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Western Division continues to dominate SEC

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

The gap separating the two SEC divisions shows no signs of narrowing.

In fact, it might be wider than ever.

The Southeastern Conference’s Western Division has five members in the top 10: No. 3 Alabama, No. 5 Auburn, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 8 LSU and No. 10 Mississippi. All of those schools are ahead of No. 13 Georgia, the top-ranked East team.

“It’s the best division in college football, and I don’t think it’s even close,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said of the Western Division.

The West teams have recruited better and have seamlessly replaced departed stars from last year’s teams, even though eight of the SEC’s 11 first-round picks from the 2014 draft came from that division. The results have been most evident on offense, as six of the SEC’s top seven teams in both points and yards per games are from the West.

Even the two unranked West teams are off to strong starts. Mississippi State is 3-0 for only the second time since 2000. Arkansas (2-1) ranks third in the nation in rushing.

“All seven teams should be ranked in the Top 25,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “The SEC West is that strong.”

The lone loss by a West team all season came from within the division, as Arkansas fell 45-21 to Auburn. In the only two interdivisional matchups so far, Texas A&M won 52-28 at South Carolina and Ole Miss hammered Vanderbilt 41-3 in Nashville.

While Georgia coach Mark Richt says “it’s early” and that “they definitely have some great teams over there but we’ve got some good teams on our side, too,” South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier concedes the West is tougher.

“I think it’s unquestionable, the West teams are stronger than the East teams, no question about it, although Missouri’s still undefeated and up there doing very well,” Spurrier said. “Florida’s undefeated, as far as that goes. They play Alabama this weekend, that’ll be a good, interesting matchup East vs. West. Yeah, but there’s no doubt, Alabama, LSU, (Texas) A&M and the Mississippi teams are playing well now, that side’s stronger.”

This seemed like a year when the West might take a step back following the departures of 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, 2013 SEC rushing leader Tre Mason and two-time national champion quarterback A.J. McCarron. LSU lost nine draft picks, the most of any school.

Yet the West teams haven’t missed a beat. Texas A&M, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas are all averaging over 500 yards and 40 points per game.

A look at recent recruiting trends helps explain the West’s dominance. According to the Rivals recruiting rankings, West schools had three of the conference’s top four signing classes in 2014, five of the top six in 2013 and four of the top seven in 2012.

Mike Farrell, the national recruiting director for Rivals, says the recruiting prowess of Alabama’s Nick Saban, who has signed the nation’s top-ranked class each of the last four years, “just raised the bar for everybody.” Farrell said the West also got a boost from the addition of Texas A&M, which made the SEC more appealing for Texas’ bounty of recruits.

LSU and Alabama combined to sign three of the top eight 2014 Texas prospects, according to Rivals. The state’s No. 1 recruit – defensive end Myles Garrett – signed with Texas A&M and ranks second in the nation with 5 ½ sacks. In 2011, the year before the Aggies joined the league, neither Texas A&M nor any of the SEC’s 13 other current members signed any of Texas’ top 23 recruits as rated by Rivals.

The West powers also have done a better job than the East of keeping their states’ top players.

Rivals’ top three 2013 recruits from the state of Georgia signed with West schools: Ole Miss defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson and Auburn defensive tackle Montravius Adams. Mississippi State’s Preston Smith, the SEC defensive lineman of the week each of the last three weeks, also is from Georgia.

Alabama got starting quarterback Blake Sims from Georgia and landed superstar receiver Amari Cooper and running back Derrick Henry from Florida. Arkansas’ Alex Collins, the SEC’s third-leading rusher, also is from Florida.

“The West is coming east, but the East doesn’t seem to have a lot of success going west,” Farrell said.

But the East might not be playing catch-up for long. Barton Simmons, the national scouting director for 247Sports, notes that Tennessee seems on the way back to contention thanks to Butch Jones’ recruiting prowess. Simmons also expects Florida to bounce back from last year’s 4-8 disaster.

“With Florida and Tennessee being down, that’s been the biggest issue that’s weighed the East down,” Simmons said. “When – and it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when – when those programs are back, the landscape’s going to look extremely different.”

___

AP Sports Writers David Brandt, Pete Iacobelli, Charles Odum and John Zenor and AP freelance writer Bryan Lazare contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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