EAST
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Tennessee
4. Vanderbilt
5. South Carolina
6. Kentucky
WEST
1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Auburn
4. Arkansas
5. Miss State
6. Ole Miss
SEC preview
The guard is no longer changing, it's done. The power axis of the 1990s, Florida-Tennessee-Alabama, is officially relegated to the dustbin of history. The new balance of power rests on the poles of Baton Rouge and Athens. The conference title won't be uncontested, there's still some stiff competition as always lurking in places like Auburn and Tennessee. However, the road to the title runs squarely through UGa and LSU.LSU's won two of the last three SEC titles, and they are the defending national champs. That's a nice resume, but the aren't the favorites, the runner-up from 2003 is. Georgia's been in the last two SEC title games, and they have one title to show for it. They'd love to add the additional hardware of a national championship trophy. Their schedule is favorable, the lineup is stacked, so this could be their best chance.
ALABAMA. Bama lost lots of close games before the bottom fell out at
the end of the season. Which is to say, this team wasn’t that bad last
year, and if Croyle keeps improving and the deep stable of backs
produces, they will be a tough team to beat. There’s no depth, thanks
to well-deserved sanctions, but their first team is as good as
anybody’s.
ARKANSAS. Exactly three starters return on the whole team, but one of
them is Matt Jones, the perfect runner/thrower for this team. The Hogs
are one of the most underrated programs in the nation, and Nutt can
usually find a way to squeeze out more wins than anyone has reason to
suspect. This will be his toughest test to date.
AUBURN. Jason Campbell is not a good quarterback. As long as he is
the starter at Auburn, the offense will struggle. They’ve got a
terrific backfield, but teams stack the line, daring Campbell to beat
them, which he can’t. The defense lost a lot, but this was a unit
ranked in the top ten in scoring. Who’s gonna play linebacker? They
were overhyped last year, but it’s not like this was, or is, a bad
team. Just not a title contender.
FLORIDA. They beat Georgia and LSU last year, only to lose to Miami,
FSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Iowa. That’s seven games against teams
with 10 wins, a truly brutal schedule. Without Miami, things ease up a
tad, but they need to completely rebuild the defense. However, the
offense is stacked with talent, particularly Chris Leak. It’s a young
team, but arguably the most talented in the conference.
GEORGIA. 10 offensive starters return, so there’s reason for optimism.
Last year, the line battled with inconsistency, but they should be
much better this year with a full year under their belt. David Greene
is the most feared QB in the SEC. The defense was awesome last year,
and though they need to rebuild the secondary, it should be again. If
they can find some corners, this is a national title team.
KENTUCKY. Boyd’s been awful in limited duty as a QB, but don’t worry,
the line stinks, too. The defense is the team’s strength. It’s not a
national power, but it’s a fairly strong and deep unit which should
keep the Cats in ballgames. But the offense is not good.
LSU. This team is built from the lines out. And the offensive line is
the best in the country. The d-line needs to replace some serious
talent, but since they rotate in so many players, it’s not like they
have no one there. There’s the classic QB controversy of a modestly
talented senior and two blue-chippers who’ve never taken a snap. Then
again, the QB will mainly be asked to hand the ball to Vincent. If
they find a QB, they could repeat.
MISSISSIPPI STATE. Welcome to the SEC, Mr. Crooms. It’s not like the offense is
devoid of talent, but it just has no direction. The West Coast offense
is as good of an idea as any to revitalize the team. They start off
with some easy games, so maybe they can crawl to .500. Doubtful, but
possible.
OLE MISS. They are going to miss Eli. This wasn’t a particularly
talented team, but Manning willed them to 10 wins. So they won’t win
10 again, but they won’t lose 10 either. The defense is undersized,
but talented. Same with the offense. Ole Miss recruits talent that
doesn’t quite have the size. It’s their niche, but it’ll be an
adjustment.
SOUTH CAROLINA. Lots of starters return, but this is a team stuck in
neutral. They are going to run the ball, but they aren’t particularly
good at it. And without a passing threat, they become a less talented
version of Auburn. USC fans are among the best in the nation, they
deserve better than this.
TENNESSEE. They’ll hand the ball off to Houston. A lot. The Vols
simply don’t have a QB, but with their receivers, they just need
someone to lob the ball in the right direction. This is another SEC
team with a terrific defense, but it gets sort of forgotten among the
heavy hitters.
VANDY. Only one starter doesn’t return. This team isn’t exactly
stocked with blue-chippers, this is Vandy after all, but Cutler’s got a
shot at all-SEC honors. And the defense is usually decent. They
actually could have a winning season.
GIOIA'S TWO CENTS Georgia and LSU are my picks to win their divisions, and I’m picking UGA to win the national championship. They were great two years ago, and great in last year’s rebuilding year. They do get LSU at home, and even if they drop the game to Florida again, a win in the SEC championship is a great way to vault into the national championship game. Now, being picked to win the West is a kiss of death. LSU isn’t going to win the national title because there are too many holes to fill (QB, WR, DL) and they have to play at UGA, at Florida, at Auburn, and at Arkansas. If Tennessee didn’t have the good fortune of playing Kentucky and Vandy, I’d say they’d struggle to get into a Bowl game. It’s just as well, if you’ve seen their last two bowl games.