The discussion this week on The Student Section roundtable is all about overrated teams. TSS Associate Editors Bart Doan and Terry Johnson join staff writer Kevin Causey and special rotating guests in our weekly roundtable discussing all things college football.
Earlier this week we discussed the ACC and the Big Ten. Now it’s time to look at the SEC. Joining us in this conversation is TSS writer and the man behind The Next Wave Football, Ryan Palencer….
Question: The coaches poll has been released, other outlets are releasing their Top 25 polls (SI, Athlon) and we are in the middle of releasing our poll. Which SEC team is the most overrated heading into the 2015 season?
Ryan Palencer:
On Twitter @RyanPalencer
Without question, it’s Tennessee.
To have the Vols second in the SEC East in several projections is completely mind boggling. While it is clear that Tennessee has lots of young talent, it is just that: unproven. Plus, despite a solid end to the 2014 season, quarterback Josh Dobbs is still quite unproven at the college level over the long term. Dobbs did complete over 63 percent of his passes last season and contributed 17 total touchdowns. Keeping Dobbs, who does run and take several hits, on the field is paramount as well, as the Vols have absolutely zero depth behind the dual threat option.
Tennessee also only has limited scholarship running backs on the roster coming into the campaign. Despite having talent there, they run into depth there as well. Marquez North is quite talented on the outside, but just has not completely come into his own yet. The defense is no doubt strong, but to put them toward the top of a division in the SEC seems like a stretch. An improvement over the 7-6 2014 is likely, but the Vols are very unlikely to be a 10-win team, as they battle Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama all outside of the SEC East.
Bart Doan:
On Twitter @TheCoachBart
I’ll be honest … Auburn (you know, before playing any games so keep that in mind) isn’t doing it for me like they are for others. I just have simple questions about a team that went 8-5 last year and seemed to regress from their nearly championship season the previous one.
Jeremy Johnson is everyone’s flavor of the year it seems, but the guy has attempted under 80 passes and we have no idea what he’s going to be like possible four points down in a game to keep title hopes alive. To be fair, we didn’t know that about Cam Newton, but that’s also a totally unfair comparison as great as Newton was. Aside from that, they lose 33 lettermen. I get that Will Muschamp is there now on the defensive sidelines, but the man isn’t magic. Auburn’s defense wasn’t good by SEC standards last year. They play at LSU and at Arkansas.
I’m not saying they won’t be good, but top five or a playoff spot seems ambitious with losing such immense talent at the skill positions and then having to remake a title defense.
Kevin Causey:
On Twitter @CFBZ
The Auburn Tigers finished the 2014 season with an 8-5 record. They replaced their defensive coordinator and now they are ranked in the Top 10?
I think Auburn will have a good team and I think I bought into their pre-season hype a bit too when we filled out our TSS poll. After thinking on it for a while, I’m not sure I buy into the hype anymore.
I think they upgraded at QB but I’m just not sure that the defense is going to take the steps in year one of the Muschamp era that they need to take to make Auburn a Top 10 team. I think the Tigers will be Top 20 but I would be shocked if they finish Top 10 and that’s why they are the team that I feel is being overrated the most in the SEC.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
I think the answer has to be Mississippi State.
This choice will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows. After all, the Bulldogs were picked to finish dead last in the SEC West in the preseason media poll; how could they possibly be overrated?
Simple: MSU is ranked no lower than 26th in all of the polls listed above, including our own.
I’m sorry, Dawg fans, but that’s not going to happen. Mississippi State loses a number of key players from last season’s 10-3 squad, including leading rusher Josh Robinson (1,203 yards, 6.33 ypc), top pass rusher Preston Smith (9 sacks), and linebacker Benardrick McKinney, who lead the team with 71 tackles. The offensive line is especially thin with the departures of Ben Beckwith, Dillon Day, and Blaine Caldwell, who combined for 113 career starts.
Given this inexperience (9 starters returning, 121st in the country), its tough to see the Bulldogs finishing with a non-losing record in conference play. That will make it difficult – if not impossible – to crack the top 25.
