Ad Disclosure
Biggest story line for each SEC team entering bowl season
By Dave Holcomb
Published:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The bowl season is here.
There has been much debate about whether the SEC is still the best conference in college football. Although the bowl results could ultimately decide that, the SEC will send a record 10 teams to bowls this month. That means a quarter of the 40 bowls will feature a squad from the Southeastern Conference.
Interestingly, the PAC-12 and BIG 10 are also sending 10 teams each. Therefore, about 38 percent of the bowl spots belong to teams in the SEC, PAC-12 or BIG 10. Clearly, the SEC still belongs in the discussion for best conference.
But there is so much more on the line for each team than conference pride. Here’s the biggest story line for each SEC team heading into the bowl season.
Alabama — The Crimson Tide did it. Alabama beat Florida and became the first team since Tennessee in 1997-1998 to win back-to-back conference titles. The Crimson Tide also earned the No. 2 seed in the semifinal matchup against Michigan State on New Year’s Eve. It will certainly be interesting seeing coach Nick Saban take on his former team. Saban was the head coach of the Spartans from 1995-1999 before taking the head coaching position at LSU.
Arkansas — Not much is hotter than the Razorbacks these days. Arkansas was a made field goal against Mississippi State away from winning its final six games and finishing second in the Western division. Arkansas has to feel very good about itself heading into the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Kansas State.
Auburn — The Tigers avoided major embarrassment and earned a bowl bid to the Birmingham Bowl, but Auburn couldn’t avoid the cellar in the SEC West. And for a second straight season, Auburn will have to search for a new defensive coordinator that will fix the 91st ranked unit. The Birmingham Bowl will be an all Tigers affair with Auburn facing Memphis. Could Memphis knock off a second SEC West team this season?
Florida — One year ago, the Gators were sitting where Auburn is at the moment, in the Birmingham Bowl, except it was worst for Florida because the Gators had just fired Will Muschamp (who, ironically is in the news again, leaving Auburn). Its been a disappointing last two weeks, but Florida vastly overachieved in Jim McElwain’s first season, especially when considering they lost starting freshman quarterback Will Grier right before the LSU game. Sophomore signal caller Treon Harris will try to muster up some offense against Michigan in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl.
Georgia — The Bulldogs are headed to Jacksonville for the TaxSlayer Bowl, but everyone is talking about the coaching change. Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was officially introduced as Georgia’s new head coach on Monday. Interim coach Bryan McClendon, however, will coach the Bulldogs against Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl. It will be the first time in 15 years that Mark Richt will not be on the Georgia sidelines.
Kentucky — For the second year in a row, Kentucky will not go bowling after starting the season 4-1. Still, back-to-back 5-7 seasons sounds a lot better than the back-to-back 2-10 seasons the Wildcats had in 2012 and 2013.
LSU — The Tigers “powers that be” seemed to change their mind about whether to keep coach Les Miles on a daily basis. Ultimately, the Tigers decided Miles should return. He probably has one more chance to get LSU back on track to winning a national championship. The top recruiting class coming in next year will certainly help. In the meantime, LSU will take on Texas Tech in the AdvoCare V1000 Texas Bowl.
Mississippi State — The Bulldogs are headed to the Belk Bowl and will face NC State. Like much of the season, the game will be about senior quarterback Dak Prescott and whether he can impress NFL scouts enough to prove he deserves to be highly drafted. Oh, and Mississippi State can win at least nine games in two straight seasons for the first time in program history.
Missouri — The Tigers will try and pick up the pieces after a very disappointing 5-7 finish coupled with coach Gary Pinkel’s resignation due to his non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis. Missouri introduced defensive coordinator Barry Odom as the new head coach last week. Hope he has something new to try with the offense because defense wasn’t the problem with the Tigers in 2015.
Ole Miss — Last season, Ole Miss gave coach Hugh Freeze a raise to keep him in Oxford. This week, the Rebels athletic director Ross Bjork implied he is willing to give the assistant coaches raises if Freeze wants them to stay. On the field, Ole Miss would sure like to redeem itself after falling to TCU in last season’s Peach Bowl, 42-3. Ole Miss will face Oklahoma State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
South Carolina — A year after there were rumors about Muschamp heading to South Carolina to become defensive coordinator, he is the new head coach of the Gamecocks. Muschamp has his work cut out for him after the Gamecocks finished with their worst record since Lou Holtz’s first season in 1999.
Tennessee — After three losses in the first five games, which included two blown fourth-quarter leads, the Volunteers rebounded to win six of its final seven games. Their only loss was a, 19-14, defeat in Alabama. Coach Butch Jones would really like to carry this momentum into the offseason with a bowl victory. Tennessee faces Northwestern in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Texas A&M — The Aggies will meet the Louisville Cardinals in a bowl between two disappointing teams this season. Texas A&M can salvage the season, though, and capture a ninth victory with a win in the Franklin American Mortgage Bowl.
Vanderbilt — The Commodores were still only 4-8, but they did win two conference games after winning none last season. Vanderbilt also dramatically improved its defense. In the entire country, the Commodores were 22nd in scoring defense and 30th in yards allowed. Still, the Vanderbilt faithful will likely want to see a more dramatic increase in the win column next season.
Dave covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
