SEC Football Q&A: Can LSU Win the SEC West?
Week 3 in the SEC served as "Shakeup Saturday," as Ole Miss shocked Alabama, LSU dominated Auburn and Georgia put together its first complete game of the season with a 52-20 demolition of South Carolina between the hedges.
A weekend like that generates plenty of questions around the South.
We'll answer the most important questions in the SEC in this week's Q&A.
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"@BarrettSallee Are you a believer that LSU can win the West?
— Jason (@Bravesoul79) September 21, 2015"
Yes, although I'm reluctant to elevate LSU to juggernaut status after beating Auburn and Mississippi State. Winning on the road in Starkville is nice, but I picked Mississippi State to finish last in the SEC West and still think that's possible, and through three games, it's clear that Auburn's a hot mess.
In those games, what did we learn about LSU?
Running back Leonard Fournette is a monster, the defense is good and quarterback Brandon Harris can manage a game.
Harris managing a game is the only new information, which is a small step in the right direction. That small step can go a long way, because the biggest reason LSU went 8-5 last season was inconsistency from the quarterback. Harris has erased that doubt and has looked solid on designed runs as well, which is something that the staff had to incorporate this year thanks to his explosiveness on the ground.
What happens if Fournette is slowed, though?
Ole Miss and Alabama have the bodies and scheme to make that a possibility at the very least, which would force Harris to be a difference-maker instead of a game manager. Can he do it? He's only thrown for 145 yards and one touchdown in two games, so we simply don't know the answer to that yet.
Harris is going to have to win a game or two along the way, and that's going to be what makes or breaks LSU's SEC West title hopes.
The Tigers have all the pieces in place to make it to Atlanta for the first time since 2011, but they're still a work in progress thanks to an offense that remains one-dimensional.
First thing's first, Dan Enos has been an incredible disappointment as the new Arkansas offensive coordinator.
In the 16-12 loss to Toledo, quarterback Brandon Allen threw 53 passes. Fifty-three. There's no reason for an Arkansas quarterback under Bret Bielema to throw 53 passes ever. Not even in shootouts.
He followed it up in the 35-24 loss to Texas Tech with a running game plan that was far too east-west and not nearly enough north-south. Sure, the loss of running back Jonathan Williams hurt, and Alex Collins is more of a slasher than Williams. But this is Arkansas—a team with an offensive line comparable to some NFL lines.
You get downhill. Period.
The Hogs are next-to-last in the SEC in red-zone touchdown percentage (35.71 percent) and red-zone scoring percentage (64.29 percent). While Collins is fourth in the SEC in rushing yards per game (117), he has gained just 1.31 yards per carry in the red zone (13 carries for 17 yards).
Enos has stripped Arkansas of its identity. I thought he'd swing the pendulum slightly toward being more balanced, not swing it in the other direction like a guy trying to show his toughness by spinning the wheel on The Price Is Right with all his might. What's more, why hasn't Bielema whispered, "Hey, Dan, it'd be great if we'd run the football north-south a little more" in his ear?
Defensively, they aren't what they were down the stretch last year, which was to be expected.
Nobody saw this offensive implosion coming, and it's on Enos and Bielema.
Give me Tennessee in a close one.
I know, I know. A 10-year losing streak is looming over the heads of the Vols, but if not now, when?
Tennessee has a dynamic ground attack with quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running backs Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd, and those guys will have enough success against that Gator defense to put some pressure on its offense.
Will quarterback Will Grier be able to answer the bell? At times, sure.
But Tennessee's front four is vastly underrated. While Florida's offensive line is coming along, Grier will face a ton of pressure, be forced into a few mistakes and Tennessee's offense will take advantage of those mistakes.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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