It has been about eight months since Alabama squeaked by Clemson to win the College Football Playoff. Sure, a lot has changed since then, but one thing has remained the same: hype.
Every year, we hear the same hype surrounding different Southeastern Conference schools from media pundits across the nation. How many times did we read about Tennessee and Joshua Dobbs? Or how about Louisiana State’s Leonard Fournette and the improved play of quarterback Brandon Harris? Kentucky was launching a new and improved defense, and Vanderbilt was supposed to have a fresh offense.
Whoops.
After an eventful and disappointing first week of the 2016 season for the SEC, all the preseason talk can finally go away. If week one is any indication of the year ahead, the talk really meant nothing.
SEC teams were favored in 10 out of the 11 nonconference games played from Thursday to Saturday. They ended up going 6–5, and it could have been worse if not for Alabama and coaches with ties to that university.
This offseason, Georgia hired Kirby Smart, the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator from 2007-2015. Smart and the Bulldogs took down North Carolina in a thriller Saturday, which was in large part due to a historic game by running back Nick Chubb.
After Chubb tore multiple ligaments in his leg in October of last season, many people and “experts” believed he would never again be the player he was before the injury. Well, they proven were wrong as he rushed for over 220 yards and two touchdowns to lead Georgia and Smart to a huge victory over the Tar Heels at the Georgia Dome.
The SEC can also thank Alabama for producing Jim McElwain, the Tide’s offensive coordinator for four seasons and the current head coach of Florida. On a day where offense was stagnant, the defense showed up for the Gators as they escaped with a 24–7 win over Massachusetts.
Lastly, the SEC can thank Alabama for simply just being Alabama.
Alabama didn’t just beat No. 20 Southern California, they destroyed them. Alabama outgained USC 465-194, and it did not even seem that close. Simply put, the Tide embarrassed the Trojans, who are not a joke of a team. USC has special talent in players such as Adoree’ Jackson and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Alabama defense made these first team all-conference players look average at best.
Wonder why Alabama is always so good? Yes, Jeremy Pruitt and Lane Kiffin are two of the best coordinators in the country, and that Nick Saban guy isn’t too shabby, but it really boils down to the talent on the field. And no one in the nation can match the talent coming out of or into Tuscaloosa.
After losing 11 starters to the NFL, Alabama did not have to rebuild, they just had to reload. Out of the 22 starters for Alabama, 13 of them are five-star recruits. No school in the nation recruits close to that well.
Many people will wrongly overreact to this weekend’s outcomes. Folks who are making season-long predictions after just an hour of football need to remember that it is just one week.
The SEC can still bounce back, and based on previous seasons, the SEC will do just that.
Sports provide the greatest reality show around. We can talk and predict all year long, but until the ball is actually kicked off for that first time, we really know nothing. How come no one predicted South Alabama to beat Mississippi State? Why didn’t anyone predict Arkansas and Tennessee would squeak by two average programs in Appalachian State and Louisiana Tech, respectively?
While no one can predict any actual outcomes, an easy prediction for this season is that there will be chaos. At some point this season, fans will believe they have a perfect team; at other points they will see their teams as mediocre. Fans will be happy, sad, thrilled, relieved and disappointed.
The truth is, we just don’t know who will live up to all of the hype. At least, not yet.
_Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com_