[FreakNasty]

http://www.getsportsinfo.com/index.asp?p...ege/071507

[B]SEC West Preview

[/B]With a legitimate national championship contender and a possible Heisman trophy winner, the SEC West is no longer the little brother to it’s brethren to the east. The defending Sugar Bowl champion LSU projects to be stronger than last season even with the loss of first overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell. Alabama should be rejuvenated with the presence of Nick Saban, while Arkansas looks to duplicate last year’s double-digit victories with star running back Darren McFadden. Auburn could be down a few notches with the loss of running back Kenny Irons and a difficult conference schedule, but you can never count out a team coached by Tommy Tuberville. It should be another fun year in the SEC.

[B]Offensive Rankings
[/B]1. Arkansas (6 returning starters)
2. LSU (6 returning starters)
3. Alabama (9 returning starters)
4. Auburn (5 returning starters)
5. Ole Miss (9 returning starters)
6. Mississippi State (9 returning starters)

65 percent return of league’s starters return

[B]Defensive Rankings
[/B]1. LSU (8 returning starters)
2. Arkansas (6 returning starters)
3. Alabama (5 returning starters)
4. Auburn (7 returning starters)
5. Mississippi State (5 returning starters)
6. Ole Miss (6 returning starters)

57 percent league starters return

1st Team All-SEC West Offense
QB Brandon Cox (Auburn)
RB Darren McFadden (Arkansas)
RB Felix Jones (Arkansas)
WR Marcus Monk (Arkansas)
WR Early Doucet (LSU)
TE Jacob Hester (LSU)
C Jonathan Luigs (Arkansas)
G Will Arnold (LSU)
G Jon Jerry (Mississippi)
T Andre Smith (Alabama)
T Michael Oher (Mississippi)

1st Team All-SEC West Defense
DL Quentin Groves (Auburn)
DL Glenn Dorsey (LSU)
DL Tyson Jackson (LSU)
DL Antwain Robinson (Arkansas)
LB Prince Hall (LSU)
LB Ali Highsmith (LSU)
LB Weston Dacus (Arkansas)
CB Simeon Castille (Alabama)
CB Jonathan Zenon (LSU)
S Derek Pegues (Mississippi State)
S Craig Steltz (LSU)

[B]Breakdown by team
[/B]LSU 8
Arkansas 6
Alabama 3
Auburn 2
Mississippi 2
Mississippi State 1

[B][SIZE=4]Projected Order of Finish
[/B][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]LSU
[/SIZE]Last Season: 11-2 (beat Notre Dame in Sugar Bowl)
Head Coach: Les Miles (3rd season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders:
[/B][/I]Passing: Matt Flynn: (12-20, 133 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT)
Rushing: Jacob Hester: (94 att, 457 yards, 6 TD)
Receiving: Early Doucet (59 rec, 772 yards, 8 TD)
Tackles: Darry Beckwith (65)
Sacks: Tyson Jackson (8.5)
Interceptions: Zenon/Steltz (4)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Aug 31 At Mississippi State (W)
Sept. 8 Virginia Tech (W)
Sept. 15 Middle Tennessee (W)
Sept. 22 South Carolina (W)
Sept. 29At Tulane (W)
Oct. 6 Florida (W)
Oct. 13 At Kentucky (W)
Oct. 20 Auburn (W)
Nov. 3 At Alabama (W)
Nov. 10 Louisiana Tech (W)
Nov 17 At Mississippi (W)
Nov. 23 Arkansas (W)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 12-0 (8-0 SEC)
6 “swing” games

[B]Notes[/B]: Not often does a team that loses a quarterback who was drafted with the #1 overall pick have a legitimate shot at a national championship the next season… Matt Flynn had a great performance in the 2005 Peach Bowl against Miami, and expect that kind of performance to continue this season… Glenn Dorsey is a complete monster at defensive tackle, should be a top 10 pick in next year’s draft.

Arkansas
Last season: 10-4 (lost to Wisconsin in Capital One Bowl)
Head Coach: Houston Nutt (10th season)

[B]Returning Leaders:
[/B]Passing: Casey Dick (65-132, 991 yards, 9 TD, 6 INT)
Rushing: Darren McFadden (284 att, 1714 yards, 14 TD)
Receiving: Marcus Monk (50 rec, 962 yards, 11 TD)
Tackles: Weston Dacus (95)
Sacks: Antwain Robinson (8.5)
Interceptions: Michael Grant (3)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 Troy (W)
Sept. 15 At Alabama (W)
Sept. 22 Kentucky (W)
Sept. 29 North Texas (W)
Oct. 6 Chattanooga (W)
Oct. 13 Auburn (W)
Oct. 20 At Mississippi (W)
Oct. 27 FIU (W)
Nov 3 South Carolina (W)
Nov 10 At Tennessee (L)
Nov 17 Mississippi State (W)
Nov 23 At LSU (L)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 10-2 (6-2 SEC)
5 “swing” games
[B]Notes: [/B]Arkansas returned 18 starters last season, and jumped out to a 10-1 start before losing their last three… their four losses came to USC, LSU, Florida, and Wisconsin, all teams ranked in the top 10... Arkansas would be in the preseason top five and a legitimate threat to win the championship if they still had Mitch Mustain at quarterback….

[SIZE=4]Alabama
[/SIZE]Last Season: 6-7 (lost to Oklahoma State in Independence Bowl)
Head Coach: Nick Saban (1st season)

[B]Returning Leaders:
[/B]Passing: John Parker Wilson (216-379, 2707 yards, 17 TD, 10 INT)
Rushing: Jimmy Johns (66 att, 318 yards, 1 TD)
Receiving: D.J. Hall (62 rec, 1056 yards, 5 TD)
Tackles: Prince Hall (77)
Sacks: Wallace Gilberry (3.5)
Interceptions: Simeon Castille (6)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 Western Carolina (W)
Sept. 8 At Vandy (W)
Sept. 15 Arkansas (L)
Sept. 22 Georgia (W)
Sept. 29 At Florida State (Jacksonville) (L)
Oct. 6 Houston (W)
Oct. 13At Mississippi (W)
Oct. 20 Tennessee (W)
Nov. 3 LSU (L)
Nov. 10 At Mississippi State (W)
Nov. 17 ULM (W)
Nov. 24 At Auburn (W)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 9-3 (6-2 SEC)
6 “swing” games
Notes: Saban takes over the most historic program in southern football, and while some are calling them a dark horse candidate to win the national championship, I think nine wins is more realistic… The September schedule is outrageous with Arkansas, Georgia, and Florida State in a three week stretch. Going 2-1 in those games would be a huge plus… Saban needs to upgrade the offense, but it wont be long till Alabama is a consistent threat to win the SEC again…

[B][SIZE=4]Auburn
[/B][/SIZE]Last Season: 11-2 (beat Nebraska in Cotton Bowl)
Head Coach: Tommy Tuberville (9th season)

[B]Returning Leaders[/B]:
Passing: Brandon Cox (163-271, 2198 yards, 14 TD, 9 INT)
Rushing: Brad Lester (104 att, 523 yards, 9 TD)
Receiving: Rodgeriqus Smith (26 rec, 452 yards, 4 TD)
Tackles: Aairon Savage (53)
Sacks: Quentin Groves (9.5)
Interceptions: Eric Brock (2)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 Kansas State (W)
Sept. 8 USF (W)
Sept. 15 Mississippi State (W)
Sept. 22 New Mexico State (W)
Sept. 29 At Florida (L)
Oct. 6 Vandy (W)
Oct. 13 At Arkansas (L)
Oct. 20 At LSU (L)
Oct. 27 Mississippi (W)
Nov. 3 Tennessee Tech (W)
Nov. 10 At Georgia (W)
Nov. 24 Alabama (L)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 8-4 (4-4 SEC)
7 “swing” games
Notes: Auburn has had 3 straight very competitive seasons in the national spotlight, finishing with 13, 9, and 11 wins respectively… Ben Tate needs to step up and be the next great Auburn running back, some have compared him to Ronnie Brown… Auburn has two difficult non-conference games to start the season, and don’t be surprised if they lose one of them….

[B][SIZE=4]Mississippi
[/B][/SIZE]Last season: 4-8 (no bowl)
Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (3rd season)

[B]Returning Leaders[/B]:
Passing: Brent Schaeffer (115-244, 1442 yards, 9 TD, 10 INT)
Rushing: BenJarvis Green-Ellis (234 att, 1000 yards, 7 TD)
Receiving: Mike Wallace (24 rec, 410 yards, 2 TD)
Tackles: Jamarca Stanford (64)
Sacks: Marcus Tillman
Interceptions: Dustin Mouran (1)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 At Memphis (L)
Sept. 8 Missouri (L)
Sept. 15 At Vandy (L)
Sept. 22 Florida (L)
Sept. 29 At Georgia (L)
Oct. 6 Louisiana Tech (W)
Oct. 13 Alabama (L)
Oct. 20 Arkansas (L)
Oct. 27 At Auburn (L)
Nov. 3 Northwestern State (W)
Nov. 17 LSU (L)
Nov. 23 At Mississippi State (W)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 3-9 (1-7 SEC)
3 “swing” games
[B]Notes: [/B]Make no mistake Orgeron is the right man for the job, he is one of the best recruiters in football and will eventually make Ole Miss a consistent bowl threat again… Green-Ellis is probably the best running back in the SEC not named McFadden or Jones…

[B][SIZE=4]Mississippi State
[/B][/SIZE]Last Season: 3-9 (no bowl)
Head Coach: Sylvester Croom (4th year)

[B]Returning Leaders:
[/B]Passing: Michael Henig (74-169, 1201 yards, 7 TD, 9 INT)
Rushing: Anthony Dixon (169 att, 707 yards, 9 TD)
Receiving: Tony Burks (35 rec, 850 yards, 5 TD)
Tackles: Jamar Chaney (66)
Sacks: Titus Brown (7.5)
Interceptions: Derek Pegues (4)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Aug. 30 LSU (L)
Sept. 8 At Tulane (W)
Sept. 15 At Auburn (L)
Sept,. 22 Gardner-Webb (W)
Sept. 29 At South Carolina (L)
Oct. 6 UAB (W)
Oct. 13 Tennessee (L)
Oct. 20 At West Virginia (L)
Oct. 27 At Kentucky (L)
Nov. 10 Alabama (L)
Nov. 17 At Arkansas (L)
Nov. 23 Mississippi (L)

[B]Projected Record[/B]:3-9 Overall (0-8 SEC)
4 “swing” games
Notes: Mississippi State has had some tough luck recently, however Sylvester Croom has proven not to be one of the better coaches in the conference his first three seasons… MSU has probably the least amount of speed in the SEC, and in a conference that lives by a speedometer, it hurts them… Croom probably is coaching for his job this season…