By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports
Here are my 2021 SEC Football season predictions with order of finish, conference record and overall record.
Check back on my “Vince’s View” blog page for future posts including weekly SEC football and NFL game predictions. Bookmark my blog page and check back often.
SEC East SEC All
Georgia 8-0 11-1
Florida 5-3 9-3
Kentucky 4-4 8-4
Missouri 4-4 8-4
Tennessee 3-5 6-6
South Carolina 1-7 4-8
Vanderbilt 0-8 3-9
SEC West SEC All
Alabama 8-0 12-0
Texas A&M 6-2 10-2
LSU 5-3 9-3
Ole Miss 4-4 8-4
Auburn 4-4 7-5
Arkansas 2-6 5-7
Miss State 2-6 5-7
SEC Championship: Alabama over Georgia
College Football Playoff: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma
Vince’s View: My view of Tennessee has improved in preseason practice. I couldn’t pull the trigger on changing to 7-5, but I honestly thought about it. My 6-6 was closer to 5-7 than 7-5 for most of the summer. Now I think UT is close to 7-5. It’s a competitive, encouraging 6-6, even though that’s never good enough for some regardless of the circumstances.
Some really encouraging signs have me feeling stronger about Josh Heupel’s first outfit on Rocky Top. I think 6-6 will include some close, competitive games, giving some better teams some scares and a fun to watch offense that gives the team a puncher’s chance.
You can make a case for UT beating Pitt and knocking off either Missouri, Kentucky or Ole Miss. I couldn’t do both, so I have a loss to Pitt and a slight upset win at either Missouri or Kentucky for 3-5 in the SEC and 6-6 overall. I don’t view those three SEC games I listed as 50/50 games though, as some have described them, but they are within reach to win. Pitt is at home, but it’s a solid team with a veteran quarterback and some NFL talent. That’s closer to a 50/50 game. You could easily have a win over Pitt and 2-6 in the SEC instead, but showing some progress with a league road win over a good team will be a positive. The other two wins I have coming over South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Quarterback Joe Milton and health each hold the two access cards to enter into a winning and big surprise season. I like Milton. I’ve said from early in camp that I thought he would be the starting quarterback. I think he’ll give UT’s offense the play-making it once had on broken plays with Josh Dobbs. With Milton’s elite arm strength, size and apparent consistency in practice, he has the upside to change the narrative for the Vols in 2021. There’s talent among the skill players, but there are so many unproven inexperienced players that there’s still a cause of concern. The offensive line can be solid, if protected by the offense, but it’s a dangerously thin unit. UT has depth issues in a lot of spots, so that’s where the health access card comes into play.
Defensively, the most improved group could be the d-line. That position room will be coached better under Rodney Garner, they have a veteran group and they’ll have two potential outstanding pass rushers in LEOs (DE/OLB) Byron Young and Tyler Baron elevating the interior players. I think Texas transfer ILB Juwan Mitchell will be outstanding, but there’s huge concerns at linebacker after that, especially in pass coverage and stature. Except for Baron, who is basically an End, no other linebacker is as big as Joe Milton with most not even close. The secondary is experienced and sound with the starting 5, but again, not deep.
Part of losing some of those close games could be the kicking game. The place kicking may be shaky and really frustrating.
Tennessee has some good players, but it needs difference-makers to emerge. It’s not obvious that it has any or enough of those until this staff can recruit enough of it’s own players and keep improving the roster.
As for the rest of the league, as boring as it is, I think Alabama is once again the best team. Georgia may have their best chance to knock off the Tide in the SEC Championship Game or in the College Football Playoff. They have an improved group of pass catchers, one of the best defenses in the country and a top-notch QB playing under a more aggressive OC. Alabama is still so loaded with talent with likely another special QB in Bryce Young. I think Florida hangs around again in second place in the East. Kentucky’s new QB in strong-armed Penn State transfer Will Levis could be a game changer for the Wildcats who, like Mizzou, have a lighter league schedule than most. I think Texas A&M will take that expected next step under Haynes King at QB and be right behind Alabama firmly in the CFB Playoff picture. LSU will bounce back big. Lane Kiffin’s high-octane offense and the Rebels will be improved as well. Schedules play a part in record predictions. Who do you play and when, before or after who? Those are all factors.
Enjoy the season!
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