The Volunteers are finally back. Some—depending on team affiliation—would roll their eyes at that statement because we’ve heard the story for quite some time. Signing Day triumphs have turned into unwarranted preseason hype before the talent was ripe. This year, however, is different because the Volunteers are returning a proven nucleus of players who have the talent to win a championship. Butch Jones has proven he is a winner at every stop, and many felt it was only a matter of time before he won at the highest level. The final step Jones must prove is his ability to win at the highest level. He has done a tremendous job retooling Tennessee thus far, but the battle is only halfway over.
The Mark Richt era is officially over—and it is difficult to imagine anyone other than Richt leading the Bulldogs between the hedges. Richt gave Georgia fans plenty to cheer about, but never managed to be the top dog in the SEC, particularly when Urban Meyer’s Florida program was the dominant team during the mid 2000s, and now Nick Saban’s Alabama program is the gold standard in college football. While Richt had tremendous success and was very close to a national title in 2012, he picked a bad time to go stale, 13 years into his tenure. Given Richt’s pedigree with quarterbacks and his tremendous success with David Greene, Matthew Stafford, and Aaron Murray, I thought Georgia picked a bad time to fire him given Jacob Eason’s impending commitment. However, the Kirby Smart era has started off well on the recruiting trail, and the Bulldog program has a new feel to it. Now he has to prove that it is more than just window dressing.
It was a tale of two seasons for Florida in Jim McElwain’s first year. The Gators started off hot by winning their first six games, as well as starting 10-1. However, after Will Grier’s suspension, the offense became very Muschamp-esque as the Gators struggled against inferior opponents and were blown out against formidable opponents. Still, 2016 was a far cry from 2013-2014 and the program has regained its pride. Many of the same questions that surrounded this team at this time last year still remain. Yet, one of the biggest question marks, the head coach, is no longer a concern as Jim McElwain proved to be worthy of the praise as he came over from Colorado State.
Missouri football will certainly have a different feel to it without Gary Pinkel on the sideline for the first time in 16 years. The Tigers continually surprised people with their success after transitioning to the SEC despite lacking the perceived talent of other traditional SEC powers. Time and time again, Pinkel proved that disciplined, smart football almost always prevails over sheer talent. Albeit, Missouri’s roster was largely underrated by most media outlets and continually churned out playmakers. Pinkel’s presence will not be completely interrupted as former defensive coordinator Barry Odom takes over the reigns as head coach. However, Odom’s promotion is not the only major coaching change as Josh Heupel takes over as offensive coordinator while famed defensive line coach Tom Kuligowski has moved to join Mark Richt’s staff at Miami.
The Wildcats finished 2015 with a disappointing 5-7 record. After taking over a program in the gutters, Mark Stoops began his head coaching tenure with consecutive two-win seasons before breaking through in 2014 with a 5-7 record. With tangible improvements on the recruiting trail and in the win/loss column, the Wildcat program finally had momentum for the first time since the Andre Woodson era. And with a handful of blue chip recruits competing for the starting QB position, there was only more reason for optimism. Patrick Towles was named the starting QB, and his individual season was just as disappointing as Kentucky’s.
After one of the worst debuts as a new head coach, Derek Mason is slowly gaining traction in Nashville. Mason inherited a bare cupboard from former coach James Franklin, and as such, most of the criticism he faced was uninformed. The Commodores only improved by one game from 2014 to 2015, but the actual improvements are not accurately reflected in the record. In 2014, Vanderbilt was blown out by Temple in Week 1, barely defeated UMass and Charleston Southern, and lost every SEC game. With 15 starters back, including the young nucleus that helped revive the defense, Vanderbilt is once again trending upwards.
Will Muschamp is once again an SEC head coach. After cleaning up the mess Urban Meyer left at Florida, albeit a roster chock full of talented players, Muschamp was unable to live up to Meyer’s level of success and was subsequently released. He led one of the nation’s best defenses in 2012, which concluded in a trip to the Sugar Bowl—Muschamp may have ultimately failed at Florida but has certainly proven he can win. He inherits a 3-9 team and a program that must compete with SEC powerhouses and a now-juggernaut Clemson program. His resume may not be that of the ideal candidate, but his personality and energy are critical characteristics—actually prerequisites—for a job like this.
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