Alabama Football: Across SEC, ‘silly season’ is in full swing

Every year, after spring practices end and the NFL Draft is completed, ‘silly season’ hits the SEC. Alabama football fans are less influenced by it because of Nick Saban’s staunch defense of reality. Beyond Alabama Football, there is plenty of silliness. Even for Crimson Tide fans, it helps fill the slow months of May and June.

Some college football pundits call it the ‘talking season.’ Barrett Sallee used the term recently, talking about over-reactions across SEC fanbases. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote a similar piece about SEC overreactions.

Talking up an upcoming season is standard fare in the world of sports. Every program has at least some fans whose optimism for a coming season, borders on insanity. No matter how weak the program has been, hope is held for better results.

Borrowing from Sallee, Schlabach, along with message board and social media comments, the ‘silliest’ perspectives from the SEC East are discussed below.

• Georgia Bulldogs will repeat as National Champions

One National Championship in 41 seasons has caused a Bulldogs’ frenzy. Apparently Kirby Smart is such a coaching wizard, losing almost the entire defense will be no problem. And according to some Georgia fans, a somewhat-less defense will not be an issue because Stetson Bennett will pass for more yards than Bryce Young.

Kentucky and South Carolina fans are not buying the Georgia hype and are confident their teams will beat the Bulldogs in 2022.

• Florida QB, Anthony Richardson will be a Heisman Finalist

In fairness to the bold Gators fans, maybe their new QB starter will have a spectacular season or he could be the fourth or fifth best QB in the SEC East.

• Kentucky Wildcat QB, Will Levis will have such an impressive season, he will become a 2023 NFL Draft first-round selection.

Levis is no slouch but his OC/QB coach from last season, Liam Coen now has the same job for the Los Angeles Rams. In 2022 Levis had a good season with 2,826 passing yards. It will take more to leap into the NFL Draft first round. Levis has two problems. He and his teammates must learn a new offense and Wan’Dale Robinson is gone to the NFL. Almost half of the Will Levis passing yards came from receptions to Robinson.

Some sanity does exist in the SEC outside of Tuscaloosa. It comes from the most unlikely of places. An embarrassing NFL Draft brought a reality check to some Auburn fans.

The big debate in Auburn is whether Bryan Harsin should share the blame, or was the NFL Draft bust all the fault of Gus Malzahn.

There are several more weeks of silliness ahead before fall camps soothe wandering minds.