Projected SEC West standings for the 2021 season

#6: Mississippi State Bulldogs

I have been very vocal about my advocacy for Bulldogs HC Mike Leach, and I certainly trust his process in reaching some eventual success in the Southeastern Conference. But unfortunately, that is quite a monumental task, especially at Mississippi State, of all SEC powers.

Leach has the football IQ to keep his squad playing competitive on a weekly basis, but the West division is merely one of attrition that goes well beyond anything that MSU has to offer as of currently.

#5: Auburn Tigers

Auburn is a very ambiguous story heading into the 2021-22 season, as they will have head coach Bryan Harsin making his debut for the team. Harsin, too, is an intellectual on the sideline; and unlike Mississippi State, the Tigers have sufficient weaponry on their roster to stay afloat throughout the stretch (assuming that they play as well as they are capable of on paper).

Despite all of that, though, the lack of structure within this program right now just seems too big to ignore. With that in mind, I am willing to give Auburn a mulligan for this CFB year.

#4: LSU Tigers

Delving deeper into the subject of tigers, let’s take a look at LSU. Their talents are outstanding, and the orchestration of HC Ed Orgeron is adequate, but nothing more.

After the Tigers’ massive drop in 2020, Ed might find himself sitting in the hot seat if the team does not bounce back some in the Fall. Similar to Auburn, they have the ingredients for success, they just have to use them properly.

In my opinion, LSU will ultimately be a middle-of-the-road power in the SEC West, finishing just outside the top three in the divisional standings.