It’s hard to believe, but the start of the next college football season is beginning to creep up on us. It’s the height of the summer right now, but before you know it, American tackle football is going to kick off in earnest. I can’t wait. Over the course of the next several weeks, I’m going to be surveying the college football landscape, conference by conference, and previewing the upcoming season. Up first, we’re talking about the SEC West.
SEC West: Burning Questions Heading into 2023
Alabama Crimson Tide – Are they moving backwards? I mean this on two fronts. One, this Tide team lost some generational talent on both sides of the ball in Bryce Young and Will Anderson. How are those holes filled? It feels like a cliché at this point, but this certainly looks like one of the least talented Tide teams we’ve seen in the last decade. Everyone’s just assuming that Nick Saban will do Nick Saban things and they’ll be fine, but what if Alabama does come back to the pack a bit? I’m not sure the gap is as wide as it has been in recent years between the Tide and everyone else. Two, Kevin Steele is in at defensive coordinator. I think that means the defense will move back to a more traditional style. The personnel may dictate that they shift back to a more run-heavy style on offense as well. The thing Alabama has going for it is that outside of a trip to Texas A&M, their schedule sets up nicely for a run in 2023 if things jell quickly. Otherwise, we may see this program come back down to Earth…finally.
Arkansas Razorbacks – Can KJ Jefferson create some magic? Arkansas was an incredibly disappointing 7-6 last season. A year later, and they’ve got new offensive and defensive coordinators in house. This season is going to be a real test for Sam Pittman to see if he can stabilize the program. There’s talent to work with, and while there’s certainly pressure on Pittman and new offensive coordinator Dan Enos, a lot of this season’s success will hinge upon whether or not Jefferson can elevate the Razorbacks offense to another level. There’s pressure building across this program that a solid season would alleviate.
Auburn Tigers – How quickly can Hugh Freeze turn it around? The Auburn Tigers have been an outright dumpster fire and the cupboard was left bare for Freeze, who is trying to navigate his return to the SEC. Is he a miracle worker? I don’t know, but it might take a miracle for this team to get to a bowl game in 2023. They just don’t seem to have the personnel to do what Freeze typically wants to do just yet. Also, let’s not forget that Hugh Freeze genuinely sucks as a dude.
LSU Tigers – Was 2022 for real? I’m a longtime Brian Kelly apologist because I do believe it’s damn near possible for anyone to do what he did at Notre Dame in the modern landscape of college football. But, I can’t help but wonder how much of last season was lightning in a bottle with a dramatic win over Alabama, and how much of last season was legitimate program building. The answer, as usual, is probably somewhere in the middle. Regardless, the expectations will be high for Kelly and company this season, as they are a popular dark horse pick for the College Football Playoff. Can they run it back?
Mississippi State Bulldogs – Is the shift from the Air Raid too drastic? Mississippi State is one of the most intriguing teams in the SEC this season. I dig the promotion of Zach Arnett, and think this underrated defense will continue to quietly be among the best in the conference. But, after the tragic loss of Mike Leach, Arnett is pivoting away from the Air Raid offense for 2023. It’s fascinating for Will Rogers who has NFL aspirations. Can he prove that he’s more than just an Air Raid quarterback? Time will tell. But, this offense’s success will hinge upon how quickly things jell in a new system.
Ole Miss Rebels – Can they survive the first part of that schedule? Last year, Ole Miss cruised to a 7-0 record to start the season before dropping five of their last six games. They’ll get no such luxury in 2023, as this schedule is a doozy. Lane Kiffin proved that he can work the transfer portal like a fiddle last season, and there’s plenty of talent to be excited about in Oxford. Getting Alabama and LSU before we even flip the calendar to October stings a bit, though.
Texas A&M Aggies – Can Bobby Petrino fix the offense? Bobby Petrino is back, baby! There are fireworks brewing in College Station as the seat under Jimbo Fisher is beginning to warm up. He relinquished play-calling duties to Petrino, but can he really keep his nose out of the offense’s business? I can’t wait to watch the Aggies this season. I like Conner Weigman, and they have some dudes on offense, but they need a shot in the arm on defense. The talent’s there – can Jimbo finally put it all together?
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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