2010 College Football Predictions: The SEC

The final conference on our preview is the best in the country, but they are not head and shoulders above all the others. Listen to a fan of one of their teams, even one that hasn't won anything in years, and they will make you aware of this status. When they point to the BCS trophy case though, there are not many arguments against it. It will be the usual suspects at the top of the conference. I'm listening to my Canes take on FAMU so let's get through this.


WEST


1. Alabama- Tide will be good once again. They have their sites set higher than just repeating in the SEC and they should. They did lose a lot of players on defense, but that is Saban's specialty. He has Hightower coming back and plenty of talent to replace those that left. The offense coming back intact is what has me high on Bama. McElroy has plenty of confidence. Ingram going down is a negative but Richardson is right there to fill in. The game against Penn State I don't expect to be close, the game at Duke will be interesting but a Bama win. The road through the SEC is never easy but Alabama on paper should win every game they have on that schedule.

2. Arkansas- Ryan Mallet has done something quite impressive; he has made everyone forget how much of a douche Bobby Petrino is, at least temporarily. There is a lot to like on the offensive side of the ball, but the Hogs defense wasn't up to snuff last year. They should improve on D this year but not enough to take them to elite status but since they do play in the SEC, 3 or 4 losses will get them a ton of respect.

3. Auburn- Hey, Gene Chizzik is a douche too. Seems to be a trend among most SEC coaches although Lane Kiffin leaving did reduce the douche factor. The dynamic offense leads the way for Auburn but the defense gave up 27.5 points a game last year. I don't think War Eagle beats Bama but they will have some surprises for the other schools in the SEC. Their week 3 match-up against Clemson is intriguing.

4. LSU- I asked Les Miles to write up a detailed preview for me about how the team will fair this year but he did not get it in on time. HEY-yoooooooooo. Seriously though, LSU will be tough defensively but not score a lot of points. Have a great day!

5. Ole Miss- Houston Nutt did not get Masoli playing this year, but the guy will play. Having to sit out a year after trying to take advantage of a rule and you got convicted of robbery and stopped in your car smoking pot is not the largest tragedy I've ever seen. I'm interested to see what Ole Miss does without McCluster to lean on.

6. Mississippi State- Dan Mullen inspired some people last year to have hope for the future. .500 is the best they can hope for this year.

EAST

1. Florida- It's gotten to the point where reporters ask new QB John Brantley if he is tired of answering Tebow questions, then ask him ten consecutive Tebow questions. Florida is not as good as last year, but they will be good enough to win the East, barely.

2. Georgia- The Mark Richt hot seat talk is beyond stupid. The guy has led Georgia to an outstanding first decade of the new century. He should have at least two more 8-5 seasons in him until the heat turns up. This year should not be one of those years. Despite a new QB taking over, the line and the RBs should be the focal points of the offense. Of coursee AJ Green will help at wideout. Georgia's biggest challenge may be staying out of the police blotter, which they did enough to in win the Fulmer Cup.

3. South Carolina- How to make a South Carolina season: Start with high expectations from fans somewhat unrealistic, then add a strong start including an impressive win over a non-BCS team, mix thoroughly and add some cumin, then increase the ranking around the top ten, proceed to have the foundation fall apart resulting in a jovial collapse and poor bowl game performance. Ta-daaaaaa.

4. Tennessee- Derrick Dooley won't convince anyone he can hang in the SEC until he wins. That is all people in Knoxville care about at this point. Star players beating up cops? Who cares, just get us to the point where we aren't losing 6 games anymore.

5. Kentucky- Joker Phillips presents an excellent opportunity for UK students to come to the game dressed in Dark Knight attire. Yep, all I got.

6. Vanderbilt- Bobby Johnson headed on down that road in the offseason. That rumor about the nerds inheriting the turf was greatly exaggerated.

Player to watch: AJ Green, Georgia
Exceeds Expectations: Arkansas
Fails Expectations: LSU
In-conference game to watch: Florida at Alabama, Oct. 2
Out of conference game to watch: Alabama at Penn State, Sep. 11
SEC CHAMPION: ALABAMA