College Football
Tennessee Volunteers Preview
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Going into the 2016 season, much was expected of the Tennessee Volunteeers. Joshua Dobbs was returning, and with a talented team behind him it looked like the Vols could win the SEC over Alabama, but it was not to be.
Georgia Southern Eagles Preview
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Tyson Summers had a really interesting 1st season at Georgia Southern.
He saw his team finish the season 5-7 and received a lot a backlash from fans. Tom Kleinlein, Georgia Sothern’s AD, even drafted a letter of support for Coach Summers.
There were a lot of changes at GSU last year. The Wing-T offense, that we were used to seeing at GSU, was put aside for more of a spread offense. That experiment didn’t last a year.
Georgia Bulldog 2017 Preview
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
My favorite time of the year is upon us. I have been called one of the biggest Red and Black Kool-Aid drinkers on the planet by my editor Jason Bishop so it is poetic justice that I writes the UGA preview for SSE this year.
The pageantry of being in Sanford Stadium on a crisp fall afternoon is like no other and to hear those wonderful words over the PA system “If your blood runs red and black….It’s time to tee it up betweeeeeeeen the hedges”
2017 is a year of high expectations for the Dawgs. Kirby Smart entering his second year as head Dawg has a wealth of talent returning.
Auburn Preview
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Gus Malzahn and the Auburn Tigers enter 2017 in an interesting position.
With the transfer signing of quarterback Jarrett Stidham and the return of the SEC’s leading rusher, Kamryn Pettway, the Tiger’s are optimistic they can revive their offense.
On defense, the Tigers face the unenviable task of replacing 3rd round pick, Montravious Adams and 4th round pick, Carl Lawson. Tray Matthews should step in as the emotional and vocal leader of the unit, but the jury is still out on if this defense can withstand a pretty brutal gauntlet of opposing offenses.
Just like with any team, Auburn has plenty of question marks. Do they have enough answers to stand up to LSU and Alabama?
Who’s coming back?
Offense: Auburn returns nine starters on offense this year, including the dynamic running back tandem of Kam Pettway and Kerryon Johnson. The duo combined for an outstanding 2,119 yards on the ground in 2016. Those numbers should only improve if new QB Jarrett Stidham can open up the field with the deep passing game.
Gone is leading receiver, Tony Stevens. I say “leading receiver” in the most apathetic way possible, as Stevens only accumulated 487 yards through the air and the next best was over a hundred yards behind him.
To say the passing game was weak last year would be like saying Nick Saban takes his football serious. Rising sophomores Darius Slayton and Kyle Davis will be leaned upon heavily, but showed promise last year.
The line is the best unit on the team. Redshirt Senior Darius James is the corner stone of a group made up completely of upper classmen. At least two of these guys will be picked in the first three rounds next year, and will be paving the way on the Flats all season.
Defense: On defense, Auburn returns seven starters. Adams and Lawson are gone, and that can’t be understated. Pass rush is a major question, but Auburn can take solace in the fact that it’s secondary and linebacking corps are rock solid.
Senior Tre’ Williams returns at inside linebacker to lead a group that could be the most underrated in the conference.
In the secondary, Seniors Tray Matthews and Stephon Roberts will be shutting down quarterbacks and stuffing running backs with reckless abandon.
If the secondary can hold up long enough for the pass rush to find its’ stride, this could be a very good bunch.
Biggest thing that has to happen to have a great season? Gus Malzahn and Chip Lindsey find a groove: Make no mistake, this is still Gus Malzahn’s offense, but Chip Lindsey was brought in from Arizona State to open up the passing game and bring it back from the laughing stock it has been since Nick Marshall left.
If the brilliance of Gus’ running attack can blend with Lindsey’s aerial attack, Auburn’s offense could be elite.
Biggest thing that could spell disaster for Auburn? Stidham isn’t the savior: Jarrett Stidham is in an unenviable position.
Not since the days of Cam Newton has a quarterback had as much preseason pressure thrusted upon him on the Flats as Stidham has.
The worst thing that could happen to Auburn is if he’s just… ok. If Stidham doesn’t come out and light it up, Malzahn might regress to his old habit and hop back on the quarterback carousel. If this happens, prepare for another seven or eight win season on the Flats.
Expect Stidham to be somewhere in the middle, between Messiah and bust. The Tigers have two great backs to lean on, and will be solid on defense.
A bunch of things have to fall their way to make it to Atlanta, and don’t count on them happening. This will be a good season for Auburn fans, but probably not the great one they’re getting their hopes up for.
Prediction: 8 – 4 Outback Bowl
Georgia Tech Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
You never really know what to expect with Georgia Tech. When you have high expectations they seem to disappoint. Conversely, when you have low expectations for the Yellow Jackets they exceed them.
Perfect example, they were 11-3 in 2014 and finished the year ranked in the top 10 in the AP and Coaches polls. They followed that up by going 3-9 in 2015 with only one conference win. Of course, that lone ACC win was against No. 9 Florida State. Last year they bounced back and went 9-4.
So, are we in for another down year for the Ramblin Wreck? They lost 5th year senior quarterback Justin Thomas. Junior QB Matthew Jordan is probably going to replace Thomas. He started last year on the road against Virginia Tech and led the Jackets to a win. He only completed 2 of 7 passing attempts but he rushed for 127 yards against the Hokies. Fellow junior TaQuon Marshall also has a chance to start at quarterback.
Fullback Dedrick Mills is back after leading Tech in rushing as a freshman, and the top three slotbacks and both starting receivers are back.
Mills and Clinton Lynch were voted the ACC’s second best running back duo by a few publications. Mills was named to All-ACC Preseason Football Team after rushing for 771 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2016. Lynch rushed for 415 yards and two touchdowns last season and had 16 receptions for 490 yards and six touchdowns.
The offensive line has all sorts of experienced pieces returning after a disastrous 2016. Nine players started at least one game, and no one started all 13. The result: three “starters” are gone, and six “starters” return. One of them is the mountain of a man, 380-pound guard Shamire Devine.
The entire secondary returns from last season. This will be one of the most experienced defenses Paul Johnson has had in a while. The entire lineup should consist of juniors and seniors.
The season begins September 4th at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Tennessee. The Vols are also going to have a new starter at QB since Joshua Dobbs has graduated. Tech normally starts the season against an FCS opponent so this is a big game to start the year. I think Tennessee wins.
The next two games should be easy wins. September 9th is at home against FCS Jacksonville State and September 16th is at Central Florida. UCF was 6-7 last year so I don’t expect them to put up much of a fight.
Conference play begins September 23rd at home versus Pitt. I think this game is a “W”.
The following week is also at home against North Carolina. The Tar Heels lost QB Mitchell Trubisky, who was the second overall pick in the 2017 draft. I expect that to slow down their high scoring offense and the Jackets should win.
After a bye week, they go on the road at Miami. Johnson has not had much success against the Hurricanes. I think this will be a loss.
Next is Wake Forest at home. This will be a blow out win. Oct. 28th is in Death Valley against Clemson. I’m picking the Tigers.
The next three games are at Virginia, Virginia Tech and at Duke. The only loss in that trio is to Va Tech.
The season finale is the in-state rivalry game against Georgia in Atlanta. I believe UGA will be much better this year and I’m picking the Bulldogs.
I expect Ga Tech to be 7-5 which means they will play in a bowl game in 2017.
Where’s The Beef?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Kirby Smart announced on Wednesday that Fall Camp for UGA will begin on July 31st. Smart in his second year at UGA returns a stacked defense and most of the questions surrounding the 2017 Dawgs circulate around the offensive line.
Smart spoke to the media on Wednesday and had this to say about his offensive line:
Mark Richt Overrated?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Recently, The Sporting News released their rankings of all 130 FBS football coaches. Coming in at Number 9 was former Bulldog, and current Miami Hurricanes head coach, Mark Richt.
I don’t know about every single college football coach enough to debate the merit of that ranking, but there was one comment that stood out to me: “Perhaps no coach wins this much without proper recognition.”
Smart Recruiting
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As our access to recruiting information continues to grow, so does our tendency to overreact. A lot of dawg fans are worried about the lack of action in Georgia’s 2018 class.
With only seven commits thus far, only one of which is in the top 300, the worry is building. Well Georgia fans, take a deep breath and relax. You know who else has started off slow? Alabama and the perennial number one ranked recruiting class.
Top recruits typically like to wait until their season at least kicks off, so the lack of movement isn’t anything to be concerned by.
The signing of the nation’s number one back, Zamir White, was a huge get for Kirby Smart and the Dawgs and should do a ton to quell the tide of negativity.
White is just the start of what should be another great class for Georgia. Today we take a look at the top 5 dream prospects for this year’s class.
Justin Fields (Dual #1) / Matt Corral (Pro #1): Georgia hasn’t had consistent quarterback play since the final days of Aaron Murray. Kirby Smart is doing his best to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
With the signings of Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm in back-to-back years, Georgia is set at the position for the next four years, but becoming complacent in recruiting during those years can be devastating.
With the signing or either Fields or Corral, Georgia’s QB depth chart would become elite. Fields represents the higher rated prospect with his versatility and maturity. While Corral is more of what UGA traditionally sees as their style of quarterback. Either one would put Georgia in a great spot heading into the future.
Projection: Fields – Fla St 50%, UF 30%, UGA 20%
Corral- UGA 90%, UF 10%
Jamaree Salyer (OG #1) : The offensive line was a huge problem for Georgia in 2016. Lack of depth and experience cost Georgia greatly.
The dawgs did a great job of addressing the problems in the 2017 class with signings like Isaiah Wilson and Andrew Thomas. Salyer would be another top notch offensive lineman to add to a unit that could become UGA’s strength with Coach Sam Pittman at the helm.
Projection: UGA 80%, Clemson 20%
Tyreke Johnson (S #2) : The “No Fly Zone” between the hedges is well in effect. Senior Dominick Sanders is a ball hawk with 12 career interceptions. Incoming freshmen Richard LeCounte and DeAngelo Gibbs should be able to fill the void Sander will leave after this year, but the SEC is all about depth.
Tyreke Johnson is just the guy to add to what could be a truly dominant secondary. He is big at 6’1 190 and would be a great fit at the strong safety spot, stepping up to the line or dropping back into coverage. His range is what makes him a must have safety.
Projection: UGA 70%, Fla St 20%, UF 10%
Kearis Jackson (WR #21) : It’s no secret that Georgia’s passing game has struggled these past few years and a good amount of the blame falls on the quarterback position. However, not all the blame can be placed on the guys under center. They need someone to throw to after all.
There hasn’t been a real go to wide out in Athens since Chris Conley. Kearis Jackson wants to be that dude. A hard UGA lean, Jackson has a build like Anquan Boldin and the ability to match. He can play the X,Y, or Z spot from day one.
Projection: UGA 100%, others need not apply.
James Cook (RB #3) : Can you say thunder and lightning? If Cook and Zamir White were both to commit to Georgia, the dawgs would have a future backfield comparable to the current Michel/Chubb combo.
A firm Florida State commit, Cook shocked everyone last week when he backed out of his commitment to the Noles. Georgia has emerged as the favorite. Need a player comparison for his style of play?
Look no further than his older brother, Dalvin Cook. Yeah, the guy who torched college football for three years and was the first round pick of the Vikings. If Georgia was able to complete the flip it would signal the arrival of Kirby Smart as the nation’s best recruiter not named Nick Saban.
Projection: UGA 60%, Fla State 20%, Bama 20%
Who Is Zamir White?
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The eyes of the college football world were glued to their collective phone screens this past Tuesday. Multiple Facebook Live streams showed a podium centered in the cafeteria of Scotland High in Laurinburg, North Carolina.
A crowd, made up of coaches, teachers, family, and ever present media members gathered near the podium. Zamir White, the nation’s number one back was set to announce where he would be spending his college years. Dressed in a black suit, with a small red boutonniere attached to his left lapel, White waited patiently for his moment.
Bob Stoops To Georgia
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
That time of year that a majority of sports don’t look forward to is right around the corner. All the college teams have finished up their seasons, the only professional league going is Major League Baseball (not much to cheer about once again for those us in the Southeast), and football is still more than a month away.
For a desperate few, they will turn to tennis and golf; two sports I’m not averse to watching, but I realize I’m in the minority.
Since this is the start of a slow period, it’s also the perfect time to ask some of those hypothetical questions that there just enough time for when you’re busy writing about whether Matt Ryan will be able to repeat as MVP, or if John Calipari really is Bill Paxton’s character from True Lies. (I may be onto something there).
So, I’m going to ask a question where there is at least a 50/50 chance you’ve asked yourself this already; If Georgia underperforms this upcoming season, and it’s obvious Kirby Smart is struggling, does Georgia send out their own Bat Signal with hopes of having Bob Stoops answer the call?
