Answering Tony Barnhart's Questions

This week Tony Barnhart has asked and answer the five "burning questions" he has for the SEC East and West. So, I figured I'd go ahead and chime in with my own answers.

SEC East

1. Can South Carolina actually WIN the Eastern Division?
   Um, is this some kind of a joke or something? I know they have Spurrier and they return a lot on defense, but you have got to be kidding me. I give Kentucky a better shot than Carolina; however, they don't have a chance either. It's still the big three in the East.


2. Has Florida lost too many starters to repeat?
   Define repeat. They are much more likely to repeat as SEC champs than national champs. What kind of a world would we live in if the Gators went back to back in basketball and football? In the end, I doubt they repeat as either. Tim Tebow will not live up to the legend now that he will actually have to, you know, throw the ball and stuff.


3. What does Tennessee have to do to win its first SEC championship since 1998?
   Holy crap. Has it really been that long? The obvious answer is beat Georgia and Florida. The key to doing that is having a good running game. They've been lacking in that department the past few years.


4. Can all six teams in this division go to a bowl?
   Can they? Yes. Will they? No. It would be awesome if they did, but I see Vandy on the outside looking in again. They are still kicking themselves for losing to MTSU in 2005.


5. It sounds like every team in the division has issues. So who’s going to Atlanta on Dec. 1?
   I'll take the Dawgs here because I'm a homer. But, obviously Tennessee and Florida are capable as well.

SEC West

1. After Alabama’s spring game, we know that Nick Saban can draw a crowd. But will he make Crimson Tide a contender in the SEC West in his first season in Tuscaloosa?
   My Bama friends will hate me for this, but the answer is no. The West still consists of the big two in LSU and Auburn. The West will run through those teams yet again.


2. LSU lost four-that’s right four-first round draft choices off an 11-2 team. So why is everybody picking the Tigers to win the SEC and contend for the BCS championship?
   Because, LSU knows how to wind, and they've been reloading for years. I don't expect anything to change. Les Miles is not the coach that Nick Saban is, but he's kept that program up to my surprise.


3. Can Darren McFadden win the Heisman Trophy? And if he does, will things finally cool off for Arkansas coach Houston Nutt?
   McFaddedn will be the early front runner. I think he's the best player in the nation, but it takes more than that to win the Heisman trophy. He's not on a sexy team, and that hurts. As far as the heat on Nutt, I doubt that goes away unless they win big. That whole situation baffles me, but I don't see it changing.


4. Because of all the hoopla surrounding Alabama’s hiring of Nick Saban, Auburn has been kind of flying under the radar. Could the Tigers make some noise in the SEC West?
   Auburn may be under the radar in the media coverage, but not in the minds of SEC fans and coaches. Auburn isn't going anywhere. Like I said before, look for Auburn and LSU to battle for the West title.


5. Sylvester Croom enters his fourth season at Mississippi State with a record of 9-25 (4-20 SEC). Is he on the hot seat?
   Barnhart says no, I say yes. They have been downright awful, and it doesn't seem all that long ago when they would contend in the West.

Bonus question: Ole Miss wanted to sign Brent Schaeffer so badly last year that it made him the starting quarterback before the ink was dry on the scholarship. Is this guy going to lose his job in 2007?
Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo....Yo Yo....Brent Schaeffer!