Spring football has come and gone, and fans have to wait four months before seeing their teams on the field again. At the very least, there are two-and-a-half months until SEC Media Days for hot takes to fly across sports radio, TV and the internet.
Some teams are set up to not only run the table and win the national title, but also The Masters, the World Series and the Stanley Cup. However, others are looking at not only a winless season, but relegation to JV football in the local single-A region. That's how things go in the offseason, right?
But seriously, what are those "realistic" hot takes? Let's break them down. A reminder, these are not real predictions. They are extreme takes that probably won't happen ... unless they do.
Alabama
The lack of a star QB will lead to fewer than 10 wins: Coach Nick Saban went out and lured former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner out of the transfer portal shortly after spring practice. That spring practice session was headlined by the battle between Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Buchner completed just 55.4% of his passes, threw more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (three) when Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees was still employed by the Fighting Irish. Buchner is destined for a roller-coaster season but will be better than the other two contenders. Essentially, he'll be the best of some bad options.
Arkansas
The Razorbacks will lead the nation in total offense: The Hogs finished 15th in the nation last year with 471.4 yards per game, so maybe this isn't that much of a stretch. However, the architect of that offense, Kendal Briles, moved on to TCU. Dan Enos is back and has a full cupboard of stars. Quarterback KJ Jefferson is the "Cam Newton" of this group. He can get the tough rushing yards between the tackles and has the arm to stretch the field. Raheim Sanders is one of the most dynamic running backs in the country and has the big-play ability of a potential Heisman candidate. Isaiah Sategna had a monster spring game with three catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. In reality, this offense really should be one of the best in the SEC, and anything less could be considered a disappointment.
Auburn
Hugh Freeze will develop a QB who contends for the Heisman Trophy: Freeze turned Bo Wallace and Chad Kelly into stars, so why not Robby Ashford or whoever takes the snaps? Ashford rushed for 709 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and production on the ground is a hallmark of the Freeze offense. All Freeze needs to do is find a few things that Ashford can do through the air, and the sky is the limit. If Freeze goes out and gets another signal-caller, it's somebody who he knows can be even better and contend for college football's biggest prize. In reality, it shouldn't take a massive step forward for the quarterback for Auburn to be dangerous in the SEC West.
Florida
Billy Napier shows that he isn't the answer: Florida lost Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft, despite Richardson's remarkably average season in 2022. What's more, five other Gators heard their names called in the draft. How can this possibly happen? Napier, who made Louisiana a perennial contender in the Sun Belt, was hired to bring the Gators back to glory after the failed Dan Mullen era. In reality, it is concerning that Napier didn't develop Richardson and is banking on either Graham Mertz or Jack Miller III to jump-start the offense. After all, offense seemed to be a major issue in the spring game.
Georgia
The Bulldogs' dynasty will be put on pause: With Stetson Bennett IV, a two-year starter under center, and former offensive coordinator Todd Monken both headed to the NFL, Georgia's offense will have a new look this season. Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff or Gunner Stockton -- whoever wins the starting job -- won't be able to produce the same kind of results under new play-caller Mike Bobo. As a result, the Bulldogs will miss the SEC Championship Game and won't make the College Football Playoff as the budding dynasty will come to a screeching halt -- for now.
Kentucky
Devin Leary will prove that he's a top 10 pick: Former quarterback Will Levis was touted as a potential top 10 pick but fell to the second round of last week's NFL Draft. Maybe scouts were thinking of this year's Kentucky QB rather than the one who took the snaps for the Wildcats last season. Leary transferred from NC State and has the luxury of working with coordinator Liam Coen -- who was the architect of the offense Levis thrived in during the 2021 season. Leary threw for 6,807 yards and 62 touchdowns in four seasons with the Wolfpack, and will make scouts fall in love with him when he throws for 4,000 yards in 2023.
LSU
The Tigers will win the national title: LSU shocked the college football world in coach Brian Kelly's first season as Tigers coach when they made a run to the SEC West championship. Was that an aberration? Of course not. The combination of Kelly's coaching prowess, a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback in Jayden Daniels and a defense that is loaded with talent will transform the Tigers from a cute little story into a budding dynasty that will begin in 2023 when they win the College Football Playoff National Championship in nearby Houston.
Mississippi State
Defense will be the identity of the Bulldogs: The late Mike Leach was a trailblazer in college football's offensive renaissance. Zach Arnett -- former defensive coordinator under Leach -- was elevated to the head coaching role and will transform the Bulldogs' identity into a defensive-minded team. The front seven terrorized the offensive line in the spring game, and holes for the running backs were virtually non-existent. Yes, quarterback Will Rogers and the offense will still have its success. However, the defense will be the driving force of the new era of Bulldogs football.
Missouri
WR Luther Burden III will win the Biletnikoff Award: The former five-star prospect and No. 14 overall player in the country was overshadowed by Dominic Lovett last year, but Lovett moved on to Georgia in the offseason. That, coupled with Burden playing in the slot more often than last year will be the catalyst for Burden to live up to the recruiting hype. He had 375 yards and six touchdowns -- four of which came in November. That success down the stretch will carry over in a big way and Burden will win the award for the nation's top wide receiver.
Ole Miss
Uncertainty at quarterback will tear the Rebels apart: Coach Lane Kiffin brought in quarterback Spencer Sanders from Oklahoma State and Walker Howard from LSU to compete with starter Jaxson Dart for the top spot on the 2023 depth chart. None of the three entered the transfer portal after the spring game, which means that the trio will battle it out in fall camp. Other players on the roster will undoubtedly take sides prior to the start of the season, Kiffin will struggle to determine who should play and a promising season will collapse by the end of September.
South Carolina
Spencer Rattler will win the Heisman Trophy: The former hotshot recruit and starting quarterback at Oklahoma showed he can be a star with the Gamecocks late last season when he threw for 438 yards and six touchdowns in an upset win over Tennessee to eliminate the Volunteers from College Football Playoff contention. He followed that up with a 360-yard performance in an upset win over Clemson and set the tone for what will be a stellar season. The combination of Rattler and a new offense under Dowell Loggains will allow Rattler to top the 4,500-yard mark and hoist college football's most prestigious award in December.
Tennessee
Nico Iamaleava will win the battle for starting QB and become a star: The hotshot quarterback who enrolled early looked like a star in the spring game. He went 8 of 16 for 112 yards and dropped several dimes that looked more like NFL throws than those of a freshman. That completion percentage should have been much higher due to several drops. Fellow contender Joe Milton III won't be consistent during fall camp and coach Josh Heupel will insert his prize prospect into the top spot on the depth chart in the opener vs. Virginia, and Iamaleava won't look back.
Texas A&M
Bobby Petrino will be let go during the season: Fisher hired Petrino to fix the Aggies' offense, and it will be a total disaster. As a result, Fisher will jettison Petrino by the end of the season. The personality clash between the two will send the offense into a tailspin, and Fisher will feel legitimate pressure to keep his job for the first time since he got the gig after the 2017 season. The two allowed quarterbacks Conner Weigman and Max Johnson to air it out during the spring game, and both of the contenders had their moments. We often hear that success in spring will lead to success in the fall, but that never seems to materialize. A rift between Fisher and Petrino will be the same result.
Vanderbilt
The Commodores defense will finish in the top half of the SEC: The Commodores were atrocious defensively last season, but will make a massive jump in 2023. We saw glimpses of that in the spring game last month, when they topped the offense in the modified scoring scrimmage. Coach Clark Lea is a defensive coach by trade, and some experience up front is a foundation that he can build off of. That defense won't make Vanderbilt a contender in the SEC East, but it will make the Commodores a tough out against teams in the bottom half of the SEC.
