Simply the Best

The Southeastern Conference has been the best football conference in the nation for most of this decade.  I don't see this year being any different.  They have superstar coaches and passionate fans throughout the conference.  Everyone knows about Tim Tebow but he is not the only great player in this stacked league.  Jevon Snead has Ole Miss flying high, Alabama is loaded on defense and LSU should be much improved on offense behind Jordan Jefferson.  I know it has become a cliche but there really is nothing like college in the deep South.  I am going to rank the teams the same way I did the Big Ten (team, returning starters, projected record).

SEC East

6.  Kentucky Wildcats- 12 returning starters (7 offense, 5 defense), 5-7 (1-7)

The Kentucky Wildcats have improved drastically under coach Rich Brooks.  Joker Phillips is the offensive coordinator and coach in waiting.  This team will continue to be competitive but this year will not see the Cats in a bowl game.  Mike Hartline is okay at QB and WR Randall Cobb is a star in the making.  The running game should be more productive than it was last year but Kentucky will have a hard time stopping people.  I have them topping Mississippi State in Lexington for their only conference win.  They should beat Miami (OH), Louisville, Louisiana Monroe and Eastern Kentucky to get to five wins.  

5.  Vanderbilt Commodores- 17 returning starters (8 offense, 9 defense), 5-7 (2-6)

Vanderbilt returns 17 starters from a seven-win team.  They got a lot of breaks last year and had an outstanding 4-4 SEC campaign.  Star cornerback DJ Moore left for the NFL and they lost two QBs that played last season.  Bobby Johnson is an outstanding coach but the schedule is tougher this season and Vandy will struggle to reach seven wins again.  I have them beating Mississippi State and Kentucky at home plus adding wins over Western Carolina, Rice and Army.  

4.  Tennessee Volunteers- 13 returning starters (7 offense, 6 defense), 6-6 (3-5)

Phil Fulmer had a very good career at Tennessee but things had grown stale and the Volunteers decided to move in a different direction.  They brought in former Oakland Raiders head coach and USC assistant Lane Kiffin.  Kiffin has riled up the fan base with a lot of public statements about getting the Vols back to the top.  He has had some issues with recruiting infractions as well.  I don't like Kiffin or Tennessee but the UT fans do.  They have a very good defense led by Eric Berry, one of the best defensive players in the country.  The offense is a different story.  Star running back recruit Bryce Brown has eligibility issues, the quarterbacks are a mess and they don't have any playmakers.  The defense will keep them in games but the offense won't be able to score enough to beat the good teams.  They will take down Auburn and Vanderbilt in Knoxville and beat Kentucky on the road.  

3.  South Carolina Gamecocks- 11 returning starters (5 offense, 6 defense), 5-7 (3-5)

Steve Spurrier has not had the kind of success he expected to have in beautiful Columbia.  The issues have largely been at quarterback.  Stephen Garcia has the tools but his immaturity and poor leadership has kept him from fully developing.  Garcia has apparently made a lot of progress in the offseason.  If that is true, South Carolina could be dangerous, especially at home.  The schedule is pretty daunting with road games at North Carolina State (loss), Georgia (loss), Alabama (loss) and Arkansas (loss).  They also host Florida (loss) and Clemson (loss).  I have them beating Florida Atlantic, South Carolina State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt at home and adding a road win at Tennessee.

2.  Georgia Bulldogs- 15 returning starters (7 offense, 8 defense), 8-4 (6-2)

The Bulldogs are a very difficult team for me to predict.  They had a ton of injuries last season, specifically on the offensive line, that made it difficult for them to fulfill the promise they had at the start of the year.  The linemen are healthy now, they have a star in AJ Green and they are very deep on both offense and defense.  However, it will be tough to replace Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Mohamed Mossaquoi.  Senior Joe Cox steps in to play QB, Caleb King and Richard Samuel will split carries at running back and Tavarres King will be asked to step up at wide receiver.  This team is very talented but they have a difficult schedule.  I see them losing their opener at Oklahoma State and dropping at Arkansas, Florida and Georgia Tech.  That leaves them with an 8-4 (6-2) season.  After losing the skill players they did, that would not be bad at all.

1.  Florida Gators- 18 returning starters (7 offense, 11 defense), 12-0 (8-0)

This one is a no-doubter.  The defending national champions return all 11 defensive starters, their top running backs, tight ends, top linemen plus a great special teams unit.  Oh yeah, they also have the best leader in college football.  That's right Tim Tebow is back to go after a third national championship.  The only question for this team is who will replace Percy Harvin.  The likely answer is going to be a combination of several people.  This team doesn't have someone like Harvin, no one does.  However, they have several players that can imitate him admirably.  Look for Jeff Demps and freshman Andre Debose to fill Harvin's shoes.  On defense, watch linebacker Brandon Spikes and defensive end Carlos Dunlap.  They are both going to be high draft picks.  Florida only has three SEC games in The Swamp and they have tough games at LSU, at South Carolina and in Jacksonville against Georgia.  I think the Gators will repeat as National Champions.

SEC West

6.  Mississippi State Bulldogs- 10 returning starters (6 offense, 4 defense), 2-10(0-8)

Things are not pretty in Starkville.  Sylvester Croom is out and former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen is the new head coach.  Mullen has gotten solid returns in recruiting but this year's roster will have a hard time competing in the brutal SEC.  Add losses to Houston and Georgia Tech to the eight conference losses and you have a very long season for MSU.

5.  Auburn Tigers- 15 returning starters (7 offense, 8 defense),  5-7 (2-6)

It was a tumultuous offseason at Auburn.  Tommy Tuberville was let go and former defensive coordinator Gene Chizik was hired.  The hire was extremely controversial because former Nebraska star and current Buffalo head coach Turner Gill has a much better resume than Chizik who was in the process of bombing out at Iowa State.  Several people criticized that Gill was passed up because of his race.  Whatever the case, Chizik will have an uphill battle in his first season.  The quarterback play was atrocious last season and it probably won't get much better.  Ben Tate and Mario Fannin are solid running backs but they can't carry the whole offense.  The defense will be pretty good but they can't pitch shutouts every game.  Auburn will manage to beat Mississippi State and Kentucky for two SEC wins.  

4.  Arkansas Razorbacks- 18 returning starters (8 offense, 10 defense), 8-4 (4-4)

The Arkansas Razorbacks are about to explode onto the scene.  They are my surprise team in the loaded SEC.  Bobby Petrino is one of the best offensive minds in football and he has the personnel to run his system this season.  A couple of bold predictions here: Arkansas will score the second most points in the conference (behind only Florida), and Ryan Mallett will have the most yards and passing touchdowns in the SEC.  Mallett is a transfer from Michigan.  He is 6'7", 245 pounds with an absolute cannon for an arm.  He is not as good a quarterback as Tebow or Snead but his stats will be better.  Michael Smith and USC transfer Broderick Green are very good running backs.  The wide receivers are good and DJ Williams might be the best tight end in the country.  The Razorbacks have a very tough schedule and their defense is shaky so they won't be able to contend for a division title but this is a team you don't want to play.  They will lose at Alabama, at Florida, at Ole Miss and at LSU.  However, I think they will notch wins over Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina and Mississippi State in Fayetteville.  It wouldn't shock me to see them win one of those very tough road games.

3.  LSU Tigers- 14 returning starters (7 offense, 7 defense), 8-4 (4-4)

Another tough call.  I would not be surprised to see LSU with ten wins.  I just don't trust the offense yet.  Jordan Jefferson is a definite upgrade at quarterback and Charles Scott is a very good running back.  The receivers are extremely athletic.  Terrance Toliver, Brandon LaFell and freshman Rueben Randle form a really good group.  Trindon Holliday is a difference-maker on special teams.  I see the Tigers losing at Georgia, at Alabama and at Ole Miss.  Their only home loss will be to the Florida Gators.

2.  Ole Miss Rebels- 16 returning starters (8 offense, 8 defense) 11-1 (7-1)

This is the best team the Rebels have had in a long, long time.  Jevon Snead is a star and they have talent all over the roster.  They are not as deep as the other teams at the top of the conference so they need to stay healthy.  The schedule could not be any better as they avoid Florida and Georgia and get Alabama, LSU and Arkansas in Oxford.  I have them losing their only game of the season to Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide- 13 returning starters (4 offense, 9 defense) 12-0 (8-0)

Nick Saban hasn't taken long to get the Tide rolling again.  They only return four offensive starters but the offense wasn't great last year anyway.  Greg McElroy steps in at QB.  He will be asked to make a few plays and not screw up.  Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Roy Upchurch are all very good running backs and Julio Jones is outstanding.  The defense was nasty last year and will be again this season.  Massive Terrence Cody (6'5", 365 lbs.) decided to come back for his senior season to anchor the line.  Brandon Fanney and Rolando McClain join Dont'a Hightower to form one of the best linebacking corps in the country.  Javier Arenas is a good corner and a great return man.  The schedule is far from easy but they don't play Florida or Georgia.  The opener against Virginia Tech will set the tone for an undefeated season.  This division will be decided on October 10 in Oxford.  I think Alabama wins that one and takes their second straight division title.