| 17 February 2011
As when we took a look at the SEC West 2011 football schedules ... the same question comes to mind: how many money games are we facing this season? While the SEC slates always pit "Any Given Saturday" teams head-to-head, fans are growing tired of the money games.
What are the Athletic Directors to do though? Seriously, this is the toughest football league in the nation ... why not schedule a few scrimmages while you are at it?
To top it off, in case you slept through last football season, outside of the South Carolina Gamecocks' magical season ... the SEC East was down ... and not just from wins and losses. The East was down in talent and we are not used to that.
Florida Gators 2011 Football Schedule: Out of the twelve games, only three can be outright classified as money games ... and not all of them are in September.
Florida Atlantic - Sept 3rd
UAB - Sept 10th
Tennessee - Sept 17th
@Kentucky - Sept 24th
Alabama - Oct 1st
@LSU - Oct 8th
@Auburn - Oct 15th
Open Date - Oct 22nd
Georgia - Oct 29th
Vanderbilt - Nov 5th
@South Carolina - Nov 12th
Furman - Nov 19th
Florida State - Nov 26th
The Gators have a new coach (two of them actually) ... a new philosophy ... and a fairly brutal schedule. The season will hinge on the three game stretch of contests against Bama - @LSU -@Auburn. Good thing the open date falls immediately after the Auburn game ... just in time.
Georgia Bulldogs 2011 Football Schedule: I have made a resolution, really I have ... Mark Richt is not on the hot seat. As long as Damon Evans is no longer calling the shots in Athens, Richt should be fairly safe ... no matter whom he has to fire next.
The Bulldogs face Boise State in week one ... and this will likely not be the Boise State team that has been screaming for "their fair shot". So, when UGA wins in week one, stay off of the dusty Schlitz and keep your eyes open. The defending SEC East Champs will come calling. After those two games, the Bulldogs do not have the luxury of consecutive multiple money games ... just one in fact.
At least Damon helped secure a solid schedule, and scrimmages where they should fall (early and late) before he swerved himself out of a job in Athens.
Boise State - Sept 3rd
South Carolina - Sept 10th
Coastal Carolina - Sept 17th
@Ole Miss - Sept 24th
Miss State - Oct 1st
@Tennessee - Oct 8th
@Vanderbilt - Oct 15th
Open Date - Oct 22nd
@Florida - Oct 29th
New Mexico State - Nov 5th
Auburn - Nov 12th
Kentucky - Nov 19th
@Georgia Tech - Nov 26th
Sorry, I have to shake my head ... from one glance, the schedule tends to look favorable ... from a different angle, there are several trap games. Much of this next season will hinge on offensive production ... and whether or not the defensive line controls the line of scrimmage.
We are still a LONG way from teeing up the ball.
Kentucky Wildcats 2011 Football Schedule: Well, I knew last season that the SEC East could literally suck ... and over all, it pretty much did at times ... but my irrational exuberance of picking Kentucky high has definitely worn off.
Taking a quick look at the schedule, there (should) be three bona fide money games on tap ... with another that is extremely winnable (take that U of L).
Western Kentucky - Sept 3rd
Central Michigan - Sept 10th
Louisville - Sept 17th
Florida - Sept 24th
@LSU - Oct 1st
@South Carolina - Oct 8th
Open Date - Oct 15th
Jacksonville State - Oct 22nd
Miss State - Oct 29th
Ole Miss - Nov 5th
@Vanderbilt - Nov 12th
@Georgia - Nov 22nd
Tennessee - Nov 29th
Kentucky could be 3-0 rolling into the Florida game ... good times. After the next three weeks? The Wildcats could easily be looking at 3-3. It is not shocking to note that Kentucky could easily be staring down the barrel of a losing season if the defense does not play well.
South Carolina Gamecocks 2011 Football Schedule: SEC EAST CHAMPS ... can they go back-to-back. Don't laugh, it could happen. Again, three money games are on the schedule for the Gamecocks ... and bet your bottom dollar that East Carolina would love nothing more than leave Columbia with a win ... as would Navy.
East Carolina - Sept 3rd
@Georgia - Sept 10th
Navy - Sept 17th
Vanderbilt - Sept 24th
Auburn - Oct 1st
Kentucky - Oct 8th
@Miss State - Oct 15th
Open Date - Oct 22nd
@Tennessee - Oct 29th
@Arkansas - Nov 5th
Florida - Nov 12th
THE Citadel - Nov 19th
Clemson - Nov 26th
South Carolina is a hungry team. Fact.
South Carolina is not used to defending or playing for championships. Fact.
This could be a fun year in Columbia. That is still undecided.
Tennessee Vols 2011 Football Schedule: The Vols will go to a bowl. That is a given. Yep, when you schedule (count em) F-O-U-R cream puffs on your football schedule, and only need to get to the six win plateau to go bowling ... well, you do the math. This schedule is almost embarrassing for an SEC team.
With an open date following three easy games (and one SEC war), the only remaining question is how many UT football players get arrested the first week of October?
North Texas - Sept 3rd
Cincinnatti - Sept 10th
@Florida - Sept 17th
Buffalo - Sept 24th
Open Date - Oct 1st
Georgia - Oct 8th
LSU - Oct 15th
@Bama - Oct 22nd
South Carolina - Oct 29th
Middle Tennessee St - Nov 5th
@Arkansas - Nov 12th
Vanderbilt - Nov 19th
@Kentucky - Nov 26th
While there are a couple of tough road trips on the schedule (both of them), this is the schedule that Lane Kiffin would have hung his hat on ... what a joke.
Vanderbilt Commodores 2011 Football Schedule: At times last season Vandy showed their team as better than what most prognosticators thought they were ... they were just uncoached. This is a new season. Will we be seeing the "No More 'Dore Mat" t-shirts?
If the rest of the schedule looked like the first game of the season ... lol ... we'll see. Just keep in mind that this could possibly NOT be the SEC East last place team.
Elon - Sept 3rd
UConn - Sept 10th
Ole Miss - Sept 17th
@South Carolina - Sept 24th
Open Date - Oct 1st
@Bama - Oct 8th
Georgia - Oct 15th
Army - Oct 22nd
Arkansas - Oct 29th
@Florida - Nov 5th
Kentucky - Nov 12th
@Tennessee - Nov 19th
@Wake Forest - Nov 26th
Several teams in the conference would really like to have this schedule. There is a balanced mix of proxy teams and decent teams on the schedule ... plus the away game slate is bad, but not horrible. Vandy might steal a couple of wins this season that no one will see coming ...
Please note that the Thursday and Friday night games are not listed on their actual dates ... this is simply a week to week.
