SEC Preview

Predicted Order of Finish


East

South Carolina | 6-2 | 10-2

Florida | 5-3 | 9-3

Tennessee | 4-4 | 8-4

Georgia | 4-4 | 7-5

Vanderbilt | 3-5 | 7-5

Kentucky | 2-6 | 5-7



West

LSU | 8-0 | 12-0

Arkansas | 6-2 | 10-2

Auburn | 5-3 | 8-4

Alabama | 3-5 | 6-6

Mississippi St | 1-7 | 4-8

Mississippi | 0-8 | 3-9



East

South Carolina has their best team under Steve Spurrier and has a great shot at winning the East division. The offense is loaded with seniors, and the defense returns almost everyone from last year. The only major loss is WR Sidney Rice, who is off to play in the NFL. South Carolina had a 3-5 conference record last year, but four of the five losses were by a TD or less. The schedule is harder than last year, with the tougher opponents on the road. The Gamecocks are improved on both sides of the ball, so they can make it to the SEC Championship game.


Florida is the reigning National Champion, but has a tough road ahead to defend their title. This team will be very young, with many of last year's contributors graduating and entering the draft. Sophomore QB Tim Tebow takes over full-time and has to prove that he can pass the ball as well as he runs it. He is the leading returning rusher with 469 yards last year. The offense is still loaded with a great line and very talented receivers. The defense a bit of a question mark, because there are only two returning starters. While this will be a talented group, many inexperienced underclassmen will start. Another cause for concern is that Florida was 5-0 in close games last season. That will be difficult to repeat. The Gators might not make it back to the BCS Championship game, but they will have another great year.


Tennessee followed up their losing season in 2005 with nine wins last year. The offense was very effective last season and should continue to be again this season. The only unknown is the receivers since the top three are gone, including the star of the offense Robert Meachem. As long as QB Erik Ainge has some good targets to aim for, the offense will continue to be one of the best in the conference. The opener at California is one of the best games in Week 1. Since the this division is so crowded, the Volunteers have a chance to win the East title.


Georgia had some struggles last year on offense as they tried to decide who to play at QB. True freshman Matthew Stafford took most of the snaps and will be this year's starter. Look for a lot of improvement in his game. The offense was tenth in the conference in total yards and last in turnovers. It's surprising that they were still able to win nine games. Most of the games last season were close, eight of them were decided by a TD or less. Georgia won five close games and lost three. The defense loses several starters, but it is always one of the best. There shouldn't be too much of a dropoff. Even in fourth place, the Bulldogs will be one of the best teams in the East.


Vanderbilt may finally break their long postseason drought and make it to a bowl game for the first time since 1982. The offense returns almost all of its starters and lettermen. It will be led by junior Chris Nickson, a dual-threat QB, and junior Earl Bennett, one of the best receivers in the game. The offensive line is made up of five seniors, all who were starters last year. The defense should also be improved over last year. The schedule works out well with eight home games, including four very winnable non-conference games. Wake Forest will prove to be the toughest non-conference test in the season finale. The Commodores have put together a team that can and should play in a bowl game.


Kentucky could have the best offense and the worst defense in the conference this year. The offense will be a lot of fun to watch with senior QB Andre Woodson at the helm. He is arguably the best QB in the conference, and he gets all of his weapons back. If the offensive line holds up, the offense could average more than 30 points per game. The defense is the polar opposite, as it was the worst in the conference and one of the worst in the country. It gave up 453 yards per games, second worst in the entire country. In fact, the defense gave up almost 100 more yards per game than the next lowest rated defense in the SEC. Those numbers have to drop tremendously for Kentucky to think about winning eight games again. Even with eight home games, the Wildcats might not even make it a bowl game this season.



West

LSU is one of the best teams in the country and has the schedule for an undefeated season. The most difficult away games are at Kentucky and Alabama. The home slate has a lot of tough opponents on it such as Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas, but Death Valley has a very strong home field advantage. The matchup with Virginia Tech in Week 2 may be the best non-conference game of the season. The offense does lose QB JaMarcus Russell, the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. He will be replaced by senior Matt Flynn, who you might remember led LSU to a blowout 40-3 win over Miami in the Peach Bowl two seasons ago. The offense does lose two receivers who went in the first round of the draft, but there is enough talent still there to make up for the losses. The defense was one of the best in the country, ranking fourth in points allowed and third in total yards allowed. The Tigers will go 12-0, win the SEC Championship game, and go to the BCS Championship game.


Arkansas was a bit of a surprise team when they won the SEC West. They had an interesting season as they were blown out by USC in the opener, went on a 10 game winning streak to lock up the West title, and then lost the last three games. All four losses were to Top 10 teams. The offseason was filled with drama, and now OC Gus Malzhan is at Tulsa and QB Mitch Mustain transferred to USC. The offense will feature the best tandem of RBs in the nation in Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. McFadden is one of the preseason favorites to win the Heisman trophy. Arkansas has eight home games this season, including a very soft non-conference schedule with three Sun Belt teams and an FCS team. The Razorbacks have an excellent shot at another 10 win season and might even be considered for a BCS Bowl game.


Auburn won 11 games last season, but doesn't look to be as good this season. The offense will be led by senior QB Brandon Cox, but has to replace its top rusher and receiver. The offensive line only returns one starter, so that could be a problem. The defense was one of the best in the country last year, allowing just under 14 points per game. Week 2 features a very intriguing non-conference matchup with South Florida. The Bulls may pull an unexpected upset here. The Tigers look like they are slightly down this season.


Alabama has hired its fifth head coach in eight years after their losing season last year. Nick Saban takes over for Mike Shula, who was let go before the Independence Bowl. The offense will lean heavily on the pass, led by junior QB John Parker Wilson and a group of very talented senior receivers. The offense does have to replace its top rusher in Kenneth Darby and starting FB in Le'Ron McClain, both of whom were drafted. The defense may take a step backwards, as a lot of the contributors are gone for this season. The non-conference schedule includes an interesting date with Florida St in Jacksonville. The Crimson Tide has their new coach, but should not be that much improved over last year.


Mississippi is still looking for its first winning season and bowl game since the 2000 season. Head coach Slyvester Croom has won only three games in each of his three seasons here. The offense was one of the worst in the conference, but it does return most of its starters. The offense should improve and might average more than 20 points per game for the first time in the Croom era. The defense is mediocre, not good enough to win many more games. The non-conference schedule should include three wins, all but the game at West Virginia. The Bulldogs will need to pull a couple of upsets just to get bowl-eligible this year.


Mississippi won 10 games in 2003, but then has only won 11 games over the next three seasons. Head coach Ed Orgeron has been unsuccessful thus far to put together a winning team. This year they will have their best offense, which isn't saying much considering they have averaged less than 15 points per game in his tenure. The defense takes a big loss with Patrick Willis' departure to the NFL as a first-rounder. The Rebels will be the worst team in the SEC this year.