In a total homage to the Senator, I’m doing my level best to recreate this seasonal post. Hopes are, it’ll be good mojo. Just as a note, I looked back into one of the Senator’s preseason picks from 2017, and here’s what he had to say about the Dawgs:

GEORGIA (8-5, 4-4)

• Pros:  Running backs; tight ends; front seven on defense; coaching stability; best talent base in the division
• Cons: Offensive line; wide receiver; special teams
• Outlook:  On paper, this is a team that should win at least nine games and the SEC East.  As last year’s Nicholls game indicated, though, Georgia often doesn’t play on paper.  The rising talent base fueled by two excellent recruiting classes should fix the problem areas; the question is how long it takes.  If the offensive line gels early on, the season shapes up quite favorably.  I’ll say nine regular season wins and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Let’s say we were all nicely surprised. But to also jog your memory, the Senator had a certain way of doing this, which I’ll duplicate here:

The format for my picks, in case you haven’t tuned into this broadcast before, hasn’t changed.

Rather than give you my predicted records, I’ll list the schools in the order they finished in the conference last year, look at areas of potential improvement and decline and assess in what direction I expect each to go by comparison to 2010.

In other words, pure seat of the pants BS.

Based on that, the teams are listed in the order of their 2024 conference order of finish.  Remember that, before you start freaking out over where a school shows up in this post.

I’ll also admit, I don’t pretend to be a football expert…and to also make this a tribute but also a slight departure from a mere duplication, I’m adding a component to the picks:

• Whaddaya Got Loran: This is trying to imagine the voice of the Bulldogs, Larry Munson, who would worry about the long snappah for Vanderbilt if he had the chance, and what his take would be about a possible Bulldawg opponent.

Without further ado, here’s my humble attempt at this year’s SEC Picks.

SEC West

ALABAMA (12-2, 8-0)

• Pros: Loads of talent left over from the Saban era, along with a laundry list of pre-season All-SEC and All-Americans, Awards Watch List candidates up and down the roster. Strengths are offensive line and returning experience.
• Cons: New coaching staff, though proven in DeBoer’s journeyman career that he can succeed. The Tide have talent at running back, but the offensive philosophy shift might be a dynamic change and some of the SEC defenses they’ll face will compel them to run, which they should be able to, but won’t want to. Milroe could be seen as a con, if he’s inconsistent early, there will be rumblings for a change at QB.
• Outlook: Alabama benefits from a fairly soft start to their schedule so they can warm up and adjust, and gets Georgia early at home. Past the Georgia game, the end of the road is tough with games at Tennessee, Missouri at home, at LSU, at Oklahoma, then the typical Auburn toss-up game. I could see a ceiling of 11 wins, a floor of 9. Prediction: 10-2.
• Whaddaya Got Loran? I don’t care what you say, Saban isn’t gone. The man still has a damned office on campus and they’re dedicating the place to him on September 28th. Until we exorcise the demon fully that came back last December, we’re in for a tough one. Man, that Milroe. He could be the best running back or tight end in the league but he still has an arm and you just can’t contain him.

OLE MISS (11-2, 6-2)

• Pros – Quarterback, defensive line transfers, offensive scheme and philosophy. Walter Nolen. Soft schedule for the SEC, with key games against Georgia, LSU, and Oklahoma, but after that, it’s Kentucky and a crap shoot after.
• Cons – Plug and play transfers all over, including secondary and offensive line. The transfer of Judkins hurts, and while there’s veteran running backs, it’s just not the same. Kiffin needs balance on offense, because we’ve witnessed plenty of times where if his scheme isn’t working, nothing’s working.
• Outlook – They benefit from a soft schedule, but as we’ve already seen, transfers don’t make for solid roster management. Walter Nolen is a beast, but better offensive lines can neutralize him. Ceiling of 11 wins, floor of 7 depending on how much improved a few wild cards could be. Prediction – 10-2.
• Whaddaya Got Loran? That Dart kid is something else. I mean he’s got a cannon for an arm, quick feet, and he’s got Kiffin calling the shots. Man, he can be dangerous and I just think there’s some voodoo in Oxford we gotta be worried about.

LSU (10-3, 6-2)

• Pros – QB, OLine, Receivers, new defensive coordinator from Missouri. Soft schedule that includes playing two teams from California.
• Cons – Run defense has sucked under Kelly, secondary is good but super young. Front 7 on defense can be great, but needs to be cohesive.
• Outcome – We will know something about LSU early in their Sunday tilt with USC. The rest of the schedule is a cake walk until about October 12th when they face off against Ole Miss, then conclude the season with A&M, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Kelly has yet to break out, and he’s missing all-everything Jayden Daniels, who also accounted for a good bit of the rushing game. Establishing the run will be helpful in some slug-fests if the defense isn’t solid, so that could be a crucial point for a team that should be able to air it out with ease. Ceiling of 11 wins, floor of 8. Prediction – 11-1
• Whaddaya Got Loran? Did you see that Nussmeier kid against us in the SECCG a couple of years ago? He did that against a great Georgia defense, if we run up against them this year our guys might be in for a barnburner.

TEXAS A&M (7-6, 4-4)

• Pros – New head coach Mike Elko was successful at Duke, seasoned QB who isn’t outstanding but is highly accurate, solid offensive tackles, linebackers. Jimbo Fisher isn’t there anymore.
• Cons – as the defense goes, so does the team. Consistency on defense and the loss of a key piece of their defensive line will likely take the team a step back. Secondary is shaky.
• Outlook – This is another team we’ll know a lot about after the first weekend, with a key game against Notre Dame, and the season doesn’t get much easier from there. They have to travel to Florida when Florida may still have hope, but get Mizzou, LSU, and Texas all at home, and travel to Auburn. While Kyle Field House might be the home of the 12th man, they may need a few more out there to help them win those three crucial games on their schedule. Ceiling of 8 wins, Floor of 6 wins. Prediction: 7-5
• Whaddaya Got Loran? The I honestly don’t know. That Weigman kid makes some good decisions, and their Coach is a freaking Rhodes Scholar, a statistical wizard who has a mind to think beyond the game. Those Duke guys worry me, and I don’t think I need to tell you who the last former Duke coach was in our league, do you?

AUBURN (6-7, 3-5)

• Pros – Experience in the defense and a new defensive coordinator with proven success, QB, explosive receivers. They also have a magical way of pulling wins out of their ass when they shouldn’t.
• Cons – Defensive depth, shaky offensive line play. Hugh Freeze’s cell phone records.
• .Outlook – I don’t care for Auburn. However, they drew a rather easy schedule and don’t face a tough opponent until late September when they face Oklahoma and Georgia – for the Dawgs Homecoming – back to back. Missouri, A&M, Kentucky, and Alabama round out their schedule. As much as it pains me, the addition of a good receiving corps and some improvement with Thorne may translate to surprise wins…and one of those might actually be to an Alabama team whose head coach may not fully appreciate the rivalry…yet. I’ve seen teams with great receivers still get stopped by quality defenses (cough, cough, Tennessee) Ceiling of 9 wins, floor of 6. Prediction: 8-4.
• Whaddaya Got Loran? From the game Between the Hoses to the Tip Six and Fairley’s cheap shot, these sons-of-bitches always find a way to be a pain in our rear ends. I can’t stand them but their coach has a proven track record and he’s been winning the recruiting wars against the Death Star at Alabama. These guys are going to be dangerously annoying.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (5-7, 1-7)

• Pros – New head coach Jeff Lebby should inject some life into a lifeless offensive philosophy from years past. Defense is returning a number of starters.
• Cons – See Colorado and Ole Miss. Transfer portal was used so heavily to rebuild a team, that most of their projected starters have their former teams in parentheses next to their names. Offensive line was especially hit hard, which will hurt the offensive change. Their schedule does them no favors, either.
• Outlook – This team has a hard row to hoe, travelling to Arizona State in week 2, and gets an SEC slate of Texas, Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri, and Ole Miss. You tell me where the upset win is occurring in that. Ceiling of 5 wins, Floor of 3 wins. Prediction: 4-8
• Whaddaya Got Loran? What are you going to get out of this group? They’ve got new guys all over the place that were good at their last schools and great offensive mind in a head coach calling the plays as the offensive coordinator. They’re playing with house money and that should worry anybody.

ARKANSAS (4-8, 1-7)

• Pros – It can’t get worse than last year. Petrino’s offensive(n.) mind returns to Fayetteville.
• Cons – It might get worse. The team is a patchwork of transfers, from Taylen Green, Jr. at QB to a rebuilt oline. If Coach Pitt can work his magic and get some solidification there, the team could improve and win some games, but the defense was atrocious and is relying on transfers to get it together. Also, Petrino’s offensive (adj.) mind returns to Fayetteville. Protect the volleyball team at all costs.
• Outlook – They play against Oklahoma State in week 2, which will be a quick test for a rebuilt Arkansas team against what should be a team that can put some points on the board. If the defense can keep it close, or possibly win, Arkansas could have a respectable season. I saw them as one of Mississippi State’s wins, if that tells you anything. Ceiling of 6 wins, floor of 3 wins. Prediction: 4-8
• Whaddaya Got Loran? You’ve gotta respect Coach Pittman, and you know he’s a trenches guy so you just gotta be concerned that the line can give the Green kid enough time to be dangerous, kid’s got some wheels and real talent.

HONORARY WEST MEMBER: OKLAHOMA (10-3, 7-2 in Big XII)

• Pros – Offensive and Defensive coaching staff, linebackers and secondary. Skill position players on offense.
• Cons – Trenches. Rebuilding the offensive line to an extent between the tackles and the defensive lineman have to not only get in the backfield, but actually tackle, too. New QB Jackson Arnold replacing Dillon Gabriel. Schedule.
• Outlook – I know that the spotlight is on Texas, but that’s more Texas being the prima donna and less about talent. This team beat Texas last year, and Venables has been solid in recruiting and building his roster the old-fashioned way while may of Oklahoma’s opponents have been working the portal. I put this team in the west because it feels like they’re playing a SEC West schedule: at LSU, Auburn, Missouri, and Ole Miss, and Alabama at home, with Tennessee visiting Norman first in September. And there’s still Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Ceiling of 10 wins, floor of 7. Prediction: 9-3
• Whaddaya Got Loran? Man, am I glad we aren’t getting these guys in the regular season. Beck would have a time finding guys open and Oklahoma just has a tough as nails defensive guy like Kirby. He knows how to stretch the field and keep our Junkyard Dawgs on their heels…I hope we don’t see them in December.

How do you guys see this half of the division shaking out? Ole East coming later Friday or early Saturday morning…