Buy or Sell in the SEC

by Chris Paschal

Y’all know that segment on Around the Horn called “Buy or Sell.” It’s where a topic, name, team, or player would pop up and then the reporters would debate whether you should buy metaphorical stock into whatever topic they were discussing. Well I’m going to do a version of Buy or Sell in the SEC, and would love to hear y’all’s thoughts on social media or in the comments section.

Gus Malzhan – Buy

Coach Malzhan is possibly the most underrated competitor in the SEC. The guy is a psycho, and his best work comes out when his back is up against the wall. During the offseason, Auburn fans wanted Gus out of Auburn faster than a speeding ticket. What has he done since then? Beat PAC-12 darling, Oregon in a neutral site and gone into Kyle Field and whipped (the score looked closer than it actually was) the Texas A&M Aggies. Oh yeah, all with a freshman at quarterback. What’s left on the schedule? The Mississippi schools, Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama. The road is still tough, but I bet on Malzhan (and this salty, talented defensive line) to get through this schedule. Malzhan will be Auburn’s Head Coach for years to come.

Florida Gators – Sell

Well at least sell in 2019. Dan Mullen will get this program humming sooner rather than later, but this offensive line is a real concern. The Gators may be undefeated and in the top 10, but I see a 3-4 losses coming down the pipe for the Gators. 2019 is not the season they compete for the East, but 2020 and 2021 are looking very promising for Florida.

Alabama Loses to LSU – Buy

This is the year. Alabama is at its weakest it’s been since 2007. Yes, I think this Alabama team is weaker than the 2010 Alabama team. The offense is impressive, but hasn’t faced a secondary worth a damn this entire season. Furthermore, when faced with a moderately talented defensive line, South Carolina, they had trouble running the ball and had spotty pass protection.

The Alabama defense is young. Really young. I think it’s still talented enough to win double digit games, but this LSU team finally has a quarterback and an offense needed to compete against and beat the Tide. It’s happening this season. I don’t think this is the end of Bama or the end of Saban. These young defenders will be studs in the years to come. Bama isn’t going anywhere, but they are losing to LSU.

Missouri Wins 10 Games – Sell

This is the best Missouri defense the Tigers have had since Barry Odom became the head coach. But this team isn’t finishing the season 7-1 in the SEC. Yes, this schedule is probably the most favorable in the SEC, but Georgia is a guaranteed loss, and then the Tigers have to go perfect against Florida, Kentucky, and an improving Ole Miss team. I don’t see it happening 9-3 feels much more comfortable for me, which is still an impressive season.

The SEC Gets 2 Playoff Bids – Buy

There is a chance that Florida finishes this season 10-2 (losses to Georgia and LSU); Auburn finishes 10-2 (losses to LSU and Florida); Alabama finishes 11-1 (loss to LSU); Georgia finishes 11-1 (loss to Auburn); and LSU finishes 12-0. Or some combination of that.

Basically what I’m saying is that Florida, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, and Alabama all have a decent shot to finish with great records and have their only losses be to the other teams on that list. The Big Ten Champion has to be undefeated. The Big 12 Champion has to be an undefeated Oklahoma. The PAC-12 isn’t getting in.

It’s very likely that the SEC gets two teams in because of how elite their top-end teams are. Unless a Missouri or a Mississippi State or a South Carolina shocks a couple of these teams with an upset, I think the SEC looks at the committee with five teams having 10+ wins and gets two teams in.

A Head SEC Coach Gets Fired – Sell

Arkansas is in it for the long haul. South Carolina has too massive of a buyout and a freshman quarterback. Tennessee understands that they just went through a head coaching search and Pruitt was the best they could come up with. Matt Luke gets a pass with new coordinators. Derek Mason is too entrenched at Vandy to be fired. The remaining coaches only get fired if they’re caught getting massages with Robert Kraft.

There are some really bad programs right now in the SEC, but nobody, at least for now, is getting fired for it. The hottest seat, in my opinion, is Will Muschamp’s. Pruitt’s is hot, but it’s always hot. If Muschamp finishes this season 3-9 or 4-8, he may get fired, but my gut tells me that President Caslen looks Muschamp in the eyes and tells him that he has to show drastic improvement in 2020 to save his job. Like 8+ wins improvement.