The Alabama Crimson Tide continued their dominance both in the SEC and on the national stage in 2015. They will once again be the favorites both within their conference and in terms of contending for a national championship this coming season. The Tide won’t have an easy road though as they play in one of the toughest divisions in college football and they aren’t without their own issues heading in to the 2016 season. Here is a look at the biggest concerns for teams from the SEC West division.
Alabama Crimson Tide
The biggest concern for Nick Saban and his staff will be under center where Jake Coker’s graduation will mean junior Cooper Batemen, sophomore David Cornwell and redshirt freshman Blake Barnett will compete for the starting job. Batemen’s experience gives him the early edge to win the job but there is no guarantee at this point that he will be their starter in September. The Tide will face a tough early schedule including their season opener against USC so they will need to settle on a starter early and get the offense up to speed to avoid any early hiccups.
Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels are a legitimate contender in the SEC but they must replace 12 starters across the board including three NFL first-round picks in tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. Ole Miss has some impressive incoming talent and the best returning quarterback in the SEC West in Chad Kelly but their relative inexperience will be their biggest concern.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Bret Bielema built his reputation with a ground-and-pound offense built around power running back with excellent speed and there is no doubt he will hope to translate that philosophy to Arkansas. However, the Razorbacks lost each of its top two running backs from a year ago to the NFL Draft and that means they will have a big hole to fill in their backfield. Kody Walker, Rawleigh Williams and Devwah Whaley will compete for carries in the Arkansas backfield and Bielema will likely need all three to step up in order for his offense to play to its potential.
LSU Tigers
LSU opened the 2015 season with seven straight wins before an 0-3 stretch knocked them out of the SEC championship picture and left head coach Les Miles facing legitimate concerns about whether or not he would be back. The Tigers decided to bring Miles back but he might not be as fortunate in 2016 if he doesn’t get more out of his passing game. Running back Leonard Fournette will remain the star of the offense but he needs more support around him with Brandon Harris once again set to start at quarterback. Harris threw for 2,165 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago and if he will need to become a more consistent passer in order for the LSU offense to reach its potential.
Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies enter a crucial season in the SEC West after finishing fourth or worse in the SEC over each of the last three seasons. New offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone will bring his wide-open scheme with him and Texas A&M is loaded with talent at the wide receiver position but they need better play at the quarterback position in order to take a positive step forward. Oklahoma graduate transfer Trevor Knight will be relied on to lead the way on offense and if he can perform to his potential in 2016 then the Aggies could be primed to take a major step forward following a couple of poor seasons.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State returns 11 starters but they lost Dak Prescott at the quarterback position and that leaves a major hole at their most important position. Prescott threw for 3,793 yards and 29 touchdowns last season while also rushing for 588 yards and 10 scores and that level of production will be difficult to replace. Sophomore Nick Fitzgerald is the heir apparent after serving as the backup a year ago but it’s hard to imagine him coming close to matching the numbers that Prescott registered last season.
Auburn Tigers
The Tigers have regressed in the SEC West in each of the last two years under Gus Malzahn and was very fortunate to reach a bowl game last year. They will enter the 2016 season with more uncertainty including at the quarterback position in particularly. Jeremy Johnson and Sean White combined for 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions a year ago and that is not nearly good enough in the loaded SEC West. The Tigers have the potential to take a positive step forward in 2016 but they need a quarterback to step up and lead their offense in order to reach their potential.
