Missouri won the SEC East last season but the three previous years it was won by either Georgia or South Carolina and, at least on paper, they look like the teams to beat again this season.
A recent Athlon Sports round-table I took part in asked the question “Georgia or South Carolina: Who Wins the SEC East”. Here’s what I had to say….
After struggling for the better part of five years at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier finally broke through with the 2010 team that went to the SEC Championship Game. Since that time, the Gamecocks have been amazingly consistent as every year they have gone 11-2 overall and 6-2 in the conference. It will be interesting to see how the Gamecocks stabilize with losing their big name talent on defense (Clowney) and their heart and soul on offense (Connor Shaw). They still have a lot of talent but the loss of Shaw in particular could be bigger than some think.
Recently, Georgia has been more up and down than it’s rival from Columbia. Since 2010, Georgia has posted conference records of 3-5, 7-1, 7-1 and 5-3. While Georgia has not been as consistent as South Carolina, they have also shown that they have the a bit of a higher ceiling (with the two 7-1 seasons versus South Carolina’s peak of 6-2).
I like the direction both of these teams are headed and I would not be surprised if either is representing the East in the SEC Championship Game. If I had to choose one, I pick Georgia because despite being more inconsistent in the recent past they have also shown the capability of rising higher. That and Todd Gurley.
To read what the rest of the contributors to the Athlon round-table had to say, click here.
