2007 Arkansas Razorbacks Picks & Predictions
Arkansas sat at 10-1, had clinched the SEC’s West Division and was a national championship game contender last November. But then the Razorback’s lost to LSU, and then to Florida in the SEC title game, and then to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl. Then there was a tumultuous offseason which saw, among other things, a couple of offensive starters transfer to USC and a pair of defensive starters leave early for the NFL. The offense ranked 29th overall last year and the defense 26th, but just 10 starters return, four of them on D. QB Casey Dick started five games last year, and he looks like the starter now that Mitch Mustain has left town. Arkansas will again rely on its wonderful RB combo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, who teamed for 2,800 rusing yards and 20 TDs last year. The Razorbacks will run the ball for big yardage again this year, but to repeat as champs of the West is asking alot.
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2007 Arizona State Sun Devils Picks & Predictions
Arizona State had four winning seasons in head coach Dirk Koetters’s six years in Tempe, went to four bowl games and beat Arizona four times. But that wasn’t enough to keep Koetter around, and he was fired to make way for wandering Dennis Erickson, who’s taking his third PAC 10 head coaching job. The Sun Devils won foru of their last six games last year before losing to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl, and return 16 starters from that team. Ten are back, including QB Rudy Carpenter and Ryan Torain on offense, while six are back on defense. The schedule ain’t bad, with Oregon State, Cal, USC and Arizona all coming to Tempe. And Erickson went 43-27 combined at Washington State and Oregon State and 24-22 in PAC 1o games. The trick now is to get the Sun Devils back into Rose Bowl contention.
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2007 Arizona Wildcats Picks & Predictions
Arizona finally got to .500 last year, 6-6 in its third season under coach Mike Stoops. It didn’t look like they’d make it, but the Wildcats won three of their last four games, against Washington State, California and Oregon, to get there. Still, Arizona missed out on a bowl game for the eighth straight season. The defense was fine, ranking 49th overall, but the offense, frankly, stunk, ranking 115th. So new OC Sonny Dykes was brought in from Texas Tech to implement a new pass oriented attack that’s supposed to really spread the ball around. Seven starters return on offense including all five offensive linemen, and nine are back on defense, including all three linebackers. Arizona, and Stoops, could really use at least a bowl berth this season, but a road schedule that includes visits to BYU, California, Oregon State, USC, Washington and Arizona State could pose a problem.
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2007 Auburn Tigers Picks & Predictions
After an 11-2 season which included a win over eventual-champ Florida and a Cotton Bowl victory over Nebraska, Auburn is now 33-5 over the last three seasons. The Defense was solid last year, ranking 19th overall, but the offense struggled at times and ranked 76th. This season the Tigers return 11 starters, seven on defense, including four on offense. The losses include RB Kenny Irons, leading receiver Courtney Taylor, four offensive linemen, their two top tacklers and the two kickers. QB Brandon Cox returns after compiling a 13/9 TD ratio last season as a junior, and AU should be fine at RB. And the defense should again be the strength of this team. The Schedule, though, is brutal, with road trips to Florida, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia. If the Tigers can win even two of those games, thy’ll contend in the West Division
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2007 Alabama Crimson Tide Picks & Predictions
Alabama went 26-24 in four seasons under coach Mike Shula, and 0-4 against Auburn, and that won’t cut it in Tuscaloosa. So Nick Saban was lured from the NFL to take over the Tide. In Saban’s first seasons in charge at Toledo, Michigan State and LSU, his teams went 9-2, 6-5, and 8-4. Altogether, Saban is 91-42 as a college head coach, with one national championship. So what does he have to work with at Bama? The Tide returns nine starters on offense but just five on defense from a team that went 6-7 with an Independence Bowl loss to Oklahoma State last year. Those returnees include QB John Parker Wilson, a good pair of senior wide-outs and four O-linemen. But the running game nees improvement, and there are holes to fill at linebacker and in the defensive backfield. Nonetheless, there is talent here, and the schedule is very accommodating. Saban and the Tide can be contenders in the SEC West this year.
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The SEC conference is the toughest and biggest football conference in the land with any team able to win any given night. Florida Gators are the defending national champions, however this year the championship trophy could go to LSU or maybe Tennessee, but what about Georgia and don’t forget about that new coach at Alabama.
LSU Tigers return 8 starters on defense and have a very nasty unit on that side of the ball. This will be Head Coach Les Miles 3rd season with the Tigers and he will do everyhing in his power to win the SEC title. The Tennessee Vols will make a run for the title with Erik Ainge behind the center. His uncle Danny Ainge should teach him how to make the big play after all the big trades he has came up with for the Boston Celtics this past summer. Their big game with the Gators from Florida will see Tim Tebow’s talent, but he will be lost with nine starters from his defense that are gone from last season. Arkansas will have the best backfield in the country with Mr. Heisman canidate Darren McFadden and his buddy Mr. Felix Jones, however the passing game will have no respect from their opponents defense and this will allow nine guys in the box to stop the run. The Auburn Tigers will have the toughest road schedule and coach Tommy Tuberville believes his team has the top quaterback in the country with Brandon Cox. It sure will be interesting to see what Nick Saban can do in Tuscaloosa for all those die hard Crimson Tide fans, they truly believe in miracles at Alabama. A ton of defensive starters gone will not help their miracle this year, however they do return nine offensive starters with no proven running game. Only time will tell in T’Town.
The bottom of the barrell in the SEC will not be making any noise unless quarterback Matthew Stafford can make some noise for the Georgia Bulldogs, but it will be tough in the East of the SEC. You can’t leave out Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks from South Carolina, they return quarterback Black Mitchell and running back Cory Boyd and a good defense. Vanderbilt and Kentucky will have their explosive offense and may have an upset or two between them. Vanderbilt just doesn’t have enough talent for Tennessee and Florida on the road. Kentucky has an explosive quarterback Andre Woodson that could make some defenses struggle at Lexington.
The two schools left are from the same state in Mississippi, the Bulldogs and Rebels will fight for the bottom of the barrell. The Mississippi State Bulldogs do return ten offensive starters and that should be the best offense Coach Sylvester Croom has had to play with since being at Starkville. Ole Miss lost their MVP in Patrick Willis to the NFL and that was about all they had to talk about last some no names or his name will be up for coaching back west as an assistant.
The 2007 SEC Football Schedule will be more entertaining than the last years, because of so many teams that can contend for the title. Tennessee, Florida or Georgia out of the east and how about Aurburn, Arkansas, LSU and can’t forget about Alabama with their new coach out of the west. It will be exciting to see how the season will turn out and I can’t wait for the first game between LSU at Mississippi State to get it started.
Artice Courtesy of Fast Eddie Sports. Visit Touthouse.com for More Free 2007 SEC Football Predictions
