The SEC Forum at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

aTm vs texas state - snoozer win for aTm
ole miss @ memphis - ole miss with a 'shocker' win
uk vs toledo - uk wins, no one notices
msu vs la lafayette - msu wins, barely
ut vs ga state - tenn los... wins.
usc @ unc - good game, usc wins
arky vs portland st - uh, arky?
uga @ vandy - uga wins both the attendance battle and game convincingly
lsu vs ga south - coach o eats a kid, lsu wins by default
auburn vs oregon - au balls out, wins easy
mizz @ wyoming - mizz but closer than it should be.
bama vs duke - tua puts up 500 yds passing with top 2 rbs out for first half, bama coasts.

Georgia

Offense-
Strengths---
Quarterback- Jake Fromm enters his junior season and is the number 2 QB returning this year in terms of QB rating behind only Tua.
Offensive line could be the best in the country and there is depth.  
Running Back--Swift, Herrien, Cook, White, McIntosh. We all know what Swift can do. Herrien could be a starter on alot of teams. Much has been made of the return of Zamir "Zues" White and the players are excited about what he can do. James Cook could have a breakout type of year. He's added good weight and will be a weapon in the passing game. 
Weaknesses--
Quarterback depth.  If Fromm goes down with an injury for any length of time it could spell trouble. Top backup is a short gunslinger type with a little experience. QB3 had surgery on his brain 60 days ago and is not yet cleared. 
TE depth- Charlie Woerner should be one of the better TE's in the league this year, but behind him are John Fitzpatrick(rFr) and grad transfer Eli Wolf from Tennessee. The rest of the players are extremely green as far as in game snaps. 

Unknowns
Offensive coordinator-Coach Coley takes over for the departing Jim Chaney who is now back at Tennessee for another go around. It'll be interesting to see what new nuances he brings to the offense. Hopefully, he brings more creativity to the offense. Word is we may see more hurry up, a little more passing, RB's more involved in passing game. 
Wide Receiver---There is talent there, but it's unproven.  Demetris Robertson should be poised for a breakout year. Newcomer George Pickens is going to be a stud at some point. 


Defense
Strengths
Defensive Back- Even with Deandre Baker moving on to the NFL this should be a strength of the defense. This is a deep, talented group this year. 
Outside Linebacker-Remember this name: Nolan Smith.  Kid is going to be a stud. He may not start, but will play a ton. There is depth at this position. 
Nose--Jordan Davis could become a household name this year. He was missing from the Sugar Bowl and it showed.  When this guy is in UGA is a different defense. 
Weaknesses--
DL Depth could be considered a weakness here. It's a veteran group, but the depth is very young. 

Unknowns
Defensive coordinator-Dan Lanning takes over the defense, of course, Kirby will have his hands all over it. 






Special teams
Strengths- 3 words-- Respect the Specs! Rodrigo Blankenship is one of the top kickers in the country. Big leg, accurate. 
Unknowns
Who is going to return kicks and punts? A few names have been mentioned but we'll have to wait until game 1 to figure out who the mainstays will be as far as returners. 



Week 1 game vs. Vanderbilt
On paper this should be a win going away for Georgia, but it's week 1 and it's on the road. 
Vandy has a new QB, but they do have one of the better RB's in the SEC in Ke'Shawn Vaughn. They also have a few nice weapons in the passing game.  I would expect that the defense will force Vandy to be one dimensional and look to confuse the young QB.  I picked UGA to win going away something like 34 or 38 to 17. 

UGA opens against Vandy, and though i wouldn't suggest a loss- i DO think Vandy will press them more so than expected. 

That Vandy TB is the complete package- suggesting the playcalling supports his abilities, it lends credit that vandy can be closer to 'mid season form' faster than teams with cobwebs to shake loose.  UGA has new components to exercise with a new OC, who, if he has any sense, keeps the O steadily moving with high percentage passes and power runs.  IF they get cute, they open the door for an upset. 

I'm thinking Vandy has the capability of scoring 17~24 on UGA D... I'm thinking UGA has the capability of hanging 31~41 on Vandy, which would indicate from a vantage bereft of 'intangibles', Vandy on a good day scores 24 and UGA on a bad day scores 31 and takes the win.... but those damn intangibles favor Vandy, who has gained some swagger over the past few seasons and has always stiffened up against top teams (well... except for Bama... Bama crushed an overconfident Vandy after they ran their mouths the week prior)....

I imagine this game will end up in the 35-24 range in favor of UGA.  I really don't think it will be an outright UGA route... every time i suggest that about UGA, though, they prove me wrong and go on a spree. 

Point is, UGA won't see mid-season form until.... mid season.  They will likely be in elite company when they reach it.  And... Vandy isn't that bad a team, and IF they build on the backfield making those offensive calls, they can hang with UGA this early in the season.


bama will roll, BUT... Coach Cut has had all summer to prepare, and he's cagey.  He perhaps has something planned for the youngish Bama secondary, and may score more than anyone expects.

I'm really fascinated with Auburn/Oregon.  My sensibilities say Auburn, but i have a funny tickle about Oregon.  I think this may be the best game of the week.  we may even see OT. 

Vandy also has a new O coordinator and a brand new QB whoever that may be.  Rest assured UGA D will try and take away the run first and force the new unnamed QB to beat them. Can he is the question. Vandy's defense could be worse than last year's team that averaged giving up almost 200 yds per game on the ground and lost a ton in the secondary. Alot of experts are predicting Vandy to take a step back this year. Vaughn, Pinkney and Lipscomb are nice skill guys. Vaughn is maybe one of the most underrated backs in the country. But your intangibles comment is kind of a head scratcher to me.  I don't think there is ANY evidence to say that one team will be in mid season form over the other. 

aTm vs texas state - snoozer win for aTm

Not much to glean from this game, other than #12 will be aTm's highest ranking this year.

You rang?


Well, I'm not nearly as well versed on the preseason as normal but I'll throw out a few things:


Auburn - If Nix can stay healthy, I really like this team to have a big year. However, the schedule is so brutal, the upside seems limited. I do think they'll be significantly better than general expectations but might not be a really good team until a month into the season--which is ok given the schedule. The Oregon game is basically a litmus test for their identity and not much else (win or lose, it figures to have zero impact on any big goals for AU) so, I expect the bulk of this first game to be an effort to establish Nix as the true QB1. 

Alabama - If the injury bug sticks around, it could be an issue as general attrition takes it toll over the season... As usual, they look solid in almost every facet of the game. Two caveats--I wouldn't be surprised if special teams costs them a lone game somewhere along the line and second, given the ending to last year, I'm not certain this team can really feel re-established until they get a late-season shot at redemption. But given the depth of talent, I can't see it creating any ID crises over the year. 

Georgia - If this isn't their year... when will it be? Their offseason was pitch-perfect, including the noise from other schools. Barring injury, I think this is the Dawgs' best team in decades. 

aTm - Is that Terry Bowden's offense? Sure looks like it. This team drops two heartbreakers but wins two shockers and throws the division into chaos. 

Haven't really looked over anybody else... Just glad the best sport is back!

.02

wheeee….. 16 freshmen on the two deep says it all. Young is the key word of the day for the Hogs. QB play should be better, running backs will be strong, if the Oline does even a little better than last year. Lost the only senior WR for the season, the rest? young.... TE should be good, if they are used in this scheme at all.

The word from the hill is the Defense will be salty, we'll see. Nobody is picking better than 6 wins and I think that is a little high. I do think CCM is building a solid foundation for a real contender, the last recruiting class was the best in years. Just wait till next year!

UGa is one of those teams that I have always liked from afar ( the other ones being Auburn and Clemson ). I’d really like to see them get over that last “yard” and win it all. I think they are going to be in the mix again this year and it would be great if another SEC team not named Bama could win the CFP. 

Auburn is a weird team. They swing back and forth between firing their coach and giving him a raise and extension. I never feel good about a team playing a true freshman at QB so I don’t give them much of a shot. 

A&M could win 10+ or 8 and still be a really great team. I’m pegging us at 9 wins.  I think we’ll know all we need by the time Bama rolls into town having already played Clemson, Auburn, and Arkansas.