The Collapse
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ll be honest; this is not the time of year I expected to be doing a Jacksonville Jaguars “year in review” article. In previous years, sure. Perfect timing.
But after last year’s record-setting come-from-behind playoff win over the Chargers, followed by the closer-than-most-people-expected loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Chiefs, I honestly expected to be doing this in late January, maybe -if we dared to dream- mid-February. That’s the kind of expectations Jag Nation had coming into the 2023 season.
Those dreams were still within reach late in the season. After 11 games, the boys in teal were 8-3 overall and in first place in the AFC South with a 4-1 divisional record. Looking pretty strong.
That’s when the wheels came off.
Going into their first Monday Night Football game since 2011, the Jags were ready to fly high. Instead, the inevitable Duval crash occurred.
The Bengals, a week removed from losing superstar QB Joe Burrow for the season, beat Jacksonville 34-30 in overtime. Worse still was the ankle injury suffered by QB Trevor Lawrence that would arguably hinder his performance for the rest of the season.
This would be the first of four straight losses. Defeats at the hands of the Browns, Ravens, and Buccaneers not only had fans questioning their team’s playoff readiness but left the Jags on the brink of missing the playoffs.
The 27-0 thrashing of the hapless Panthers was satisfying, but the final week playoff-denying loss to the hated Tennessee Titans was a true gut punch to the Duval faithful. Almost but not quite as bad as 1999.
With the postseason suddenly no longer on the agenda, GM Trent Baalke wasted no time in firing Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell and his entire staff.
This was an understandable move, considering the defense allowed 28 or more points in four of the five stretch-run losses, wrapping up the season.
On top of the late-season collapse, the end-of-season stats didn’t do Caldwell any favors either. Defensively, the Jags came in 22nd in the league in Total Defense, 26th in yards allowed, 25th in scoring, and 17th in points allowed. Not playoff-worthy numbers, much less for a team that had Lombardi aspirations to start the year.
The defense, although aptly receiving most of the blame, are not by themselves. Trevor Lawrence made some big strides over last season, throwing for 4,000 yards and 21 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he also threw 14 interceptions – nine of which came in his last 5 games, and quite often while playing from behind.
His high ankle sprain and an additional shoulder injury down the stretch were more than likely contributors to that troubling stat.
Calvin Ridley in his first year back from a gambling suspension made his first season with the Jaguars a fairly productive one. He hauled in 8 TDs on 76 receptions and a little over 1,000 yards. Shy of what most were expecting, but nothing to sneeze at either.
TE Evan Engram, although limited to only 4 trips to the end zone, had a massive year with 114 catches and less than 40 yards from a 1,000 season.
Starting RB Travis Etienne was another bright spot, cracking the thousand-yard mark on the final week of the season, adding another 400+ in the passing game.
Offseason concerns include replacing the defensive coaching staff primarily and upgrading the offensive line to cut down on the ridiculous 35 sacks allowed this year.
And, of course, anything to make Trevor’s life (and ours) easier.
Help Wanted
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL regular season is over and we are going into the second round of the playoffs.
Several coaches have been fired or resigned to create coaching vacancies.
Let’s take a look around the league and see what franchises need a new coach and which is the best job.
Los Angeles Chargers: On paper this team should be able to at least advance to the second round of the playoffs. They have a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert but he does have injury issues. They also have Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, Derwin James, Austin Ekeler, Khalil Mack and Mike Williams.
They did make it to the playoffs in 2022. They played Jacksonville in the Wild Card round and had a 27-0 lead before the Jaguars came back to win. That seemed to linger into this season and they were 5-9 before coach Brandon Staley was fired on December 15. I think this is the best landing spot for a coach that can make a quick turnaround.
Carolina: They fired first year head coach Frank Reich in November after a 1-10 start.
The Panthers have rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Young’s 5.5 yards per pass attempt in 2023 ranked as the fourth-worst in NFL history with a minimum of 500 pass attempts. He also ranked last in the NFL in passer rating (73.7).
Carolina finished the season with the league’s worst record, 2-15, and the league’s worst scoring offense with 13.9 points per game.
Carolina has had four head coaches in their first 23 seasons. Under owner David Tepper they have had 6 different head coaches in 6 seasons. This franchise is a dumpster fire. This is the worst opening so it will be an uphill battle for whoever takes this position.
Las Vegas: They fired Mike McDaniels on Halloween after starting 3-5. He was 9-16 in his two seasons in Vegas.
The Raiders went 5-4 under interim head coach Antonio Pierce and finished the season 8-9. They allowed 15.9 points per game from week 9-18, which was the fewest in the NFL.
They have some good players on both sides of the ball like All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby and running back Josh Jacobs. They need a quarterback though.
Tennessee: Mike Vrabel is gone after 6 seasons in Nashville and a 54-45 record. He had four winning seasons and three playoff appearances. They were 13-21 in the last two seasons.
They traded away star receiver AJ Brown to Philadelphia during the 2022 NFL Draft. I think the GM should be held more accountable for their questionable roster moves than the head coach.
I don’t think running back Derrick Henry will return for the 2024 season. They also have issues at quarterback. They did draft Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 draft and he was 3-6 in his 9 starts.
Atlanta: Arthur Smith was fired after three 7-10 seasons. The offense has tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson.
Smith was resistant to featuring them but they are very talented players. They also need a dependable quarterback.
The Falcons averaged 19.6 ppg, which was the ninth-worst scoring offense.
Washington: Ron Rivera was fired after going 4-13 in 2023. They have the No. 2 pick in the draft so they should get a franchise QB.
Seattle: Pete Carroll has moved to an advisor role after 14 years coaching the Seahawks. They were 9-8 this season and they have a solid team.
Putting Down The Spear
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NCAA Committee on Infractions has levied penalties against Florida State’s football program, an assistant coach, one of its’ collectives and a booster for NIL-related recruiting violations.
The NCAA said the assistant coach facilitated impermissible contact between a transfer prospect and a booster in the spring of 2022, driving the prospect to meet with a booster.
During the meeting, the booster encouraged the prospect to enroll at Florida State and offered him an NIL opportunity with the collective worth approximately $15,000 per month during his first year at the school.
The prospect did not enter into an agreement with the booster or receive any related compensation and returned to his school.
FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins and former Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims are the two involved.
Mims recently announced he was forgoing the rest of his college eligibility to enter the NFL Draft after the Bulldogs 63-3 win over the Seminoles in the Orange Bowl.
The FSU collective was identified as Rising Spear. Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell was not named in any findings nor was he penalized.
The school and enforcement staff agreed during the investigation the assistant coach also violated unethical conduct rules when he knowingly provided false or misleading information about these violations.
FSU was fined $5,000 plus one percent of its football budget and placed on two years probation with a reduction of five scholarships over the period.
The assistant was given a two-year show-cause order, including a suspension for the first three games of the 2024 season, a two-week restriction on communication and a restriction from off-campus recruiting during the fall 2023 season.
In addition to penalties related to reductions in official paid visits and in-person recruiting days, FSU must also disassociate itself from the booster for three years, and from the collective for one year.
It’s clear that the NCAA wanted to make a point here. Leaders had been saying for nearly a year that the NCAA’s enforcement staff was working on NIL/recruiting inducement cases, but as we all know, the process moves very slowly.
This negotiated resolution and the subsequent booster and collective disassociation penalties are meant to be a warning to collectives that they can’t operate as if NCAA rules don’t apply to them; they aren’t allowed to meet with prospective players, and they aren’t allowed to sign them to deals before they enroll.
This is the NCAA trying to rein in behavior that is obviously happening all over the country: meetings between players in the transfer portal and collectives of potential landing spots. We’ll see if this public example has a nationwide impact.
The most notable penalty here might be the two-year show-cause for Atkins, who was hit pretty hard with the resolution.
Coincidentally, the NCAA approved this week at its convention more penalties around show-causes, which force schools to make a case to the NCAA before hiring a penalized coach.
In the future, schools themselves could receive penalties, such as recruiting restrictions, for hiring a coach under a show-cause.
This is Exhibit A on how toothless and afraid the NCAA is of NIL!
Fixed Wreck?
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The past calendar year in mid-town Atlanta has been encouraging for Georgia Tech with Coach Brent Key having the interim tag removed and being named the full-time head coach.
He is capping off a 7-6 2024 season with a Gasparilla Bowl championship for the first bowl victory since 2016.
Even with so much positivity including their first winning season since 2018, everyone hopes it’s just the beginning of what is to come for the Ramblin’ Wreck.
Less than a month into the off-season, changes have already been made by Coach Brent Key on the defensive side of the ball, especially. Key announced earlier in the week the additions of former Duke & Miami assistant, Jess Simpson, and former Memphis defensive line coach Kyle Pope to the defensive staff. The Jackets plan to wrap up the additions to the defensive staff by month’s end.
Like everyone in the “new age” of College Football, Georgia Tech has made the most out of the transfer portal. Still 7 months away from the start of the 2024 season, Tech has added 23 new players with 10 of those being transfer portal additions.
Of the 13 high school players added to the White and Gold, the Wreck added one of the highest rated recruits in Tech history in wide receiver Isiah Canion out of Warner Robins.
In addition to the new blood, the Jackets have an impressive core returning, including quarterback Haynes King. King threw for over 2,800 yards and twenty-seven touchdowns while running for over 700 yards and ten more scores.
King transferred to Atlanta from Texas A&M and was a huge addition to the 2023 Jackets club setting the Georgia Tech single season record for touchdowns responsible for (37), which snapped the previous record of 35 set by Joe Hamilton in 1999.
Along with King, GT also will see how Jamal Haynes follows up the 128-yard performance in the Gasparilla Bowl and Gasparilla Bowl MVP in 2024.
The Jackets also return four of the five starting offensive line that helped GT average 204 yards per game on the ground and only allowed fifteen sacks on the 13-game season.
Jordan Williams, Weston Franklin, Ethan Mackenny and Joe Fusile all return to anchor the offensive front for offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.
While the defensive staff is being re-tooled, Tech will retain their leading tackler from the 2023 campaign as Kyle Efford returns for the 2024 season to anchor the linebacking core.
Ahmari Harvey, Clayton Powell-Lee, and Rodney Shelley all played vital roles in the secondary for Brent Key and return along with veteran safety LaMiles Brooks.
The Jackets will retain the majority of the defensive front as well along with the boost in the return of Sylvain Yondjouen after missing most of the past year with a knee injury.
While the last year and some change since Brent Key took over on the Flats have been an incredible rejuvenation of the Jackets program, I still think the best days are ahead.
Between the emergence of young blood in the program (on and off the field) and the sheer passion that Brent Key exudes for college football and especially Georgia Tech football, the 2023 season was a year of gaining confidence.
Boy, did it grow with each passing game and may have been sparked by a last second touchdown at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami after the Hurricanes didn’t kneel the clock out; Tech forced a fumble and Haynes King drove the length of the field to give the Jackets an unimaginable comeback win.
While Miami Coach Mario Cristobal would like to forget that game, that’s a game that the White and Gold will never forget and showed many people that the Wreck was back on the tracks.
The GOAT
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
People throw around the title of ‘goat’ too often.
In the case of Nick Saban, he really is the greatest of all time for college football coaches. He has decided to retire after 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa.
Saban, 72, has won a total of 7 national championships. One at LSU and 6 with the Crimson Tide.
His reign spans from the BCS into the College Football Playoff era. The Tigers won the national championship in 2003. His Bama teams won in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.
He has also won 11 SEC Championships. His overall record is 292-71-1.
“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said in an Alabama statement. “We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”
He’s been at Alabama so long that we don’t often talk about what he did prior to arriving there in 2007.
His first head coaching job was at Toledo in 1990. The Rockets were 6-5 in 1988 and 1989. Under Saban they went 9-2 and were co-champions of the Mid-American Conference. The two losses were by narrow margins: one point to Central Michigan and four points to Navy.
Saban resigned as Toledo’s coach after that season to become the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick. He held that position for four seasons. In 1994 the defense was the best in the NFL in points allowed.
He took over as the head coach at Michigan State prior to the 1995 season. The Spartans had not had a winning season since 1990.
Saban led MSU to bowl games in his first three seasons. His best season was 1999 when they finished 9-2; with wins over Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. He resigned before the Citrus Bowl to accept the head coaching position at LSU.
This is what I think is not emphasized enough. Prior to his arrival in Baton Rouge, the last national championship that the Tigers won was in 1958. He built them into a national power, which is why they are still relevant now. He led them to a BCS Championship Game win over #1 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl in the 2003 season.
He coached the Miami Dolphins in 2005-06 and had a record of 15-17.
“Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport, and The University of Alabama is fortunate to have had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said. “Throughout his career as a head coach, his teams have won seven national championships, 11 conference championships and 312 games, and he’s developed an NCAA-record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most importantly, hundreds of college graduates. He is the consummate coach, mentor and leader, and his impact is felt far beyond the football field.”
Best Of The Best
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Many analysts and fans consider the SEC to be the best football conference. Depending on the year there may be an element of truth to that.
I’m going to look at some of the best teams in conference history and try to determine who the best is.
1998 Tennessee: The Vols were the first national champs of the BCS era.
Ironically, everything came together the year after Peyton Manning graduated. They were led by quarterback Tee Martin and wide receiver Peerless Price. Sophomore running back Jamal Lewis tore his LCL in his right knee, so he only played in the first 5 games.
Price had 920 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Travis Henry led the team in rushing with 970 yards and 7 touchdowns.
They beat Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl to finish 13-0.
1992 Alabama: The Crimson Tide were led by a strong defense. They led the nation in fewest points allowed (9.2 per game during the regular season). They won the first SEC Championship Game against No. 12 Florida.
In the Sugar Bowl they played defending national champ, No. 1 Miami. They routed the Hurricanes 34-13 to finish 13-0.
They also did not allow an offensive touchdown to the Heisman Trophy winner, QB Gino Toretta.
1980 Georgia: This team was led by freshman running back Herschel Walker. He rushed for 1,616, 15 touchdowns and averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
He was talented enough to help the team overcome mediocre quarterback play. Buck Belue passed for 1,314 yards, 11 TD’s, 9 interceptions and completed 49% of his passes.
They beat No. 14 South Carolina and No. 20 Florida in consecutive weeks. In the Sugar Bowl they beat No. 7 Notre Dame to finish 12-0.
1996 Florida: The Gators are the first team on this list with a loss. They outscored their opponents 612-228. QB Danny Wuerffel threw for 3,625 yards, 39 touchdowns and 13 picks. He won the Heisman Trophy.
The offense had a lot of talent with running backs Fred Taylor and Elijah Williams. They also had Ike Hilliard, Reidel Anthony and Jacquez Green at receiver.
The Gators only loss came in the regular season finale to No. 2 Florida State, 24-21. They got revenge in the Sugar Bowl and demolished FSU, 52-20.
2009 Alabama: They were led by Heisman Trophy winning running back Mark Ingram with 1,658 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had 3 receiving touchdowns.
Linebacker Rolando McClain won the Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Award.
Greg McElroy threw for 2,508 yards, 17 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and he completed 61% of his passes.
Julio Jones led the team in receiving with 43 receptions for 596 yards and 4 touchdowns.
They beat No. 1 Florida in the SEC Championship and No. 2 Texas in the Rose Bowl to finish 14-0.
2011 Alabama: The defense led the nation in every major statistical category.
Running back Trent Richardson won the Doak Walker award, rushing for 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Seven players were named to various All-America Teams.
The only loss was to No. 1 LSU, 9-6. In the National Championship Game, they avenged the loss and beat the Tigers 21-0. They finished 12-1.
2008 Florida: This was coach Urban Meyer’s best team. They were led by Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin on offense.
The lone loss came to Ole Miss. They finished 13-1 with a win over No. 2 Oklahoma in the national championship.
2019 LSU: I saved the best for last.
Joe Burrow had the best season for a quarterback in college football history and led the Tigers to a 15-0 record.
The Tigers demolished everyone they played.
Same Old Story
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2023 NFL regular season has concluded. The Atlanta Falcons had an outside chance at making the playoffs if they beat New Orleans and if Tampa Bay lost in the last weekend of the season. They lost to the Saints, 48 – 17.
It’s never fun to get blown out by your archrival, but the ending of this game was talked about. The Saints put in backup quarterback Jameis Winston and they were supposed to take a knee to run the clock out. They were lined up in “victory formation” but Winston handed the ball off to Jamaal Williams for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:10 left in the game.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen says he had nothing to do with that and he tried to apologize to Smith after the game.
“They did that on their own. That’s not acceptable,” Allen said, adding that Smith “should be” upset about it.
“The score was already 41-17, so I don’t know how much worse it can get, but I got a ton of respect for Arthur Smith and the coach that he is,” Winston said. “I didn’t want to disrespect (Smith). That was not my intention. My intention was to lead the team that I’ve been with the entire year and we made a collective decision that we wanted to get one of our guys that they fight with — blood, sweat and tears, every game — in the end zone. I’m going to feel good about that.”
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was fired a few hours after the game. Atlanta lost four of five games to end the season.
Smith coached the Falcons for three seasons and had the same record every year, 7 – 10. An interesting fact about him; his father is FedEx founder Fred Smith.
Firing him was the right move but Atlanta should have also fired general manager Terry Fontenot in my opinion. He was also hired in January 2021 with Smith and he is largely responsible with putting the roster together.
The Falcons desperately need a quarterback and so far, Fontenot has failed to address that. I think if they had a serviceable quarterback, they would have won two more games this season.
“Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement released at 12:03 a.m. Monday. “We have profound respect for coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.”
It is very early so we do not know who the new head coach will be. Blank and Chief Executive Officer Rich McKay will lead the search for Smith’s replacement.
Fontenot will provide input along with other members of the Falcons and AMB Sports and Entertainment organizations.
The 2024 draft order is set for the teams that did not make the playoffs and Atlanta has the eighth overall pick. They desperately need a quarterback but I think they are picking too late to get a franchise QB. We will see if they trade up or try to acquire a veteran.
Buy Or Sale?
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Braves fans have been clamoring for a big move by Alex Anthopoulos to re-vamp the Atlanta club going into 2024.
In a trade between Christmas and New Year, the Braves pulled the trigger bringing Chris Sale to “the A”.
The 7-time All-Star has been riddled with injuries the last 3 years and hasn’t appeared in more than 20 games since 2019. Despite the health issues, both he and the Braves believe he is the healthiest he has been in a while.
“I feel really good. This is the first time in quite a while I’ve been able to have a normal offseason,” Sale said in media availability from the Braves Spring Training facility in North Port. “I’ve been throwing bullpens since November, and I haven’t been able to do that for years!”
Originally when the trade was finalized, Boston was sending Chris Sale and $17 million (to cover that amount of Sale’s salary) in exchange for former Braves top-prospect Vaughn Grissom.
Because of Sale’s contract structure, Sale was owed $27.5 million in 2024, with the Red Sox paying $17 million of that, the Braves were on the hook for $10.5 million, but $10 million of that 10.5 was deferred to be paid in 2039, so essentially the Braves were getting Sale for $500K in 2024.
That changed, however, just 5 days later with Chris Sale and the Braves announcing a 2-year extension of the contract on January 4th.
With the new contract, Sale will collect $16 million in 2024, and $22 million in 2025 with a $18 million club option for 2026. Don’t forget that Boston is still paying $17 million of Sale’s salary, so the Red Sox will be essentially paying all of Sale’s 2024 earnings, and an additional million of the 2025 pay.
I know this may not have been the “big splash” that Atlanta faithful were looking for, but this is sneakily a fantastic deal for the Braves. You not only get a quality left-handed starter to add to the rotation, but also an experienced 34-year-old that has seen a lot at the big-league level.
Yes, Sale has been injury-laden the last 3 years, but of those, he returned for a good portion of 2023 with the Red Sox, making 20 starts with a 6-5 record and a 4.30 ERA (remember after not having a normal off-season and beginning of the year).
This year, he will enter with the first normal off-season into spring training for him since 2018 when he went 12-4 and posted a 2.11 ERA and finished 4th in the Cy Young Award voting.
I’m not saying he’s going to post those numbers and turn into the ace of the staff in Atlanta (although it may be a distant possibility), but the great thing for Atlanta is…. The Braves don’t need him to be that.
Braves pitching took a hit themselves from the injury bug in the pitching rotation in 2023, but everything looks promising as the team heads to North Port for Spring Training.
Spencer Strider and Max Fried are one of (if not the single) best 1-2 punches at the top of a rotation in baseball.
Although Fried was also injured at different points in 2023, he pitched well when he was available, and with a full off-season to get right ahead of a contract year, I’d expect a big 2024 from Fried.
Strider has been about as steady as it gets. Somehow, I still believe Strider is underrated on the grand scheme of the MLB, but we might be slightly biased.
The Braves also picked up the $20 million option for Charlie Morton in 2024, so going into Spring Training 2024, Atlanta should feel good about some combination of Fried, Strider, Morton, Sale being the top 4 of the Atlanta rotation.
So, is it the “flashy bigtime deal”? Probably not, but if there is an organization that has taught baseball that you don’t need a roster full of “flashy, high-priced talent” to win, in the words of the late-great voice of Truist Park Casey Motter, IT’S YOUR ATLANTA BRAVES.
I Have The Power
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Another college football season has come and gone.
The SEC perception wise seemed a little down in 2023.
No SEC team played for a national title for the 2023 season for the first time since 2014. The College Football playoff committee/ESPN dream scenario match-up of Alabama and Texas did not come to fruition.
It was still a solid year in the premier football conference in the land. My final SEC power rankings are listed below. The 12-team playoff begins in 2024. Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Ole Miss all would have made an expanded 12-team playoff if it had been in place 12-months sooner.
1.Georgia – It is hard to be disappointed after going 13-1. It was not the best UGA team in the last three seasons but it was damn good.
UGA was not consistent all season on getting pressure on the QB. They lost to Alabama in the SEC title game 27-24, but gave you 63 reasons in the Orange Bowl to show that they are the best team in the country.
A 12-team playoff would have resulted in a 3-peat. UGA lost late in the season one year too early.
2.Alabama – Considering the QB situation, it was great season. The demise of Saban and the dynasty was premature. The Wide Receiver play was not up to Alabama standards.
Jalen Milroe is a talented athlete who needs to improve in the short and intermediate passing game.
Alabama has had the most talented roster in the country for three straight seasons based on blue chip rankings, but no national titles to show for it.
3.Missouri – The Tigers were unexpectedly good and the future is bright.
Who did not enjoy the Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State? This team will be in the SEC title hunt in 2024.
4.Ole Miss – The Rebels won 11 wins for the first time ever. That alone gets you a lofty spot in SEC power rankings. The top four in this conference are better than any top tier teams in any other conference. Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss rolling.
5.LSU – I suspect a letdown given last season but still on the right track.
Did anyone seriously think the LSU defense would be as poor as it was? The Tigers did produce a Heisman winner.
6.Tennessee -It was a good season for the Vols. There is lots of hope for the future after the bowl game against a tough defense.
It wasn’t as good of a season as I am sure most Vols fans hoped for but not horrible.
Tennessee must improve on the lines of scrimmage to be elite.
7.Kentucky: The Wildcats started 5-0 then finished 7-6. That is about what you expect from Kentucky football.
8.Texas A&M – Ugh. Mike Elko to the rescue. Does that inspire confidence Aggie fans?
9.Auburn – Only Auburn can lose to New Mexico State and then force Alabama to win the iron bowl in miracle fashion and upset the entire college football world’s power structure.
That is Auburn doing what they do best, causing havoc.
Prediction: Hugh Freeze in three years will have Auburn competing for national titles and will be the premier college football program in the state of Alabama.
10.Florida – The Flagship University in the state of Florida has had three straight losing seasons.
The Gators did not make a bowl game in 2023.
They have the schedule from hell in 2024.
DJ Lagway better be really good at QB is all I can say.
Billy Napier may not survive 2024 as UF head football coach.
11.Mississippi State – It may be a while for the Bulldogs from Starkville.
12.South Carolina – There is significant improvement needed in 2024.
13.Arkansas – Bobby Petrino to the rescue. Sam Pittman’s days are numbered in Fayetteville.
14.Vanderbilt – Vandy always has baseball season to fall back on.
On July 1, 2024, you have Oklahoma and Texas entering the mix. The SEC will expand the national perception of being the best conference in college football.
It Just Means More?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The shots came from the north, the west and all over social media: The vaunted SEC, dominator of college football, had been humbled.
Michigan player Braiden McGcegor spoke for many: “In the SEC they say it just means more. That should be ours now.” Somewhere commissioner Greg Sankey read that and grimaced.
For the first time in nine years the SEC will not be represented in the national championship game. There’s a cruel irony in that for Sankey, who helped usher in the 12-team College Football Playoff despite his conference dominating the four-team era.
Why change a beneficial status quo? Because Sankey knew college football would be better if more regions and more conferences were invested and engaged. Sankey also wanted expansion this year, which, should it have happened, would have created an opening for at least one more of his teams to make a run.
Ah, well, a good humbling every now and then is healthy in the long run. The SEC sees clearly that it is in an even competition with the newly constituted Big Ten. But it’s also not a dire picture: Alabama losing to Michigan in overtime on a neutral field is not itself a confirmation of inferiority for SEC detractors.
Vice versa, Tennessee stomping Iowa and Missouri beating Ohio State are also not satisfactory evidence of total conference superiority for SEC defenders because well, bowl games in this era.
It’s just a kick in the butt collectively to the SEC to know it is no longer just in competition with itself. That change can be good. It can be fun.
But this edition of the vibes doesn’t look back. It looks forward, which is why it includes the two coming entrants to the league.
And the vibes, for those whom may be new or forgetful, are not a pure ranking from best to worst; it’s who’s feeling the best to who’s feeling the worst which is why these rankings will look funky.
This takes into account expectations, performance, and just generally the optimism, or lack thereof, heading into the 2024 season.
Even when I adjust for the normal postseason optimism, a look at the top of the SEC shows this is still going to be the best conference, but the Big Ten is not that far behind.
The SECs tagline of “it just means more” carries a little more weight now, as the additions of Texas and Oklahoma make the league a super conference in 2024.
I feel good about 4 to 5 SEC teams’ chances of making it into a 12-team playoff next season.
The SEC will not play for this year’s championship but they are still the top conference in college football.
