From gun-slinging offenses to bone-crushing defenses, desert plains to bayous, cowboys to rednecks, the two newest members of college football’s Southeastern Conference just got their world turned upside down, and the question on everyone’s mind is if the two will sink or swim. From 1996 until last month, the tradition-rich universities of Texas A&M and Missouri called the Big 12 home. But the Aggies and the Tigers have now left for what they consider to be greener pastures in a division that has won six consecutive national titles. In his first year at the helm of the Aggies, Kevin Sumlin will have the daunting task of leading the boys of Kyle Field through the chaotic warzone that is the SEC West. “What’s my assessment [of the SEC]? It’s a pretty damn hard league. How is that? That’s my assessment,” Sumlin said at SEC Media Days. Nine of the top 40 defenses in 2011 came out of the SEC with six teams ranked in the top 25, including the No. 1 and 2 defenses. Texas A&M will play five top-25 defenses in 2012 while Mizzou takes on four. “Well we’ll see speed every single week,” said Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel. “In the Big 12, we saw speed, but the SEC has great defenses every single week. There’s a stacking defense, and the defense will be a little bit different than the Big 12 had, but I think we’re definitely ready for the competition.” Sumlin’s Aggies will have the overwhelming task of joining the SEC West, considered by many to be the best division in all of football after providing the past three national champions. “You can argue all you want, but there’s some of the best coaches in the country in the SEC. Combine that with big fast guys, some of the best layers in the country, it doesn’t get any better than that,” Sumlin said. The Aggies lost five games by less than a touchdown with late-game collapses being the noticeable trend during 2011. Texas A&M’s jump to the SEC has spurred talks of a renewed rivalry with LSU. Since 1899, the two schools have played each other 50 times with the Tigers leading the series 27-20-3, including the most recent matchup in the 2011 Cotton Bowl when LSU won 41-11. “Well I think we’re looking at what would be natural rivals,” said LSU coach Les Miles. “Recognize that Texas A&M and LSU have a great history. But I think the reality of a season that plays in the western conference of the SEC, there’s plenty of rivals to go around.” Mizzou has the toughest SEC opener as they take on SEC East favorite Georgia in Columbia, Mo. “Normally you never talk about a game other than your first game ever,” said Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. “We understand historically for the University of Missouri it’s going to be a big game, the first SEC game, the first SEC home game for our university.” Missouri averaged 475.5 yards per game on offense last season including 53 total touchdowns. The Tigers also averaged 32.8 points per game but now enter a conference where no school allowed that many points per game and where the conference average is 20.9. “I’d be disappointed if we were intimidated,” Pinkel said. “We played in a pretty good football league ourselves. We understand the great league we’re coming into. It’s all going to play out. We all know how it works.” Members of the media have called Mizzou and Texas A&M’s move to the SEC as a move from JV to the big leagues, and with the results of the past few seasons they may be correct. The two schools will have 12 games to win and, more importantly, prove they belong.
 
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