[2023] SEC East mid(ish) season report card

[tsweezy]

Vanderbilt

1-7 (0-5)

PPG: 17.6 PPGA: 31

Passing YPG: 236 Rushing YPG: 149

Offensive MVP: WR Matt Toliver (689 yards, 14.8 ypc, 3 TD)

Defensive MVP: CB Brett Maxey (26 tackles, 1 TFL, 10 PD, 2 INT)

Recruiting Pace: 78

Season Highlight: None

Season Lowlight: Take your pick, they've been blown out a lot. 

Preseason Expectations: Garbage team, last in conference. Vanderbilt Delenda Est. 

Season Summary: 

All jokes aside, Vanderbilt hasn't been as atrocious as advertised this season. They actually opened the year with a 38-0 pasting of South Alabama. They've lost every game since, most in big blowouts, but they actually kept Missouri and Georgia within 10 points when they had home games. Either way, they were expected to be bad and they are.

Report Card Grade: D

 

Missouri

1-6 (1-4)

PPG: 18.9 PPGA: 28.3

Passing YPG: 268 Rushing YPG: 115

Offensive MVP: QB Chris Golden (1878 yards, 60%, 11:9 TD:INT)

Defensive MVP: ILB David Mejri (51 tackles, 15 TFL, 3 FF)

Recruiting Pace: 55

Season Highlight: Beating Vanderbilt (albeit only by 4)

Season Lowlight: Losing their other 6 games. None were particularly bad though.

Preseason Expectations: Just on the bottom half of conference, 5 win season.

Season Summary: 

Missouri actually had reasonable expectations for the season, hoping to get a bowl game. That still is technically possible but they've had a brutal schedule. Losses to Marshal, Illinois, LSU, SCAR, Kentucky, and Georgia but almost all of them were close. They've had some ok offensive stats, but are just getting bodied by the potent offenses they've gone up against. I would've expected them to win at least one of those games though, this has been a disappointment.

Report Card Grade: 

D-

 

Florida 

4-4 (2-4)

PPG: 23.9 PPGA: 25.5

Passing YPG: 94.5 Rushing YPG: 315

Offensive MVP: OT Justin Crossen (22 pancakes, 0 sacks allowed)

Defensive MVP: ILB Keenan Williams (54 tackles, 15 TFL, 1 FR)

Recruiting Pace: 5

Season Highlight: Beating Arkansas 20-10

Season Lowlight: Losing to SCAR 17-27

Preseason Expectations: Winning a few rock fights but not making very much noise. 

Season Summary: 

Florida is not a particularly talented team. What they do have is a good coach and a bright recruiting future. They've fully committed to the double wing, not even throwing for 100 yards per game. However, they have a dominant run blocking OL and average over 300 yards per game from a bevy of running options. This has carried them to a .500 season so far and a near upset of rival Georgia at the world's largest cocktail party. Assuming they beat their FCS foe they have 3 chances to be bowl bound: LSU/FSU/Mizzou. I'd bet on them beating Missouri and maybe a surprise LSU upset to become bowl eligible. For the future they have a top-5 recruiting class with famed QB prospect Maximillian Howard coming in so they actually do look on the rise as a program. 

Report Card Grade: B

 

Kentucky

4-3 (3-2)

PPG: 33.6 PPGA: 24.7

Passing YPG: 290 Rushing YPG: 158

Offensive MVP: QB Michael Oliveros (1950 yards, 68%, 14:3 TD:INT)

Defensive MVP: CB Jordan Watson (12 tackles, 8 INT)

Recruiting Pace: 188

Season Highlight: Beating Florida 41-24

Season Lowlight: Losing at UGA 31-49

Preseason Expectations: Win the division, challenge for a playoff spot

Season Summary: Kentucky entered with a ton of (outside) hype. I've written about them plenty. They have super talented 5-stars at the flashy positions, but a weak OL and Oliveros is a hair too young to lead it all cohesively. Their defense has actually been quite good outside of the game against UGA. Even with that loss, they still had a chance for division contention until just losing a tight home game to Tennessee. Still, USC-UGA-Tennessee are top-10 losses and I actually think Kentucky will end with 8 wins. At least they're bowling this year! They lose some superstar pieces but Oliveros gets a year older and I think they'll be in a similar situation next year. I won't talk about their recruiting except to say it's been sad to see such bad luck. 

Report Card Grade: C

 

South Carolina

5-2 (3-2)

PPG: 26.1 PPGA: 26.1

Passing YPG: 235 Rushing YPG: 182

Offensive MVP: RB Corey Valverde (1037 yards, 6.2 YPC, 11 TD)

Defensive MVP: CB Todd Judy (35 tackles, 1 PD, 3 INT)

Recruiting Pace: 167

Season Highlight: Beating UNC 26-7

Season Lowlight: Losing to TAMU 17-41

Preseason Expectations: Bottom half of the conference, nothing special

Season Summary: South Carolina started the year off hot, going 3-0 with some good wins before getting buzzsawed by Tennessee. They dropped another stinker against TAMU, but 5-2 is a great record so far. They'll be bowl eligible after beating FCS, and even if they drop games to UGA and Kentucky they still have Vanderbilt and Clemson to get to 8 wins. They've definitely surpassed my expectations for the year and are a solidly rankable squad thus far.

Report Card Grade: B

 

Georgia

7-1 (4-1)

PPG: 31.2 PPGA: 21

Passing YPG: 317 Rushing YPG: 166

Offensive MVP: QB Will Outman (2442 yards, 64%, 22:7 TD:INT)

Defensive MVP: DE Cam Atchison (30 tackles, 12 TFL, 4 sacks, 

Recruiting Pace: 36

Season Highlight: Beating BGSU 35-16

Season Lowlight: Losing to Auburn 24-54

Preseason Expectations: Contending for the division crown, double digit win season

Season Summary: Georgia has been clamoring to get a division crown while they still have Outman, going 3-0 against a tough (plus Michigan) OOC schedule. They got the doors blown off them against a dominant Auburn (in a controversial game) but bounced back to throttle Kentucky and stay in the conference hunt. A deserved top-10 team, they've had a couple of close games, but aside from a rivalry game at GT, the season basically hinges on a trip to Knoxville with 10 wins, the SEC East, and playoff inclusion all on the line.

Report Card Grade: A-

 

Tennessee

7-0 (4-0)

PPG: 39.3 PPGA: 16.1

Passing YPG: 511 Rushing YPG: 66

Offensive MVP: QB Brandon Savage (3363 yards, 66%, 27:9 TD:INT)

Defensive MVP: DE Matthew Cano (25 tackles, 6 TFL, 6 sacks)

Recruiting Pace: 1

Season Highlight: Beating Florida State away 40-21

Season Lowlight: Only beating UKEN by 3 last week

Preseason Expectations: In the mix for the division, but unlikely to win

Season Summary: 

What can I say, the Brandon Savage show rolls on. They'd won every game by at least 3 scores until struggling a bit at Kentucky last week. Now they really only have a rivalry game at Bama and the defacto SEC East game against Georgia to look forward to. With the #1 crooting class sealed up, the only complaining from Vol fans has been about the backups not stat-padding enough, and Savage exiting early from too many games to only be 2nd in the Heisman race atm. 

Report Card Grade: A