Key players returning Kenyan Drake (RB), Ruben Foster (LB), Derrick Henry (RB), Cyrus Jones (DB), Ryan Kelly (OL) Key losses Landon Collins (DB), Amari Cooper (WR), Trey DePriest (LB), Blake Sims (QB), T.J. Yeldon (RB) Coach says “I think it’s also important that, if we’re going to be a no-huddle team like we were last year, I think we have to manage the season better with our team, because I think at the end of the season last year, we 2014 ran out of gas a little bit. We played more 12-2, 7-1 in SEC – First in SEC Western Division, won SEC champion- plays, I think by 170 on defense, which is ship, lost to Ohio State in the College like a couple, three more games. And our Football Playoff semi-final (Sugar Bowl) players showed it. So we’re going to have to do a better job of keeping our team where they need to be so that we can finish Projected finish strong.” First in the Western Division Nick Saban Briefly Players say Bouncing back from an early season heartbreaker against Ole Miss, the Alabama “It’s cliché here, but it is the process. Crimson Tide entered the first ever College Everyone wants to talk about it, but it’s the Football Playoff as the No. 1 team in the real thing. No matter who you bring in, we country but were upset by the eventual aren’t going to change our standards for national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. who you are. This is the Bama Way. This The future still looks bright for Alabama with is a special place. It’s not for everybody to another top recruiting class but there are come to. I think that is one of the biggest many questions surrounding the offense things Coach Saban has drilled in is that if this especially at the quarterback position. you come here, you are a part of something With that in mind expect returning work- bigger than you.” Ryan Kelly, OL horse Derrick Henry to get a lot of touches this season. The Tide’s schedule is one of You might not know the toughest in the country but the defense is regarded pre-season as one of the best Coming into the 2015 season Alabama has been favored in 68 straight games, the Alabama has had under Saban. longest streak in college football history.
2014 8-5, 4-4 in SEC – Fourth in SEC Western Division, lost to Wisconsin in overtime in the Outback Bowl Projected finish Second in Western Division Briefly Following a subpar 2014 season, the wheels on the “Gus Bus” are back on. With an already electric offense, the return of former Florida head coach Will Muschamp to the Plains has reinvigorated optimism in a defense that has been dreadful the past few seasons. The Auburn Tigers, despite being picked to finish second in the West, were the favorites to win the conference following SEC Media Days and are a serious pre-season College Football Playoff contender.
Coach says “In my opinion, the West is the toughest conference in football. I don’t even think it’s close. You look at Mississippi schools, you look at adding a very athletic Texas A&M to the West, I mean, it’s a man’s league. There’s no off weeks. Everybody asks about the SEC and all that, and the thing that really stands out to me is the grind. If you’re not in it, you don’t understand it. So the grind every week, week in and week out, and then you win the West, and then you’ve got to play the champion of the East, and then you get into the four-team playoff. So it’s just a matter of surviving the grind, and the team that does that being able to have enough fuel and enough energy and everything that goes with it to finish the deal.” Gus Malzahn
Players say “We have probably the best wide receiver in the country right now (Duke Williams), but not only him, we’ve got Ricardo Louis and Melvin Ray. That’s three seniors and then we’ve got Marcus Davis, a junior that’s been playing since he was a freshman. I’ve just got a lot of weapons around me, and like I said, those guys are going to make a lot of plays for me this year, so I feel very, very good about it.” Key players returning Jeremy Johnson, QB Shon Coleman (OL), Jonathan Jones (DB), Carl Lawson (DL), Cassanova You might not know McKinzy (LB), Duke Williams (WR) Auburn has a long history with hated rival Alabama since the Iron Bowl series started Key losses Cameron Artis-Payne (RB), Reese in 1893. However, the Tigers have faced Dismukes (OL), Corey Grant (RB), Nick four other schools more than they’ve faced the Tide: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida, Marshall (QB) and Mississippi State.
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2014 7-6, 2-6 in SEC – Finished seventh in SEC Western Division, routed Texas 31-7 in Texas Bowl Projected finish Fourth in the SEC Western Division Briefly Last season was a roller coaster ride for the Razorbacks. In the toughest division in college football, Arkansas fought to win three of their first four games before losing three consecutive heartbreakers to Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia. However, the Razorbacks rallied back and impressively shutout LSU and Ole Miss in consecutive weeks and gain bowl eligibility. The Razorbacks finished off 2014 on a high note by dismantling tradition powerhouse Texas in the Texas Bowl, a win head coach Bret Bielema called “erotic.” The Razorbacks are not quite ready to topple the kings of the SEC West and reign themselves, but this team definitely has the talent and the potential to knock one or two out of playoff contention.
Key losses Brey Cook (OL), Trey Flowers (DL), Braylon Mitchell (LB), Demetrius Wilson (WR) Coach says “We’ve got a bunch of no name guys that could be very successful together and excited to see them work. I think our biggest asset that we have going right now is we were a 3-19 and became a 7-6 team. 7-6 by no means is a landing point. It’s more of a launching point. It shares the same record with the worst record I had at my previous institution. After we went 7-6 on my last stop, we went on to win ten games every year, three straight championships, and had a lot of success. I see a lot of the same things coming for us here, but the bottom line is you’ve got to make them happen.” Brett Bielema Players say “We have to learn how to close out games when we’re up or when we’re close so it’s all about closing games off and we were not able to do that last year. We’ve made a big emphasis on it this year.” Brandon Allen, QB
You might not know Arkansas was not always known as the Razorbacks or “hogs.” Prior to 1909, the school’s team name was actually the Cardinals. After beating LSU in 1909, coach Hugo Bezdek said his team fought like “a bunch of Razorback hogs.” The nickKey players returning name stuck and a year later the student Alex Collins (RB), Jared Collins (DB), body voted to change from Cardinals to Brooks Ellis (LB), Hunter Henry (TE), Razorbacks. Jonathan Williams (RB) PR), Quinton Dunbar (WR), Dante Fowler (DL) Coach says “I think part of the experience of being in this conference is realizing it doesn’t happen just overnight. It’s something that we know. And yet every time we go to work every day, every time we wake up, our 2014 7-5, 4-4 in the SEC – Third in the SEC responsibility is to try to go out there and Eastern Division, won the Birmingham win. There’s never been a game that we haven’t been in that we don’t think we’re Bowl against Eastern Carolina going to go out and be successful, and Projected finish that’s really what it’s all about.” Fifth in Eastern Division Jim McElwain Briefly Players say The underachieving Gators will be going into the 2015 season under new “As far as the defense, I feel much more leadership. Jim McElwain, former head confident in what we do. Offensive wise, coach at Colorado State and offensive they’re still striving to be good. They praccoordinator at Alabama from 2008-11, tice hard every day, work out hard every was named the head coach following day, there’s a good competition going the dismissal of now Auburn defensive for the quarterback position. We’ve got coordinator Will Muschamp. While the some new guys to step in. Hopefully they Gators maintained top 10 defenses under can help us on both sides of the ball and Muschamp, production on the offensive achieve what we were able to do last year. side was dismal, especially at the quarter- So we’re just going hard, head first, trying back position. Florida is hopeful that under to be the best we can be.” Jonathon Bullard, DL offensive-minded McElwain, the offense will once again surge to Urban Meyer-era You might not know efficiency. There are still a lot of questions surrounding this Florida team that The Florida-Florida State rivalry probneed to be answered most importantly at ably reached its peak during the Steve Spurrier-Bobby Bowden era. The two offensive line. teams met 14 times from 1990 to 2001 and for each meeting one or both teams Key players returning Jonathon Bullard (DL), Vernon were ranked in the top ten. Despite the Hargreaves (DB), D.J. Humphries (OL), consistent greatness of both teams over that span, you might be surprised to know Demarcus Robinson (WR) the Head Ball Coach was winless against the Seminoles in his 12 seasons with the Key losses Clay Burton (TE), Andre Debose (KR/ Gators.
The Game Plan