Front Porch Football2021 SEC
Click Here for the November Report Cards
Don’t Miss Out! Subscribe to Our Newsletter Below For Daily 2021 SEC Insight!
Click Here for the SEC West Report Card
Click Here for the SEC East Report Card
Below are 2021 SEC previews for each team in alphabetical order as well as Clemson and North Carolina.
Florida
by Chris Paschal
The Florida Gators enter the 2021 Season with their backs against the wall. Yes, you heard that correctly. The Gators, who finished last season with a win over Georgia, an SEC East Title, and a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback, enter the 2021 Season with not only a lot left to prove, but some serious doubters.
How can that be? Mostly because of the way the Gators finished last season. In Dan Mullen’s third season in Gainesville, and with his best offense thus far, the Gators lost in epic fashion to LSU, couldn’t pull off the upset to win the SEC against Alabama, and got blown out by Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl to finish the season 8-4. A lot of pieces return this season, but there is mounting pressure in one of the true pressure cookers of the SEC to prove that 2020 wasn’t the best this Gator program can achieve under Mullen.
FULL PREVIEW
LSU
Quote of the Day: “Do it the way I want. That’s it. If it’s not done the way I want, I’m going to fix it. If I see something broke, I’m fixing it. LSU’s standard of performance, the way we have done things, this reminds me a lot of the 2018 season. There’s a lot of unknowns.”- Ed Orgeron
by Brendan Paschal
2020 was always going to be tough for LSU. After one of the most successful and dominant seasons in college football history, and after losing over 30 players from the 2019 undefeated national champion, last season was destined to be a rebuilding year. Whether LSU fans understood how depleted this team was, or they were still riding the high of winning a national title, they uncharacteristically showed head coach Ed Orgeron a little grace during a 5-5 season.
Don’t expect that to last. Coach O needs to prove to fans, recruits, and himself that last year was a fluke and that he is still the man for one of the most cutthroat jobs in college football. Prior to landing on the hot seat, coaches tend to fire one of their coordinators to show they are making the proper changes. Last year, Orgeron fired both his offensive and defensive coordinators, each after only one season. He also mentioned in his opening statement on SEC Media Days that he plans to be much more involved (see our quote of the day).
Coach O compared this team to the 2018 Tigers. That team had a lot of talent on both sides of the ball but possessed an equal amount of uncertainty. Although we all lost a little bit of respect for LSU in 2020, the Bayou Bengals look to regain their reputation this upcoming season. 2021 will see a team in gold and purple with a chip on its shoulder. Expect to see Orgeron return to his core values to help LSU re-establish its identity. I’m talking a hardnose, imposing-its-will, flying-to-the-football kind of team.
FULL PREVIEW
South Carolina
by Max McDougald
There is something different about Shane Beamer than previous head coaches at South Carolina. For starters, Beamer has zero head coaching experience. Although he has an impressive resume, coaching almost every position possible, and spent his time at Oklahoma as an associate head coach, Beamer enters 2021 as an official head coach for the first time. But what he lacks in experience, he makes up for it with passion and energy. Beamer has already ignited a fire under Gamecock fans through his speeches, recruiting, and transparency. We were high on Beamer during the hiring process and are even more enthusiastic going into the season. Chris Paschal breaks down what makes Shane Beamer different from other coaches here.
Beamer has brought in an impressive coaching staff, starting with Marcus Satterfield as offensive coordinator and Clayton White as defensive coordinator. Both have a combined 38 years of coaching experience and know the South well when it comes to recruiting. While this staff has already made tremendous strides in recruiting and development, they are still reeling from a team that went 2-8 last year. Yes, there should be visible progress on the field (and to some extent, on the scoreboard), but South Carolina is still a ways off from competing at the level Beamer and Gamecock fans expect.
FULL PREVIEW
North Carolina
by John Lamm
In 2021, Mack Brown is entering the third year in his second stint with the Tar Heels and has completely turned this football program around. North Carolina finished last season at 8-4 with a trip to the Orange Bowl, after going a combined 5-18 in the two seasons prior to Brown’s return as head coach in 2019. The big question now is: can North Carolina, with Sam Howell at quarterback, make the next step and win the ACC? Although they are losing several key offensive weapons, the Tar Heels look to reload with strong depth and become a legitimate contender to take down the Clemson Tigers in the ACC.
