SEC West Football Season Preview

(All betting odds provided are from DraftKings Sportsbook)

Alabama

Season Win Total: 10½ Over -300 Under +235

What is there to say about Alabama. Me you and everyone else on this planet know the Crimson Tide are going to be the real deal. Coming off of a season where they lost in the national title game to the Georgia Bulldogs, Nick Saban is locked and loaded for another title run. Led by 2 of the best plays in the county in Bryce Young and Will Anderson, Alabama looks to have one of the best offenses and defenses in the country. The addition of homerun threat Jahmyr Gibbs adds a dimension to the running game that Alabama needs. This team is +175 preseason to win the title for a reason.

Arkansas

Season Win Total: 7½ Over +130 Under -150

Arkansas is looking to build off a strong year under head coach Sam Pittman. Now his 3rd year at the helm, expectations are high in razorback country with his team being lead by redshirt junior QB KJ Jefferson. Losing his best receiver Treylon Burks to the NFL draft hurts but in steps Jadon Haselwood from Oklahoma. The strength of this offense this year will be in the run game. Jefferson along with running backs Raheim Sanders and Dominique Johnson should be one of the most potent in the Country. As for the defense, it was much improved last year in comparison to years before. Returning just 4 defensive starts will lead to some sports needing to be filled. The coaching staff did a good job in the transfer portal to bring in guys that will be day 1 starters like Saftey Latavious Brini from Georgia and CB Dwight McGlothern from LSU.

Auburn

Season Win Total: 6½ Over +135 Under -160

The first year under Brian Harsin as the head coach was considered a disaster by a majority of Auburn fans. The 6-7 record gets you immediately on the hot seat at a school with the pedigree of Auburn. Bo Nix has moved on from Auburn and decided to transfer to Oregon which leaves a hole at QB. The job is now between 3 guys that include TJ Finely, Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, and Oregon Transfer Robby Ashford. TJ Finley seems to be the most likely starter for now. The biggest strength of this team will be the run game led my Tank Bigsby and complemented by Jarquez Hunter. That 2 headed monster will be one if the best in the country. The defense looks to be strong up front with the return of alot experience and the addition of transfer from Oregon Jayson Jones. The make or break of this defense will be whether the back end can hold up against the potent passing attacks of the SEC.

LSU

Season Win Total: 7 Over +110 Under -130

The Brian Kelly rebuild of LSU is underway. Proven and well accredited Brian Kelly has one of his toughest jobs yet which is to please the LSU fans and push this team back to a place that may never be reached again which is the level of the 2019 LSU football team. This year the LSU tigers look to improve at the quarterback position with the likes of either Arizona St transfer Jayden Daniels, Redshirt Freshman Garrett Nussmeier, or True Freshman Walker Howard. Myles Brennan was one of the favorites for the job but decided to step away from football. Non the less, Nobody has the QB job locked up at the moment. It doesnt matter who is throwing the ball when he gets to toss it to one of the best WR1 in the nation in Kayshon Boutee. The oline will be a work in progress but with the athletes that LSU pulls they will figure it out. Heading up the back field will be senior John Emery Jr. who did not playing last year due to academic ineligibility and Penn St. transfer Noah Cain. The defense will be solid per the LSU standard with additions coming from the transfer portal. The front 7 will be lead by the surprise return of top pass rusher BJ Ojulari. The DB core only returns 2 guys that saw significant playing time but went to the transfer portal to fill the gaps. Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks Jr. both coming in from Arkansas along with others will help bolster the secondary.

Ole Miss

Season Win Total: 7½ Over -145 Under +125

Lane Kiffin has brought Ole Miss back to where it wants to be, competing for a chance to win the SEC West. Coming off the first 10 win season in program history, the team will have a lot of turnover but was able to reload with a lot of talent from the transfer portal. The first action needed was to replace last years heisman trophy candidate Matt Corral as he is off to the NFL. They did that with stud transfer Jaxon Dart from USC. Dart proved he has all the capabilities to be a Heisman front runner and should do so in Lane Kiffin’s offense. The backfield and wideouts lost about every bit of production that they possibly had last year but just like quarterback will be reloaded with talent across the board from the transfer portal. Running back will be lead by Transfers Zach Evans from TCU and Ulysses Bentley IV from SMU. The Wide Receiving corps will be lead by senior Jonathan Mingo, Louisville transfer Jordan Watkins, and UCF transfer Jaylon Robinson. Expect big things from this offense once they get some game reps under their belt. The defense looks to build off of the much improved year that it had last year. Losing 3 of your best from the front 7 doesn’t sound appealing but once again was replaced in the transfer portal. The big addition in the front 7 was stud linebacker Troy Brown from Central Michigan. Troy Brown looks to sure up the middle of the defense that can complement a experienced and deep secondary. The Rebels secondary returns 12 guys that will bolster that back end along with Iowa St Transfer Isheem Young and Auburn Transfer Ladarius Tennison. Let just say the depth in Oxford this year goes really deep.

Mississippi St.

Season Win Total: 6½ Over -125 Under +105

The bulldogs are the most experienced team in the SEC with 16 returning starters. The 3rd year under Mike Leach, Miss. St looks to lean on that experience but has to run through an absolutely brutal schedule. Non Conference games against Memphis and Arizona are not the toughest I have ever seen but the conference schedule is a monster. Having to play the SEC west is tough enough but adding a cross over game against the defending national champions Georgia Bulldogs is just not fair. The Air Raid will be lead by Will Rogers who showed last year that he is a perfect fit for Mike Leach. Rogers will be throwing the ball to the likes of Austin Williams and Jaden Walley but the loss of Makai Polk will need somebody to step up. The back field will be lead by Jo’Quaviuos Marks and Dillon Johnson who do well in the running game and in the passing game. One of the biggest holes will be replacing top 10 draft pick Charles Cross. They look to be turning to RS SR Kwatrivous Johnson to fill his spot. The defensive side of the ball will be lead by a load of depth and age. The entire penciled in starting 11 and a majority of the backups are a junior or older. They will look to lean on this experience to help combat the gauntlet schedule of the SEC.

Texas A&M

Season Win Total: 8½ Over -150 Under +130

The Texas A&M Aggies are coming off a season with a lot of ups and downs. Dropping a game to Mississippi State at Kyle field was one of the lows but taking down #2 Alabama at Kyle Field was the high of the season. Jimbo Fisher looks to keep the Aggies moving in the right direction but one of the biggest decisions he will have to make will be who is running the offense. Zach Calzada leaving the offense will result in one of either Haynes King, LSU transfer Max Johnson, or Conner Weigman getting the job. Whichever quarter back wins the job will be throwing to a solid batch of receivers in Ainias Smith, Moose Muhammad III, and true freshman Evan Stewart. The offensive line will be improved with more experience from last year to protect the passer and open up running lanes for stud running back Devon Achane. The aggie defense looks absolutely loaded in the secondary along with the front four. There is so much quality depth that it would take a while to name all the guys. The one key guy that will get mentioned is #1 overall recruit Walter Nolen. It will be fun to see what he can do in the SEC. Linebacker will be the weakest link of this defense but look for Andre White Jr. and Edgerrin Cooper to try and fill that role.

SEC West Best Bets

Ole Miss Over 7½ Season Wins -145

Lane Kiffin just knows how to recruit and get guys to play hard for him. 8 wins is not easy when 67% of your games are against the SEC and especially with the amount of turnover that this team will have. I don’t worry about that because of how well Kiffin and staff did in the transfer portal. It may take time for this team to gel but with 4 game where they will be more than a touchdown favorite in all of them to start the season is exactly what they need. I could easily see the rebels being 7-0 and rolling down to Baton Rouge to take on LSU. The back end of the schedule is tough but I think they hit 8 wins before it matters.

Texas A&M Over 8½ Wins -150

Jimbo Fisher has as much talent and depth on the defensive side of the ball that I have seen in a long time. I believe this team is poised to make a push and give the SEC West a run for its money. If the Aggies can hit a homerun with whoever gets the starting job at quarterback, I believe this team could be fighting for a final 4 spot.

Jaxson Dart to win the Heisman 70/1

Alright hear me out. This is more of lets have some fun and put some loose change from around the house on somebody to win the Heisman. Jaxson Dart has all of the attributes to be one of the best players in the country. What better place to display those attributes then under a team coached by Lane Kiffin. Matt Coral put up some video game numbers last year and I look for Dart to have the same sort of success. Win a big game against Alabama and have a chance at the playoff and Dart has a chance to take home the Heisman.