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Topic: SEC Front Porch

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utee94

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #644 on: July 21, 2025, 03:57:09 PM »
A 14 pt loss in Athens isn't as bad as your making it out to be.

By that measure -- UGA beating the Horns in Austin by 15 --- Texas must be a steaming pile of dung.  (which we all know isn't the case)
Horns certainly played like a steaming pile of dung for most of that game, that's for sure.

jgvol

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #645 on: July 21, 2025, 03:59:46 PM »
This is what I think....

Kiffin will have Ole Miss playing at a very high level, but Ole Miss will lose at least two games no matter what.  It's not really Kiffin's fault, it's just that nobody can win at Ole Miss, not even St. Nick.  So they could beat anybody on the schedule and also lose to anybody on the schedule.

 Breaking in a new QB....we'll see.  Top half of SEC finish.

Beamer seems to be a really good coach from a really good coaching family.  I think USCe will be very tough.

 Beamer sucks.  Broke .500 for the 1st time in the SEC last year, still lost his Bowl, and barely finished inside the TOP 20 -- his best finish, ....ever.  Probably finish around the middle of the SEC.  Sellers could be great.



Alabama is a huge question mark for me.  They were awesome last year and sucked at the same time.

 Definitely the jury is still out.  Talent level is insane.  Deboer better get it rolling this year.  Breaking in a new QB.  It will get loud in Tuscaloserville if he stumbles again.  Also, Fuck Bama.

Auburn is back because of ....Hugh Freeze?  Not sure I follow this logic.  He hasn't proven anything at Auburn yet.

 I've not heard anyone suggest Auburn is back because of Freeze.  I've heard plenty suggest he better vastly improve this year or he is fired.  10-12th place in the SEC.

Georgia will be very tough.  Nobody disputes that.

 Always.  Breaking in a (newish) QB.  I haven't been impressed with Stockton.  They better be able to run the ball.


Tennessee is too early to tell.

 Agreed.  Lost a lot on the O-line, plus QB, plus 1st Team SEC RB.  Running game should still be there.  Pass pro and new transfer QB are major questions.  10-2 ceiling, 7-5 floor.  My guess is somewhere between there.  Middle pack SEC finisher.



Gigem

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #646 on: July 21, 2025, 04:00:03 PM »
A 14 pt loss in Athens isn't as bad as your making it out to be.

By that measure -- UGA beating the Horns in Austin by 15 --- Texas must be a steaming pile of dung.  (which we all know isn't the case)
I agree...losing by 14 to UGA in Athens isn't that bad.  It's more about the loss to Arkansas that makes me think they weren't really that good.  I do give them credit for beating Bama and Florida.  I guess that shellacking by OSU tempered my judgement of them.  

utee94

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #647 on: July 21, 2025, 04:02:38 PM »
I agree...losing by 14 to UGA in Athens isn't that bad.  It's more about the loss to Arkansas that makes me think they weren't really that good.  I do give them credit for beating Bama and Florida.  I guess that shellacking by OSU tempered my judgement of them. 
I'm pretty sure this is one of those cases where the SEC team gets to say it didn't want to be there, but I'm also new at this stuff, so...


Gigem

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #648 on: July 21, 2025, 04:04:28 PM »
You are very correct about breaking in a new QB.  The only thoughts I have on that is that Kiffin has a pretty solid record with QB's.  Also, their schedule is very back-loaded.  They won't have a tough game until 9/27 when they play LSU at home, and they get UGA on 10/18.  I don't think either Kentucky or Arkansas can challenge them.  

jgvol

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #649 on: July 21, 2025, 04:05:35 PM »
I agree...losing by 14 to UGA in Athens isn't that bad.  It's more about the loss to Arkansas that makes me think they weren't really that good.  I do give them credit for beating Bama and Florida.  I guess that shellacking by OSU tempered my judgement of them. 

They fell asleep on the road --- it happens sometimes.  They damn sure shouldn't have lost.  Clearly the superior team, but.....shit happens.

OSU after the Michigan loss --- ugh.  They were on a mission, and we were in the way.  Been awhile since I saw us completely dismantled in that fashion.  Hope not to see it again.

Gigem

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #650 on: July 21, 2025, 04:10:48 PM »
USC in 2024 is a hard one to digest.  They lost a very tight game to LSU.  They got shellacked by Ole Miss.  They lost by Bama by 2.  They handily beat OU, then beat a (what was a good team until that point) A&M very handily, dominating the 2nd half.  They beat CFP team Clemson.  

Honestly, I DGAF about Bowl games anymore, and I think neither do the players.  I don't think a bowl game says much about your team anymore.  I wish we would just stop playing them, they are 100% meaningless exhibition games.  That being said, Illinois was a decent team last year, they lost by 4.  

jgvol

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #651 on: July 21, 2025, 04:13:08 PM »
USC in 2024 is a hard one to digest.  They lost a very tight game to LSU.  They got shellacked by Ole Miss.  They lost by Bama by 2.  They handily beat OU, then beat a (what was a good team until that point) A&M very handily, dominating the 2nd half.  They beat CFP team Clemson. 

Honestly, I DGAF about Bowl games anymore, and I think neither do the players.  I don't think a bowl game says much about your team anymore.  I wish we would just stop playing them, they are 100% meaningless exhibition games.  That being said, Illinois was a decent team last year, they lost by 4. 

Ole fat Bert coached circles around Beamer in that game.  Had Beamer smoking hot on the sideline.  LOL

Gigem

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #652 on: July 21, 2025, 04:27:48 PM »
Ole fat Bert coached circles around Beamer in that game.  Had Beamer smoking hot on the sideline.  LOL
I forgot about that. lol. I still don’t even know what that was really about. 

jgvol

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #653 on: July 21, 2025, 04:53:57 PM »
I forgot about that. lol. I still don’t even know what that was really about.

I think he was slow walking defensive players onto the field at the last second, slowing SC's offense down to a crawl.

MikeDeTiger

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #654 on: July 21, 2025, 05:04:14 PM »
What's all this football talk on the SEC board?  I didn't think we did that here anymore.  

MikeDeTiger

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #655 on: July 21, 2025, 05:06:55 PM »
I'm pretty sure this is one of those cases where the SEC team gets to say it didn't want to be there, but I'm also new at this stuff, so...

Or we have a 8,246 team playoff format now which creates a lot of "playoff teams" which are not of the caliber of past playoff teams, and the term means less than it used to.  Tennessee was a decent-or-maybe-a-little-better team last year, but not to be confused with a really good one, and not one that would've made a four team playoff in years past.  

They also probably weren't as Less-Than as OSU made them look, but OSU was definitely on a different level, even if Michigan hadn't pissed them off.  

utee94

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #656 on: July 21, 2025, 05:16:30 PM »
Or we have a 8,246 team playoff format now which creates a lot of "playoff teams" which are not of the caliber of past playoff teams, and the term means less than it used to.  Tennessee was a decent-or-maybe-a-little-better team last year, but not to be confused with a really good one, and not one that would've made a four team playoff in years past. 

But even given this, Tennessee made this new super-easy-to-make-in-your-opinion playoff.

While LSU, Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Miss State, Kentucky, OU, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Alabama, did not.

So it might be easier than ever to make the playoff, but 13 SEC teams didn't do it.

The question was, which SEC team other than Texas or Georgia, might win the SEC?  I don't think it's some weird stretch to name the only other SEC team to make the playoff, as a team that could win the SEC.

What I do think is weird, is acting as if it's weird to think that. 

And what I also think is weird, is suggesting or assuming that I said Tennessee is going to be a "great team."  Omitting Texas and Georgia, which was the specific criterion of the scenario in question, I think they are a team that can win the SEC.  

MikeDeTiger

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Re: SEC Front Porch
« Reply #657 on: July 21, 2025, 05:36:29 PM »
Your assessment of Tennessee as a viable dark horse candidate is fine and I don't disagree.

I'm talking about their playoff appearance being used as a data point, which is really no different than under the old format where they don't make the playoff, but finish first in line behind the other SEC contenders, and your point stands fine without the playoff really mattering.  To me, citing a team's playoff appearance in this discussion is an appeal to a certain caliber of team, i.e., one that can make the playoffs.  I think you have a good point about Tennessee, I just don't consider their playoff appearance* necessary to your point, and potentially misleading to the casual observer as to the actual quality of last year's team.  That said, I reiterate, while I think it's misleading, it does belie a legit reality, that TENN was next in line and kind of by definition a dark horse candidate.



* if they did appear.  It's possible OSU killed them all in the parking lot before entering the stadium and what we saw was an effect similar to chickens running around with their heads cut off....they're all dead, but their nervous system hasn't figured it out yet.  

 

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