2001 SEC West Preview

Not to bring up bad memories, but anyone remember 1998?

A pre-season ranking of #8, expectations of an SEC West Title, whispers of a possible run at a National Championship. We'll never do that again! Or will we? Let's get one thing straight; LSU fans are about as unrealistic as everyone else. With the emergence of Bob Stoops and his success at Oklahoma after only two years at the helm, alumni, donors and fans want WINS....IMMEDIATELY.

So what is a coach to do? Sign a big FAT contract with a large buyout and hope some 18 and 20 year olds make a few critical plays each game to keep him off the hot seat. LSU is ranked in the teens in many of the preseason journals, lofty expectations for a program still trying to recapture the glory years of the late 50's and 60's when LSU dominated the SEC. But all the pieces are there for LSU to make a serious run at the SEC West.

LSU is a match for any team in the conference at the skill positions on offense. The O-Line will be the real question this season. On defense, LSU fields, in my mind, the best LB corps in the country. Faulk, James and Lawrence fly to the ball and all have a knack for making plays. The comparisons to 1998 may be unfair for the simple fact that this staff is still intact (both coordinators return) and the players will have two years under this system. The leadership and continuity are there, but the Tigers have a challenging schedule with Tennessee, Alabama and MSU all on the road. Combine that with LSU's three near disasters from last season (UT, MSU and Bama) this team could thrive or tank. Let's hope the Tigers can bring LSU its first outright SEC West Title and a trip to the SEC Championship in Atlanta.

Operating under the cloud of an NCAA investigation over the Albert Means incident, new head coach Dennis Franchione is trying to restore some sanity and stability to the Alabama program. This team is loaded and will win football games this season. Franchione won 10 games with TCU last year and should instill confidence in this Bama squad which is only two seasons removed from an SEC Championship and an Orange Bowl appearance. Playmaker Freddie Milons is back as is Andrew Zow (the guy can play, trust me). The real question revolves around possible NCAA sanctions and what effect they may have on the team. (Didn't seem to bother Auburn when they went 11-0 while on probation in Terry Bowden's first year.) The defense has a number of new faces, but the LB's are exceptional, led by Junior Saleem Rasheed. As with every team in the West, questions abound and will only be answered as the season progresses.

Let's hope we never have to hear, "Who let the dogs out!" ever again. MSU will be solid as Jackie Sherrill enters his 23rd season as a college head coach. The Bulldogs return 8 starters on offense and 5 on defense. MSU arguably has the best backfield in the country in Dicenzo Miller and Dontae Walker. The duo rushed for 1800 yards and 19 TD's last year. With nearly the entire OL returning from last season, expect substantial production from MSU on that side of the ball. The defense will again play aggressively and use press coverages. Fred Smoot turns over the reigns of the secondary to Pig Prather who should thrive this season. MSU, Bama and LSU are very close and any one of the three could win the West.

Arkansas gets the very talented Cedric Cobbs back this season. The question is, who's going to play QB. The Razorbacks suffered off season defections at the position which leaves them without a clear cut starter going into the season. I'm still not sold on Houston Nutt as a coach. Yes, they had a great first year, but haven't even come close to matching that success ever since. Danny Ford left Nutt a very talented team; I am curious to see if Nutt can get the Hogs back to another bowl game this year.

Tommy Tuberville is an ass. The cigars in 1999 and the garbage TD with less than a minute to play last year really hacked me off. Now that I've gotten that out the way, we can talk about all the holes in Auburn's offense. The other Tigers lost their starting QB, RB, FB and best WR. (Anyone else think Ronney Daniels is a fool for leaving a year early?) Auburn will have a solid defense which will keep them in games this season, but with so many new faces on offense, I don't expect big things from them this year. (This game is circled on my calendar as the big grudge match this year. I hate those guys!)

Eli Manning returns to the place where his father electrified the faithful for many a Saturday over 30 years ago. But unlike the days past, Ole Miss is no longer the powerhouse they once were. Ole Miss is in the same boat as Auburn as they lost their starting QB, RB and Grant Heard, their go-to WR. The Rebels will be fortunate to have a winning season.