The SEC conference has the most talent and depth of any major conference in college football. Throw in some great fanbases, sold-out stadiums, unbelievable tailgating, gorgeous and easy honeys, increbible defenses, and national championship calibre coaches and there is little reason to argue the SEC wouldn't consistently kick other conferences in the balls and then spit on them in disgust. With that being said, it is also the most difficult to come out of unscathed.

THE ELITE TEAMS:

Florida Gators-The defending National Champions bring back everybody's favorite whipping boy in QB Tim Tebow. I can't remember the last time a freshman stepped in and could be so loved and hated in college football. I would say Maurice Clarett but nobody really loved him including himself. The point is Gator Nation loves Tebow like they love jean shorts. Tebow will lead a potent Gator's offense that returns star receiver Andre Caldwell and the electric Percy Harvin who averaged 11.4 yards per touch last season. The spread option offense will rely on Tebow to make sound decisions like Chris Leak did last season and hand the ball off to either Kestahn Moore or an incoming freshman since Mon Williams is likely out for the season with a knee injury. If Tebow goes down with an injury which could happen considering how often the QB gets hit in Urban Meyer's offense then the Gators will rely on incoming freshman Cameron Newton...a proposition that is sure to send ripples through jean shorts in the South.

The defense must replace 10 of 11 starters but have plenty of talent to fill in the gaps. Defensive end Derrick Harvey destroyed Troy Smith in the BCS Championship and should be an All-American this season. LB Brandon Spikes will fill the role of emotional leader for a defense with plenty of speed just not a lot of experience.

Luckily the Gators have a chance to feel out their team with two patsies at the beginning of the season in Western Kentucky and Troy coming to the Swamp. The Gators always have a tough schedule but they ease it up with 8 home games and only 4 away games with the biggest obstacle being LSU on October 6th in Baton Rouge. If they can beat Auburn and LSU in back-to-back weeks (which they didn't do last year) there is a good chance they go undefeated.  

LSU TIGERS-The Tigers have to replace Jamarcus Russell with fifth-year senior Matt Flynn who has patiently waited his turn much like DJ Shockley did at Georgia. Flynn will be working with a new offensive coordinator in Gary Crowton who enjoys using a spread offense (jesus christ...here we go with the fucking spread offenses!!!). Anyways, he will have a couple of talented receivers in Early Doucet (a lot of people are big on him...me not so much) and sophomore Brandon LaFell to throw to and a stable of runningbacks including Jacob Hester, Keiland Williams, Alley Broussard and Charles Scott. The team should be able to score points like last season, but this is where it gets really good if you are a Tiger fan...

The Tigers defense is fucking nasty. 8 of 11 starters return from a defense that ranked 3rd in the nation last season. Defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey is a stud and likely top 5 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. All 3 linebackers return including Darry Beckwith who is the leading returning tackler. Bo Pelini's defenses are known to knock you in the mouth and I think this group will be his best talent wise. His job will be to keep the group's focus and not look ahead to future NFL paychecks.

The schedule starts off with a dud at Mississippi State but then ACC powerhouse Virginia Tech comes to pay a visit to Baton Rouge. If the Tigers can manage to beat the Hokies then it should be set up for a great Florida matchup on October 6th at home. If they win both of those games then LSU will go undefeated.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS-The Bulldogs are going to live or die by the arm of Matthew Stafford this season. The big-boned Texas native had a rough freshman season early on but still managed to lead the Dawgs to three consecutive wins over ranked opponents to end the season. Will he be a great one? Yes. He has the arm, brain, and moxie to break all of Georgia's QB records but needs to lower the interceptions. Last season the Dawgs were killed drive after drive by dropped passes from a group of receivers with a lot of high school accolades but little proven in Athens. Mohamed Massaquoi needs to remove the diaper and be the receiver that everybody knows he can be...ditto for Sean Bailey. The offense looked really impressive during spring ball and the line looks like it is going to gel in time for the season opener against Oklahoma State.

The Dawgs defense only returns two starters and lost one of the best cornerbacks in the nation in Paul Oliver because he still couldn't spell his name right. Looking at the defensive roster you see a ton of potential but none of it is proven. For instance a defensive tackle like Kade Weston could be the next Richard Seymour or a LB like Darius Dewberry could be the next Randall Godfrey from what we have seen in practice but will it translate to gameday's this year? I'm not so sure and that is why I think the Dawgs are more prepared to go for a serious SEC Title run in 2008 then this year.

Georgia's schedule opens up with three home contests versus Oklahoma State, South Carolina, and Western Carolina. All three should be wins. A September 22nd matchup at Alabama should be the most difficult road game with only three "true" road games on the schedule with Georgia Tech and Florida matchups not counting because of distance and the fact the stadiums in both those games are half red. I see Georgia losing to Florida this season and one other game they have no excuse losing to possibly being a Kentucky or Ole Miss team.

AUBURN TIGERS-For the past three seasons the Auburn Tigers have a 33-5 record, the third best behind USC and Texas. Of course Auburn has nothing to show for it since they haven't gotten a chance to compete for a National Title yet. Could this year be different? Yes. Is it likely? Nope, here is why...

The Tigers have eight home games made of candy cane smiles with milk chocolate smiles but they also have four brutal road games. They have to visit Florida, Arkansas, LSU, and Georgia. Are you fucking kidding me? Unless they can pull off an improbable Lindsay Lohan-esque fuck fest while doing blow and driving 85 mph down Rodeo Drive without going to jail then they have no prayer of going undefeated.

QB Brandon Cox is back and should have a better season now since he has recovered from nagging injuries. He should hand the ball off to RB's Brad Lester and Ben Tate because if it's one thing that Auburn does well it is producing superfly tailbacks.

The defense will be led by senior defensive end Quentin Groves. Watch out for sophomore LB Tray Blackmon. He has already been suspended twice, but as we all know, never piss off a Blackmon. More to come on this later.

Unless Brandon Cox has one of the magical seasons the Tigers are destined for at least one to two losses on the road.  

THE CONTENDERS:

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE-Nick Saban is back in the SEC and already making some noise. More than 92,000 showed up for the Spring Game to see the degenerate liar coach...okay, maybe they all showed up because the tickets were free, but that is neither here or there. The Crimson Tide has talent and can compete with the big boys including Georgia, Auburn, and LSU.

The good news for Tide fans is Alabama has a good offense and a veteran QB leading the charge. John Parker Wilson, better known as the older brother of Ross on MTV's hit show "Two-A-Days", has a good arm and is capable of leading this team as he proved last season. If he can cut down on the fumbles and interceptions and get the ball into the receiver's hands, most notably DJ Hall, this team could make a lot of noise on the scoreboard. Left tackle Andre Smith might be the best at his position in college football and he is only a sophomore.

The defense was a top 25 unit last year as a whole and should only get better with Saban bringing in a more attacking, blitzing type of scheme. Playmakers such as LB Prince Hall and CB Simeon Castille need to become ball hawks and create short fields for the offense. A transition year because of the coaching change, I could see Alabama winning 10 games this season and making a run for the SEC West title.  

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS-Senior QB Erik Ainge is back for what seems like his 10th season in Knoxville. Coming off a season best 67% completion rate thanks to some tinkering in delivery and schemes from offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe. Ainge will have weapons at his disposal including the RB tandem of LaMarcus Coker and Arian Foster. If both RBs can coexist in the playbook it gives opposing defenses a changeup in style: Coker can fly and Foster can cut. A whole new set of receivers will need to step up and it could take some time for Ainge to develop a rhythm with them.

Defensively the Volunteers have two studs in MLB Jerod Mayo and free safety Jonathan Hefney. Both are NFL ready and if the Vols are to improve or match last season's 9 victories then the defense is going to have to step up big time. Last year the unit ranked 50th overall in total defense.

You got to hand it to the Volunteers, they aren't afraid to schedule tough out of conference opponents. An opening visit to Cal should be a dandy but could be rough on the Vols who will be facing a team with a ton of experience and looking for revenge. The Vols almost beat Florida last season, can they do it this season in the Swamp? I don't think so but those matchups never go as planned. The Vols have the coaching and the talent to make a serious run for a SEC East run with their schedule but teams like Florida, Georgia, and California should beat them in my opinion.

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS-Let's start off with the good. Actually the very good part of this team. The running game is sick with Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden and the underrated Felix Jones back to put their stamp on the best backfield in college football. No doubt the team can run all over you, but they will need a passing game if they want to win a SEC Title. QB Casey Dick is a returning starter only because coach Houston Nutt ran out freshman Mitch Mustain. Dick is average at best(insert joke here) and he will have to learn to take some hits with an offensive line replacing 3 starters. WR Marcus Monk is a good one and should see plenty of red zone touchdown catches.

The Razorbacks lost some important pieces to their defense with CB Chris Houston and DE Jamaal Anderson both playing in the Dirty South this season. DE Antwain Robinson is capable of picking up a lot of sacks this season and don't be surprised if he is a first team All-SEC selection. LB Freddie Fairchild (no relation) blew out his knee last season against Utah State and still toughed it out and played. I don't want to toot my own horn...hell, sound like a Fairchild right there. The secondary did lose Houston but returns 3 of the remaining starters. The defense should be good and if everybody stays healthy it could be one of the best in the conference.

The Razorbacks out of conference schedule is an absolute freaking joke. Troy, North Texas, Chattanooga, and Florida International should all be beaten in the ground with Arkansas' scout team. The end of the season schedule is brutal with road games in Knoxville and Baton Rouge. Arkansas should be good for at least 8 wins this season but won't make it to the SEC Championship game.  

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS-Senior QB Blake Mitchell should have the job all to himself this season thanks to incoming freshman Stephen Garcia suspension from spring practice due to two arrests. Steve Spurrier loves to fuck with the heads of his QB's but I think this season he will give the ball to Mitchell and let him do his thing throughout the entire season. RB Cory Boyd returns, as does RB Mike Davis and both should be productive pieces. Losing Sidney Rice hurts but Kenny McKinley is solid at the WR position and expect a freshman, most notably Chris Culliver, to step in and be a go-to receiver.

The defense is led by Sportscrack All-American LB Jasper Brinkley and his 107 punishing tackles. His brother Casper lines up to the left of him forming a talented and experienced linebacking core. The defensive line is young but most of the guys were prep All-Americans so they should be able to make some plays. The secondary only returns one starter but the Cocks have plenty of depth to fill in the gaps.

The out of conference schedule is cake with home games against UL Lafayette (no clue who they are) and South Carolina State (supposedly an all-girls school) and a road game against North Carolina. But the Cocks have to travel to Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and Arkansas and easily could lose all four games. I'm expecting this team to finish 8-5 like last season.

FALLING BACK TEAMS:

KENTUCKY WILDCATS-QB Andre' Woodson had better stats than JaMarcus Russell last season. Seriously, look it up. Woodson is the best QB in the SEC and has plenty of weapons around him in tailback Rafael Little and WR Keenan Burton. The Wildcats should be able to put a lot of points on the board.

The defense was terrible last season. They finished ranked 118th in the nation last season. They have 8 starters returning...I'm not sure if this is a good thing. If the defense improves they have a chance to match their 7 regular season wins from last season.

The back end of the schedule is pretty brutal with games against Florida, LSU, Georgia, and Tennessee. If Woodson plays like I think he will the Wildcats could pull off some huge upsets. If the defense steps it up this team could be special.

VANDERBILT COMMODORES-Don't laugh at the Commodores anymore, this team can play. WR Earl Bennett is a top 3 receiver in the nation and will leave Vandy with all the SEC receiving records. The offensive line should be a major strength with 5 seniors and the running game should be stout with 3 guys averaging over 4 yards a carry all returning.

Defensively the Commodores are led by Sportscrack All-American Jonathan Goff. He leads a good linebacker crew and overall the defense should improve on their total ranking of 74th last season.

One problem exists for Vandy: they play in the toughest division in football, the SEC East. The team could be really good record wise if they were playing in the PAC-10 but this is the SEC East. With that being said, I think this team could pull off 7 wins and get to a bowl game if they get some breaks.

SHIT COVERED WITH CHOCOLATE TEAMS:

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS-I honestly have nothing good to say about this team...I don't even like their uniforms.

OLE MISS REBELS-The Rebels were terrible even with superstar mo-fo badass linebacker Patrick Willis. Now take him out of the equation and what do you have: Ed Orgeron getting a Hummer.
 

BEST GAME:

Florida at LSU (October 6th)-This is one of those games you don't miss if you are a true college football fan. In fact, this game will be so good if you miss it you deserve to have every one of your pubic hairs plucked and then sewn back on.  

WORST GAME:

Ole Miss at Mississippi State (November 24th)-"Mississippi Burning" is a more feel good story than this piece of garbage match-up known as the Egg Bowl. I wonder why they call it Egg? Oh yeah, cause it smells like shit.  

MOST OVERRATED GAME:
Arkansas at Tennessee (November 10th)-Both teams are good but I think both will be saddled with at least a couple of losses meaning it's just a battle for a right to the Christian Right Wing Bowl game otherwise known as Chick-Fil-A.

BEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER:
Arkansas RB Darren McFadden can do it all whether it's rushing, catching, or even throwing touchdowns. Last year's runner-up for the Heisman will be a marked man this year, most likely his last because he will be banging nappy headed....oh wait...nappy headed WHITE hoes in the NFL.

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER:
LSU DT Glenn Dorsey is a first-team All-American who will anchor a great LSU defense.

BEST FRESHMAN:
Tennessee CB Eric Berry should step in and play right away in the secondary up in Knoxville with only one returning starter. A Georgia native, the Vols promised him immediate playing time and he should get it and be a good one.  

MOST LIKELY TO GET ARRESTED:
Since this is the SEC conference we should be talking about who is the least likely to get arrested. This is like trying to pick out who is the biggest whore in Hollywood. I'm going to go with Auburn LB Tray Blackmon. Nothing says unnecessary arrest like the last name of Blackmon.  

MOST LIKELY TO GET FIRED:
My hope is that Nick Saban gets fired because of a sexual harrassment suit but I have a feeling we will have to wait at least a couple of seasons for that and by then he will be coaching a Canadian team. I'm going to go with Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State...what do you say Jesse Jackson?  

PLAYER WHO WILL BE BETTER THAN WHAT PEOPLE THINK:
Kentucky RB Rafael Little can do everything and will this season for the Wildcats. Whether it's rushing, receiving, or returning kicks; this "Little" piece of dynamite is lethal and could lead Kentucky back to a bowl game.  

DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AWARD:
The World's Largest Cocktail Party losing it's namesake. What would they rather it be called: The World's Largest Coke Infested Inbred Party?  

THE WINNER IS:
In what promises to be a great SEC Championship game in the ATL, LSU edges Florida with a last minute trick play going to Early Doucet.
   

You can email me your thoughts on the upcoming football season. matt@sportscrack.com