Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Predicting the SEC West in 2013

by Jake Adams

We were privileged to once again have ESPN college football expert Brad Edwards on today's episode of Jake's Take on Rebel Sports Radio, and after we bemoaned the fact that Notre Dame didn't belong on the same field as Alabama we moved on to the picture for the SEC West in 2013. I tweeted my early SEC West predictions Monday:
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Brad agreed with me, but it makes sense if you watched the Chick-fil-a Bowl and are aware that LSU is losing most of its defense to this year's NFL draft. Les Miles may have finally coached himself into an irrecoverable tailspin throwing on 2nd down and 3rd down with two minutes on the clock and essentially blowing the game for his team against Clemson. He's used up all his coaching lives now. The gig is up. That's one possible reason for the mass exodus of LSU underclassmen. Like Brad said on the show, it's as if they're jumping ship. For those reasons, along with the fact that the Rebels nearly beat LSU last year and have the Tigers in Oxford this season I'm picking Ole Miss to finish ahead of LSU. I'm sure there will be those who refuse to believe the talented LSU Tigers, loaded with all their four and five-star players, could finish below Ole Miss, and for that reason Ole Miss will probably be a popular 4th place pick, but I'm sticking with 3rd.

If Ole Miss does finish 4th it'll be behind Auburn.The Tigers should improve quickly on offense under Gus Malzahn. There's talent on that team, and I expect Malzahn to do a job similar to Hugh Freeze, but with more talent at his disposal in his first season as head coach than what Freeze had.

It almost goes without saying, but for completeness I'll write that Alabama will be going for its 3rd consecutive BCS title and fourth in five years. I don't think the Rebels will usurp the Tide in 2013. Texas A&M finished the year as the hottest team in the country and there are those who think the best possible BCS game on Monday would have been a rematch between Johnny Football and Alabama. With Manziel returning for a sophomore year I think A&M and Bama are the clear cream of the crop in 2013.

Arkansas is transitioning to a power system under Brett Bielema and won't have the players to run it next year.

Mississippi State is going to have another undefeated non-conference season, but Dan Mullen's team is trending down. That was painfully evident in State's last six games, but especially against Ole Miss and Northwestern. Mullen's in trouble unless he can be one of those rare coaches who can reverse the course of downward momentum. There aren't many who can.

The game that will determine Ole Miss' fortunes in 2013 and whether it's a 6 or 7-win team in Shreveport or an 8 or 9-win team in Florida or Texas will be the season opener against Vanderbilt. If the Rebels can finally beat the Commodores an 8-win season will be in play.

That's the way I see it.