Is the East on it's way back?

#26
#26
How? Auburn, ATM and AL should be better. LSU only needs a QB to be back where they are now.
This is my take as well. Auburn QB will be a Sophomore. TAMU is very young right now, so they should be better. LSU may drop a bit with Burrow gone but is talented enough to compete at a high level. And bama is gonna bama.
Top to bottom the West looks better and the top 3 in the West are still better than the top 3 in the East.
 
#28
#28
This is my take as well. Auburn QB will be a Sophomore. TAMU is very young right now, so they should be better. LSU may drop a bit with Burrow gone but is talented enough to compete at a high level. And bama is gonna bama.
Top to bottom the West looks better and the top 3 in the West are still better than the top 3 in the East.

To add insult to injury, just imagine if Laney goes to Arky and The Pirate ends up at Ole Miss.
 
#29
#29
The two best SEC teams are still in the West......and it's not real close.
Are you sure about that? I think it could reasonably be argued right now that the overall SEC top 3 would be:
1. LSU
2. Georgia
3. Florida

Or are you talking more generally and not just specifically this season right now?
 
#31
#31
To add insult to injury, just imagine if Laney goes to Arky and The Pirate winds up at Ole Miss.
Both are interesting considerations but with the recruiting restrictions now in place both programs are 3-5 years away from relevance. Nick might be retired by then.
 
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#33
#33
How? Auburn, ATM and AL should be better. LSU only needs a QB to be back where they are now.
Georgia = LSU
Florida=Alabama
Tennessee= Auburn
Just my opinion but I believe the Alabama dynasty came to an end when they lost by 4 td's Clemson. They will still be a good SEC football team for a while but this year they are 5th best in the SEC and I think that where they will stay. The East will overtake the West soon. Sports are cyclical that way.
 
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#34
#34
Block it out! Ga State and BYU never happened.

We are now the 9 - 3 team we hoped we would be before the season started.

So, block it out! It'll make you feel better!
 
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#35
#35
Are you sure about that? I think it could reasonably be argued right now that the overall SEC top 3 would be:
1. LSU
2. Georgia
3. Florida

Or are you talking more generally and not just specifically this season right now?
This is the top 3 no doubt about it. Who would question this take?
 
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#36
#36
Still think Bama is better than UGa and a lot better than UF.
There are two common opponents for all three teams: Auburn and Tennessee. Both data points suggest that Alabama is worse than both Florida and Georgia. You can argue that Alabama would be better if Tua weren't injured, but he is. Regarding the original question, I feel like asking if the East is back is really just asking if Tennessee is back because the West has always been the deeper division. It wasn't until 2010 that someone other than Florida, Georgia, or Tennessee represented the East in the title game, and whenever the division champ is one of the others, we know they were just the tallest midget.
 
#37
#37
In regards to Alabama, How have so many SEC fans forgot how important defense is? Alabama has one of the worst defenses in the conference. They gave up an average of 47pts per game to ranked teams. We are conditioned to assume Alabama is always going to Alabama but they are not.
 
#41
#41
In regards to Alabama, How have so many SEC fans forgot how important defense is? Alabama has one of the worst defenses in the conference. They gave up an average of 47pts per game to ranked teams. We are conditioned to assume Alabama is always going to Alabama but they are not.

Your question is the better question, imo. Are defensive teams a thing of the past...even in the SEC? The rules / officiating favor the offense. And it is very tough to outpace teams consistently scoring 40+ per game.
 
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#42
#42
Can't believe I'm defending Bama, but they are 10-2 and it's their worst year in, well, a long time. They are just fine.
yes but imagine for a minute if they played a tougher schedule than 56th in the country. They only have 2 loses because they only played 2 ranked teams all year.
 
#43
#43
yes but imagine for a minute if they played a tougher schedule than 56th in the country. They only have 2 loses because they only played 2 ranked teams all year.
ok. But, I ain't covering them with dirt yet. Wish I could
 
#44
#44
Depends on if Tennessee can continue move forward. Florida and Georgia is already there, Kentucky is better than they’ve ever been.


For the East to truly be back, Tennessee has to be really good and competing with Georgia and Florida....and I think we’re about to see that in the next year or two.

So, the East isn’t quite back. Not yet.
 
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#45
#45
Here's Alabama's 2020 football schedule

USC@ Arlington,Texas
Georgia State
Georgia
Kent State
@Ole Miss
@Arkansas
Mississippi State
@tennessee
@lsu
UT Martin
Texas A&M
Auburn

I think Alabama finishes 11-1 with a loss to LSU and 2nd in the SEC West
 
#46
#46
since the coaching carousel of 2017...
look at the coaches that have been fired within 2 years..
the SEC is a hard place to coach and win...
thankfully I believe Pruitt figured it out and has Tennessee on the way up from the ashes that were left behind from the last Administration...
I do believe Pruitt will have us competing for SEC championships and Natty's in the near future...
Clemson did it by sticking with Dabo...
Surely Tennessee can do it with all it's resources....
GBO

And thank goodness for Phil. He ain't going to can his first football hire until he absolutely has too. If that means a few 8-9 wins seasons in the early years to lay the foundation for 10+ wins down the road, I'm here for it.
 
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#48
#48
Your question is the better question, imo. Are defensive teams a thing of the past...even in the SEC? The rules / officiating favor the offense. And it is very tough to outpace teams consistently scoring 40+ per game.
No it's not we are just being biased assuming that's the case rather than accepting the SEC outside of Georgia and Florida are soft on defense this year. We are assuming the SEC by default is dominant on defense so offense's must just be unstoppable. It's due to this fact that I have a suspicion that the SEC as a whole will be humbled a bit this bowl season.
 
#49
#49
yes but imagine for a minute if they played a tougher schedule than 56th in the country. They only have 2 loses because they only played 2 ranked teams all year.

That’s severely overstating it. Bama is still Bama, barely lost both of those games, one of which was to the number 1 or 2 team in the country with a heisman winning QB....and the second to their top rival on the road which is currently the #11 team in the country.
 
#50
#50
It's all speculation at this point, but Georgia and Florida are going to be the Florida and Tennessee of the 90s, IMO. The way Georgia is recruiting is reminiscent to what Fulmer was doing then, and Mullen is a great coach with a great program, similar to Spurrier then. The rest of the East is well below those two programs right now. If the pendulum will swing, it won't be next year, IMO.

I think we have to wait another couple years to see what Jimbo is capable of and to see if you're right about LSU. Alabama will be Alabama until Saban quits. Auburn is just begging to get rid of Malzahn, which would be a mistake and a big advantage to the EAST, imo.

I don't think the pendulum will swing, but I do think the conferences could be pretty balanced in the next few years.

I would instantly balance it out by putting the eastern most located teams (Bama and Auburn) in the east and the western most teams (Vandy and Missouri) in the west. For us, the only difference is we would face Auburn yearly instead of Missouri, and our yearly cross division rivalry would be Vanderbilt. Overall, it would reduce travel times for most all fan bases, and it would certainly balance the competitive balance to the divisions instantly.
 

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