The SEC is the crown jewel of the college football scene. While the Alabama Crimson Tide have been one of the top dogs during the Nick Saban era, last year we saw that there are teams that can surprise. The Auburn Tigers came out of nowhere to steal the spotlight. Are there any up and coming teams that can do the same in 2014-15? Here’s four with that type of potential:
1 – Arkansas Razorbacks
It’s true that the Razorbacks were kicked to the curb last season in the first year of new head coach Bret Bielema’s tenure, but with a year under his belt, Bielema might be able to set things right. The former Wisconsin head coach wanted to deal with the challenges of life in the Southeastern Conference. He wanted to push himself more than he felt he was pushed in the Big Ten. In year one, Bielema got his wish. Arkansas could not turn the corner, as a thin team hurt by the defections and distractions flowing from former coach Bobby Petrino’s messy departure was lacking in stamina and depth. Bielema hopes that he’s solved that particular set of problems this season, and if he has, the Razorbacks could be a lot better than many people expect.
2. Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels are viewed as a team that has a lot of talent, but it’s also a team that is known for falling short of expectations on a relentlessly consistent basis. Plenty of college football experts have noted how head coach Hugh Freeze has recruited at a very high level, shocking a lot of observers in the Deep South who could not believe the extent to which a struggling program was able to land so many valued and prized prospects. Ole Miss enters this season in a tough SEC West knowing that so much talk about improved recruiting has to give way to a discussion of improved performance. If the Rebels don’t make the leap this year, they might suffer in the long run. However, this might be the season in which Ole Miss puts it all together, too. It will be interesting to watch for sure.
3. Florida Gators
The Gators had to get better on offense, and more specifically, they had to think differently on offense, going after a new playcaller who could stretch the field and use more spread concepts while going away from the power formations of the recent past. Florida head coach Will Muschamp sacked former coordinator Brent Pease and went to Duke to get the Blue Devils’ offensive coordinator, Kurt Roper. It was Roper who helped Duke’s offense come of age under head coach David Cutcliffe this past season. The Blue Devils didn’t win the Chick-Fil-A Bowl last December against Texas A&M, but they embarrassed the Aggies’ defense and gave Duke a big moment in the national spotlight. Roper could be the solution Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel has been looking for. If he is, the Gators will be a lot better.
4. Tennessee Volunteers
The Vols still aren’t as deep as they need to be, and they still don’t seem to have the kind of quarterback who can get them to the top four or five in the SEC. However, everyone in college football does think that head coach Butch Jones has improved the program compared to where it was under previous coach Derek Dooley. Jones is steadily bringing more depth and strength to the program, and while 2015 is viewed as more of a year in which Tennessee can make a splash, the Vols are currently seen as a team that should be better this year. The schedule is difficult, but if the Volunteers are able to grow up quickly, they can still make a substantial amount of progress under their new head coach.
