SEC Bowl Projections 2011-2012: Way Too Early Predictions for Every SEC Team

It’s come that time of year that teams are taking shape, and we’re getting a good idea of who is for real and who isn’t. This seems like the opportune time to start prognosticating perhaps a bit too early on what SEC teams will end up in what bowls, if any.

Agree or disagree, come along and see what we came up with based on the season so far…

Kentucky Wildcats

Final projected record: 4-8

Losses: Louisville, Florida, LSU, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Tennessee

Bowl: Won’t be bowling this year.

Kentucky is going to have a very tough run through the SEC with a mediocre team. Victories are going to be hard to come by. I concede I may be wrong about the Vanderbilt game, but the game is in Nashville, and Vanderbilt has shown that they are not the perennially pushover this season.

Ole Miss Rebels

Final projected record: 4-8

Losses: Brigham Young, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State

Bowl: Won’t be bowling this year.

Ole Miss is just bad this year, and they have to play a lot of much better teams in the SEC this season. Four wins is generous I think for this team, as they could lose at Kentucky but probably won’t. One thing seems certain, bowling will have to wait at least until next season for the Rebels.

Tennessee Volunteers

Final projected record: 5-7

Losses: Florida, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Vanderbilt

Bowl: Won’t be bowling this year.

Tennessee so far has shown flashes in the passing game with Tyler Bray, but their offense is too one-dimensional. Without a legitimate running threat, the better SEC teams left on Tennessee’s schedule will key in on Tennessee’s passing game and make life very tough for the Vols.

Tennessee is currently fifth in the SEC in scoring defense, but, with the exception of Florida, Tennessee hasn’t faced any real competition so far.

In the end, I don’t think Tennessee’s offense will be productive enough against the better defenses left on their calendar.

The exception may be Arkansas, but with Tyler Wilson and the Hog’s offense, expect a shootout in that contest with Arkansas outlasting Tennessee for the win.

Finally, I think Vanderbilt comes up with an emotional victory versus their in-state rival and keeps the Vols from becoming bowl eligible.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Final projected record: 7-5

Losses: South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida

Bowl: Music City Bowl (Nashville, December 30)

Vanderbilt started out strong this year and has a good defense, but they’re still Vanderbilt. The mid-level SEC teams should all be able to handle Vandy this season but don’t be surprised if a few of them find themselves in a fight against the Commodores.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Final projected record: 6-6

Losses: Auburn, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas

Bowl: Liberty Bowl (Memphis, December 31)

Mississippi State’s loss to Georgia really exposed MSU as overrated in the preseason polls. There is talent on the team for sure, but the offense is too one-dimensional to compete in a very strong SEC West. With three losses already, MSU simply doesn’t look like the team they were expected to be this season and will just qualify for bowl eligibility.

Auburn Tigers

Final Projected Record: 7-5

Losses: Clemson, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Alabama

Bowl: Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, January 2)

I give credit for Auburn playing better football than I was expecting this season after losing so much from last year’s team. Give Gene Chizik a lot of credit for coaching up his young team to play hard.

Ultimately, I think Auburn will be overmatched against these four SEC teams listed above in the loss category. However, because of Florida’s questions at quarterback right now and the game being in Auburn, I do think the Tigers will pull out a little more magic this season and take down the Gators.

Florida Gators

Final projected record: 8-4

Losses: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU

Bowl: Cotton Bowl (Arlington, January 6)

Okay, admittedly, maybe a little bias is seeping through here with picking Georgia to knock off the Gators. But as mentioned already, the quarterback position at Florida just became a question mark, and at this point, I think the teams should be pretty evenly matched. In a coin flip, got to go with my boys.

As far as Florida’s other losses, as said before, I like Auburn to win at home against the Gators, and LSU is just too strong for Florida this season.

South Carolina Gamecocks

Final projected record: 8-4

Losses:  Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, Clemson

Bowl: Chic-fil-A Bowl (Atlanta, December 31)

This is a very hard South Carolina team to figure out. The Gamecocks have two of the biggest playmakers in Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffrey, but they have nobody to play quarterback.

With even a decent quarterback who can manage a game, I see South Carolina as a nine or 10-win team. But things must be dismal behind center for the Gamecocks if it’s taken this long for Steve Spurrier to pull seemingly inept quarterback Stephen Garcia.

Spurrier is hardly known for his patience with struggling quarterbacks, which calls into question the "Old Ball Coach’s" confidence in backup Connor Shaw.

Until the Gamecocks get some consistency out of the quarterback position, Lattimore is only going to be able to carry this team so far on his back. Should the struggles at QB continue to haunt the Gamecocks, they could easily be looking at an eight-win season or worse.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Final projected record: 10-2

Losses: Alabama, LSU

Bowl: Capital One Bowl (Orlando, January 2, 2012)

Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson put on a show this week against Texas A&M to the tune of 510 passing yards and three scores. The Razorback offense is first in the SEC in scoring offense.

With that kind of offense, the Arkansas defense will be should be able to take care of business and secure a win for the Hogs in every remaining game with the exception of their in-conference foes and national championship contendersLouisiana State and Alabama.

Georgia Bulldogs

Final projected record: 10-3 (SEC Championship Game loss)

Losses: Boise State, South Carolina, Alabama (SEC Championship Game)

Bowl: Outback Bowl (Tampa, January 2)

You can call me a homer, but I really am trying to be objective. Georgia has won three in a row after their 0-2 start and look better every game. A victory in Knoxville will go that much further to restoring the swagger that’s been missing from this Georgia team the past several seasons.

The Florida game will be a challenge, as always, no matter who is taking the snaps for the Gators. Still, I like Georgia to bear down on defense with Aaron Murray and company putting up at least enough points to pull out a close victory.

Louisiana State Tigers

Final projected record: 11-1

Losses: Alabama

Bowl: Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, January 3)

LSU looks unbeatable so far this season. And I think they will continue to look that way until they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama in early November. I like the Tide to win a close game at home, stay undefeated and hand LSU their only loss of the season.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Final projected record: 13-0 (SEC championship game win included)

Losses: None

Bowl: BCS National Championship Game (New Orleans, January 9)

I just have a hard time seeing the Crimson Tide losing this season. LSU is the only team that really should have a chance against them. If the Tigers do take down the Tide, just flip flop these predictions with regard to Bama and LSU because I don’t see the Bayou Bengals losing any other games.