. 😉
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You’d really fire the architect of the Vols’ Life Championship after only four seasons?!? Wow, this HAS turned into a cutthroat business.
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Any folks that claim that the SEC is the best conference this year, better get themselves checked in to a mental facility. And I am a big SEC fans. As someone above posted, the bottom 8 or 9 are a dumpster fire. Just throw the burning cards in the air, where they land is what number they get in being rank.
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Just saw point spread for SECCG, ouch.
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After watching a few mizzou games, it seems to me that Odom has an interesting plan. Josh Heupel gets a lot of points out of that offense – and that’s with a couple freshman RBs and sophmore QB. They need one of those tall WRs like they had a few years ago, and a few defensive players. They could end up challenging for the east title next year – although that’s not saying much.
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What’s a bit head-scratching is he apparently complicated things for the front 7 on defense — while pairing that with an offense that makes Gus and Auburn look slow tempo-wise. Going three and & really fast without simplifying things for your defense seems to…result in what Mizzou was this year.
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Hard to rank this pile after about 2-3. Ole Miss may be the worst team though. UT way too high. After LSU and excluding Ole Miss, I think any of’em could beat each other on any given day. Ties from 3-13 IMHO.
I have never seen the SEC in such shambles.
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Auburn’s O is in a shambles because Gus has no QB to replace Sean White. That is why they cannot score. And that is Gus’ fault. Tiger fans are pissed off, and should be.
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