SEC Football: 12 Best SEC Matchups for 2011
Going into 2010 the SEC was assumed to be the conference of dominance yet again. With another national champion in the ranks after Jan. 10, the SEC carries an amazing 7-0 record in the BCS title game into the 2011 season. Looking forward, this could be another dominant year for the conference, but the biggest concern is self-elimination for these 12 schools.
Every year is a gauntlet and a virtual reloading of the nation’s most powerful teams. In 2011, there doesn’t seem to be a perennial power returning to the top, but a power player or two always emerges from the SEC. Let’s take a look at some major conference showdowns that are bound to determine how the SEC will shape up throughout the year and games that are sure to bring national implications.
South Carolina at Georgia – 9/10/11
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The Gamecocks and Bulldogs are teams that started last season with high hopes. The season took very different turns for both squads early and often; however those changes took their toll on Georgia more so than Carolina.
The Bulldogs started the season an abysmal 1-4 but regained some confidence with a win against Tennessee. There was a lot that was left on the field for the Bulldogs in ’10, and the return of some key starters should make for a more promising 2011 campaign for Mark Richt and Co. Aaron Murray is set to have a breakout sophomore season.
South Carolina steps into the 2011 season losing some key defenders and two offensive line stalwarts but little else. Returning Stephen Garcia for a senior season brings the most experience at the quarterback position for the Gamecocks since Spurrier’s arrival. What the Gamecocks were able to accomplish in 2010 was amazing no doubt, but don’t be surprised to see a very experienced team return to the SEC Championship game.
Why is this matchup so crucial?
For starters, it is the SEC opener for these two squads. This will determine their placement in the East early in the season. Both of these teams return talent on both sides of the ball and look to be in the driver’s seat for the Eastern Division. With a win here, the Bulldogs or the Gamecocks will set themselves up nicely for a run at the division.
Mississippi State at Auburn – 9/10/11
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Last season ended on the highest note possible for the Auburn Tigers. Undefeated and national champions can’t get much better. Be that as it may, 2011 brings a new set of challenges for the Tigers. Mississippi State is one of those glaring challenges.
State returns a wealth of talent and experience on both sides of the ball only looking to replace two offensive linemen but all three linebackers. There is some experience and depth at backer for Mississippi State, but nothing says experience like three seniors. How the Bulldogs crank up on offense will be crucial to their success.
Auburn is replacing an all-everything quarterback in Cameron Newton, starting perimeter receiver in Darvin Adams, and four starting offensive linemen. That list is just getting started. Auburn is looking to replace 24 seniors and three juniors, so what the future holds is anyone’s guess. This game will determine what these two teams will accomplish in 2011.
Why is this matchup so crucial?
This is another SEC opener on the second week of the season. With State and Auburn both being in the Western half of the SEC, this is a pivotal matchup very early in the season that should shape a mold for the outcome for these two teams in 2011. State seems to be in the position Auburn was a year ago: some experience and talent and no lofty expectations.
Mississippi State has the guidance under Mullen and the depth to pull off a special season. It all starts in Auburn, Alabama on Sept. 10. How this game plays out could determine who battles the toughest division in the country from the winner’s bracket all season.
LSU at Mississippi State – 9/15/11
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LSU arguably returns the most talented team in the SEC from top to bottom. The one thing that the Mad Hatter has been able to accomplish, besides winning in insane ways, is to keep talent in Baton Rouge. Louisiana is a recruiting hotbed year after year, and Miles has maintained its boundaries for the majority of the major recruiting battles.
The glaring issue for LSU is going to be quarterback play. They reached out to Zack Mettenberger from the JUCO ranks and possibly found a starter for 2011. He is still untested against SEC-type talent but was rumored to be leading Aaron Murray for the starting nod at Georgia before his abrupt departure.
This game will be the in the national spotlight as it is the ESPN lone Thursday night showdown on the 15. Mississippi State will have opened their SEC schedule already so they will be battle tested; however the Bulldogs will be coming off of a short week against Auburn.
Why is this matchup so crucial?
With LSU having their first SEC game on a Thursday night is big enough news. The second part of that equation is that it is on the road in a hostile Davis Wade Stadium. Night games in Starkville have known to get nasty. How State recovers from the week prior and how the Tigers have developed at quarterback will determine the winner.
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Tennessee at Florida – 9/17/11
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Tennessee and Florida both are entering into a rebuilding process. Tennessee has a jump start by having Dooley already been in place for the 2010 season. The talent level at this point would be the major differential. Florida has been able to stockpile talent regardless of the situation with Meyer. Tennessee was left in a different state after the departure of Lane Kiffin. Few wonder why fans were burning mattresses to show their disgust.
The benefit that Tennessee does have going into the 2011 campaign is experience. Despite the plethora of issues that loomed over the Volunteer program and at points just ridiculous bad luck it seemed, this team has to have gained some resolve through the past year. Tyler Bray came on strong to finish his freshman year on a high note. Returning an experienced line and backfield will help Tennessee early.
Florida is rebuilding a staff but little else. Muschamp has the luxury of walking into one of the most talent-rich recruiting pools and talent-rich depth charts in the nation. Look for some wholesale changes on the offensive side of the ball with Florida moving to a pro-style offense, but that will likely fit the abilities of incumbent QB John Brantley. Florida has the possibility of being a contender immediately if Muschamp and his staff can gel with this team.
Why is this matchup so crucial?
This is another SEC opener on the schedule and in this breakdown. Very often, the first games in the SEC season give a glimpse to what the season will hold in each division. These two teams look to be on the outside looking in for the most part to Georgia and South Carolina, but Florida won’t surprise with a year and quite honestly neither would Tennessee.
If Brantley and the Gator offense can adapt to Muschamp and his philosophy early, the Gators could come on strong.
Arkansas at Alabama – 9/24/11
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This game finished as one of the greatest showdowns of the season in 2010. Alabama went to Arkansas and pulled out the win in front of an extremely hostile Hog crowd. Expect nothing short of hard-hitting, great Southern football in this game as well.
Coming into Bryant-Denny, the Razorbacks are already at a disadvantage. Tuscaloosa is a very hostile environment on game day and that gives the Tide the advantage.
Arkansas brings in a wealth of returning talent and looks to have a very talented understudy in Tyler Wilson at the quarterback position. Wilson shredded Auburn and its secondary last season after Mallett went down to injury. With that being any indication of his future, it looks bright. While replacing a starting quarterback is difficult, replacing three offensive linemen is also a huge task for the Razorbacks.
Alabama will be stepping into their first SEC game of the year while hosting Arkansas and with Western division dominance in mind will look to hand the Razorbacks a loss. Alabama will also be replacing its starting quarterback and will have to fill the role of Mark Ingram from the backfield, but the Tide has the benefit of returning its entire offensive front.
Why is this matchup so critical?
This is the first SEC game for both of these teams, and it will no doubt have early national implications. The winner will take the position reserved for first in the SEC West and most likely be tied for the driver’s seat. Every week is critical, especially in interdivision play.
Auburn at Arkansas – 10/8/11
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Last year this game was a barn burner. Auburn and Arkansas seemed unstoppable on offense and went to set the SEC record for most points scored in regulation of any game. 2011 is sure to hold some offensive excellence for these teams, but don’t expect to see the same level of fireworks.
Tyler Wilson saw his first action against Auburn last season and takes the reins this season as the starter. With a few weeks under his belt and some time for maturing in the Hogs offense, he should be lights out by this point of the season. Arkansas will be returning from a huge road game against Alabama, so they may be a little beat up by the time this game rolls around.
Auburn has the task of replacing a lot of high profile players, and this game is a huge test for the Tigers. Arkansas returns a talented and tenacious defense as does Auburn, but the experience is there for the Hogs that isn’t there for the Tigers. The difference in this game is who hits the midpoint of this season in full stride. With all the experience and talent at Arkansas, Arkansas looks to have the advantage at this point.
Why is this matchup so critical?
This game will again, edge the winner into the lead for the SEC West. At this point, Arkansas, Alabama, LSU and Auburn are the early horses for the SEC West race. This midseason game goes a long way to determine where the West finishes.
Georgia at Florida – 10/29/11
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The largest outdoor cocktail party is set to be a party again this year, not a snoozer, hopefully. At the end of October, we should have a better idea of the way that the SEC East is shaping up to finish. This game looks to be pretty pivotal in the final standings and who could be in the lead for the trip to Atlanta.
How Aaron Murray progresses and how the linebacker play at Georgia develops this season will go a long way to determine where the Bulldogs sit at this point. Don’t look past how Florida can develop John Brantley at this point as well.
Florida looks to bring a new offense but that should bode well for Brantley and the Gators offense. By this time in the season, either Brantley will be an epic failure that most Gators will want to forget or Muschamp and staff will look like a genius for rejuvenating a young quarterback’s career.
At this point I will assume the latter. Brantley was a talented guy out of high school and didn’t lose talent; he just chose the wrong system for his skill set.
Why is this matchup so critical?
Georgia and Florida have battled for the tops in the East almost every season for the past decade. This game has lost its luster in the past few years because of Georgia’s apparent downward spiral and last year’s Gator sinking. This game will put either team ahead in the quest to unseat South Carolina as best in the East.
LSU at Alabama – 11/5/11
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Last year LSU had the duty of crushing the hopes of a one-loss Alabama to the title game. One of the few totally complete games that the Bayou Bengals put together seemed to be against Alabama.
2011 will be interesting to watch how the Tide and its offense pans out. Alabama had some wholesale changes in the offense last year but that could fare well this season with a more pass balanced attack with a good-armed QB in Phillip Simms or A.J. McCarron.
LSU also has the task of developing an offense in 2011 but with more large glaring changes. How the quarterback play develops at LSU through the season and how they replace some key losses on the interior defensive line will go a long way in how this game will play out.
Why is this matchup so critical?
Early projections will have Alabama and LSU in the lead for the SEC West crown. Assuming that projections are spot on for this season, this game will determine who will take the trip to December assuming no late-season losses in conference.
Florida at South Carolina – 11/12/11
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Spurrier and his Gamecocks got the pleasure of beating the Gators last season. This season, the Gamecocks get to stay home and host the Gators. That bodes well for a South Carolina team returning the majority of its talent and starters.
Florida and Carolina both with enter this game with destiny in their own respective hands, how this game plays out will determine a few things. It will guide the winner to the December championship game, and it will also tip the pendulum in one team’s direction for Eastern division dominance.
This can determine if South Carolina was a one-hit wonder or can sustain good football and whether Florida is back on top or needs time to grow under Muschamp’s guidance. Carolina looks to have the upper hand at this point.
Why is this matchup so critical?
Again, not to beat a dead horse, but the SEC East will be floating in the balance with the winner of this game. The East is a difficult nut to crack it seems, but Carolina still gets the nod in my book. With that being said, South Carolina could leave this game with Atlanta on their mind.
Mississippi State at Arkansas – 11/19/11
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State and Arkansas are the dark horse Western division teams. No one should be brave enough to list Arkansas as a contender as they have yet to show big game ability. This could be the surprise matchup of the year considering all that could play out.
If State could grow and develop into a viable team, they could give the West a run. You could make the same argument for Arkansas. If the Razorbacks pull their collective efforts together and rally behind Wilson as they did against Auburn last season, both of these teams could be battling for the top.
The issues both these teams face are the obvious ones. LSU, Alabama and Auburn are all been their teams. Despite the lack of traditional prowess these two squads carry, Bobby Petrino and Dan Mullen have both of these squads heading in the right direction and could become contenders very soon.
Why is this matchup so critical?
Both of these teams are dark horse contenders, but if they play the cards right and make it through the gauntlet that is sure to be the SEC West again in ’11, this game could bring a surprising level of importance to the national stage.
Arkansas at LSU – 11/25/11
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The Golden Boot will once again be up for grabs in this rivalry of border states, but what that trophy determines could be far more important than what it is molded to look like. Both LSU and Arkansas return very talented teams. Both will most likely be playing “new” quarterbacks. I emphasize new because at this point in the season they will be seasoned veterans.
This is setting up to be a Black Friday special for CBS, as the Iron Bowl and this game have switched places. Look for LSU to most likely take this game away from the pure talent perspective. At this point in the season, LSU should have developed the QB play to a much higher level than in any recent memory.
On the other side of the coin, Arkansas could have developed its talent and worked its offense and defensive play to a higher level at this point as well. This game is truly a toss-up and could have huge implications on the national and conference levels.
Why is this matchup so critical?
This game will give a glimpse at the depth of talent in the West. If either team can develop good chemistry early and often, they should be leading the pack. Look for the other team to be a mid-tier team by the time this game rolls around.
Alabama at Auburn – 11/26/11
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This game is the pinnacle of the season for the state of Alabama every year and as of late has determined the national champion. Will the Iron Bowl bring national title type hype again this year? It is very possible.
This game will have numerous factors at play. Auburn has to have developed at quarterback and answered the interior defensive line questions to be any type of contender in ’11. If they do, this game could be very interesting. If those things lack by this seasons finish, this game could be horrible for Auburn.
Alabama returns its entire offensive front and could have quite a heyday with the Auburn defensive front if they don’t develop depth. Trent Richardson’s return helps the inside game as well. If the Alabama quarterback situation fills out, they could bring a multiple attack to this game.
Whoever fills holes the best this season and is able to develop consistent offensive production by seasons end will come out as the winner.
Why is this matchup so critical?
This could determine the winner of the West. Alabama could have shattered Auburn’s dreams in 2010 as Auburn almost did for Bama in ’09. Who will be in the driver’s seat for this game? The winner should be in Atlanta.
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