SEC Football Hour Ep. 4: Ranking The Top 5 Offenses

Welcome to Episode 4 of the SEC Football Hour with Chase Robinson and Chris Lee, an SEC football podcast that discusses the biggest storylines in the conference all year long. We’ll cover the biggest/trending topics, featuring fun and interesting guest interviews, season predictions, player and team SEC trivia, and a wide range of various unique segments.

Chase and Chris talk about one big question for Alabama, Florida, and Ole Miss. Also talk with ESPN Arkansas’ Tye Richardson about the Razorbacks season to come. We rank our top 5 offensive units in the SEC, and a make or break game for Auburn, LSU, and Arkansas

0:00 Intro
2:05 One Big Question (Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss)
14:25 ESPN Arkansas’ Tye Richardson
31:47 Who Said This?
35:08 Top 5 SEC Offensive Units
49:07 Likely Or Unlikely
54:20 Make Or Break Games (Texas, South Carolina, Florida)

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welcome into episode number four of the SEC football hour I’m Chase Robinson Chris Lee also alongside per usual as we’re going to give you some uh great SEC football talk over the next hour here we got a lot to dive into we’re going to talk some Arkansas football Ty Richardson took some time join me earlier this week uh to preview the Razer backs we’ll get some insight from him coming up we’ll also uh count down the top five offensive units in the SEC that’s going to be fun to see what we think about does some teams in their offenses this year we’ll also uh of course give our coach quote some other stuff uh along the way as well but first we got to tell you about our friends as always at bet online they bring you all this great content here on South Eastern 14 they’re your number one source for all of your uh sports betting needs this season from baseball golf soccer right now uh to all the top fights in the UFC and MMA and boxing every stat every matchup and even live odds and spreads while the games are being played when the game’s over head on over to the online casino get in on a game of blackjack or poker unwind with one of the over 150 slots games head over to the website today to get in on the action use promo code believe that is bav for your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit that is promo code believe bleav V bet online the game starts here so Chris another week and another week closer to SEC football we’re almost in the month of July as we’re doing this it’s it’s uh June 26 so next week’s July and I feel like when when July gets here it just it it feels like hey college football season is almost here yeah uh go outside for two seconds and it will feel just like like July even though we’re not in July yet it is a reminder that we are just a few weeks away from media day from from Fall Camp all the stuff that people look forward to and boy I look forward to this show today too you’ve set a great agenda we uh we’ll once again start out with one big question uh we do this for three teams each week and uh so today we’re going to answer or look at one big question for Alabama Florida and om Miss we’ll start with the Crimson Tide and here’s my one big question on Alabama Chris is do they have enough weapons around Jaylen milro uh this is uh kind of in the off season a lot of guys hit the portal they’ve brought in some receivers but I feel like the room is not as as deep and as good as we’ve seen the receiver room at Alabama in year years’s past we saw some guys kind of break out in the spring uh but and I think they’re good at running back but do they have enough weapons enough guys for Jaylen milro to throw to that will consistently make catches he’s gonna throw the ball a lot this year in this kin dor offense and so I’m curious do they have enough weapons specifically at receiver for Jaylen milro to be successful yeah look I think that’s a great question that was actually on the list of questions I was considering asking and Alabama’s always going to have talent right this is the team that made the playoff last year a lot a lot of those guys back including jayen milro but you you look at past Alabama teams it’s not a running back room with Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry it’s not the receiver room Matt Jones had you you lost your tight end Amore nlack I think we know Alabama’s going to have good players that the question is does it have players that are just good or do they approach the the lofty status we’ve seen for some Alabama position group so I think where that question settles is going to have a lot to say about how well Alabama does yeah uh yeah I certainly agree with that so Alam uh so Chris what is your one big question for the tide well Chase I have been keeping these preseason power rankings of the 134 teams just to kind of give me an idea where some of these teams you know are ranking in the preseason order and i’ right now I’m using at Lin’s Lindy’s fpi SP plus waiting on Phil steel allegedly that’s going to make its way to our area but it hasn’t yet and so I’m I’m just kind of like how do these computers rank one to 34 in terms of of opponents and Alabama has got five teams inside my composite top 14 on its schedule so far that’s Georgia Missouri LSU Tennessee Oklahoma and not that the other games are cakewalks Auburn’s on there we know about that road trip to Wisconsin some other games on there too that Alabama will be favored to win but here’s my question Alabama loses three games can it make the playoffs now now I’m not asking you will Alabama lose three games I’m just asking you to accept the premise of my question you know that the losses in there would be you know probably Georgia perhaps at Tennessee perhaps at LSU but that means that all man only loses three they they would have won at Wisconsin won at Oklahoma Won Won some of those games right Alabama will have won two games against top 14 15 opponents and swept the rest of its schedule if if that’s the case if so would a three loss Alabama team make the playoff you know that’s that’s so interesting that that we’re even able to have that conversation now with the expansion of the 12 team playoff because obviously in years past you know two losses kept you out but with this new era of a 12 team playoff like that’s a great question is that possible like could a team do that and you know that’s that’s G to be something we’re gonna have to find out you know when when that time rolls around and um I just have a hard time believing though that any three loss team would be one of the best 12 because I feel like there’s going to it’s it’s set up that there could be a number of 10 and two teams uh teams with two losses and but but where would they stack up and and like you mentioned I think strength of schedule may have something to do with it and and based off of Alabama’s losses and who they lost to but who they beat uh will definitely you know go a long way but I just have a hard time thinking that a three loss team and again this this is something we’re going to have to learn of of who the committee is going to put in but I just have a hard time thinking that three lost team could be in the playoff but but I could be but I could be wrong here’s where I think it’s an interesting discussion chase you see it in basketball like the the way that basketball has made the decision has changed in recent years you’ve seen the committee drop RPI you’ve seen it go to predictive metrics and say well you know this team was 20 and 13 but it was number 18 in kenpom or whatever and all those things the criteria have changed and I think we’ve made some steps in a good direction the other thing you see the committee do at times is use things to justify this or that you could say well the committee wanteded to do it and just threw out reasons and that might be fair but I look at strength of schedule has always been a thing that committees have used to say this is why we did this or didn’t do that you’re scheduling a road trip to Wisconsin in the middle of an SEC schedule that’s got you play in Georgia you got a road trip to Tennessee you got Missouri on that schedule you got a trip to LSU you got a trip to Oklahoma so you know could the committee go hey wait a minute you know they they played at Tennessee they played Georgia they played at LSU might not be five teams in the country that would win any of those games if if the teams are as good as we think and everybody’s gonna be fired at to play Alabama I could just see if it gets close the committee sighting something like that I’m not saying it’s right I’m not saying it’s wrong but I think a three team a three loss Alabama team if that happen would be a very interesting litmus test to see how the committee thinks through these things in this era of 12 team playoff football yeah I I agree with you I I really do speaking of schedules we’ll go to our second team that uh we have one big question about that’s the Florida Gators uh my one big question for Florida is do they have enough depth to withstand the schedule that they have um we we’ve talked about it um on this show uh in in our schedule preview videos like this is this is one of the this is probably the toughest schedule in the country not just the SEC but but in all of college football and like do they have enough depth at at every position especially on defense I think their offense is all right do they have enough depth uh you know really on both sides of the ball but especially on defense to withstand the schedule to withstand the teams that they’re playing to be able to change things up if they need to I think that’s a big question for Billy Napier uh heading into this year and that’s kind of my question for Florida I like it I think that’s going to be important because we all know the SEC can push you and and by November nobody’s playing at 100% strength but here’s the thing we have sort of approached Florida from a negative standpoint really since probably I don’t know the middle of last year because all the talk has been Billy Napier is he the right guy can he survive and now it’s okay now you got the schedule as the extra layer I feel like we focused all our attention on those things started taking a little bit of a look at at all SEC teams and and personnel and stuff this week and lost in that fact GM merch played really really well last year he’s got what 230 something straight passes without an interception really hard to do they’ve got Montell Johnson Jr who’s been a really good running back for them ever since he’s been there Lindy’s preseason First Team all SEC guy they’ve got Eugene Wilson who is the next upand cominging star receiver for them they’ve got an offensive line that’s got a lot of experience uh they may not all be guys that have got that experience at Florida but it seemed like Austin Barber among other people’s been there forever I just wonder in all the focus on those other things are we missing out that hey maybe the maybe the gator could actually field a a good offense and and make things a little more interesting than we are talking about yeah and I and again I think you you said that well of of we get lost in the fact that it’s it’s a lot of questions about this team but Graham Merz is a guy who we we’ve seen what he’s been able to do as a quarterback like I I think he if he has a good season I I think Florida could go along with that you know their their record could reflect that because they do have some guys around him so I think that’s a great question like what you know what can the offense look like how and and again there’s a lot of negative talk and they have a chance to to prove a lot of people wrong this year I I think in winning some games maybe they shouldn’t all right yeah I think that’s that’s going to be interesting to watch and and I’m glad you you laid out the homework assignment the way you did because it it makes me come up with angles I haven’t thought of and and I think that’s one that maybe people are sleeping on yeah for sure so that is our one big question on Florida let’s move to the Old Miss Rebels um my big question for all Miss is I think offensively like again Lane kin with a third year quarterback Jackson Dart they’re going to be really good my question is can their defense be elite enough to get the into the college football playoff um we’ve seen games from LS or from Old Miss I think of of the LSU match up last the last couple of years where Old Miss has played great offensively but they haven’t played great defensively and and and teams have been able to to stay in games with them um Can their defense stop who they need to stop keep teams out of the end zone enough for Old Miss to win enough games to get to the college football playoff again I think offensively there there’s no problem there uh but can Pete Golding lead the defense have the have the the Personnel he needs to be elite you got to have Elite defense I think to be in the college football playoff talk can’t Old Miss do that I think that’s my question yeah spoiler alert Old Miss offense is GNA come up again in this podcast uh for for at least one of us I don’t know about both of us because we hadn’t compared notes so with that I I did what you did Chase I started thinking let’s let’s think of something on defense and I I did something that’s a little bit if you dive into your question this one has to come up and that’s Walter Nolan when Walter Nolan came out of high school he was the number one recruit in the country According to some people and know the the bad thing about being number one Chase is you can never outstrip your expectations you can only live up to them or or fail and to be fair Walter Nolan has been a good player but I don’t know that he’s been a number one Prospect in the country type player yet and now he’s changing schools looking at Lindy’s again I I keep going back to Lindy’s but I haven’t hadn’t found some of the other ones yet and they do a good job anyway but Lindy’s not list him among its top 10 NFL prospects in League which was a little surprising to me uh named him second team preseason on SEC okay there’s some good defensive lineman in this year but I think if you’d said Walter Nolan Jr you would have thought he would have been on both lists by now he’s not I’m interested to see if he can maybe saying live up to the hype is is unfair because of the reasons outlined but can can he approach the hype is what I would like to know if he does I think that’s going to be very important for old M I agree with you I really do uh and so I think it could be a fun year in Oxford uh if everything lines up the way I think it could and so uh Old Miss fansy I’d like to be excited about I think coming up in this 2024 uh SEC football season so that is our one big question for Alabama Florida and O miss here on episode four of the SEC football hour so uh the Arkansas Razer backs we’ve talked some about Arkansas uh you know a lot of questions going into this year uh a lot of close games lost last year uh which sets up uh what could be a very important year for Sam Pitman and the Razer backs I had a chance to catch up earlier this week with uh Ty Richardson he is the host of the morning Rush on ESPN Arkansas also with hitthatline.com and so here is my conversation on some razor back football with Ty Richardson we’re going to talk some Arkansas football now Ty Richardson joins us from ESPN Arkansas and uh it’s going to be a fun year I think for the Razer backs so Ty appreciate you hopping on and talking some Razer back football with us today T absolutely man always happy to jump on southeastern 14 are y’all all in the midst of having to change your name like what’s the I was thinking about that as I popped on is like very soon it will be Southeastern 16 very soon I’m sure I’m sure Chris is uh just just loving the idea of having to fill out all the P paperwork and everything else he’s gonna have to do these next few weeks yes so it will be very soon uh when that happens but uh hey it’s it’s about to be a new year for Arkansas football and there’s a lot to get into I want to start with Bobby patrino uh he’s back offensive coordinator um it he was successful in his time as a head coach obviously everybody knows the the way it all ended there what led to his return and uh what’s kind of the vibe of of of him back there as the offensive coordinator it sure sounds like chase that it was Sam Pitman reaching out to Hunter year EUR having to clear that with the right channels Arkansas Athletics director and then kind of came to fruition um I don’t remember I I the timeline is a little little faded on me I I can’t remember if Bobby reached out or if if Sam initially reached out first but there was mutual interest and obviously there is now because he’s the offensive coordinator um it was originally a huge splash I think they were hoping that it would fund some more nil efforts and according to Arkansas Edge which is Arkansas’s really big nil initiative it hasn’t they’ve been doing this drive for five campaign um they’ve got less than 900 members to my knowledge at this current moment so it hasn’t been as successful there but the important thing is is the translate to wins I I think there will be more of a an app to to donate and potentially now we still gotta wait on what the new nil structure looks like with Revenue sharing and everything but I think Arkansas fans are cautiously optimistic but they got burned pretty bad last year I mean this was a team that was preseason number three in the SEC West and Chase they were nowhere near close to that brother yeah yeah for sure and and uh when you look at the offense now under Bobby patrino I mean Boise State transfer ton green comes in at quarterback you got some guys coming back around him and some transfers how do you see the offense going under patrino with the pieces that he now has I think the offense is is going to be good they’ve returned like 93 92% of their pass catchers from last year Chase including a freshman All-American and lucaz not too far from bxby Oklahoma you’ve got some other guys and Isaac Tesla I love Andrew Armstrong I felt like that he was held back last year I think he’s going to have a thousand plus yards this season I really am a believer in him I was glad when he’s come back Tyrone Broden um they’ve got some guys that you could say okay they they might be able to compete in the CC and then again it’s figuring that system and that quarterback offensive line like you mentioned that’s a still a question mark it was so bad last year and it was just inexplicable like you should never have an offensive line that bad when Sam Pitman is your head football coach regardless if he’s watching him every day or not it just it should never look like that and it did and you think about two years prior to last season they were the number one team in the power five in rushing and then this past season they they gave up a bevia sacks didn’t run the ball well it was just a a a combination of a bunch of issues so I think offense is going to be not just marginally better but consistently better defense though might take a step back they kind of trailed off at the end of the season just because they were gas but you look at some of those games like in the first half against LSU or good chunk of Alabama good chunk of Old Miss they held some pretty potent offensive down you got to give Travis Williams Credit in year one I just they lost a lot in year especially at the linebacker core Chase yeah and just kind of looking at their the roster the depth chart maybe uh depth may be an issue on defense in some places yep always is man Arkansas has never probably since BRS was here has never had that consistency at depth on the defensive side of the football particularly in a defensive line in linebackers and you think about the SEC where you have to be a stalard at that position it’s particularly up front and they’ll have a guy I think they’ll be okay coming off the edge like they they have Landon Jackson back he’ll be one of the better defensive ends in the SEC that Jun Kai guy that they got out of I think juk not juko ball I think it was just lower level classification football LED um I think it was FCS and U Sachs but then after like it’s just it’s up front it’s in that middle like there’s no Terren Cody in the middle for Arkansas man it be nice to have a Mount Cody up front but you just don’t have that and there are some guys that maybe like their future but it’s not deep there in the interior whatsoever Jason linebacker core you lose Jem Thomas back to his former coach and Luke fickle Chris P Paul goes to Old Miss you got crook going elsewhere I think uh there was one or two other linebacker transfers and you brought in some guys you’re excited about including zavon Sor Brad Spence might take a step but there are still some depth questions that are worthy to be brought up heading into this season that we’re now only 65 days out from Chase still Arkansas football’s pretty wild it is and uh you know a lot of talk going into the season of of Sam Pitman will he make it through will he survive the season what do you in your opinion what do you think it will take for for Sam Pitman to be back as the head coach at Arkansas what what will this year have to look like it’s Mega bowl game I know it’s either said and done three non-c conerts you’re not going to beat Oklahoma State in week two I’d love for it to happen but you’re going up against a seven-year quarterback in Allan Bowman best running back in college football and olly Gordon underrated home venue in Stillwater Oklahoma at boom picket Stadium you’re not going to win that game and I’m okay with that I’ve already honestly penciled it in as a loss now I don’t want him to get beat by 35 but I think when you look past that you got that road game against Auburn right after your home open against UAB you’ve got the final game in Jerry World against Texas A&M you’ve got to find a way to beat Mike Elco and year one and then you beat Mississippi State on the road uh and then you got to win one or two home games so there there’s six wins in this schedule and I say six regular season wins plus a bull win that gives fans okay you made a three- win jump from last year still not great necessarily we want to be but at least it’s progress and that’s what I want to see is progress I’m not asking for the moon this season I’m not asking him to go nine and three regular season get to 10 wins but you can’t have a losing record again I don’t believe this upcoming year yeah and and you look back to last year I mean uh BYU lost 3831 LSU lost 34 uh 31 Old Miss 2720 Alabama 2421 uh so many close games last year they just weren’t able to finish and really that’s been a trend under uh really the last couple of years uh I was looking at something like three and nine in in one score games that’s that’s tough It’s Brutal Chase and like I I think about those games I was at when I was in Oxford Mississippi and watched KJ throw that final interception or I was in TUS Alabama I watched Jaylen millero make the throw of his life on like a third and 10 where it went over the linebacker and under the safety and his guy somehow caught it or I was in Baton Rouge where they could not stop Jaden Daniels in the second half because he was throwing to a Brian Thomas and a Malik Neighbors which are NFL wide receivers it’s just he didn’t have NFL Corners necessarily on the outside so they battled on the road but they got walloped at home I mean you’re looking at that schedule they got walloped by Auburn they got wall uped by Missouri they didn’t show up against Mississippi State like they they can’t do that at home this year and it’s a it’s a tough schedule I mean you’ve got Tennessee is going to be good under under Nico this year at quarterback I think LSU I know they’ve it’s a revamped LSU team but shouldn’t take Brian Kelly lightly and then you’ve got Old Miss who might be the best team outside of Georgia and Texas in the conference and Texas who might be the SEC one of the SEC Champion Representatives so it’s a it’s a Road I’m excited to to take that Journey though started in about 65 days Jas yeah uh what’s what’s the fan what’s the Viber on the fans around the football program right now it’s not great um and I don’t blame him at all I mean your basketball program just hired a Hall of Fame coach and John Cal Perry and those expectations have even been hiding since mus brought them to the that kind of sweet 16 Elite a fans are taking final four National Championship now in basketball the baseball team just or the Baseball fans just watched Tony vitello a former assistant win a National Championship after uh coming up short once again in a regional in your home ballpark back toback years so there’s some discouragement there and the combination Chase so two years ago when Arkansas was the number one team in baseball they went to the elite a in basketball and they won nine games in football in 2021 2022 kind of that combo calendar year was awesome and they followed it up with the College World Series appearance that next season this past season they went four day in football they did not even come close to an NCAA tournament appearance and baseball team again floundered when they shouldn’t have so there it’s not just the the fans that are disappointed or not necessarily have the most ump for football it’s just as a whole what I’m hoping is that this is a valley and it’s a short valley and it rises to back to it’s a respectable level and not that you weren’t respectable in in baseball this season but I I think fans expected a little more than to get bounced by Simo and the faville regional to not even make the regional final so to your question football’s it’s not the best of hopes right now but all it takes is a week two win in Still Water to turn those rounds upside down Chase yeah that’s for sure and and you mentioned the schedule and just looking up and down and specifically the Texas A&M game it’s the last one uh that’ll be played in in Arlington is that something that the fans are excited about for that to get back to like the the home in home or is that something markets all likes going Arlington to play so chase the background not only with Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones the Cowboys Executives the owner um being aranson and I say aranson I think he’s born in LA but Arkansas race backs through and through is like Arkansa won in 2009 2010 2011 then A&M joined the SEC they played the first game of College Station Hogs got romped by Johnny next year’s close eight or 12-point loss in fil to Johnny then they’ve done done the Jerry W te every year in the SEC since 2014 Arkansas has won one of those games so fans have gotten tired of now if they were winning all the time it’d be a vacation it’d be a trip it’d be a fun weekend but it hasn’t been fun so they want him in fville think about the the upping of ticket prices donations parking everything that comes along with that when fans see that they’re losing a game to War Memorial Stadium in L Rock and they’re losing this game it ticks them off and yet they’re still getting charged more so fans in both parties both in College Station and across the state of Arkansas are glad this game is going back to home at home maybe there’s a game in the future they play in Jerry world because Jerry loves his Razorbacks and I love Jerry for that not a Cowboy fan but I love him for that uh it’s just not going to be what Texas ain’t in moving forward and you know and this is a kind of a middle of the season game usually but this is a big rivalry game like uh from from what I see you know Arkansas Texas andm hate each other I mean is that is that the right vibe there let me tell you something Texas is still the crimal Crim of hatred for the majority of Razia back fans I think LSU is is probably number two um Old Miss is is up there as well for me it’s Texas a& init number one I hate that school with the burning passion I hate everything about that cultist University and college station and what makes it worse is the stat I just mentioned that every game since 2012 with the exception of 2021 they’ve won and they haven’t just won Chase if you go back and look at that series they’ve won of the most excruciating ways possible like I can tell you how every game ended from 2015 to last season like I so with the exception of last year and I guess my senior year when that game was at like 8: a.m and I was nearly blackout by like four um those games have just been agonizing for Razer back teams coaches players and fans it’s horrible and hoping they go out a high note this year brother yeah for sure and you mentioned Texas I mean that’s that was a a classic there Arkansas and Texas that’s being you know rivalry kind of being renewed but obviously Texas you know one of the really one of the best teams in the country you could say uh could you see that game in in years to come being being a a good rivalry again so what I think happened in 2021 it was really cool to to be in Donald W reyolds race back Stadium to his experiences is like the grandparents and the parents and even the great grandparents to a certain extent would tell the young folk the kids the grandkids uh any connection anyone that would listen whatsoever about this rivalry Arkansas saw kids with the exception of that 2014 bowl game against Texas in the te in in Houston didn’t really get to experience it in hand and I mean there’s only a certain amount of people that can go to Houston for a bowl game um they experienced it in 2021 on a cold September 9 and I mean it wasn’t that cold honestly it actually felt great I remember like it was yesterday so you have all these young people that a lot of them a lot of Arkansas kids I say kids a lot of Arkansas college students are from Texas they didn’t get into Austin or they have friend centage so they’re they hate that school not from an athletic standpoint and they finally got to like breede not not a sigh of relief but like take in the Rivalry for the first time in seven years and they played prior to that I guess it was 2008 and they played early in the 2000s with one of my co-workers and former quarterback Matt Jones what he did in Austin but that rivalry can really take take off again and Texas is never going to look at Arkansas like Arkansas fans look at Texas which is fine they’re going to walk into buz saws some nights and some days if they continue to look at that um RAC backs do not have a great record overall against law horns but um they’re going to give them everything they got each time they play football basketball baseball it is a heated rivalry more from the Arkansas vantage point but one that is going to be fun to watch in years to come if you’re just a casual football basketball or baseball fan in the SEC yeah uh Before I Let You Go and later on in the show we’re gonna uh Chris and I are going to give a a make or break game for a few teams Arkansas is one of those so I want to get your opinion what do you think on this schedule this year is a maker break game for the Razer backs Chase let me pull up the schedule real quick um because I think if I remember correctly the Tennessee game Falls right before an Arkansas bu and that’s kind of the one I had penciled in as the game to look for yeah Tennessee is right before the bu October the 5th um I’ve got some friends coming in from Nashville that are Tennessee alums that are going to watch that game so it’s going to be like us in the visitor section in red with them in Orange um I I think that game because Tennessee is a squad that again there’s no East and West anymore um but it’s a team that is is kind of like in my opinion georg’s Top Dog and they’re kind of in that like Texas Old Miss um maybe LSU line in Alabama I don’t think Alabama’s going to compete for a title this year I think they lose three games but that’s a team that really needs to win against Arkansas and that’ll be one of ni’s first kind of road games as a starting quarterback in this league how he adjust there’s a five-star Prodigy coming out of high school but it’s one thing to slinging in college can you do in the SEC and he’s going to be tested um I forget that game’s anywhere from I think 2:30 to 7 it’s one of those Flex games if I remember that right um so hopefully it’s a night game and that’s the game if I had to pencil one in Chase I think that’s one of the most pitiful you can’t because you look at that schedule prior to again I don’t think you’re be in Oklahoma State Auburn probably not A&M’s a toss up I mean if you have three SEC losses before the buy and you’re sitting two and four that’s a that’s a tough ass down the stretch to to win four of your next six in my opinion Chase yeah I certainly agree with that Ty Richardson covering the Arkansas Razorbacks here with ESPN Arkansas appreciate you coming on with us today Ty certainly enjoyed that and uh we’ll have to get you on again soon Chase appreciate the time man can’t wait for SEC football just s the uh SEC on CBS no longer exist we don’t have that great music to look forward to this the best the best music thanks Ty that was Ty Richardson appreciate his time of talking some Arkansas football with me earlier this week he is from ESPN Arkansas also hit that line.com uh covering the Razer backs and uh we’ll we’ll get to Arkansas later on when we get to our Mak or break games coming up a little bit later on but uh right now we’re going to uh have a little fun here with our who said this with our quote from a current or former SEC football coach uh one of us will read the quote the other will guess who it is and uh let’s see Chris I’ll let you go first uh what’s your uh what’s your quote for who said this this week okay I here’s my quote it is awfully important to win with humility it’s also important to lose I hate to lose worse than anyone but if you never lose you won’t know how to act if you lose with humility then you can come back who said it that’s a that’s that feels like such a such a coach quote you know like yeah I could see a number of coach is saying this oh and um all of these words don’t sound like this coach but I’m going to go with is that Nick Sabin no but you’re close I had faked you which is not a nice thing to do to your he to your your co-host but I figured you didn’t think I’d go two be Bryant quotes two weeks in a row but I did wow see I was thinking that I but I but I thought he wouldn’t do that two weeks in a row so right that’s that’s not very nice of me but but it maybe it makes for a better show yeah and and and I I can totally see be Bryant saying that uh that was a good one though uh so who said this Chris if you think there’s a such thing as an unimportant game just try losing one I think be Bryant could have said that I think Nick Sabin could have said that I think Steve spurger could have said that I’m going to wonder though because you wouldn’t think I would guess the same guy that I just gave you so I’m going to guess Bear Bryant you know you’re close you’re close sa no no Jean Stallings oh okay right family of coaches yes so we we both went the uh Alabama Avenue there uh this week you said bear Bry you said Sabin and I want to say just go right in the middle you know the middle of those two guys yeah that was a uh Jean Stallings quote there he he had some good ones too over his time you know you uh he kind of gets overshadowed a little bit by barar Bryant Nick sabbin in Alabama but jean Stallings ton of success there as well yeah very underrated coach that’s you know we don’t think about it much but how how many coaches win a National Title and they’re maybe like the third coach third best coach ever at your school yeah yeah that’s true that is very true so there’s some some fun there as we both went to the Alabama coaching tree there for our who said this this week we’ll shift over to some rankings we like to rank things here on the show and today we’re g to look at the rank our top five offensive units uh in the SEC this year so we’ll start at five we’ll countdown one being who we think will be the best offensive unit uh but we’ll again start at five work our way down Chris I’ll let you go first who do you have at number five as we rank our top five uh offense of units all right at number five I’ve got the Missouri Tigers because boy do they bring back a lot of guys they bring back Brady cook who just did such a fantastic job last year they bring back just a a very experienced receiving room Luther buron they they got dep and and Theo whise muku Cooper’s been there forever Brett norle they’re tight end kind of gets lost in the shuffle don’t know about the offensive line as much they lost Javon Foster but they returned three starters don’t know about running back either but uh nobody was talking about Cody Scher coming in the last year and he was the most productive running back in the league you have guys that have made plays before you’ve got a coach who runs a system who has made the most out of it at least he did last year I like Missouri’s chances to be in that top five yeah that’s that’s I like that I mean uh having them in the top five I think they really have a chance especially with a with an offive minded coach to do that um number five I’ve got uh I’ve got one of the newcomers I’ve got the Oklahoma Sooners um they’re breaking in a a quarterback in Jackson Arnold um but they’ve got so many guys around him uh they you know whether it’s transfers Deion Burks who’s come in who is fantastic you think of guys um uh like Andrew Anthony Nick Anderson Jaylen Gibson those are guys who last year were averaging more than 20 yards per catch and if you have you know four or five guys who can do that like and your quarterback’s able to get it to them which I think Jackson Arnold is just based off what I’ve seen from him in the spring like I think they’re going to put up some big numbers you know now um you know how are they going to fit in the SEC we’ll have to see I think that I think it’s going to be a good season for Oklahoma um but once Jackson honor really Settles into his role which I don’t don’t think is going to take long then watch out I think for Oklahoma’s offense I think it could be really good so I’ve got them uh at number five just because I think they’re really good but I also think there’s also some questions just with the with the young Jackson Arnold but yeah I’ve got them at uh at number five who is your number four offensive unit in the SEC number four I got Alabama and we kind of re hashed out Alabama’s potential issues earlier in the show but Alabama’s got Jaylen milroe who just got better and better and is going to be a one of those guys on that short list for potential Heisman finalists you got kayin dor who is just as a tremendous offensive coach uh you saw what he did with Washington last year again we don’t know what all the parts are going to look like they did get Kaden Proctor back in the spring after they lost him to Alabama hey you bet on Alabama and I’m gonna say the Crimson Tide even we don’t know exactly what it looks like or going to be in that top five yeah and uh we we we think the same there on on number four I’ve also got Alabama um and when you H when you when you go out Nick San was such a a defensive minded coach like he was he’s a brilliant defensive coach he spent a lot of time with the defensive backs um Alabama goes out after Nick sain and hires one of the best offensive Minds in the country uh and the two other ones are in the SEC but Kayla dbor um what he was able to do with this offens at Washington Michael pennick uh and and we saw the numbers he put up I think he has such a great offensive mind and he he translates so well to the players um Michael pennick has been in Tuscaloosa recently um I’m I’m sure he’s had a lot of great conversations with Jaylen milro and helping him as well and so I I think this Alabama offense and and it may take a couple of games to get settled in but but I think it’s going to it’s I think we’re going to see the Alabama offense just continue with with how we’ve seen it go and maybe even get better under a coach like Kaylin dor so yeah we both got uh got the tide there at number four who is your number three team Chris well I’ve got all Miss feels like a lane kein offense has got to be in here in your top five just because it’s Lane keif and oh by the way you know two of the top three or four receivers in the league they got a third-year quarterback who’s been very productive now they they lost quinan Judkins that that hurts but they’ve got three running backs at least who can play uh you know maybe not the top offensive line in the league but but a good enough one I mean the quarterback the receiver room in the presence of Lane kein should be good enough alone to get Old Miss u in in the top five in history I think backs me up here yeah um you I think uh yeah I think I’ll get to them in a minute but uh I’ve got Georgia number three and uh you know and and I went back and forth in this because I think Carson Beck is a is a great quarterback back uh he’s he’s just got so many new guys around him like I don’t think there’s a doubt that it’s that they’re going to be on the same page and they’re going to put up great numbers and and win a lot of games this year um but just you you lose guys like lad mccon you lose a guy like Brock Bowers who is a big Target now you’ve uh you got a great running back now in in Trevor inen but you know who who Who’s going to step up around Carson backck who’s going to be his targets to throw to again they brought some good wide receivers out of the portal uh and some guys who were on the roster last year who have stayed and have gotten better I know but um you know I’ve got them at number three just just because of the questions like Carson Beck is going to be able to get the ball up in the air and uh and he’s gonna be confident of throws but are they gonna have guys who can make plays and catch them that’s why I’ve got them at number three but again I think they’re going to be a a pretty good offense there so uh who is your number two team Chris I’ve got Texas and it’s got all the ingredients he got a got an offensive minded head coach who’s had success since Steve sarkeesian of course went to the playoff last year Lindy’s position rankings in the SEC number one quarterback room of course we know about that Quinn ERS and all the talent behind him number two running back room number two wide receiver room you know pulling Isaiah bond from Alabama and number one offensive line uh any questions here maybe the question is Chris should you have had him at your number one spot yeah um I’ve actually got Texas at number two as well um and and you said a lot of what I was going to say um to me there’s no better offensive coach in the country than Steve sarkeesian and just talking with with people who were close to the Alabama program when he was there uh just the the way he approached game planning for every game uh the changes that he made in the game and and how quick he was able to make offensive changes and and change the scheme and be successful is incredible he’s just he’s a very gifted offensive coach and he’s got the pieces around him to have another great year Quinn ERS incredible quarterback if something happens well hey you got Arch Manning right behind him I mean two fantastic quarterbacks Isaiah Bond transferred in to uh help the wide receiver room um to you got running backs CJ Baxter uh who who’s fantastic running I think this is going to be an Inc incredible offense for Texas I think this is a Texas team who who might could go all the way because of the weapons they have on offense so I’ve got them at number two but I agree with you yeah the only question is like could you put them at number one and I think you definitely could who’s your number one well I’ve got Georgia and and maybe that’s maybe that’s overstating it but Georgia right now has got the quarterback who is the top favorite to win the Heisman certainly was great a year ago and sometimes it’s not who you you you don’t have uh you mentioned and I think the Brock Powers loss I mean he may be the best tight end in the history of SEC football and they they did without him last year and still won everything but one game um sometimes it’s it’s who you like let’s look at their wide receiver room just the last few years they get rro Thomas from Mississippi State Dominic LoveIt from Missouri guys that were probably the top receiver on those teams at decent programs they were afterthoughts at Georgia the last couple of years uh they landed a guy in London humph that I don’t know how much the SEC you know community at large knows him but he he was a really good player at Vanderbilt you know probably a a top three or four kid on their team he went to Georgia in Spring I don’t know he’s going to crack their top three you look at the offensive line Tate rutage Xavier truss guys like that feel like they played forever look Georgia always figures it out they’ve got depth coming out their ears I’m I’m gonna ride with Georgia maybe it’s recency bias maybe I should have been more creative but that’s where I went okay and and I I think that’s a good choice I’ve got the Old Miss Rebels at number one um based off lane kein for the first time has a third-year starting quarterback in Jackson Dart and I mentioned how great of an offensive mind Steve sarkeesian is I think Len kein is is probably the second greatest offensive mind in the country um and so for him to have a third-year starting quarterback hit the portal hard brought in some really good guys he’s got a great receiver room uh for for Dart to go to um you mentioned he he lost quinan junkins but he’s got other great running backs in as well um and and guys who can also you know catch some passes out of the back field as well so I think uh Lane kein is just so creative on offense with another year with Jackson Dart I think he’s going to be even more creative uh in in the way they work some things so I think this could be one of the most exciting probably the most exciting and explosive offense in the SEC this year um with the creativity of the mind of Lane kein so I’m excited to see what oh miss can do and if they if they look the way I think they will offensively they’re going to be playing well into January I think yeah for the rebels Chase let’s Ponder what we left out for a minute okay I didn’t have Oklahoma on there that might be a mistake neither of us had Tennessee on there yeah that’s one that you’re you’re like oh boy do I do I really put this list together and don’t put Josh hyle and and those guys on there but that’s the kind of League we’re covering this year yeah it is and that was funny you say that because I was really going back and forth on Tennessee of whether I wanted to put them in that five spot or Oklahoma how I want to do but I just I feel like and I’m and I I put Oklahoma in there with a with a freshman you know first year starting quarterback yeah um Nico though at Tennessee I think is is going to be a great quarterback I’m just I I still want to wait and see I think they would be SI if we if we kept going I think they would be number six Tennessee would be number six on my list because I just I gotta see how how the Tennessee offense rolls hyp is a great offensive coach as well you know he understands that quarterback position because he was a quarterback um I still just I have to wait and see I feel like if this Tennessee offense is going to be like the 2022 Tennessee offense or if it’s going to be kind of the offense that took a step back last year I i’ I’ve just got to wait and see before I you know put everything in on Tennessee but I they were so hard to leave out of this list I I can see what you’re saying there and I think what you’re saying between the lines it depends on quarterback play and let’s look two years ago what they turned hended hooker into and look like I just think Joe Milton it just was you can only do so much with a quarterback and it probably just wasn’t going to happen with him I feel like Nico is closer to henden Hooker than he is Joe Milton uh and if so I probably the one that made a mistake leaving him out but I mean goodness gracious o i mean there’s some other offenses we’re not even mentioning we talked about how Florida’s got some players kenty’s got a really good receiving room flipped it over quarterback with the with a with a former five-star guy LSU my goodness Garrett nus yeah really talented kid um you know Jeff leby great offensive mind now Mississippi state is not going to crack the top five this year but he’s a he’s an offensive mind that could be in anybody’s program somewhere I mean you you got a lot of choices on this list yeah and I think what could be cool and and I can make note of this is to go back you know in DC and look at this list compared to who actually finished top five in the SEC and offense because I think our list could be much different DEC because you you mentioned a team like LSU uh or Tennessee uh you had Missouri in your top five I didn’t in mind but they could be one of those teams I think LSU could be a borderline as well to be in this top five for sure I mean um I think Garrett NM is going to step in to do a great job for after what Jaden Daniels did so I yeah there’s so many great offense in the SEC it was hard to to narrow it down to five yeah it really was all right so that’s our top five offensive units in the SEC we’ll move into our likely or unlikely we’ll throw out a couple of scenarios a piece and have a a chance to answer if we think those are likely or unlikely I’ll start Chris uh here’s my first scenario with likely or unlikely do you think this is likely or unlikely Oklahoma wins nine games H all right let’s let’s start with the losses that where they going to be favored to lose um probably Texas probably at Old Miss probably Alabama oh or at LSU yeah I I don’t know there’s a lot of you know Auburn’s no pushover Tennessee’s no pushover I I I think I think I will take somewhere south of nine and three okay I most of the win totals that I saw when I was looking this up had Oklahoma some of them had seven and a half some of them had eight and a half uh maybe I would lean maybe towards the seven and a half um just because I mean they do have a brutally tough schedule first year in the SEC um but yeah there there’s a lot of tossup games I feel like uh for this Oklahoma team so yeah um I think that’s a good answer there from you uh here uh is another scenario do you think this is likely or unlikely we see significant playing time from Arch Manning this year at Texas wow well significant playing time looks like a couple things to me a and injury b a a bunch of blowouts um games Texas could blow teams out Colorado State UTSA ULM Mississippi State Vanderbilt Florida Arkansas uh perhaps Kentucky perhaps even A&M uh that that’s a lot of games where Aggies or Aggies good grief people will love me for that one the Longhorns are going to be double digit favorites I I say if significant playing time means getting a quarter and a half in in a lot in you know in a half dozen games or more yeah I’ll take it yeah uh you know I I think about Quinn ERS he had a great year last year a little inconsistent the year before so if if we see some inconsistency peek its head like what what does what does Sark do I mean this is kind of a playoff or bust year for Texas like does he go all in or Arch man I think there I think there’s some some questions around that some some legitimacy to Arch Manning seeing some playing time so uh that was my unlikely or likely or unlikely give me some scenarios from you Chris all right Ten’s James Pierce Jr does he lead the SEC in sacks you got some other good defenders in the in the league but he I think is a leading returning sack guy so he would seem to have the edge that that’s a good one um yeah I think he does have the edge and I think he will I’m GNA go likely there i i i n none come to my mind right off the bat that I think would would outdo him so I’m gonna go likely okay yeah i’ interested see what happens with Harold Perkins at La might be might be a wild card yeah what is your your second scenario yeah next up for me Jor quz Hunter at Auburn leads the SEC in rushing I’ll give you my justification uh I think he was second team on Lindy’s you saw Montell Johnson ahead of him Texas has got good running backs but I think that Hunter’s got a pretty good track record of yardage at Auburn uh I feel like I don’t know if the time share situation he’ll be compe with other guys maybe some other guys in this league would be um quarterback situation a little shaky maybe at Auburn so I feel like you know he might lead the league in carries which would seem to give you a leg up on that you know that’s uh that’s something I haven’t even thought about and as you were talking my wheels were turning uh maybe that maybe that that could be um they brought in some good receivers but can Payton Thorne be consistent enough enough to get it to those receivers or does he need to be one of those guys that just hey let’s get it to Hunter let him go to work and so um but you said lead the league um I’m gonna go unlikely I think there’s a lot I think he could be up there I think he will be up there um but I think there’s a lot of other guys who who I could see leading the league so I’m going to go unlikely yeah it’s one of those things where it’s like you almost always take the the field versus the one option you’re given but it’s like well you know who would you put ahead of that guy so that’s what makes it interesting yeah that that’s a real that really had me thinking that’s that was a good one Chris so that is our likely or unlikely for this week we’ll roll into our final segment here and that is maker break games we’ve chosen three teams uh and uh we will share a maker break game and we’ll start with the Auburn Tigers uh Chris who do you think a make or break game is for Auburn this year all right I’ve got Oklahoma on September the 28th that’s the fifth of five straight home games to start the year Auburn should be favored in the first four you win this one you’re five and0 you know if if you’re doing mock playoff rankings Auburn would probably be in it at that point just based on body of work uh now lose that one uh you’re at best four- one and you could be three- two uh let’s play along you know maybe there’s a loss to Kin there somewhere or or Arkansas I doubt it um I think they’re gonna be favored to go four and0 but boy you you beat Oklahoma and you’re GNA need it at that point because the toughest part of your schedule is to come that gets folks in Auburn excited I think yeah and uh I’ve actually got that game with Oklahoma as well and and I say that to look at the rest of the schedule um you it’s your your fifth straight game at home um you have got Georgia and Missouri the next two games on the road including a matchup at Kentucky on the road so three straight road games after this Oklahoma game to me you want to win this one because that Georgia game is going to be tough that Missouri game’s goingon to be tough and all the road to Kentucky will be tough and so I think if you can get a win here maybe five and0 you get all five wins at home then you roll into these Georgia Missouri Kentucky games on the road with much more confidence and and you’re in a really good spot if you’re if you’re five and0 and uh so I think the Oklahoma game is going to be huge I think it’s going to be a fantastic game inside Jordan hair Stadium but yeah I think that I agree with you that definitely could be a Mak or break game there for the Tigers moving to the other Tigers LSU who do you have as air maker break Game Chris boy this was a tough one and I I had several potential choices I took A&M on the road October 26 LSU’s first game potentially is an underdog um let’s look at the schedule to that point southern cal probably gonna be a slight favorite out South Carolina would think a slight favorite UCLA gonna be favored uh Old Miss maybe an underdog but that’s in Baton Rouge probably not at Arkansas that that could be the first game depending on what A&M does that that LSU is an underdog and and boy you look at what comes after that Alabama at Florida uh Vandy and then Oklahoma I think uh you probably that that’s a swing game to me uh especially on the road yeah for LSU I actually went with the November 9th match up with Alabama because I think LSU wins this game at home against Alabama I think there’s no doubt they’re in the conversation for the college football playoff you lose this game at home to Alabama then I think your chances of making the playoff have just gone down uh a good bit and so I think this is a game that LSU wants to win and if they do they have a great shot at the playoff now if this is their only loss or you know this is their second loss or something that I could still see them getting in the playoff but they’re you know they’re not going to they’re going to get a lower seed uh but you win this game I think your chances of being you know top six are are very high uh for the LSU Tigers so I went with that Alabama matchup and finally uh the Arkansas Razer backs who would you say a make or break game for for Arkansas would be well when you head coaches on the hot seat Chase um it feels like all of them are make a break but I I feel like October 26th Mississippi State first year head coach Jeff lebby you’re Sam Pitman you lose that one feels like it’s going to be awfully tough to survive the year so that’s where I went we we think alike again I went with that one as well I mean you you look at their schedule it’s tough um you know you get get uh you get Tennessee at home you get LSU at home very two very good teams and and uh we’ll be tough on but yeah that Mississippi State game I feel like that’s the one they they they have to circle like we we have to win this because you have old miss you have Texas coming up after that one so um yeah I think that will be a a big game for momentum a big game for like where’s this program at uh on October 26 there at Mississippi State so that is our our maker break games that is uh our fourth episode of the SEC football hour uh drop a comment down on anything we were talking about we’d love to see your comments you can drop those down in the video subscribe to our Channel like this video share with your friends and uh hey if you want to sponsor our content you can uh let us know as well shoot me an email Chase Southeastern 14.com and we would love to have a conversation with you if you would like to sponsor our content here on South Eastern 14 but Chris as always enjoyed it uh love talking to football here can’t wait for week five Chase that’s right thanks for uh joining us again all of our content brought to you by bet online this is the SEC football hour