It's a New Year, so a New Season....My Too Early 2011 Poll

[Dossenator]

Eric, your poll looks pretty good. Well, except Auburn. I think with Newton back they would fit around #15 or so....without Newton they will not even be top 25. They are losing almost everyone.

Take a look at what they lose:
4 of their starting five offensive lineman: Ziemba, Pugh, Berry, and Islom
Offensive skill positions: WR Zachary, WR Burn, and RB Fannin
Defensive line: Blanc, Goggans, Carter, Clayton
Defensive Backs: Ethridge, Washington
Kicker: Wes Byrum

That's at least 14 starters (and I may be missing some people)....then their are the players that may leave: like Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, and defensive back Thorpe. Newton would be crazy to return for several reasons: 1. suspension could still come down over pay for play scheme and 2. having to replace 4 offensive lineman will not be easy. I believe Newton and Fairley are gone for sure...just a guess.

After looking at the top 5 teams in the SEC West from this year: Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, and Mississippi State and what they have returning next season...and their schedules....this is how I see it playing out. Bama loses a ton of NFL talent (more than last year). Arkansas and LSU will return more starters than any of the other schools. Miss St is on the rise but I don't think they are quite there yet. Auburn will be decimated.

SEC West prediction for 2011:
1. LSU (could be Ark)
2. Arkansas
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi St (could be Auburn)
5. Auburn
6. Ole Miss

I think the West will come down to the final game of the season in Baton Rouge....Ark vs LSU.

I think Auburn finishes somewhere between 3-5....my gut says 4 or 5.

I also think people are playing to much into Mallett leaving Arkansas. It was not until half way through this season that Ark found Knile Davis as their starting RB (if you project his numbers over an entire season he would finish with 2,000 rushing yards next year....won't happen but he will have between 1,600-1,800 if he does not get injured....and Wilson will be fine as the QB...more than fine...he knows the offense...has a strong arm...and is mobile). Ark's defensive should make an improvement for the fourth straight year (they will be extremely experienced and have the most depth they have had under Petrino).

[Dossenator]

So disheartening that I do not have any argument as to why Texas should be in the top 25.

Ditto. Our "fold under pressure like a Chair" QB leaves me wondering if they will win 5 games next year. I'd be REALLY surprised if AJ Green comes back after that miseralbe performance against UCF due to that horrid play calling.

Derek...AJ Green has all ready announced that he will enter the NFL draft this year. Here is a link to the story: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/ ... draft.html

[Derek]

Goes to show how much I keep with that.

Yeah, we have a 5 win season next year.

[Eric]

Eric, your poll looks pretty good. Well, except Auburn. I think with Newton back they would fit around #15 or so....without Newton they will not even be top 25. They are losing almost everyone.

Take a look at what they lose:
4 of their starting five offensive lineman: Ziemba, Pugh, Berry, and Islom
Offensive skill positions: WR Zachary, WR Burn, and RB Fannin
Defensive line: Blanc, Goggans, Carter, Clayton
Defensive Backs: Ethridge, Washington
Kicker: Wes Byrum

That's at least 14 starters (and I may be missing some people)....then their are the players that may leave: like Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, and defensive back Thorpe. Newton would be crazy to return for several reasons: 1. suspension could still come down over pay for play scheme and 2. having to replace 4 offensive lineman will not be easy. I believe Newton and Fairley are gone for sure...just a guess.

After looking at the top 5 teams in the SEC West from this year: Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, and Mississippi State and what they have returning next season...and their schedules....this is how I see it playing out. Bama loses a ton of NFL talent (more than last year). Arkansas and LSU will return more starters than any of the other schools. Miss St is on the rise but I don't think they are quite there yet. Auburn will be decimated.

SEC West prediction for 2011:
1. LSU (could be Ark)
2. Arkansas
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi St (could be Auburn)
5. Auburn
6. Ole Miss

I think the West will come down to the final game of the season in Baton Rouge....Ark vs LSU.

I think Auburn finishes somewhere between 3-5....my gut says 4 or 5.

I also think people are playing to much into Mallett leaving Arkansas. It was not until half way through this season that Ark found Knile Davis as their starting RB (if you project his numbers over an entire season he would finish with 2,000 rushing yards next year....won't happen but he will have between 1,600-1,800 if he does not get injured....and Wilson will be fine as the QB...more than fine...he knows the offense...has a strong arm...and is mobile). Ark's defensive should make an improvement for the fourth straight year (they will be extremely experienced and have the most depth they have had under Petrino).

Yeah you could very well be right. Auburn will be in the top 10 no matter what as a novelty ranking for winning the national title. Pretty sure though that if Newton returns, Auburn will be the defending champs and still ranked #1. They are getting a handful of guys back, nothing special but I'm reading 5 back (minus Cam) on offense and 4 back (minus Fairley) on defense. So there could be some potential struggles, but we are dealing with preseason pollsters

I still think Auburn would be very good offensively even without Newton. You are still dealing with Malzahn, and the emphasis would surely shift to using McCaleb and Dyer on the ground.

[Dossenator]

Here is ESPN's Mark Schlabach's early 2011 top 25:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/s ... id=6009707

He has Auburn #17 (for the same reasons I do...they lose almost everyone and their road schedule will be tough).

He has OU #1. Ark at #8 (of course Bama and LSU both come in ahead of Ark).

[RazorHawk]

Texas WILL be ranked in the preseason top 25, because they are Texas.