I will get a better read on the SEC on Friday after we know what players will enter the NFL draft, and which ones will return, and after national signing day in the first week of February.
Nevertheless, the most talented teams in the SEC will continue to be Alabama, LSU and Florida, and the interesting part is that all 3 play each other next season.
Florida will play Bama, LSU and Auburn on consevutive weeks, but Auburn should be a paper Tiger so the Gators should get past that one at least. But other than those three games against the West, Florida will benefit from playing in the weaker SEC East. Florida is by far the most talented team in the East, so it would not be a stretch to predict another appearence in the SEC CG for the Gators.
Bama's run at a repeat BCS NC this season was severely hadicapped by the fact that they faced 6 conference foes who had 2 weeks to prepare for them. That is quite astonishing given that no other team in the country faced more than one such opponent. Next season Mississippi State and Tennessee will drop off the list of teams who will have bye weeks ahead of them leaving Bama with only four - Vandy, Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn. That is much more manageable than what they faced this season.
Bama was one of the youngest teams in the nation this season. Bama had 12 freshman and sophmores in the starting rotation, and only 4 seniors. Bama, however, will be losing at least 3 more junior starters to the NFL draft with four others who could, but probably won't, opt for the draft this Friday. If those four return as expected, Bama will field a defense that should be illegal in college football.
With the QB position opening up due to the departure of Greg McElroy, Bama will finally have a legitimate blue-chip QB under center that can legitimately stretch defenses. This is dynamic that has been missing from Bama's offense since Brodie Croyle graduated.
The starting QB position will be a battle between two of the top QB recruits in the nation the last two years, A.J. McCarron and Phillip Sims. The loser of this battle will likely transfer. Both are too good to hold a clipboard.
LSU will be losing 10-13 starters (depending on how you look at it due to injuries), and probably at least one junior (Patrick Peterson) to the NFL draft. But despite losing a pretty good chunk of their starting lineup, they will still have sick talent, especially on defense. They will be very tough again.
With the likely departure of Cam Newton, Nick Fairley and almost the rest of Auburn's starting lineup, Auburn will be in a major rebuilding mode. They will struggle.
Mississippi State doesn't have the talent or the facilities to hang with the big boys, but you can't sleep on this team. They are continuously improving and very well coached under Dan Mullen. QB Chris Relf really improved as the year went on, and could be a real force in Mullen's offense next season - a Cam Newton wannbe if you will. Don't be totally shocked if the Bulldogs are the runner ups in the West next season.
Arkansas will be competitive again, but probably not a serious contender with the loss of Mallet, and a mediocre defense. Arkansas is just not recruiting at the level of the big boys in the conference, but they will always be a dangerous team with Petrino calling the shots on offense.
The winner of the LSU/Bama game will probably decide the champion of the west, and with that game being played at Byrant Denny stadium, one would think the edge would go to Bama.
With the West clearly being the strongest division in the SEC, the edge would have to go to the West champion in the SEC CG again, with the winner of that game likely moving on to play for another BCS national championship. Based on the information that is available today, I would have to say that Alabama is the team to beat in the SEC.
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