SEC Football: Which Teams Will Overachieve and Underachieve in 2015?
Spring practice is in the books, and after 15 practices each, fans got glimpses of what their favorite teams will look like in 2015.
Is that a good or a bad thing?
Hope springs eternal in spring, but there will be upsets, unexpected turns and disappointment throughout the 2015 season.
Which teams will overachieve and which will underachieve in 2015? Our picks, based on talent, coaching and schedule, are in this slideshow.
Overachieve: Tennessee Volunteers
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Call it the hype train, call it premature or call it too much; but I'll just call it smart.
Tennessee will win the SEC East, and announce its presence back on the national stage with authority.
The Vols have seven of eight players returning off of a two-deep defensive line that helped the Vols finish second in the conference in third-down defense, has a talented and athletic linebacking corps and a veteran secondary that returns both starting safeties and star corner Cam Sutton.
Offensively, Joshua Dobbs returns at quarterback and has been receiving first-team snaps in a camp-like setting for the first time in his career. The Vols boast a phenomenal wide receiving corps and a two-headed monster at running back that includes Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara.
Tennessee's biggest question is along the offensive line, but head coach Butch Jones returns four starters, and the one thing that helps an offensive line most is time.
Tennessee should be in the mix. If it is, should that be considered "overachieving?"
Yes, to a point. The combination of returning talent and a relatively down SEC East will not only help Tennessee return to prominence, but have the program dancing around the periphery of the College Football Playoff race in early November—sort of like Ole Miss last year.
Underachieve: LSU Tigers
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LSU has finished no worse than sixth in the nation in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings over the last three seasons, but it was closer to finishing sixth in the SEC West in 2014.
The 8-5 record and fifth-place finish in the division was a direct result of mediocre quarterback play, the inability to get after the quarterback and a run defense that gave up 20 rushes of 20 or more yards—ninth in the SEC.
A lot of those same questions linger.
Quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris are again vying for the top spot on the depth chart at quarterback and starting defensive ends Jermauria Rasco and Danielle Hunter are gone off of a defense that's adjusting to new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.
At this point, can you trust head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to fix an offense that's stagnant on a seemingly annual basis? I can't.
There's no reason for LSU to be a middle-of-the-road SEC West team, but that's where they'll be in 2015 after another season in which they dance around .500 in the conference.
Overachieve: Missouri Tigers
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If you don't have a strong inclination on another team in the SEC East stepping up in 2015, hasn't Missouri earned the benefit of the doubt?
It seems like a broken record, but this year's Tigers are replacing a small village of talented wide receivers and two of the best defensive ends in the conference—which just so happened to be the same storyline that dominated last offseason in Columbia.
All head coach Gary Pinkel's crew did was win another division title, post an 11-3 record and further solidify Pinkel as one of the SEC's best head coaches.
Sure, Maty Mauk has to become more consistent under center, defensive tackle Harold Brantley must refocus the strength of "D-Line Zou" inside and wide receivers have to emerge, but the experience of Mauk, Brantley and running back Russell Hansbrough will help bridge the gap and keep the Tigers competitive in the SEC East again.
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Underachieve: Arkansas Razorbacks
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If you're talking about Arkansas being competitive, dangerous and a "tough out" in the SEC West, I'm on board. If you're talking about Arkansas being something more—say, fourth in the nation (looking at you, SportingNews.com), I can't hop on your bandwagon.
Arkansas was a force last November thanks to a stifling front seven, and while players like Taiwan Johnson, DeMarcus Hodge, Bijhon Jackson, JaMichael Winston and Tevin Beanum are solid, the absence of former end Trey Flowers and tackle Darius Philon will hurt.
I like the addition of offensive coordinator Dan Enos and he should help quarterback Brandon Allen open up the passing game a bit, which will be a big reason the Razorbacks will be dangerous.
But a contender in the division and perhaps more? Not yet. The Hogs are still building.
Overachieve: Ole Miss Rebels
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One look at 2016 NFL draft prospects will tell you that Ole Miss is loaded, as Bleacher Report national NFL draft analyst Matt Miller notes.
"I'm going to be spending a lot of time with Ohio State, Notre Dame and Ole Miss film this year. Loaded.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 3, 2015"
Despite that, there are still some big questions for the Rebels—particularly at running back.
Or are there?
Jordan Wilkins, Eugene Brazley and Akeem Judd all looked capable of providing the between-the-tackles threat that head coach Hugh Freeze has been desperately searching for over the last two seasons during the Rebels' spring game. If that happens, it doesn't really matter who wins the quarterback job because the eventual winner will have plenty of options outside and inside.
Would it really be overachieving if Ole Miss contends for the West? Well, yes. The running back problem is a two-year problem, and it hasn't been due to lack of effort from Freeze. They'll solve it this year, though, and be dancing in the College Football Playoff discussion in mid-November.
Underachieve: Florida Gators
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New Florida head coach Jim McElwain is the right man for the job in Gainesville and will get the Gators program turned around.
Just not this year.
Florida is loaded with talent, but the combination of massive departures along the offensive line, a shoulder injury to starting guard Trip Thurman before spring practice that could linger and a career-ending injury to presumed starting tackle Rod Johnson will prevent McElwain's offense from being consistent in 2015.
There will be times when the offense clicks, especially if running backs Kelvin Taylor, Adam Lane and incoming freshman Jordan Scarlett are on point. But there will also be times when the offensive line's woes prevent that from happening and makes life miserable for whoever wins the starting quarterback job.
Florida will have flashes of brilliance in 2015, but if you're expecting the Gators to contend for the East, it's not going to happen. There's plenty of talent in Gainesville, but the offensive line is at "near-Derek Dooley level" in McElwain's first year at the helm.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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