Latest / Dawgs Down South / Episode 108: SEC Summer Preview Wrap Up, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss. SEC Pre-Season Ranks.
Transcript
- Ted Turner: Greetings, everyone. Happy late night here on Dogs Down South. a little bit later than normal. we are coming off of day one of SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida. And today, if n if if if anyone missed it, we had Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. that came to the podium today during SEC media days. I caught a lot of banter from SEC Nation that was out there, a lot of fans out there in Tampa. I did not get my media access. Didn't nobody put my requests in. So I will not be attending maybe overnight. I don't know. Obviously the dogs go tomorrow, so maybe I don't know. Maybe I get my email overnight with all my credentials and everything for me to get in tomorrow. no, in all seriousness, I will not be at SEC Media Days tomorrow. However, Kirby Smart, Raylon Wilson, and Bobo and not Mike Bobo. And Gunnar Stockton will be at SEC Media Days representing Georgia, obviously right alongside Kirby Smart and it's gonna be a really good day. They you got Auburn, you got Georgia right behind them early, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. And then if you all are looking forward to Alabama, Florida, Old Miss, Texas A and on Wednesday and then Thursday to finish us out, we got Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State and Texas. Drew Bobo is gonna be there. No, I teased it. Mike Bobo, I don't think will be speaking at SEC Media Days. It will be Drew Bobo and Raylan Wilson and Gunnar Stockton. A lot of us seeing pictures of them on the flight heading heading down to Tampa today. So interested to see what questions they answer tomorrow and how that goes and what Kirby says and doesn't say. And it's this is a norm for Kirby. I mean, he's been a coach for Georgia. now for a good while and he's been a part of these these media days for a long time now and so this will be a walk in the park, a normal average day for him. If anything, like Nick Sabin used to say, I I I'm here because I have to be here. I want the fans and I want all the media to know that we're here, but we don't really look at it as something that's really just off the charts important to us. But we're here and we're As some of the NBA or NFL will say, we're here so we don't get fined. but yeah, so we're looking forward to it. I know I spoke of Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt leading us off tomorrow. and that's where we're gonna start tonight. We are going to so on our on our agenda, we are going to finish up. Tonight is it. This is the end of SEC summer preview. So we're gonna try to squeeze in three teams tonight. I I I've really No offense to Vanderbilt, but I figured we could s we could squeeze in three teams because Vanderbilt is one of them. We're also gonna get Texas AM and we're also gonna finish out with Ole Miss fitting because I feel like Ole Miss is gonna be a very important game on Georgia's schedule this year, as well as big reason, you know, Ole Miss knocking Georgia off last year to end their playoff hopes, getting the revenge factor after we beat. Ole missed in Athens. And so we're gonna preview all three of these teams and then I'm gonna do my final SEC preview picks. What I think this is just how I think preseason to have something go to go off of that the SEC will finish based off of preseason hype, if you want to call it that. Okay. So let's dive right in. we're gonna we're gonna start with Vanderbilt. Now, you know, Vanderbilt last year, a lot of noise the last two years coming out of Nashville. I think the biggest part of the noise coming out of Nashville since then, since Diego Pavia in the last two years, has been the flip of Jared Curtis from the University of Georgia to Vanderbilt. Now We could sit here and we could ponder on what got him to Nashville and things of that nature, but we all know I think that the paycheck was a little bit higher, the chance to start right off the bat. I'm not saying that Georgia can look at this and go, Well, is what it is. You know, we didn't really need Jerry Curtis. we can we can have that kind of butthurt mentality, but I do think Jerry Curtis was a player that was gonna be very beneficial for us. he wasn't the end all be all, but I think this year he will be a really good player. Now, as we all know, a quarterback in his freshman season running for his life, already the game is gonna be very fast. The collegiate game will be very fast to him, and you don't you definitely don't want pass rush coming faster than it should, having to run for your life, having to create on the run, and I do think that that's what's Jared Curtis is gonna be doing. a lot of this year. Georgia is gonna get Vanderbilt at home this year, on the weekend of the fourth, I think it's the third of October, if I'm not mistaken. And so Jerry Curtis will be coming to Athens regardless of if he wants to or not. interested to see how that game will will play out is just just as far as fans and, you know, how people the media and things play that out with Jerry Curtis leaving to go to Nashville and I don't know. I mean, in an NIL area and the way the the way the transfer portal is going, I mean, I don't see a I don't see a way this could work out really, really positive for this kid this year, especially when I, you know, just kind of talk Vanderbilt a little bit here about kind of the talent drop off from Vanderbilt. Now Clark Lee has done an amazing job at Vanderbilt and I think Clark Lee thinks that he can win to Vanderbilt. I mean, I think that's part of the reason why Jerry Curtis came to Vanderbilt. The money was right. I I do know that the academics at Vanderbilt is very good if you're trying to go and actually go to school and not just you know, play collegiate sports as a form of profit. but I do think that Vanderbilt lost some key components to these last two years of teams that I think if they were gonna make a run, it would have needed to be the last, you know, definitely last year, if not the year before last. So when you look at players you know, that were from that team that are coming back this year, obviously the big name on campus is Jerry Curtis. barring a shocking event, I think Jerry Curtis will be under center come this, you know, the come the first game of the year. I think they look at it and go, We paid too much money. you know, he was playing a lot of downs against you know, the the defense, the first team defense in the Vanderbilt spring game. And so I I do think him coming in and doing all that means he is the guy and they are going to press through this year with him and I guess try to go, look, we can get him where we need to be. I don't think they're taking like a mulligan this year, but I do think if they can look at it and go, if we can get where we want to be this year and get him the experience he needs, you know, maybe we can have two, maybe possibly three years with Jerry Curtis. and Needless to say, he has a talent. He has a he has a great arm talent. he's elusive quarterback. He's a he's a he's a in my opinion, he's a little bit more of a dual threat than he is like a pure pocket passer. So I I think he'll be good for Vanderbilt. Now, what's not gonna be good for Vanderbilt is this reworked offensive line, a defense that lost a lot. They lost a lot of playmakers on the outside, and just a team that's gonna be a little bit depleted as far as the portal and as far as graduation and Obviously we know the big Diego Pavia who went on to the NFL and we'll see how that career goes. But the big names, you know, Cedric Alexander is the biggest name past Curtis that's coming back on the offense to provide some punch on the offense. And I do feel like they are gonna have to lean on this a little bit. Now, you kind of play in a little bit of checkers and chess because we just talked about this offensive line that is, you know, very much reworked when you look at the youth. on this line and you look at, you know, some of the guys coming through who have been there, but just might not be as talented as you want coming in. I mean, we're all playing the NCAA football game right now and I'm not saying that's what we go off of, but I can tell you go on and check some of these ratings for Vanderbilt on this front line and it's it's not very positive. it might be more of a team you want to start your your dynasty with, right? And work up but But Cedric Alexander is a key piece of this. Junior Sherrill, obviously, and Bryce Coleman, Cole Adams, Cole Spence of the tight end that who transferred in. Caden McDonald is the is kind of the senior 6'5, 323 kind of staple in this offensive line. If it's gonna go this year, it's gonna it's gonna go through him and his leadership. Miles Capers, Glenn Seabrooks, the third, Brian Longwell, some big names you need to know in CJ Heard. Talented junior safety back there. you know, so this this team is is is I I don't even say this team's young. It it's just there's a lot of senior, there's a lot of seniors on defense, but I I just feel like they got depleted a little bit too much this year in the portal. and the in the the offense, I mean, yeah, you have you most of the stables of backs in the back. some some of these, you know, you got couple of seniors with Alexander and Cheryl at wide receiver. But i in my opinion there there's just a lot of mixture of youth with this. I I mean, when you look back really quick to you know, to Indiana's gameplay last year and the whole mixture of what everybody was talking about with, you know, Kirk Signetti putting all these twenty five year olds from the portal and older guys and been there, done that. I mean, there's may there may be some method of madness to that, but you you can't look past either, you know, the mindset of his of him and his play calling and his coaching and I don't know if he could shoot up the the ranks like he did and sometimes the hottest take is the is you know the coach that wins the national championship comes out of nowhere and everybody's like, man, you're just gonna give him, you know, you're gonna you're gonna give him the go ahead as the best coach in college football in one year. I mean, I don't know. Let's see how Indiana does this year with the pieces, Josh Hoover and a couple of pieces of the puzzle that need to come together to see what they can do this year. it's a new year. You you can't go off of statistics from last year. So that's why we we talk all this, we talk all this during media days. We talk about previewing teams during the summer because this is a new year. This is players in in different parts of their career, players in different teams this year trying to make other teams better. when you look at the schedule this year for Vanderbilt, now I will tell you that the schedule is very appealing to me for Vanderbilt in a year where if you would have looked at the schedule two years ago, last year, I would have said I don't know. Maybe maybe they could have made a little bit of a run through this schedule and done some good things. But I think this year the schedule's a little bit appealing as far as if they're gonna have youth and if they got kind of tore up as far as the portal and graduation. This is the schedule you want. One of the easier schedules in my opinion in the SEC. obviously September fifth, they opened up against Austin P then Delaware, and I think they get a couple of wins there right off the bat. N C State, September nineteenth at home. I I I think they can it just depends, really. Right. It depends on how settled Jared Curtis gets in. But I do think they can still run the football and I think they'll be good at home. And I think Clark Lee is still gonna have a a dominant presence and they're gonna be disciplined. They're gonna play good football and they're gonna still possibly win some games that people don't think they will win this year. but I think they'll win those three games. I think the b the first test is gonna be September twenty sixth on the road at Auburn. it's gonna be a tough game, but I think You know, with Clark Lee and Jerry Curtis, Jordan Hare on the road. I do think that Auburn might be too much for them in this game. So I think Auburn will win that game. I think they go on the road to Georgia after that and they lose that. So they're three and two. and then they got and this is their biggest dip right here, in my opinion. and I say easier schedule. I mean, I'm not saying easier schedule meaning they're gonna win a lot of games on the schedule, but I am saying favorable as far as not having to play Georgia and Texas and Alabama and Texas AM and a lot of the teams that are old you know, that are gonna come out of the SEC and I possibly have picked to go to the playoffs. But I do think it's it's it's it's promising as far as who they drew in the SEC. With a nine game schedule though, I mean, I think the SEC's the best, you know, and it is biased. I I think the SEC is the best conference in college football. but I think it's biased, but I also think it's true. so you go two old miss. I think they ended up three and three here. Arkansas at home, they'll win that four and three. I think I think they can go to Kentucky. This will be a little bit of a weird game here because this is this will give Stein and Kentucky a chance to have gotten kind of the ball rolling. I think this could be a toss up, but I'm gonna take Clark Lee in this one and and their ability to get it done in this one. So I I I'll give them four and four. And I think at Mississippi State on the road, this is gonna be a barn burner. They gotta lose one of these, I think. One of these barn kind of barn burners or you know, statistically challenging games for them as far as their ability to score points. I think Mississippi State's going to give them problems. I think they could lose this game. So I think you could see them at four and five here, then four and six. I think at Florida's challenging four and seven. So I I see Vanderbilt that over under four or five wins this year. but I and I don't see them obviously doing as good as they did last year. And I definitely don't see them buying for you know, any kind of playoff positioning. it's gonna be a challenging year for Vanderbilt all in all. But I'm interested to see what Jared Curtis does as well. you know, is this a smart play by Clark Lee? I don't know. maybe it's one of those things where it's a it's a bang for your buck because you're like, if I'm gonna spend this amount of money on this kid, then let's go ahead and let's, you know, let's get him going, I guess per se. moving right along though, as we got a lot to cover tonight. So Texas AM is a team too that I I I I have on the they're on my kind of bubble for playoffs, and we'll we'll talk in a minute when we look at their games and the strategy of how these games will play out. But obviously when you look at Texas AM, this is a team that very well coached. you know, w when you look at Texas AM, the stadium, the pageantry. College football, for the Aggies, the recruiting that has been done the last two years. I I I mean, are they are they prized to win this year? I mean, obviously Marcel Reed. That's the biggest question right there. Like that's where we stop everything. I I think the defense is is gonna be good enough this year. I think the offense is gonna be challenged a little more because I'm curious with this once again, you're gonna hear this a lot this year in the SEC is was this With this offensive line, this revamped offensive line, I I I don't you know, I don't per se know if this is as good of an offensive line as they've had in the two last two or three years. I don't know if they're gonna be able to run the football as well as they have the past two or three years. So is that gonna put a little bit more pressure on Marcel Reed? who knows? But I know that there's some Jekyll and Hyde also with Marcel Reed that has been very challenging for Texas A and I mean, you look back at that playoff game and You just you c you kind of shake your head and go, I I I don't know that Marcel Reid. the kid's electric. I think they're gonna throw the ball a little bit more this year. And I think they have some names out there that can get it done. But once again it's gonna fall on, you know, I I've also look Lenora Sellers and look at what the offensive line, the inability to block last year did to him. It made him irrelevant compared to the year before, where I felt like he had a much better year because he had a much better offensive line. obviously when we look at players we talked about Marcel Reed, big names. Mario Kraver has the opportunity to lead. I think since Texanium's gonna throw the ball a little bit more this year, I think Mario Kraver's gonna be a top two, top three receiving yards in the SEC type player this year. He's gonna be he's an electric player. He's got, you know, he's got big time playmaking ability. I think they're gonna find ways to get him the ball. And, you know, you didn't really, you know, you didn't really lose, you know, Ruben Owens is no slouch. I I I think he's gonna be a key aspect, but once again, like, how much can they get done with reworking this line of scrimmage? The the addition of Isaiah Horton out of Alabama is gonna be key. I think you have some kind of thunder and lightning if you wanna call it, but I look at Horton as more of a he is a deep play guy, has a little bit more body, a little bit more framework, where I think they can stretch the field with Isaiah Horton. I think they can stretch the field with with Kravers too, but I think Kravers is gonna be electric in the in that they're gonna be able to line him up in different places and get him the ball in different ways. But this is definitely lining up to get Marcel Reed a little bit more some more playmakers to where he can air it out a little bit. Now, that just means that, you know, what what has changed in the off season with Marcel Reed is which one are we getting? You know, what what what kind of statistics are we getting out of him? I I I think he can be electric, but I think he can be a little bit of a head case sometimes. When you look at the defense, lot of lot of I there's a lot of like depth on this defense, and there's a lot of senior itis on this defense, but it's been reworked. it'll still be good, but I don't know if it'll be the Texas AM defenses of the of the you know, the past. you know, big names to know. You know, you look at TJ Cersei, you look at look at Damian Sanford, you look at Dalton Brock, you look at Marcus Ratcliffe. This is a very senior heavy defensive line. Very senior heavy. CJ Mims, DJ Hicks, Anto Saka. I mean, this is a good defense. This is a very veteran this is much very much a veteran defense. I would I would cling to say, even though, when you look at what veterans are gonna be on that offensive line, you still wonder how well can they mesh early on, how well can they mesh, period. what Texas CNM also has a lot of this year is is I call them battleships. I mean a lot of a lot of these Texas C and guys are, you know, 330, 335. You don't, you don't have a lot of that. You know, Marcel Reed is going to challenge it. Depending on the play calling, too. you know, you got a new new play caller, new offensive coordinator. I I don't know if I agree with the with this with the suggestion with the offensive coordinator. We'll see. you might you might see somebody new in there three or four games in, who knows? But I I do see this offense, you know, you had the passing game coordinator. and I don't have his name right off the bat, off the OC taking over, but you have the passing game coordinator. So you you think you're probably gonna get more passing offense. You're probably right. But I I think Tech C and is gonna rely heavily on Marcel Re throwing the ball a little bit more this year. I I don't know if they're gonna be able to line up and just run Ruben Foster right at people like they have in the past. That's just me. Flavion Moss was really great as well, but Ru Ruben Foster's a little bit different of a back. so I think Texasanium is gonna be good this year. I think they they are one of my bubble teams as far as the Dodge football playoff. As we look at scheduling, I think a lot of things that help Texasanium scheduling is there's a lot of games with the twelfth man. A lot of games. you know, down there at at home with a twelfth man, the loud stadium, gonna be some night games. And I think it's a favorable schedule. That's what that's what gives Texas AM some hope. I think this is the tale of favorable schedules for these two teams. And we're not gonna talk about a favorable schedule for the lasting tonight in a minute with Ole Miss, but when you look at them getting Missouri State at home, I think They get Arizona State at home and they get Kentucky at home. And I think all those are wins. I think they start out strong at home, three and and then they have to turn around and go to Death Valley. This is four this is four games in with with you know, with Lane Kiffen and this offense, and you're either gonna know really quick if it's not gonna work or it is, and if it's clicking, this is gonna be a night game. This is gonna be in Death Valley at night. It's just hard to win at night. Lane Kiffin, Blake Baker. I'm giving LSU a little bit of an edge right here. I'm kind of giving them a little bit more of an edge too in my in my preseason predictions too. But we'll we'll hear that in a second. Arkansas at home, I think that's a win at Missouri. man, I I tell you what, when you look at Missouri this year and you look at the pieces that Eli Drinkowitz, I just feel like no matter how you can twist and turn Eli Drinkowitz, this Missouri team When they look and they say, Man, this is quiet, this is Austin Simmons, you know, this is this is a team that you know, I feel like and we we previewed them already, but is gonna be heavy, run run based, you know, barring that they're healthy there. but I do think Missouri is gonna be hard to get at Missouri, but I do think Texasanium can do it. And I'm gonna give the edge to that. So I think they they are four, what, five and one. Going into the Citadel. I think they get the Citadel and then they go to Alabama, which is a key swing game that I think at Alabama late in the season, man, I'm I'm I'm picking A and to go into Alabama and win that game. So I think they have one loss. So you're looking at what, three and one, four and one, five and one, you're looking at seven and one. I think they go to at South Carolina and they get it. That's eight and one and here comes your here comes your burner part of the schedule as I call it. Tennessee at home is gonna be key for them. So I think they get that game and then I think there's a good possibility they could drop Oklahoma and Texas. So I do have Texas AM nine and three. I think this is a tough you know, Elko i if Elko can get one of these games at the end at Oklahoma or Texas, it's a game changer. But they gotta go to Oklahoma and they get Texas at home. And I don't know. I mean, I'm also predicting that Texas has a rough go at it. I'm gonna be I'm gonna be fair, but as of right now, let's just say they don't get that game and on the outside looking in and being smart about it. Let's say they're a three loss team. And is and that to me a nine and three SEC, that's a SEC bubble team, it's three losses. With a with that with a chance to probably still get in there. I think it has to help them with a nine game schedule this year. So so Texas is a bubble team for me. The the biggest thing that's that us a sleeper with me is w what Marcel Reed do we get? What Marcel Reed do we get? And how does that work out, you know, in the long run for them, if they can't throw the ball and that offensive line can't hold up, where do they go? And there are some games on there that they're gonna have to go in. You know, Alabama is going to scheme scheme it up to make Marcel Reed win the football game for them. Texas is going to scheme that up. If you don't think Will Muschamp is not going to dial it up to go, Marceau Reed, you're going to have to win the game against us, then I'd be lying. They're not going to allow Ruben Foster to control and the defense to control the destiny of that game. so, last but not least, finishing up our SEC summer preview, we're going to preview the old Miss, Old Miss. Did I just really say that? The Ole Miss Rebels and Like I said earlier, fitting that we're doing that because Ole Miss obviously is the team that put Georgia out last year in the Sugar Bowl. A lot to talk about, but I think one of the biggest things to talk about, this is an Ole Miss team, obviously, if you've unless you've been hiding under a rock somewhere, that you know is not being coached by Lane Kiffin anymore. Lane Kiff and ducked and dodged and headed on out to L S. U. And so now Pete Golding is the coach there and you know, the changes that that have been made have been you know heavily relied upon, obviously on the offense. I mean, I I I can't tell you enough about the fact that this team is what people are saying, and I'm I'm interested to hear them at media days, but they really look at Ole Miss. Some people look at Ole Miss and they go, this is not the same team without Lane Kiffin. Now, it it was just a team that honestly still made a really good run, but you have parts of that coaching staff that will not be there. and you have a new OC, you have new parts of the offense, but you still have you still have Trinidad Chambles, you still have Kewan Lacey, you still have some big parts of this offense. They did very well in the portal. and so when you look at this team, it has the opportunity talent wise to still do really, really well. I think they're the most, I would call it curi like it's it's the most curious team in all the SEC this year because it's really gonna I talked about it way, way, way earlier in the year when I said this is the difference is is that he took over a plane that was already in it was already flying. It was in, you know, it it's like, hey man, can you just hold the controls for me and get us, you know, get us to where we're going and and now it's like I gotta I gotta I gotta taxi the plane. I gotta get us going. I gotta take us off. I gotta I gotta get us there. I gotta and then I gotta land us like he he's in control of the entire thing. and I don't know. I mean, does it connect? Is is this the right choice? Is Pete Golden gonna be good for the SEC and as a head coach in college football? We'll see. A lot of I mean, I think the offense and I think a lot of pieces of this offense will stay intact to go out and do well, but I don't know. John David John David Baker's been in Ole Miss before. and you know, he knows what he's doing. He was there a little bit towards the end of the year, but you gotta start looking at what what relationship and what that does and how that looks on a on a big scale as far as how it transfers into the team and also the culture, right? Culture's huge. Lane Kiffin is a big culture guy. He he was known to run practices a little bit different. I think you say th say the same things about Kirby Smart. But I would say different on the other end, more of the laid back, more of the loose. He likes to keep his team loose. He doesn't want them to feel up tight and things of that nature. And and I and I think Kirby does kind of the same, but he presses you to the point where nothing's too nothing feels hard. Practices are hard. And we can go into that a lot, you know, later on. But it's just it's more of a looser environment. How will Pete Golding be? I have no idea. And like you he Pete Golding's not gonna change anything middle of you know, the playoffs last year, I think he kept the culture the same. A lot of what he was doing was to go, hey, how can we keep this ship going and try to win a national championship? And so he didn't put a lot of what he's going to put into it in early. as far as talent, I mean, obviously Trinidad Chambless speaks for itself. I think he's one of the top, you know, two, three quarterbacks, if not the top quarterback in the SEC returning this year for his, I don't know, what is it, six, seventh year of eligibility? He got a Got a ruling from a judge, you know, about a a thumb sprain or a stomach virus or something like that, or a flu that kept him out, or something like I I don't know, a sty in his eye. Who knows? I'm being facetious, but like it it it's it's this it's just it's just kind of ridiculous. I don't know. Keywon Lacey returning, I think one of the top backs in the SEC this year. And then you have some of the you know, some of the question marks, even though they there's a lot of talent here. You obviously Deuce Alexander, Darrell Gill Jr., Caleb Cunningham, big, you know, Lucas Haas, a lot of that line returning this year, which is going to play a lot a big role with with Kewan Lacey. But here the defense is what is going to be a little bit better. And I think people are giving it a chance to be you look at Cam Franken, you look at Will Eccles, Centurion Perkins, and you look at Jalen Braxton, Antonio Kyle. So, I mean, you look at this defense, and this is this is a typical you know, Pete Golding defense and it's gonna be good, but this is also a guy who's not just focused on the defense this year. So it there's some question marks. There's some question marks everything. so much to so I I'm gonna end it with three big questions. You know, what does what does Trinidad Chamless do for an encore? This is the guy that threw for, you know, thirty eight, thirty nine hundred yards last year, elusive guy, makes plays happen, had one of the best games of his career, he had to against Georgia in the playoffs, but you know, can he can he mesh, you know, with new with with the new OC in in the same way? Can he can he be as comfortable with John David Baker to produce those type numbers? Is there an encore or does he fall off? Does he does he pull a moment where it's like, man, everybody's going, maybe he should have left, right? Maybe he shouldn't have went for his sixth or seventh year of eligibility. I don't really know how many it is. But can the defense be elite? i is this gonna be is Pete Golding's focus, you know, running two sides of the ball, not necessarily running two sides of the ball, but you know, having to do something that is a little bit different. He could turn his head when it came down to, you know, the defense being off the field and the offense being on the field. He can't do that this time, right? He can't spend that extra time in the huddle, he can't spend that developmental time. Getting those players a little bit more surrounded around the game plan, he's got to coach this team. He's got to make decisions as a head coach on the sideline. It will that affect the defense? Big question. And what does a full season with Pete Golding in charge look like? Who knows? Like we talked about it earlier. What is the culture going to look like? How is it going to be different? How is it going to be the same? Does he change anything? D does he feel like that, you know, rocking the boat is a mistake. Who knows? But I do know that that is the same qu those questions right there are the same reason why the I think there's a lot of people that are gonna have Ole Miss as a question mark, not necessarily to make the college football playoff. I'm gonna give you my rankings here in one second, but I do think as far as productivity and what they've done the last two or three years, we all know that Ole Miss has l definitely looked apart and Lane Kiffin was, you know, really good for Ole Miss, regardless of what people want to say. I think Lane Gibbon's a great coach. I think Lane Kiffin has a huge offensive mind. When I say huge, it's like he's got a he's he just has a a ton of knowledge about the offensive side of the ball. It's where he's best at. I mean, when you look at it, is he a good head coach? I think he's grown into a good head coach. I think he's grown into a dangerous head coach. When you give this man the money that you've given him to go out and produce the players and get the players he needs to run the offense and, you know. And Blake Baker on the defense they want to run. Yeah, i that gets pretty dangerous really quick in an era where it's more like running an NFL team rather than running a college football team. So people don't have those funds. LSU does, obviously. LSU has enough funds to p to pay I think they're I think they're paying what, two other coaches and I don't know. I think they're still playing some possible players. They're paying some players still that don't even run on the roster. Who knows? I mean they're paying they're paying Lane Given $40,000 to to go on a vacation with his family on their private jet that's in his contract. That's crazy, man. That's crazy. For for LSU's sake and for Lane Kippin's sake, I hope it all works out. Because I don't know how here's a hot take. How can you miss? How can LSU miss? You know, Les Miles, who did some great things, who maybe they who maybe they were a little picky about, right? Maybe, maybe Les Miles had fallen off, right? And then you look at it and you go, We go out and we get Brian Kelly. Does it pan out? Make a big splash, Notre Dame, bring him down, doesn't pan out. Then you go and you continue to pay him and you make a, you know, you basically do a cannonball in the middle of the pool and you go get Lane Kiffin and you give him a budget. You fly his family around for vacation. This has got to be a hit, right? LSU looks like the laughing stock of college football if this not if it's not a hit. Now, if they play the best bet, I mean, yeah, they did. They played a really good bet. They played a safe bet. But I also will tell you that w w we don't know. Like we don't know. Especially if you're hungry early. Are they made are they made up to win early? Yes. They gotta be. They gotta be. Is this a forty thousand dollars like I'm I'm throwing I'm throwing I'm sorry, forty million dollar roster. it might be. I mean when when I'm hearing I'm hearing Marlar and You know, SEC, that SEC podcast, Mike and Cousin Sha, I'm hearing throw around numbers and I'm hearing millions of dollars in the forties thrown out there for this team. How how can you not be successful early? If I mean, yes, you have to connect the culture, but we all know that Lane Kippen is known as the Portal King. So if it does, look out. LSU, you know, put it all on red and they won. But if not It's the biggest bet you possibly can have. They could bounce back and burn you. I mean, it's one of those where you walk in and you put it all out there and your your casino night could be ten minutes. And that's what they did. They they bet ten minutes in the casino on Lane Kiffin because if not, they're gonna be sitting in this misery for a long, long time. A long, long time. And I don't think it I don't think Ed Or Ed Orgoron was brought into the staff to take over in case Lane Kiffin's gone. You're gonna be sitting in it a long time and praying that Lane Kiffin is the answer. If it's not this year, next year, or the year after. I don't know if they have any more money, and if they do, you gotta tell me where it's all coming from because it's a little suspicious. But anyways. Well, that concludes our SEC summer preview, and it's been it's been a it's been a long summer of previewing it, but I think it's important to look at each team that plays Georgia, look at kind of an outside view of players that are gonna be on their roster. talk a little bit about what some of their strengths are, weaknesses, where we think they're gonna be. And, you know, regardless, when you look at some of these teams that I discussed throughout the last few weeks and say, you know, this team's gonna struggle. This team might, you know, where's this team going to be? Will this team have a coach in the next few weeks or months? More like months, I I don't know, but I still think the SEC isn't is the best conference. And I look out I I'll put the Kentuckys and the Vanderbilts and the you know, the those bottom Arkansas and type teams against a lot of the other parts of the mid tier and lower parts of these other conferences and feel very, very confident about their performance against them. So and and not lack of coaching either. I I I think I honestly think the coaching is as strong as it's ever been in the SEC. I I couple of the new names, you know, I think Stein, Steiner Kleiner down there at Kentucky. He had a bold comment today on Media Day. He said, you know, they asked him why wh why are you so confident that Kentucky's gonna do well this year? And he said it. He was like, I he said, I think it's 'cause of me. He said, I think it's because I know what it takes to win, I know what it takes to recruit at a high level. I know what it takes to go put the football down on the ground and play football. And that's big, bold word words. And I think I know why Kentucky was so excited about this guy. He's a Kentucky guy. He said all the right things, but at the end of the day, man, it That's the sideline of SE the SEC. And you got a nine game schedule and you're gonna play a lot of really good teams this year. So it's gonna be an interesting year. But that that ends it out, that finishes it out, and that turns us straight towards Media Day tomorrow and Georgia. I'm gonna finish the night out with some preseason kind of picks and how I think it's gonna finish up, give it give you my take on the SEC before we hop in solely on Georgia. And for the listeners, if you guys have like, Man, You've been grinding through the SEC. I I th I don't think everybody just wants to hear, you know, off season conversation about Georgia, even though some do it really well. I I do think a lot of you all are going like, look, what does the rest of the SEC look like? What are we going up against? It's the time to take a little bit off because we're gonna we're gonna be promoting Georgia and talking Georgia so much. starting even tomorrow night, myself and Fish will be on tomorrow night. Make sure you tune in, catch us on YouTube, Facebook, and obviously Apple Podcast and Spotify twenty-four hours later. And we're gonna be breaking down media days for Georgia, and then we're gonna talk first off season stuff about Georgia coming into camp, some preseason camp news, some statistical things, and we're gonna review them kinda like we did the rest of the teams in the SEC. But before we end the night, I do wanna end with kind of predictions for the year and what I think. it's gonna land on before we get done with our SEC summer preview. And so without any further ado, let me grab a swallow of water and let's do it. we're gonna go from sixteen all the way to one. And you'll see these all over the internet right now out on sports. Obviously, you see ESPN, SEC Nation, Sports, Sports Illustrator, a lot a lot of these places that are doing these on three CBS Sports. But I'm gonna start with for me, so sixteen for me is gonna be the Arkansas Razorbacks. I think this is gonna be a tough year. I mentioned that in the SEC summer preview. It's gonna be tough year for for Silver Fox, Sprick Springfield, Silverfield. I just I think I'm purposely wanting to to just rip that name up because everybody rips it up. I can't even tell you if I if I've actually heard his name called right this year. So but doesn't matter. I I think Arkansas's gonna be right here. It's gonna be a tough year for Arkansas. I think if if he is the man This will be a year where we will see him get his feet wet and he will hit the recruiting trail and he will start forming this into what his version of the Arkansas Razorbacks look like for the future. I knew I know the portal is alive and well, but I do think it's gonna be a couple of I I I think it's gonna be a couple of years. This guy I I think he has to. I think it's gone through I think it's gone through impatience. the last few years and I think it needs to go through some patience the next few years unless it's just derailing. Unless culture's derailing, locker room's derailing and they can't get anybody in the portal and they can't get anybody in the seats. That that's a different story, but we shall see. But I have Arkansas at sixteen. I'm gonna try to only give these guys like two or three minutes per time I I picked up. Mississippi State, I have at fifteen. I it was tough for me in Kentucky. I'll be honest, I actually changed This pick after the day after healing after hearing Will Stein at SEC Media Days. I think Will Stein is gonna be a really good coach at Kentucky. I I looked at Mark Stoops and I go and and here's my thing too that I thought about today. I was like, if Kentucky finally pulled the trigger on Mark Stoops, I I never thought that would happen. I I really didn't. I I thought Mark Stoops would be on a very hot seat this year, but I did not think that would happen. And who knows, there's been speculation that he and, you know, the boosters as well as the the A D sat down and it was kind of mutual in some ways, with Mark Stoops kind of leading leading some of the the conversation, you know, wanting some suggestions about what people thought. I don't I don't think this was one of those ones where he was shocked. I don't think Kentucky was shocked. I I think everybody kind of sat down and was like, Are we gonna do the same thing the same way this year? And think it's going to continue to get better. And and it might not. And maybe, maybe for Stoops sake, he's like, man, this might be humiliating this year. Maybe there does need to be, this could be bad. And, you know, I'm going out on a little bit of a rough spurt with Kentucky, but it could be worse. It could be way worse. So I think this pick had a lot to do with it because I think Levy and this defense and Zach Arnett, I I have to, it's preseason, right? It's preseason who I think I haven't seen a soul play, but it all has to line up. Does Kamario Taylor, you know, line up with, you know, that receiving core and that offense? And can he get that very talented arm under control? And does it all click? And can Zach Arnett change that defense over in a year? That's where I'm still concerned. I think this offense will be good, but and I think Zach Arnett will be great for changing the the dynamic of this defense. I don't know if he can do it year one. because of just just not a lot of great recruiting on that side of the ball and the inability to get players on that side of the ball. I think they're gonna score points, but I think they're just gonna have a hard time stopping people again this year in some ways. So I have Mississippi State fifteenth, which I just told you I had Kentucky fourteenth. And the biggest thing I think about Kentucky is is if Will Stein can get something out of Kenny Minchie and make this offense churn. Kind of like a Jeff Levy did the last few years at Mississippi State, with the twist being Will Stein spending a lot of seasons with Dan Lanning. And Dan Lanning is a is a you know, it's an all it's a defensive mastermind. I mean, he he learned from some of the best, Nick Sabin, Kirby Smart. Dan Lanning knows what he's doing on defense. And so I I give that edge to Will Stein this year, unfortunately, like Jeff Levy. I think Levy's on a little bit of a hot seat actually this year. I don't know how much longer Mississippi State can continue to look at what they're looking at and and be okay with it. I I I really don't. next I have Vanderbilt just talked about them. After all that, I do think Vanderbilt is still gonna have enough. I give it with Alexander with the with the defense being under Clark Lee and Clark Lee. I I look at some of those pillars of what's gonna go on at Vanderbilt and I give them a huge upside. with that and so I I have Vanderbilt at thirteen. I have hm, this is where it gets tricky. This is where it gets very tricky, but I I have I have the Auburn Tigers at twelve. I think Auburn is going to I'm fine with the defense under DJ Durkin. does this pan out does Alex Golish in the offense and what he's gonna bring in year one is gonna be much more exciting than you've ever seen in the last four or five years at Auburn. I mean, since Gus Bus in my opinion, but I think Gus Bus also could could get a little bit, you know, rudimentary with what he's doing at at the play calling, depending on what the strengths of the offensive were and it didn't matter to Auburn because they were winning games. They were winning national championships at that time. But I think after you look at what Auburn's been through on offense the past three to four years, man, I just think this will be a breath of fresh air. However, how does this all pan out in the SEC? Now, you look at Byron Brown, you look at half of the USF offense and defensive coming over, I get it. I think about US F and how they were they probably blew it last year against Alabama. I mean that game was I mean, two years ago that game was one, right? they were they were up and they gave that game away and and you know, I don't know if that plays. They they they they you know, Florida last year and I I don't think you can look at some of these games and look past them, but I do think it has to transfer into the S E C and so I don't just give a, you know, a thrilling Fist in the air and go, Auburn's gonna be ten times better this year. I'm gonna play it safe with Auburn and go, they will be better. They'll look better, but I don't I don't know statistically if it'll still pan out for them as far as wins and losses. So I have Auburn at twelve. This is another one I changed last minute. Merely because I I I think South Carolina, I I'm g I'm being talked in to South Carolina more. Now. With that being said, I'm sure you guys are like, does that mean you have South Carolina at next at eleven? No, I have actually have Missouri right here. So I have Arkansas, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and then I have Missouri right here. I think Austin Simmons, this defense, Eli Drinkowitz. man, you know, you look at Missouri, and and I would have told you that. Maybe I have Missouri a little bit higher. May I I would tell you right now, a lot of the things that affected me with Missouri was Ahmad Hardy. I I still don't know how it's a mystery how healthy he will be. I I don't know. I I want the best, I want this kid to be like. Going at it. Like I want him to be out there game one and going at it. They don't need him game one, two or three, in my opinion. But maybe it'd be it'd be if you see him out there, it's it's it's like, okay, wait. If he gets two, three games under his belt, we get to see really what he's like. But the extent of these in his injury and what went on with the, you know, with the with the shooting and, you know, how bad he was. There they're they're very hush-hush on it. A lot of secrets going on with Amon Hardy. As a matter of fact, you know, you you may You may hear more about that obviously at Media Days, which we're gonna be kind of pressed in on. But but I'm listening to those, you know, one at a time and we're obviously gonna cover Georgia's tomorrow night in depth. But I do have with the the unsettledness of what Hardy's gonna be like, look like and can do, I had to move them down. So I moved them down to eleven and that's where I have Missouri and then the the the next team I have coming in there is This is hard to have the Florida Gators next. I I think Florida will be improved. I think that Philo and Buster Faulkner will bring a lot of change to this offense. I think they have a really good receiving core, but it will all come down to that offensive line. Can it mesh? Can it grow up? Can the defense play to a high level? Can the secondary get better this year? I do think it will get better. I just still think it's going to be hard. for Florida this year. you know, Jaden Baugh is gonna they're gonna be some there are gonna be some big boxes for Jaden Baugh. And so Philo's gonna have to if Philo's the guy, I think he will be. And maybe it's a maybe it's a little bit of a duo thing, him and Tramel Jones. I don't know. But I know Buster Faulkner and Philo, they have that I think that's definitely a first day go 'cause they have that relationship coming over from Georgia Tech. But I think it still has a lot of questions. I think Florida will be improved. This is where I think they improve too. so recapping that Arkansas, Mississippi State at 15, Kentucky 14, Vanderbilt 13, then I have Auburn 12, Missouri eleven, Florida 10, and then I have the South Carolina Game Cox at nine. I think that this line, they they did enough work. It's just dependent upon injuries again, right? You had couple of these guys, Jerry Speak, all these other people that that did some off season. stupidity and got injured. it'll it'll be key to see them in the fall and see how healthy they are to see if Lenora Sellers is running for his life again. And some of these, you know, Nick Harbour and, you know, Nitro Tuggle and some of these guys. A lot of you remember Nitro Tuggle from from Georgia. You know, are they gonna how good are they gonna be and how good can Dylan Stewart and this defense be at South Carolina? All of that is to be answered, but I do think it will be better. I think Shane Beamer will be better. I think Shane Beamer has recruited at a high level. However, I think he's gotta win at least eight games to be in the clear. It's gonna be hard. I have them at like seven and a half over and under, I think. But I did push them up because I've been hearing people talk up South Carolina, and as I'm digging in and I look at Harbor and Tuggle and Sellers and an improved offensive line and Dylan Stewart and you know some pieces happening around him, I think South Carolina has the possibility You know, just I think they like Shane Beamer. Like they they the players like Shane Beamer. They're gonna play for him this year. They know his seats, you know, warming up if not hot. you know, only the administration knows how hot that seat is. so at eight, looking in there, I have the Tennessee Volunteers. I think Tennessee is gonna be another scary team this year. I think they're gonna be one of the biggest sleepers in the SEC this year. And I I like what they're gonna I mean, Hypool are they gonna have a freshman under under you know, under center? Yes. Fais on Brandon, George McIntyre. But I I I trust Hypel that he's gonna be able to put an offense out there that's gonna be electric. I think they're gonna run the football very well this year. I think it's as one of the the best lines, if not in the SEC college football. I think Georgia and Tennessee have two of the best lines, you know, once we see him pr you know, produce. I I think Georgia and Tennessee both have top five offensive lines this year. but that's and then, you know, can Jim Knowles on on that defensive side of the ball change that defense. A lot of question marks there. But if those questions are answered, w what's their ceiling? Is is playoffs their ceiling? I think it's it I think nine and three is their ten and two is their like ceiling, and I think, you know, six or seven wins are possible too. So but I have them I have them comfortably there at eight. At seven Seven, I have the Alabama Crimson Tide. Man. I went back and forth with this one too. I think Alabama could have a rocky year. I know we previewed them and I went through their schedule. Alabama could have a rocky year. Keelan Russell, I I think once again you look at it and it's very similar. Look at all the freshmen that are starting. You know, look at all these these guys starting their first games this year. And when you look at Keelan Russell and you look at his ability, he could be great. But Alabama's gonna struggle to run the football again this year. I think their defense is gonna be very, very strong. I think when you look at their defense, you look at what they have coming back, I think it'll be the staple of what they wanna do. But you can't count out the pieces and the athletes that Alabama has on the offensive side of the ball. How can Ryan Grubb make it connect though? Right? Can Ryan Williams have a have another year like he did his first year? You know there's a lot of pressure on him this year. Either it's going to be pressure that's taken on the right way and go the right direction because he knows he has a chance to get drafted next year, or he has another year where he's like, Man, I'm gonna have to come back and play in Alabama because it might not be good enough to go out there on some of these statistics alone. We saw what he could be his freshman year. We saw what he was last year. he's gotta challenge himself. He he is the guy. I mean, Horton moves on to Texas AM. They're definitely the athletes around them, but I think again they're gonna struggle to run the football, and that's why I have him here at seven at six. This is where it kind of gets tough right here. I got Texas AM at six, for all the things I said earlier. And Marcel Reed, when I looked at this, I said, Who's gonna who's gonna be consistent enough at the quarterback position here and who's gonna be able to run the football? And who has enough returning on defense to be able to make it the long haul. And when I looked at those three answers, I looked at Texanium a little bit lower than some of the teams that I have above them. That was it. And not knowing the Marcel Reed we're gonna see. The Jekyll and Hyde Marcel Reed had me looking and going, I have some quarterbacks that are above them as far as how I'm thinking in that nature. So I got I got Texanium sitting solidly there. at the in the fifth spot, man. This was a tough one. This was a tough one 'cause I really like Oklahoma. But and I I questioned where these three teams fit in here. But at five I got LSU. I think LSU could be a sleeper in the college football playoff, but I do have them lower than some people have. at for all the things, for Lane Kiffin, for Blake Baker, for the returning players they have on the other side of the ball for the forty million dollar roster. For everything for Sam Levitt, is he gonna be healthy? But there's so many questions as well, right? So I'm just gonna leave it at that. I got them at fifth. At fourth I have Ole Miss coming in, a lot of questions there on, you know, can Pete Golding coach all sides of the ball? Can he, you know, can he take his eye off the defense and be able to coach the entire team? can he can the culture be right? Can he take on the ins and outs of planning practices and planning game days and how we do things and how we travel and how we think through all that stuff and how we get the team motivated and do we over motivated them, do we under motivate them? He's got a lot on his plate this year. So I I just can't say that that's gonna mimic. I mean, you can look and say Trinidad Chambles and Kewan Lacey, they're gonna have to really tote the weight. and that offense is gonna have to connect like it was there, you know, yesterday to be able to do what they did last year in the SEC. And I just don't think it does. so that got them fourth. Third, I got the Oklahoma Sooners. I love Oklahoma this year. I'm betting on John Mateer being better. I'm betting on this line coming around. They're going to be able to run the football a little bit better this year. I think Satina and some of those receivers, and they can get a little more of the tight end play that they brought in through the portal. The defense is going to be really, really good this year. I think Oklahoma is a lock playoff team this year. I have them going in the playoff. These are my locks. Coming out of the SEC, and then I'll tell you the two that I that might could. I feel like one is gonna get in as a fourth, and there's a squeaker that they could get five in. but I do have Oklahoma at three at two. I have the Texas Longhorns, I think Texas Arch Manning, and some of this you know, some of this money they spent, Cam Coleman, some of the playmakers, Hollywood, Hollywood Williams, all these, all these guys that they got, this this defense, Will Muschamp, you know. Obviously Will Muschamp is gonna have to do some things really right this year. Let's hope that Sarkeesian doesn't and it's not gonna be looked at like this. They're not gonna allow Sarkeesian to go, you know, oops, it was it was Will Muschamp's fault, right? man, I just think when you look at when you look at Texas, it's like they're built for a run this year. And if they if not this year, win. Now, to scare you, I will tell you There's a good chance like Alabama that this could be either second or it could be a possibility where if they don't produce early on, the scary part is here's the hot take is is Texas is either top two in the SEC or Sarkeesian could be out mid year. I really there's a good possibility. Go take a look. Don't take my word for it. But you can't look at those first games of the year and go, man, y you lose to you lose to Ohio State, you lose to Florida. You do some of these things and then, you know, you head up against some of these other teams and you're like, you know, where they're gonna be, where they're gonna be come middle of the year. I think they have a huge test at the beginning of the year to make sure that they're where they wanna be at the beginning of the year. Will Sark have them there? I I don't know. I I'm just telling you what I've said every single time that I've previewed Texas, it's like they've had the opportunity to last three years. I don't think Sark is a very good motivator. I don't think he's a guy that can just will his team to win. I think he's he's a great offensive mind. Whether he can call the right plays in the right moments, whether he's created the right relationship with Arch Manning. I don't know. What I was speaking of is is they could be top two in the SEC or they could go to Ohio State, lose. They go to at Tennessee, lose, they could go to Oklahoma and lose, and they're sitting there traveling down To Gainesville going, is Sark playing for his life? I don't know. It's tricky. It's very, it's very, very tricky. And I don't know. Texas is is going to be very close to watch. I don't think that'll happen. That's why I have him at second. Definitely don't, you know, if I if I was a Texas fan, I mean nobody would be sitting here. This was a Texas podcast, I wouldn't be calling for Texas to be not second or first in the SEC, but you gotta look at those games and go, what if? I would tell you for if I'm Texas fans and that happens like that, there's no way Texas fans and boosters are not really pressing hard to go. Sock may need to have to go. He may need to go because if if we can get in, I mean, you got Texas sitting in another three, four loss here, not getting into the playoff, that's not gonna be good enough Texas this year. It's just not. And then I have no no you know, no secret here. I have Georgia at one. I will tell you that SEC comes through Athens until it doesn't. I really think that. I think Georgia is, you know, built for this nine game schedule. I think Kirby Smart is built for this nine game schedule. And I think when you look at Texas, when you look at I mean, they don't play Texas this year, they don't play L S U this year, they don't play Texas A and they do have Oklahoma, which I have in the top up there, Alabama obviously, and I'll miss. But I think until I I'll just leave it at that. Until Until it doesn't, the SEC championship runs through Georgia. The regular season runs through Georgia. just confident that it does. A lot of people have Georgia or Texas, so maybe not a shocker to it to anybody out there, but we are right at a power hour and so it's exciting. We are once again finishing up our SEC summer preview and that is a wrap. we did a preseason pick so we can figure out where we're at. You all you guys can all call me. You know, an idiot as far as the SEC is concerned. But guess what? We don't talk much about the SEC after this is all said and done. That's why we give a little time throughout the summer to do that. We talk a lot about Georgia and we stick to the plan the week to week, what's going on, injury reports, all things of that nature. And starting tomorrow, tomorrow night, make sure you join us. Me and Fish will be breaking down SEC Media Days. Georgia goes second tomorrow. Kirby Smart, Drew Bobo, Raylan Wilson, and Gunnar Stockton will be speaking. I think I say Kirby, obviously. and so love you know, ready to hear what they're gonna say. I think it's gonna be business as usual. There's gonna be no shocking things that are gonna come out of their mouths other than the norm. so you're gonna see pretty even Stephen with with what's going on there. But just hearing their hearing their voice and you know when this week is over, it finalizes kind of kind of caps off the summer and gets us into real mode of Georgia playing and just Forty six short days. Forty six short days we were playing. We s actually started out at forty seven because I started this tonight before midnight. So so yeah. It's a wrap for SEC Summer Preview. Thank guys for joining. Hey, listen, I know YouTube has been popping. Thank you guys for the support over on the YouTube platform. If you haven't already done so, please go and like and follow us. A lot of content will be coming your way as soon as a lot of the SET Media Day stuff tomorrow night. On TikTok. So go and follow us on TikTok, Dogs Down South, as well as YouTube, Dogs Down South. Share it. Tell your friends. Join. Follow us. Like it. Do all the stuff. Click it eight times. Watch. Go back and watch some of the old episodes. We're on Apple Podcasts, Dogs Down South, as well as Spotify. We're just about on any podcasting platform that you can listen to a podcast. You can go find us on at Dogs Down South. Thank you for the support. We are looking forward to an incredible season. Make sure you join tomorrow night live around that six thirty window tomorrow night. But if you don't get a chance to, remember you can catch us twenty four hours later as well as this one on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. So thank you guys for the support. Hope you guys have a rate gr Hope you have a great rest of your evening. And as always on Dogs Down South, Go Dogs.