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Tuesday, July 10, 2007
SEC West burning questions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are my top five burning questions about the SEC West as we head into preseason practice. If you’ve got your own burning questions, let’s hear them.
1. After Alabama’s spring game, we know that Nick Saban can draw a crowd. But will he make Crimson Tide a contender in the SEC West in his first season in Tuscaloosa?
The first thing Saban must do is to teach the Crimson Tide how to win tough, close games. Of the 23 games Mike Shula’s teams lost in four seasons, 15 were by eight points or less.
Alabama may win more close games if it learns how to score touchdowns in the red zone. The Tide made 53 trips inside the opponents’ 20-yard line last season and scored only 20 touchdowns. That ain’t going to cut it.
‘Bama fans are going to like what new OC Major Applewhite brings to the table. Quarterback John Parker Wilson will thrive. But there are so many holes on defense, where only five starters return. Saban and DC Kevin Steele have some work to do. Starting Sept. 8, Alabama plays Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Georgia, and Florida State on four straight Saturdays. We’ll know a lot more after that.
2. LSU lost four-that’s right four-first round draft choices off an 11-2 team. So why is everybody picking the Tigers to win the SEC and contend for the BCS championship?
Two words: Defense and schedule. LSU returns eight starters from a defense that led the SEC and was fourth nationally in points allowed (12.4 ppg). QB Matt Flynn is no JaMarcus Russell but he can manage a game and get the ball to the talented skill people that LSU still has in abundance. And don’t minimize the impact of new OC Gary Crowton, who will bring some wrinkles the SEC defensive coordinators have not see.
The schedule was ridiculous last season with trips to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas. Tennessee comes off the schedule and the rest of the tough games — with the exception of Alabama on Nov. 3 — are in Baton Rouge.
3. Can Darren McFadden win the Heisman Trophy? And if he does, will things finally cool off for Arkansas coach Houston Nutt?
Nobody is more anxious to start playing games than Nutt, who has had an off-season that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. And as long as No. 5 (McFadden) is healthy, the Hogs have a chance every Saturday. Arkansas has the deepest backfield in the country with McFadden, Felix Jones, and FB Peyton Hillis. The Hogs have one of the best wide receivers anywhere in Marcus Monk. Now the pressure falls on QB Casey Dick to make it all work. And if he doesn’t, the screams over Mitch Mustain’s departure to Southern Cal will continue. If Arkansas can find a way to win at Alabama on Sept. 15, the Razorbacks could be 5-0 when they host Auburn on Oct. 13.
4. Because of all the hoopla surrounding Alabama’s hiring of Nick Saban, Auburn has been kind of flying under the radar. Could the Tigers make some noise in the SEC West?
Any program that has gone 21-3 in the SEC the past three years cannot be ignored and it would be a mistake to ignore Tommy Tuberville’s bunch. OC Al Borges had to pull in the reins at times last season because QB Brandon Cox was just so beat up.
Auburn’s defense is (unfairly) remembered for a couple of meltdowns against Arkansas (L, 27-10) and Georgia (L, 37-15) but played well enough for Auburn to finish No. 3 in the SEC and No. 7 nationally in points allowed (13.9 ppg). If Cox can stay healthy and if Rod Smith and Tim Hawthorne step up to be the go-to receivers in place of Courtney Taylor, the offense will be fine. With Quentin Groves handling one of the ends, the defense will also be okay if a couple of linebackers rise to the occasion.
The problem is a schedule that includes trips to Florida, Arkansas, LSU, and Georgia. Even a great team would find it hard to go 3-1 in those games.
5. Sylvester Croom enters his fourth season at Mississippi State with a record of 9-25 (4-20 SEC). Is he on the hot seat?
Not really but this season will have a lot to do with his quality of life going into the 2008 season. Mississippi State came out of spring practice with its two-deep pretty much set, which is the first time that’s happened in a while in Starkville. Some answers have to be found on offense, where the Bulldogs finished 11th in the SEC in scoring (18.4 ppg). The biggest thing that could help the offense is to keep QB Michael Henig healthy. He broke his collarbone twice last season and has added some weight in hopes of protecting himself. Mississippi State must learn to start strong on defense after giving up 90 first quarter points a year ago. The Bulldogs won’t ease into the season as they open on Aug. 30 at home against LSU.
Bonus question: Ole Miss wanted to sign Brent Schaeffer so badly last year that it made him the starting quarterback before the ink was dry on the scholarship. Is this guy going to lose his job in 2007?
Let’s put it this way. Ole Miss had the SEC’s worst offense (15.7 ppg) last season and Schaeffer certainly did his part, completing 47.1 percent of his passes for only nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It looks like Ole Miss may turn to senior Seth Adams who is not nearly as athletic, but is certainly more dependable. With a 1,000-yard rusher returning (BenJarvus Green-Ellis), Ole Miss cannot have a quarterback who makes mistakes.
But in order to play a quarterback like Adams, who competed 16 of 20 passes in the Spring game, the Ole Miss defense (22.9 ppg last season) has got to get a lot better. John Thompson comes in at DC in an effort to shake things up. If Ole Miss gets behind early in games, the Rebels may have to go with Schaeffer, who is more capable of making big plays.
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