Thursday, August 26, 2010

SEC Football Blogger

A Half-Dozen Hyper-Specific Predictions About…Ole Miss

Posted: 26 Aug 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Could Jeremiah Masoli become a harbinger of sorrow?

A Half-Dozen Hyper-Specific Predictions About…Ole Miss

Few have had an an 18 month stretch as odd as Ole Miss. From being the springboard of the Oscar run for Sandra Bullock to the springboard to Jevan Snead’s obscurity. From Dexter McCluster running on some fools to Jeremiah Masoli heading into Oxford one step ahead of the law. After last year, expectations are low coming in to the season, can the Rebels meet that?

Last Year: 9-4 (4-4) t2nd SEC West

1) Jeremiah Masoli will not be cleared to play as the season starts. It will not matter as Ole Miss will roll out to a 5-0 start. Whatever’s unsettled won’t matter. They’ll be ranked 17th in both polls.

2) Brandon Bolden will navigate the running game with aplomb. He will contend for the conference rushing title with 1374 yards rushing and a double digit amount of touchdowns. It will get him into the second round of the draft.

3) Jesse Grandy will emerge as the Dexter McCluster impersonator for the season. He will change the fate of the season with a Wildcat run against LSU. It will get them a win and a January Bowl Game.

4) When Jeremiah Masoli gets cleared, the schedule gets tough, and the Rebels will hit a speed bump going through the A-list of the SEC West. Some would call it karma, but the fact of the matter is if you’re gonna play three straight between Alabama, Arkansas, and Auburn with two on the road? Odds are you’re gonna lose three straight.

5) The SEC player most likely to become the next Jason Pierre-Paul? Wayne Dorsey. With the defensive line returning Kentrell Lockett and Jerrell Powe and all reports coming out of Oxford? 15 sacks is not out of the question.

6) The SEC West is going to be a particularly nasty division this year, you could legitimately see three ten-win teams come out of the division. But if you count the bowl games, and Ole Miss is going to have an excellent chance at being the fourth.

This year: 9-3 (5-3) 4th SEC West

Half-Dozen Hyper-specific Predictions about…Kentucky

Posted: 25 Aug 2010 10:43 PM PDT

Half-Dozen Hyper-specific Predictions about…Kentucky

I’m back with the half-dozen thoughts in an attempt to roll out a preview upon you, the SEC Football Blogger reader. Today, the deepest of sleepers in the SEC. That’s right. I’m bringing you 6 calls on Kentucky.

None of them involving John Calipari buying a recruit from Seattle.

Last Year: 7-6 (3-5) t4th in the SEC East

1) There will be a brief interest in Randall Cobb as a Heisman trophy candidate in September after he gets off onto a ridiculous start. But while it will fade, he will end the year being a part of 20 Kentucky touchdowns. And they will come in all four possible ways.

2) Mike Hartline will get off to a good start again, but the highlight win of the season will come with Morgan Newton under center. The exact details of that call come later.

3) Youth will be served as true freshman running back Brandon Gainer will find himself managing to average 4.8 yards per game in at least 80 carries, and redshirt freshman outside linebacker Qua Huzzie gets himself 93 tackles.

4) Paul Warford’s had a bit of a misadventure during his time in Kentucky to say the least. But while the Junior season Trevard Lindley didn’t show up this year, Paul Warford will have double digit breakups and 5 picks.

With Paul Warford’s dismissal, Kentucky will finish in the bottom half of the SEC in terms of pass defense. And since I’m being hyper-specific? I’ll say 8th.

5) But that won’t stop Kentucky from having a bad October. The streak of losses will continue against Steve Spurrier. In fact? They’re going to go 1-4. But that being said? They will beat Georgia as their highlight win.

6) That is, unless you consider beating a likely down Tennessee team as the highlight.

I’m not exactly bearish on Kentucky, but at least in terms of record? I’m going to try and get it as right as humanly possible. If you’re paying attention, there may be an SEC East theme that develops. That being said?

2010 looks similar to 2009.

This year: 7-5, 3-5 in conference, tied for 3rd in the SEC East

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