Even with all the criticisms against them, it would be hard to deny that SEC has some of the best players, schools and great facilities in college football. However, the SEC is facing a two-year national championship drought having lost it to the ACC in 2013 and Big Ten in 2014. All the same, we are in a new year and the SEC has already hit the ground running, as they battle to return to National Championship relevancy. Of course, it is not going to be walk in the park this year, with the likes of TCU, Oregon and Ohio State looking really good, but with adequate groundwork, the SEC can be hopeful of a fair fighting chance. With that, here is a breakdown of some of the elite SEC programs’ best and worst-case scenarios as they seek to make good value of their NCAAF betting odds to win the 2016 CFB National Championship.
Alabama NCAA Odds Analysis
Although the Crimson Tide failed to take advantage of being the No. 1 seed in the inaugural NCAAF playoffs to win national title last season, they still managed to have a good season by most standards, winning both the SEC West divisional title and the SEC Conference title. For Alabama to improve, the priority will be to figure out their QB situation and solidify their defense that got torched in a humiliating way by the Buckeyes in the playoffs. Outside deciding a regular starter out of Jake Coker, Alec Morris, Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell and Blake Barnett, who are all vying for the QB spot, the RB duo of Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake must give a god measure of offensive support.Defensively, the Crimson Tide will be boosted by the proven skills and creativity of having the experienced Mel Tucker, who was hired from NFL, to strengthen the team for a National Championship title chase. Of course, the priority for Nick Saban will be to find a way of defending the pass and rushing, a department that struggled last season.All in all, the current Alabama squad, led by the mercurial Saban, will be tough to play in the SEC, with the divisional and conference title looking attainable for them. However, with no solid go-to guy at the QB role, it doesn’t look like Alabama will be able to go all the way to win a national championship this season, even if they somehow do enough to claim the SEC title.Auburn NCAAF Odds Analysis
Despite facing a strong competition from Alabama in the SEC West, Auburn has been placed by many Sportsbooks as the favorites to win this year’s SEC West divisional title and possibly the conference title as well. As the 2010 National Champions, the Tigers have a proven pedigree to beat the best, so working their way up the conference should be possible. To propel their high ambitions, they hired the stellar services of Will Muschamp to take charge of the defensive responsibilities in the team, and Auburn’s defensive line is already looking good because of it.Moreover, with the return of DE Carl Lawson and elite freshman Byron Cowart in the defensive lineup, the Tigers defensive game is highly likely to get better at the back. Offensively, QB Jeremy Johnson, who has previously shown signs of brilliance in the Tigers offense, will take the lead as he fills up the void left by the graduated Nick Marshall. With more balance in both the offense and defense, the Tigers are legitimate contenders not just in the SEC, but in the national arenas. All that will, however, depend on their ability to win big games, including their date against the Crimson Tide in the annual Iron Bowl.
