SEC Football: Season preview and final standings predictions
Will Alabama football reign supreme or will someone new take over the mantel of SEC football champion? The Saturday Blitz staff makes their picks.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are the closest thing that the current generation of college football fans has seen to a dynasty. Nick Saban has not slowed down and he’s not pulling his foot off the gas. The Tide will be the favorites until Saban decides he’s ready to move on.
Partly because of the dominance of Saban, the SEC East has faded into obscurity. The last East team to win the SEC Championship was Tim Tebow‘s 2008 Florida Gators squad. The conference finale has been a tune up for the Tide with little competition. Will someone be able to challenge Alabama in 2017?
SEC West
| Alabama | 1 |
| Auburn | 2 |
| LSU | 3 |
| Texas A&M | 4 |
| Arkansas | 5 |
| Mississippi State | 6 |
| Ole Miss | 7 |
Let’s cut to the chase. Only one member of the staff picked someone other than Alabama to win the SEC West, that was me, site expert Matthew Bartlett. Am I crazy? Possibly. Betting against Alabama doesn’t seem like the best possible strategy, but then again, they aren’t the ones holding the National Championship trophy right now. The Tide can be beat, it’s just not likely. Not likely at all.
Auburn poses the biggest threat to the Tide, but all their hopes rest on the arm of former Baylor transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham. He only has three collegiate starts under his belt, but he’s earned the starting job for the Tigers. He’ll lead what could be a tenacious offense, backed by the strong legs of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson.
More: Game by game predictions for Auburn in 2017
If Alabama is the cream of the crop and Auburn is a very distant second, the rest of the SEC West is in the “also ran” section. Both LSu and Texas A&M have the talent to win on any given Saturday, but poor coaching and consistent stumbling has kept anyone from placing too much faith in either team. Arkansas might be the most consistent team in the division. They’re almost a sure-fire bet to finish in the middle of the pack and be a tough out for everyone on their schedule.
Apparently Ole Miss and Mississippi State still play football. They each have exciting young quarterbacks, but neither has the pieces to make much noise in 2017. Then again, don’t the Rebels always find a way to give Saban a scare?