SEC Predictions

SEC Media Days are over and the writers have spoken picking Florida to beat Auburn to win the SEC Championship. WRAS sees it the same way, almost, as Auburn will beat Florida in Atlanta for the third straight year and end the Gators chance at another national title.

SEC East

1. Florida Gators (12-0, 8-0) - The Gators have it all offensively as last year they scored 40+ points in 9 of their 13 games. If their defense can perform better than last year when 11 of their 13 opponents scored 20+ points, they will contend for championships. Last year's weakness is this year's weakness; the defensive front is a question mark and the secondary (which finished 2007 last in the SEC in pass defense) is not off to a good start with season-ending injuries to Junior starter Dorian Munroe and reserve John Curtis.

Florida will have enough talent to outscore their opponents during the regular season and should be sufficiently motivated to exact revenge on the Georgia Bulldogs who went into last year's cocktail party with a distinct advantage due to injuries to a less than 100% Tim Tebow, among others.

Florida has tough games versus Miami (FL), at Tennessee, LSU, Georgia and at Florida State but other than Georgia, those teams are one way or another in transition and do not have enough to beat the Gators this year.

Wins - Hawaii, Miami (FL), @ UT, Ole Miss, @ Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky, Georgia, @ Vanderbilt, South Carolina, The Citadel, @ Florida State

Losses - None

2. Georgia Bulldogs (10-2, 6-2) - The initial enthusiasm for Georgia as a national championship contender has cooled somewhat. While Georgia is going to be in everyone's preseason Top 10, they are no longer the favorite to win the SEC as they were back in February. While everyone of significance is back from last year's Sugar Bowl team, they were hardly a rolling ball of butcher knives as they barely beat Alabama and Vanderbilt, lost at home to South Carolina and were throttled by Tennessee in Knoxville. The passing game is living on reputation alone and the loss of PK Brandon Coutu is bigger than one might think.

The Dawgs had good wins over Florida and Auburn during a 7 game winning streak to close out the season, but those wins were over a less than 100% Florida team and an Auburn team that could only turn the ball over. Wins over Vanderbilt, Troy, Kentucky, Georgia Tech and a just happy to be here Hawaii team in the Sugar Bowl during the 7 game winning streak are not enough to convince this skeptic they are ready for prime time.

UGa's road schedule is daunting with games at South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU and Auburn, along with the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. If they make it through that unbeaten then they can punch their postseason ticket to Atlanta and Miami, but don't bet on it.

Wins - Georgia Southern, Central Michigan, @ South Carolina, @ Arizona State, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, @ Kentucky, @ Auburn, Georgia Tech

Losses - @ LSU, Florida

3. Tennessee Volunteers (9-3, 5-3) - Last year's SEC East champion is back to defend its crown. UT brings everyone back on offense except for Erik Ainge and coordinator David Cutcliffe. UT's offensive line led the nation in sacks allowed and should give plenty of time for new QB Jonathan Crompton and the rest of the Vols to put up plenty of points. On the other hand, Tennessee's usual rock solid defense has had some cracks in the last few years and 3 of their best defenders from last year's below average defense are gone in Jerod Mayo, Jonathan Hefney and Ryan Karl. Florida and Alabama made the Vols look like swiss cheese on defense. SS Eric Berry and company are going to have to play better in the secondary and put more pressure on the QBs if they want to repeat.

Tennessee does not waste any time with a road trip to UCLA the first weekend of the year and if they can win 2 of the 3 against Florida, at Auburn, and at Georgia; the Vols will likely close with their patented 6 game winning streak over inferior competition (Miss. State, Alabama, at South Carolina, Wyoming, at Vanderbilt, and Kentucky) and again defy all logic by making it to Atlanta.

Wins - @ UCLA, UAB, Northern Illinois, Miss. State, Alabama, @ South Carolina, Wyoming, @ Vanderbilt, Kentucky

Losses - Florida, @ Auburn, @ Georgia,

4. South Carolina (7-5, 4-4) - No longer are Steve Spurrier teams known for their offense (Steve Spurrier, Jr.?), at South Carolina it's all about the defense. 10 starters return including LB Jasper Brinkley who is back from a season-ending knee injury. The Gamecocks started 2007 on fire but fizzled down the stretch as their 6-1 start turned into a 6-6 one without even a bowl trip to show for their troubles. If you win in the SEC by running the football and stopping the run, USC fans should have been happy with the 6 wins considering they had the worst running offense and were also last at stopping the run. Combine that with finishing 101st in the nation in turnover margin and you have the recipe for a 5 game losing streak to end the season (Vanderbilt, at Tennessee, at Arkansas, Florida, Clemson). Last year Spurrier said his team was ready to contend for the SEC championship, this year not so much.

While USC gets Georgia, LSU and Tennessee at home, they have to play at Florida, at Clemson and at a much improved Ole Miss team. Those teams penchant for running the football will end any chance USC had to win the SEC but with games at Vanderbilt, Wofford and UAB; a bowl game is within reach.

Wins - NC State, @ Vanderbilt, Wofford, UAB, @ Ole Miss, @ Kentucky, Arkansas

Losses - Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, @ Florida, @ Clemson

5. Kentucky Wildcats (4-8, 1-7) - Have Rich Brooks and the Kentucky Wildcats arrived as a yearly contender? Can Kentucky make it 3 straight bowl wins? Couple the big SEC wins (like over LSU) and NFL draft success and the last two years have been as good to the Wildcats as any in their history. But the loss of depth for the pass-happy Wildcats will be too much to overcome. The offensive line is going to have give better protection for new starting QB Curtis Pulley or Mike Hartline and the replacements for Rafael Little. This team still has a lot of talent and with the right breaks could go 8-4, it could go 4-8 or anywhere in between. That will depend on how swing games with Louisville, Alabama, South Carolina and Arkansas go.

Wins - Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt

Losses - @ Louisville, @ Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, @ Florida, @ Miss. State, Georgia, @ Tennessee

6. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-9, 0-8) - Here we go again. Vanderbilt had their chance to go bowling each of the last two years and couldn't get it done. Gone is Earl Bennett and the entire offensive line. The defense will give teams fits but the offense just won't have enough firepower to compete. Everyone in the SEC East has gotten better except for Kentucky and they play the Wildcats on the road and towards the end of the season when Kentucky's young offense should be improved. Having to play at Ole Miss, Auburn and at Miss. State from the SEC West doesn't bode well for the Commodores bowl chances.

Wins - @ Miami (OH), Rice, Duke

Losses - South Carolina, @ Ole Miss, Auburn, @ Miss. State, @ Georgia, Florida, @ Kentucky, Tennessee, @ Wake Forest

SEC West

1. Auburn Tigers (11-1, 7-1) - New offensive and defensive coordinators in Tony Franklin and Paul Rhoads will try to do what the last three Auburn teams have not been able to, win the SEC championship. While the defensive has been its usual nasty self during the Tommy Tuberville era, the offense has steadily declined in the last three years. This prompted the complete 180 that Tuberville has done with his hiring of Tony Franklin and the switch to the spread offense. Auburn will still run the ball with authority but will likely use the pass to set up the run. Auburn will have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball but the inexperience lies with the quarterbacks and wide receivers. The good news is the entire offensive line is back as are the running backs. There is enough to contend for the SEC championship and if Auburn can improve on last year's average of 24 points per game, Atlanta in early December is a likely destination.

Wins - La. Monroe, Southern Miss, @ Miss. State, LSU, Tennessee, @ Vanderbilt, Arkansas, @ West Virginia, @ Ole Miss, UT-Martin, @ Alabama

Losses - Georgia

2. LSU Tigers (10-2, 6-2) - The defending national champions are back and with the exception of unproven and virtually unknown quarterbacks, look ready to defend their SEC title from 2007. The Tigers have one of the best offensive and defensive lines in the country coming back along with plenty of skill players ready to put up a bunch of points. But who is going to get them the ball now that Ryan Perilloux is off to Jacksonville State? Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch are the two candidates and no starter has been determined going into fall practice. LSU's schedule is spread out evenly with road games at Auburn and Florida but home games versus Georgia and Alabama to help balance it out. This team got every break imaginable and still managed to lose two games. Too many penalties and too many turnovers kept a lot of teams in games. The tone will be set during the September 20th game at Auburn, win that one and LSU is in the driver's seat, lose it and they will be behind the eight ball all year.

Wins - Appalachian State, Troy, North Texas, Miss. State, @ South Carolina, Georgia, Tulane, Alabama, Ole Miss, @ Arkansas

Losses - @ Auburn, @ Florida

3. Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6, 3-5) - Incoming head coach Bobby Petrino has a tall order ahead of him this season with the loss of Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Marcus Monk to the NFL. But if any offensive coach can handle it, it's Petrino. The offensive talent is not as bad as many people are making it out to be and the schedule has plenty of games where Arkansas will still be the most talented team on the field. Defense will be the problem as their is little depth, especially at linebacker, to combat all of the running teams on their schedule so it will be up to Petrino's offense to outscore opponents.

Wins - Western Illinois, La. Monroe, Alabama, @ Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tulsa

Losses - @ Texas, Florida, @ Auburn, @ South Carolina, @ Miss. State, LSU

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-6, 3-5) - Speaking of defensive depth problems, here comes the Crimson Tide. Any experienced depth they had is gone with the departures of Ezekial Knight and Jimmy Johns, not to mention the up in the air status of Prince Hall. Alabama will have to rely on incoming freshmen to fill the void and while they might become all-SEC performers, that might be too much to ask with the teams they have on their schedule. The same can be said for the offense as the wide receivers were a strength of the team last year and now young players will have to step up for new offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. The home schedule is easy enough until you get to Mississippi State and Auburn, two teams that have owned Alabama in recent years. If Alabama is unable to find some runstoppers by the end of the year then those two losing streaks will continue. There is enough cake on the schedule to get to a bowl game but there is probably too much meat to go much further. Games at Arkansas, at Georgia, at Tennessee, and at LSU along with opening up in Atlanta versus ACC favorite Clemson and their running game will be too much to handle.

Wins - Tulane, Western Kentucky, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Arkansas State, Miss. State

Losses - Clemson, @ Arkansas, @ Georgia, @ Tennessee, @ LSU, Auburn

5. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-5, 3-5) - Sly Croom and his overachieving Bulldogs are back and are now dealing with some expectations in Starkville. The defense is deep and talented as they return eight starters. The offense also is experienced as seven starters return on that side of the ball. Mississippi State lived off of turnovers and their defense to get to eight wins in 2007 but can they live off that formula in 2008? They will need some help from their offense if they want to reach another bowl game. The running game is solid but will the passing game give them any help. If MSU does not get the breaks they did last year they could slip back to the bottom of the SEC West. There are enough games on the schedule to get them bowl eligible but the margin for error is thin as they have to travel to Georgia Tech, LSU, Tennessee, Alabama and a much-improved Ole Miss team.

Wins - @ La. Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, @ Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas

Losses - Auburn, @ LSU, @ Tennessee, @ Alabama, @ Ole Miss

6. Ole Miss Rebels (5-7, 2-6) - Houston moves south in the SEC West as he leaves Arkansas and takes over a young and talented Rebel squad. Ole Miss had a lot of close calls in the SEC last year but close will not cut it when you end up 0-8 in conference. The quarterback position is upgraded with Texas transfer Jevan Snead likely to line up under center and Nutt always does wonders with the running game. The wide receivers are talented and the offensive line will be solid with Michael Oher returning for his senior season. If the defense, led by Greg Hardy can give the offense a little bit of help then Ole Miss will give plenty of teams fits on Saturdays. Ole Miss is on the way up but look to be a year away from being bowl eligible. Too many road games against the top SEC teams and Wake Forest will be their undoing.

Wins - Memphis, Samford, Vanderbilt, La. Monroe, Miss. State

Losses - @ Wake Forest, @ Florida, South Carolina, @ Alabama, @ Arkansas, Auburn, @ LSU