SEC Stock Watch: Which teams are rising, falling, or staying put?

No SEC team has won the National Championship in the last two years, but they are primed to have a bounce-back season and have several teams that should contend for a National Title this season. Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU are all prime candidates to make a National Title run. For this article, I am going to do an exercise where I am going to buy, sell, and hold each SEC program. This is specific to each program's expectations. I put the SEC teams in order according to how they were picked to win the SEC title this year.

1) Texas- Buy

I am buying Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian. They have made the playoffs back-to-back seasons. They are expected to be a good team this year, led by quarterback Arch Manning. They should be in the mix for the SEC Title and the National Title.

2) Georgia- Hold

I am going to hold on Georgia and Head Coach Kirby Smart. Coming off Kirby Smart's first three-loss team since 2018, the program still appears to be good, but has been lacking elite playmakers on offense. They struggled on offense last year, and quarterback Carson Beck has transferred to the University of Miami. New quarterback Gunner Stockton is a total unknown, and Georgia is struggling to maintain any consistency at the skill positions. Maybe they rebound this season, but Georgia seems like a good program, but might not be an elite team this year.

3) Alabama – Hold

Alabama is entering its second season under Kalen DeBoer, and I am unsure how successful they will be. DeBoer went 9-4 last year, which is not the expectations for Alabama as a program. DeBoer brought back old offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. Grubb was his offensive coordinator at Washington when they went to a National Title. Alabama could win between 8 and 10 games. I am not sure where they will end this season.

4) LSU – Buy

I am buying head coach Brian Kelly and LSU this year. They bring back a good group of players, including quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a talented player. They also loaded up in the transfer portal. I think LSU will be an improved team this year.

5) South Carolina – Buy

I am buying South Carolina as a program under head coach Shane Beamer. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is a great quarterback and should be even better this year. I expect they will be in the mix for an SEC Title this year.

6) Florida – Hold

I am not sure where Florida will be this season. Ever since head coach Billy Napier showed up in Florida, he has been on the hot seat. Entering year 4, he is 19-19 during his tenure. He needs to make progress and either make the college football playoff or get close to making it; if not, Napier could be let go.

7) Ole Miss – Buy

I am a believer in Lane Kiffin as a head coach. He has won 11 games and 10 games in the last two seasons. Even though he loses a ton of players, including quarterback Jaxson Dart, I think Kiffin and Ole Miss should still be a good program.

8) Texas A&M – Sell

Texas A&M and head coach Mike Elko did a solid job in year 1, but still, too many questions remain for this program. They bring back a good team overall, but Texas A&M is a program that never seems to excel.

9) Tennessee – Sell

I am selling on Tennessee and head coach Josh Heupel. Losing star quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the spring portal hurts Tennessee at the most important position. They also lost a ton of players from last year’s team.

10) Oklahoma – Hold

Oklahoma and head coach Brent Venables are in a make-or-break season. They went 6-7 last year, and Venables replaced his offensive coordinator with Ben Arbuckle, bringing in John Mateer, a dynamic quarterback from Washington State. I am not sure how good they will be this season.

11) Auburn- Sell

I am not a believer in head coach Hugh Freeze and Auburn. Freeze has gone 11-14 in two seasons at Auburn, and even though they should be improved this season, I am not buying into them as a team. Maybe Freeze will prove me wrong, but I am not buying the program under his leadership.

12) Missouri- Buy

Missouri is an improving program under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, as they won 11 and 10 games in the last two seasons. Drinkwitz is a good coach, and he has shown that he is building an excellent program.

13) Vanderbilt – Hold

Vanderbilt had a breakthrough last year when head coach Clark Lea went 7-6. I am not sure they can replicate that this season, so we will see if they can do it again this season. Bringing back starting quarterback Diego Pavia is a good development for Vanderbilt.

14) Arkansas – Sell

I am selling head coach Sam Pittman and Arkansas. In the new SEC world, where Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC, Arkansas has had a hard time finding its footing as a program. Sam Pittman has a 30-31 record as the head coach, and I do not think he has done a bad job. The Arkansas job is one of the hardest jobs in the SEC.

15) Kentucky – Sell

At one time, I was a believer in Mark Stoops and Kentucky as they found a way to compete in the SEC. Recently, Stoops and Kentucky have struggled. Coming off a 4-8 season last season, I am not sure how successful Kentucky will be this season and going forward as a program.

16) Mississippi State – Sell

Mississippi State will have a hard time being successful in the ultra-competitive SEC. Head Coach Jeff Lebby has a long track record of success as an offensive coordinator, but he struggled last season, going 2-10 in his 1st year in charge. I don’t expect that much of an improvement this year.

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