Some teams need to fire there scheduling person. AFD can add too or take away, but from non-expert opinion, these teams are gonna have a tough season.

GT - Road games to Pitt, USF, VT, UGA and get Miami and Clemson at home. Gees...they lose ALL FIVE of their starters in the secondary. So, how can you survive against all of those veteran QBs with no QB to practice against? Marshall is a decent runner, but had a whopping %37 passing % last season. Is this the end of the ol triple option in Atl?

Vols - Open the season with West Virginia, they play UF, UGA, Auburn, Bama and SC all back-to-back with UGA, Auburn and the Gamecocks all on the road. Tough first year for ol Pruitt?

Auburn - Holy Cow! They open with a game against Washington, road games against Miss St, UGA and Bama, they get LSU, Texas A&M and Tenn at home. Gonna be tough to repeat last year's success, you'd think.

LSU - This will be a talented team, but geeees...open with a game against Miami, road games against Auburn, UF and Texas A&M...at least they get UGA and Bama at home.

Nebraska - Ol Frost will probabl wished he'd have stayed in Florida. Road games to Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio St., Wisconsin and Iowa....dang. Welcome to the Little 10 Scott.

So, whose gonna struggle, who will rise to the occasion?

Darindawg,

I agree. All those teams you mentioned have tough schedules.

GT: Paul Johnson doesn't recruit well enough for the Yellowjackets to be an annual threat:
- HC Chan Gailey (2002-'07): 44-32 (57.9%) overall, 28-20 (58.3%) ACC
-- 2002: #53 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2003: #38 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2004: #48 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2005: #70 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2006: #62 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2007: #15 National Recruiting Class Ranking
- HC Paul Johnson (2008-present): 75-54 (58.1%) overall, 46-34 (57.5%) ACC
-- 2008: #51 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2009: #41 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2010: #43 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2011: #43 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2012: #53 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2013: #70 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2014: #54 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2015: #44 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2016: #60 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2017: #48 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2018: #54 National Recruiting Class Ranking

Vols: No doubt that Jeremy Pruitt inherited a dumpster fire (Vols were 4-8 overall, 0-8 SEC last season; moreover, Tennessee has lost their last SEC game to all 13 conference opponents). Fortunately for Volunteers fans, his DC pedigree (led FBS #1 scoring defense 3 out of the past 5 years) and recruiting chops (2012 FBS Recruiter of the Year) are impeccable. Unlike many others, I think Tennessee made a good hire in selecting former HC Phil Fulmer as their Athletics Director. With 33 years of experience as a Volunteer player and coach, he's going to ensure Pruitt gets what he needs at Tennessee to be successful. As for the upcoming season, Jeremy has made some good hires in DC Kevin Sherrer, DL Coach Tracy Rocker, and Director of S&C Rock Gullison (former Houston Texans Head S&C Coach). Pruitt also has 35 4- and 5-star rated players on his roster to work with this fall, so the cupboard isn't bare. However, this is his first job at any level as a head coach so there's going to be some growing pains. Bottomline: Tennessee will be competitive and play in a bowl game this season, but Pruitt needs time to change the Vols culture while improving their roster.

Auburn: Tigers have the fourth most talented roster in the SEC and third best in the SEC West. Last season they showed that they can play better than than their talent level (e.g., beating UGA and Alabama in the regular season), but played uninspired in the Peach Bowl (let down game). Jarrett Stidham returning as Auburn's starting QB for the third straight season will help Malzahn. Hosting LSU at Jordan-Hare will also help the Tigers. If they can get by Washington at a neutral site in the season opener, I can see the Tigers at 10-2 this regular season (w/ road losses to UGA and Alabama).

LSU: Tigers have the third most talented roster in the SEC and second best in the SEC West. Fwiw, I really like LSU's DC Dave Aranda (and expect the Tigers to feature a good defense this fall), but don't trust Ed Orgeron as head coach (read Bruce Feldman's non-fiction book 'Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting' and you'll understand why). Furthermore, new OC Steve Ensminger seems like a gamble and w/ the Tigers starting a new QB this fall (perhaps the Ohio State transfer, Joe Burrow) I don't expect LSU to play to their talent level this fall.

Nebraska: from 1962-'97 the Cornhuskers were one of the preeminent collegiate football programs earning a 356-69-5 (83.4%) record and 5 national championships. However, Nebraska slipped a notch under HC Frank Solich and Bo Pelini (125-46, 73.1%), then crashed under HC Bill Callahan and Mike Riley (46-41, 52.9%). Fortunately for the Cornhuskers, they struck gold in bringing back former QB Scott Frost who played for Osborne, notched some NFL time, then excelled as Oregon's OC and Central Florida's HC culminating in undefeated 2017 season including a win over a more talented Auburn team. While Nebraska hasn't fared too well on the scoreboard of late, they have some talent:
- 2015: #30 National Recruiting Class Ranking
- 2016: #26 National Recruiting Class Ranking
- 2017: #23 National Recruiting Class Ranking
- 2018: #22 National Recruiting Class Ranking (including 4* WDE Tate Wildeman whom I personally know)
Since the Cornhuskers play in the Big 10 West Division, Frost has an easier road than if he had landed in the East w/ Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan State. Moreover, Nebraska has the most talented roster in the West. Just compare to Wisconsin and Iowa's last 4 recruiting classes:
- Wisconsin:
-- 2015: #41 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2016: #35 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2017: #39 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2018: #44 National Recruiting Class Ranking
- Iowa:
-- 2015: #59 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2016: #47 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2017: #41 National Recruiting Class Ranking
-- 2018: #41 National Recruiting Class Ranking
Bottomline: Nebraska has their version of Kirby Smart in HC Scott Frost. Since the latter has already wet his feet as a HC, expect him to hit the ground running and to see the Cornhuskers in a bowl game this season after finishing 4-8 last season.

I agree that gtu and ufk both have tough schedules, but they both stink anyway so complaining about the schedule doesn't mean much.

But I can't agree about LSU or Auburn's schedules (I don't really give a rat's rear end about Nebraska, I mean seriously, Nebraska?!?!).

Auburn opens up with Washington. Big whoop. Washington always loses to SEC teams, and not only do they always lose, it's usually not close. Make no mistake, this is an easy game and Auburn will win handily. And why do people keep thinking Mississippi State is some kind of powerhouse? While they're not a pushover, they've alternated between decent and marginal ever since Mullen got there. Now they hire a coach no one has ever heard of. Another easy game for the Aubies, and they'll win this one big. And same goes for A&M as MissSt. Maybe Jimbo can turn them around, but it ain't gonna be in year 1. They'll beat them at home. Speaking of home games, they'll obliterate ufk at home. That comes right after the vols play Fla and at UGA. Another easy W for Aub. Yes, UGA & Bama will be tough, and LSU is probably a toss-up, but everybody has a least a couple tough games. Overall Auburn's schedule is extremely manageable.

Pretty much same for LSU. Miami will be tough, but they'll win. Like I said, Aub is a toss-up and will probably decide 2nd in the West. But Fla and A&M are both in transition and LSU will handle both of them. Just like Aub, UGA & Bama will be tough. And also like Aub, their schedule is extremely manageable.

Red dawg....eh, not that I really care about Nebraska or anything, just making some offseason convo...

Darindawg said:

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Red dawg....eh, not that I really care about Nebraska or anything, just making some offseason convo...

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Uh Oh, didn't intend it as mean spirited towards you, but I guess it did sound a bit harsh. Sorry about that - my bad!

Reddawg..lol, no prob, you're good. So, I agree about Auburn. Despite their losses in the running game, I think folks are just overlooking the fact that Stidham is probably going to be the statistical leading QB in the conference. Fromm won't have his numbers, but you figure with his RBs gone to the pros, he's gonna be slinging it. I bet he ends up with close to 4000. I don't think they got the replacements that we do with Swift and White and the others. If they shore up their D, they'll challenge Bama again.