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Georgia and Alabama both had something in common walking into the National Championship Game last season: They were both comprehensively beaten by Auburn. There is an argument that Auburn could have won the SEC Championship Game if running back star Kerryon Johnson – who had ripped the Dawgs apart in the win at Jordan-Hare – hadn’t been hurt going into it. The season finale loss to UCF wasn’t pleasant for Gus Malzahn, either.

Anyway, 2008 will come along with Johnson gone, and QB Jarrett Stidham staying. It should be an interesting season…

OFFENSE

As mentioned ad infinitum, Jarrett Stidham got engaged this summer and took part in a camp or two. Also mentioned is that Stidham is back at Jordan-Hare, bringing 4,423 yards, 20 TDs and 8 INTs. His first year went down a storm on the plains, and it’s widely expected he’ll have the same sort of year, with the potential of a Heisman thrown in.

He’s going to have top WR Eli Stove (815 yards, 5 TDs) and Darius Slayton (643 yards, 5 TDs, 22.2 yds/game) back, and Will Hastings (525 yards, 4 TDs) should return by midseason after knee surgery. Four-star frosh WR Seth Williams, who had offers from Alabama, Georgia as well as a host of other SEC schools could also be fun to watch.

Running backs-wise, there’s no question they’ll miss Johnson, who ran for 1,391 yards and 18 TDs. Kam Martin (453 yards, 2 TDs) is predicted to get the starting job, although it’ll be a bit of a mess behind  him, with freshman JaTarvious Whitlow, Asa Martin, Chandler Cox, Malik Miller and Shaun Shivers all battling it out for time. We’re not sure it’s a ‘wealth of options’ for Malzahn, but it’s not the worst.

DEFENSE

Auburn’s going to bring back one hell of a defensive front this year, with Derrick Brown, Dontavius Russell and Marlon Davidson all back. LB DeShaun Davis, who led the team in tackles (82) last year is also back alongside Darrell Williams, but top sack machine Jeff Holland (9) is gone for a pro career with Denver.

We’re not convinced how the Tigers will do with balls thrown over the top – they are going to be reliant on Javaris Davis and Jamel Dean, with Noah Igbinoghene expected to take up some of the workload.

But we would beg offenses not to run on the Tigers, because they probably won’t go anywhere.

SCHEDULE

Sept. 1 vs. Washington (in Atlanta)
Sept. 8 Alabama State
Sept. 15 LSU
Sept. 22 Arkansas
Sept. 29 Southern Miss
Oct. 6 at Mississippi State
Oct. 13 Tennessee
Oct. 20 at Ole Miss
Oct. 27 OPEN DATE
Nov. 3 Texas A&M
Nov. 10 at Georgia
Nov. 17 Liberty
Nov. 24 at Alabama

Every time I look at this schedule I think this team could quite easily be a 10-2 or an 8-4 one. As much as SEC fans keeping lording it over the Pac-12, Washington is a beast of a team to start the season with. LSU in Week 3 ain’t gonna be that nice either. We think the Tigers will go 4-1 in the first five games of the season, and then go to CowbelLand against Mississippi State and pull out a tight, tight victory, before comfortably Tennessee, and running all over Ole Miss. They’ll beat A&M to set up a monster game against unbeaten Georgia in Athens. Georgia will hit them with a loss, before they rebound by throttling Liberty. The Alabama game could be one of the games of the season…..with Auburn losing. That makes for a 9-3 season, although if the potential for an 8-2 season will be bright (or even better than that) if they beat Washington and come into Athens unbeaten. In other words, we don’t think Gus Malzahn’s name is on the chopping block. Then again, this is the Plains. 

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