No conference is elite from top to bottom. However, the top of our conference is usually the best in the country (this year LSU destroying Oregon/WVU and Bama beating PSU) and the mid-to-bottom of our conference is usually better than the middle-to-bottom of other conferences. Hell, this year even our bottom feeders Vandy beat UConn (middle of Big East) and Ole Miss beat Fresno St (#1 in the WAC). Tennessee (towards the bottom of the SEC East) also beat Cincinnati (#1 in the Big East).

I'm convinced. Let's round up the Kansas teams and go to the Big East. It just feels right.

Tennessee is a lot better than their record. A lot people are down on Dooley, but they have been killed with injuries. It wouldn't shock me at all if they won the East next year with Tyler Bray and Justin Hunter back on the field.

Yes. They'll win the SEC just after they win the Big 12.

They have talent, no doubt. Florida's also had a ton of injuries and should be much better next season. I read somewhere than we have 33 underclassmen making up our 2-deep roster.

I'll be curious to see how they adjust to the grueling season. The main thing I see in the SEC is the depth that is necessary to compete, because you're going to have significant injuries every year (watch the way Bama and LSU play defense if you want to see why). The better SEC teams are able to plug people in to fill those key positions (look at Arkansas at QB last year when Mallett went down and Wilson stepped in or at our receiving corps or at our runnning backs) whereas the lower tier teams crumble when they experience a few key injuries.

Don't forget Kentucky. Saul Good told us they were awesome, but South Carolina is done.

Isn't that why the BigIIX was flirting with Kentucky, because of the pure awesome factor they bring to the table?

ROFL It must be, because it couldn't be their basketball prowess. That sport doesn't matter. :p

Well, duh. ;)

Mizzou, in their best years in the Big XII (2005-2010) is 8-12 vs South teams. That includes 2 Big XII title game losses.

In those 6 seasons, i'd argue Mizzou really took advantage of a down Big XII North.

In the skill positions we'd probably be fine. Prior to actually witnessing their performance this year, I'd have said we'd be fine along the D-line and linebackers as well (but beyond Hamilton, the D-line has been abysmal and the LBs have been invisible).

The secondary is garbage among the starters - so how much worse can the backups be? That counts as 'depth' right? The O-line evidently doesn't have a backup tackle on it, we've been playing with 4 guards on the field for most of the year, so yeah, we'll need some help there as well.

I'm trying to temper my pissivity right now. This season has just been a disappointment on every single level on the field. If you try to pin me to a prediction for next year, I'd say they win 1 game in the SEC then excoriate James Franklin some more. However, that's probably just coming from pure rage and isn't really fair to the team. They're better than they've shown this year and I suspect they'll be ready to go once they finally start the SEC slate.

I'll blame Stoops for the majority of that. He has absolutely ahd Pinkel's number over the years. And no real defense here - Mizzou straight up hasn't been good against the South. I think they were competitive by and large, but that doesn't win you anything.

The SEC could possibly break Pinkel after a few years if he doesn't pick up his game. The whole program will need to step it up.

I could have sworn I said that Kentucky' football program has improved even as the rest of the conference got tougher as evidenced by the fact that they have been to 5 straight bowl games after going to 10 in the 60 years prior. What a stupid observation on my part.

South Carolina's season is completely ****ed. They lost their QB and Heisman-candidate RB last week.

You got me.

Mizzou will lose to LSU and Bama just like they lose to OU and TX now, and just like almost every team loses to those teams now.

Ex OU and TX (combined 1-7 if my math is correct), Mizzou is 7-5 against the remaining South teams, which have been comparable to the mid-tier SEC teams.

So hopefully win the 4 non-con games, and go 4-4 or 5-3 in the SEC. I'll take an 8-9 win season in the SEC with a nice New Year's Day bowl in Florida every year.