College football preview: Southeastern Conference

Ten teams from the Southeastern Conference, including the entire roster of the West Division, sit among the top 27 teams in the preseason Associated Press poll. One can only imagine the embarrassment on the faces of Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, the only four SEC teams to not be judged among the elite in college football.

Despite the league's ongoing crisis of confidence — propelled by a two-year title drought — one thing remains obvious: The SEC's national reputation remains untarnished.

It always helps to have a sturdy excuse at arm's length. This year's version, voiced by Auburn's Gus Malzahn, suggests the league is so deep and dangerous that the SEC's best are worn down by the start of the postseason. That trumps Nick Saban's small-picture rationale for the Crimson Tide's loss to Ohio State, which implied that his team's next-level core was distracted by the looming NFL draft.

The only issue with these excuses: they're idiotic.

To suggest that the SEC is worn down by the regular season ignores the idea that the league plays only eight conference games; the Pac-12 Conference plays nine, to cite one example, and that didn't slow Oregon heading into December and January. How many SEC teams will play true road games against fellow Power Five competition in 2015? Two: Georgia goes to Georgia Tech and LSU to Syracuse.

NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.

It implies that the SEC doesn't take a one-week vacation in November, when viable competition is replaced by the likes of Charleston Southern, Idaho, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte and The Citadel. It gives the SEC a chance to regroup in advance of rivalry weekend, supporters say; well, last I checked, it's not the only league to end its regular season with rivalry games.

There's a better excuse for the SEC's recent postseason failures, painful as it may be to consider. Here it is: The SEC has underachieved.

This is still the deepest league in college football, even if only six or seven teams are truly deserving of being in the mix for a preseason national ranking. As many as 12 teams could reach the postseason in 2015; Vanderbilt strikes me as the only team that can't, actually. Georgia is a quarterback away from competing for the national title. Alabama and Auburn are deserving of being viewed among the top five.

The SEC still touts the finest collection of coaching talent in college football. The league still houses the strongest roster of on-field talent in the nation, even if the lack of proven commodities at quarterback is again a concern. No conference is as committed to crafting a winning product, obviously.

There are no excuses for failing to capture the last two titles. It just … happened. Hey, it happens. This is the strongest conference in the FBS; that doesn't mean the SEC is going to win the national championship.

EAST

1. Georgia (No. 16)
2. Missouri (No. 23)
3. Tennessee (No. 33)
4. South Carolina (No. 40)
5. Florida (No. 69)
6. Kentucky (No. 77)
7. Vanderbilt (No. 121)

WEST

1. Auburn (No. 3)
2. Alabama (No. 4)
3. Mississippi (No. 14)
4. LSU (No. 27)
5. Arkansas (No. 31)
6. Mississippi State (No. 45)
7. Texas A&M (No. 47)

By reading this sentence, you have agreed to a strict no-Googling rule in finding your answer.

It's been nearly three cold, dreary seasons since the SEC's last national title. Using the Associated Press poll, can you name the league's longest championship drought since 1957, when Auburn was the first SEC team to be named the national champion by the AP?

1. Southeastern Conference
2. Pac-12 Conference
3. Big Ten Conference
4. Big 12 Conference
5. Atlantic Coast Conference
6. Mountain West Conference
7. American Athletic Conference
8. Conference USA
9. Mid-American Conference
10. Sun Belt Conference

Georgia

Best case: Solid quarterback play brings together a roster with title-worthy talent, leading to — you guessed it — a national championship for the Bulldogs.

Worst case: As is sometimes the case, the Bulldogs find a way to lose three games.

Missouri

Best case: Lo and behold, the Tigers win another SEC East Division title.

Worst case: For the first time since its SEC debut, Missouri finishes in the second half of the division.

Tennessee

Best case: Tennessee goes 10-2 and wins the East.

Worst case: Sticking at seven wins might seem disappointing, but the Volunteers' gained experience pays dividends in 2016.

South Carolina

Best case: Nine wins would be a nice step in the right direction after a very poor 2014 season.

Worst case: The Gamecocks lose seven games and finish ahead of only Vanderbilt in the division.

Florida

Best case: First-year coach Jim McElwain leads the Gators to victories against Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State, three of the team's nine wins overall.

Worst case: The Gators lose eight games for the second time in three years.

Kentucky

Best case: Kentucky reaches a bowl game for the first time since 2011 and wins eight games for just the third time since 1985.

Worst case: It seems hard to imagine, but the Wildcats drop from five wins to just three in Mark Stoops' third season.

Vanderbilt

Best case: Five wins would indicate remarkable progress.

Worst case: Zero wins and 12 losses by 14 or more points.

Auburn

Best case: Hiring Will Muschamp to run its defense carries Auburn back to the championship game, where the Tigers top Baylor to bring a title back to the SEC.

Worst case: Auburn loses three times during the regular season.

Alabama

Best case: Alabama wins its fourth national championship under Nick Saban.

Worst case: The Crimson Tide lose to Auburn, LSU, Mississippi and Texas A&M. The Earth would wobble on its axis.

Mississippi

Best case: The Rebels win the West Division, take home the SEC title and reach the Playoff.

Worst case: Hugh Freeze's bunch wins seven games during the regular season. If so, I'd call this one of the most disappointing teams in the country.

LSU

Best case: LSU gets strong quarterback play — this is a best-case scenario, remember — and finishes atop the division.

Worst case: A six-win finish raises serious questions about Les Miles' place with the program moving forward.

Arkansas

Best case: By the time November rolls around, this team's physicality has the Razorbacks beating teams before kickoff. Arkansas goes 10-2 and reaches the conference championship game.

Worst case: While another six-win regular season wouldn't diminish my expectations for the future, it would likely be viewed as a disappointment by Arkansas' bright-eyed fan base.

Mississippi State

Best case: I know this sounds crazy, but the one SEC West team with a proven quarterback wins nine games and battles for the conference title.

Worst case: A general lack of experience leaves Mississippi State as the one West team out of the postseason.

Texas A&M

Best case: An immense talent base, a little more experience and an upgrade at defensive coordinator help to lift Texas A&M to nine wins.

Worst case: One team has to finish last in the division, guys.

Offense

QB: Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
RB: Nick Chubb, Georgia
RB: Leonard Fournette, LSU
WR: Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi
WR: Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
TE: Evan Engram, Mississippi
OL: Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi
OL: Dan Skipper, Arkansas
OL: Evan Boehm, Missouri
OL: Greg Pyke, Georgia
OL: Denver Kirkland, Arkansas

Defense

DL: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
DL: Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi
DL: A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama
DL: Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
LB: Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
LB: Reggie Ragland, Alabama
LB: Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
CB: Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida
CB: Jonathan Jones, Auburn
S: Tony Conner, Mississippi
S: Eddie Jackson, Alabama

Specialists

K: Austin McGinnis, Kentucky
P: JK Scott, Alabama
RET: Speedy Noil, Texas A&M

Quarterback: Mississippi State and Auburn (tie). Dak Prescott's experience stands out in the SEC, but Jeremy Johnson will put together jaw-dropping numbers in Gus Malzahn's offense.

Running back: Georgia. The Razorbacks would've topped this list before Jonathan Williams' season-ending injury. As is, Nick Chubb and the Bulldogs get the edge.

Wide receiver and tight end: Texas A&M. Much of this talent is young — juniors, sophomores, one impressive freshman — but A&M's overall athleticism at the position is impossible to ignore.

Offensive line: Arkansas. Combined, the Razorbacks' front clocks in at around the same weight as a Peugeot, or thereabouts. They'll make defenses pray for the final whistle.

Defensive line: Alabama. Each of the Tide's three starters should earn all-conference honors, while A'Shawn Robinson is a potential All-America pick.

Linebacker: Alabama. I don't see any one star, unless Reuben Foster's career takes off, but this is another trustworthy, reliable and potentially explosive group for Nick Saban and Alabama.

Secondary: Florida. Just having Vernon Hargreaves III alone makes the Gators' secondary the league's best.

Special teams: Alabama and Texas A&M (tie). The Aggies hold the edge in the return game, but Alabama punter JK Scott is nothing shy of a weapon.

The dynasty is over. It was fun while it lasted. We'll always have the memories. For the first time since 2009, Alabama is not ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press poll. The Crimson Tide plummeted all the way to No. 3, so there's really no reason to play the season.

Jim McElwain, formerly of Colorado State, is just the second coach in the modern era of Florida football to be hired directly from a current non-major program. The other is Urban Meyer, who won a pair of national titles after being hired from Utah following the 2004 season.

At some point during the regular season, Mark Richt will pass LSU's Charlie McClendon and Georgia's Wallace Butts for the ninth-most wins by a coach in SEC history. Richt enters the 2015 season with 136 wins with the Bulldogs, 65 victories short of Vince Dooley's program record and 166 shy of Bear Bryant's conference record.

Kentuckywill play eight home games in 2015 for just the second time in program history, something that can only be seen as a good omen; the last time to do so, in 2007, won eight games for the second year in a row. The bad news: Eight of the Wildcats' first nine games — Eastern Kentucky the lone exception — come against reigning bowl teams, including four teams ranked in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.

I remember when Missouri wasn't that good. Of course, my memory predates 2007. Since that fall, the Tigers lead the entire FBS — like, every single team — in total divisional titles, sit fifth in total wins and fourth in first-round draft picks. It's almost as if … and stay with me here … Missouri was a really good program even before it joined the SEC. This is a crazy thought, I know.

James Franklin won nine games in a season at Vanderbilt — twice, actually. To grasp just how unprecedented this was, consider this: Only four times since 1975 has Vanderbilt combined for more than nine wins in back-to-back years. That happened from 1981-82, 1982-83, 1993-94 and 2007-8.

With 16 more wins at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier will become the first coach in history to win 100 or more games at two different SEC schools. In his younger days, Spurrier went 122-27-1 and won five conference titles and one national championship.

Only once in his eight seasons as an FBS defensive coordinator has a Will Muschamp-coached unit finished outside the top 20 nationally in yards allowed per game. That came in 2008, when Texas ranked 51st in the FBS during his first year with the program. Auburn ranked 19th in yards per game in 2006, his first year with the Tigers, but every other Muschamp-coached defense — three years at LSU, one other year at Auburn, two additional years at Texas — ranked no worse than eighth in the FBS.

Heisman Trophy: Dak Prescott, Mississippi State; Jeremy Johnson, Auburn; Nick Chubb, Georgia; Leonard Fournette, LSU; and Derrick Henry, Alabama (tie). This might just be the tip of the iceberg for the SEC, seeing that it doesn't even include potential dark-horse candidates in Texas A&M quarterback Kyle Allen or Arkansas running back Alex Collins, among others.

Doak Walker Award (best running back): Fournette, Chubb, Henry and Collins (tie). I think Chubb has the best shot, particularly if Georgia can find a quarterback, but all four options are poised for seasons of All-America production.

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (best senior quarterback): Prescott. This would be a nice reward for Prescott should he be eliminated from the Heisman race as a result of the Bulldogs' won-loss record.

Biletnikoff Award (best wide receiver): Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi. If he's fully recovered from last year's ugly leg injury — and he has, by all accounts — Treadwell is going to make a run at this national award.

Outland Trophy (best interior lineman): Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi. Tunsil is another star coming off of a lower-body injury, but his skill set places the junior among the very best players in college football.

Lombardi Award (best lineman): Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi. His impact far exceeds the box score, though voters do tend to focus on statistics. If Nkemdiche can add numbers to his overall dominance — and he's talked this offseason about becoming more disruptive in the backfield — he should be right in the mix for the award.

Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back): Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida. If he's healthy, I'd wager a healthy sum on Hargreaves at least being a finalist for the Thorpe — and I'd go as far as to say he's the odds-on favorite to run away with the title.

Ted Hendricks Award (best defensive end): Myles Garrett, Texas A&M. What should scare th rest of thee SEC — and quarterbacks in particular — is that Garrett is only beginning to scratch the surface of his full potential.

Ray Guy Award (best punter): JK Scott, Alabama. I swear, I think I saw Nick Saban smile after one of Scott's booming punts a year ago. I really think this happened.

Have 1,000 yards receiving: Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi and Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (tie). Treadwell seems like more of a sure thing, but I'm going to predict Noil to have a breakout season as a sophomore.

Throw for 3,500 yards: Kyle Allen, Texas A&M. As long as the Aggies' coaching staff doesn't replace Allen with true freshman Kyler Murray, that is. There's also reason to think Jeremy Johnson will flourish in Auburn's system, but I'm not sure if his production will truly match Gus Malzahn's Tulsa-era numbers.

Lose his job: Derek Mason, Vanderbilt. There's tremendous job security to be found throughout the SEC, but after a dreadful debut — and with not much hope for 2015 — Mason's seat is the hottest.

Retire following the 2015 season: Mark Richt, Georgia. He's the most likely to step aside, though it's still very unlikely.

Have 1,500 yards rushing: Nick Chubb, Georgia and Leonard Fournette, LSU (tie). Each sophomore should get the touches he needs to hit the 1,500-yard mark, if only because neither team has anything close to a sure thing under center.

Be a first round pick in 2016: Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida. Hargreaves won't be the only SEC player to fall in the opening round, obviously, but I think he'll be the first.

Lead the conference in scoring offense: Auburn. Johnson's ascension to the starting role at quarterback will allow Auburn to unveil the full capacity of its offensive system.

Lead the conference in scoring defense: Alabama and Mississippi (tie). For now, each team's title hopes stand on the shoulders of an elite defense.

Exceed expectations: Texas A&M. There's a ridiculous amount of talent in College Station, even if much of its leans young. I've felt since last summer that 2016 is the Aggies' year, but this fall could bring an ahead-of-schedule breakthrough.

Disappoint: LSU. I would not be surprised if LSU won six or seven games during the regular season.

Not every program in the conference has a clear-cut starter as we move toward the first weekend of the season. Bonus points for those schools without a major competition, let alone those with an accomplished and trustworthy returning starter.

1. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State. Prescott stands so far above the rest of the SEC quarterbacking class in terms of experience that he's essentially on a different level. There's nothing this league can throw at him that he hasn't seen before, basically. I'd love to see the rest of the Bulldogs' offense step forward and give Prescott the support he needs to make a run at the Heisman Trophy.

2. Jeremy Johnson, Auburn. Not even Cam Newton — as amazing and breathtaking as he was — allowed Gus Malzahn to unleash the full arsenal of his playbook. Johnson, who can run, pass, move in the pocket and elude pressure, does just that. I wouldn't be surprise if he made a run at 4,000 yards of total offense.

3. Josh Dobbs, Tennessee. Those expecting big things from Dobbs' junior season aren't off base, per se, but it'd pay to remember that he's still growing into the position. I'm looking for a substantial step forward this season — think 20 or more touchdown passes, more than seven yards per attempt — and a ton of preseason hype for the 2016 Heisman.

4. Kyle Allen, Texas A&M. Bringing in five-star quarterback after five-star quarterback is never a bad thing, but I wonder if Allen might be better off not having Kyler Murray looming over his shoulder in 2015. All things being equal, he has the highest ceiling of any underclassman quarterback in the SEC.

5. Patrick Towles, Kentucky. Towles is the most underrated starting quarterback in the SEC, not to mention the one quarterback set to zoom up draft boards during the course of the regular season.

6. Maty Mauk, Missouri. He didn't take the step forward I expected in 2014, his first full season as the starter, but Mauk remains a sturdy and dependable centerpiece for the Tigers' offense. Not to say there isn't room for improvement, however.

7. Brandon Allen, Arkansas. He won't have the numbers or highlight-reel moments needed to secure an all-conference nod, but Allen is the right quarterback for Arkansas' offense — and that sounds like faint praise, but it's not.

8. Blake Barnett, Cooper Bateman, Jacob Coker or Alec Morris, Alabama. Somehow, Jimbo Fisher was able to convince everyone — this includes myself — into thinking Coker was on the verge of stardom. Not quite. Now the senior is on the verge of never starting a game for Alabama. I still think he's the best option for the Crimson Tide; old habits die hard.

9. Faton Bauta, Greyson Lambert or Brice Ramsey, Georgia. The winner of this position battle, which I believe centers around the latter twosome, gets the keys to an offense — and entire team — ready to burst out of the gate. Simply controlling the football and getting the ball to Georgia's skill talent would make this team pretty dangerous.

10. Chad Kelly, Mississippi. There's never been any debate over Kelly's physical gifts. There are makeup concerns, however, and slight worries about his ability to fully grasp the Rebels' system before the start of the season. Here's one thing to like, however: It's not like this team landed consistent quarterback play during the past two seasons — and they still did pretty well.

11. Brandon Harris, LSU. Nothing about LSU's quarterback situation inspires any confidence whatsoever. A familiar refrain.

12. Connor Mitch, South Carolina. It's easy to fall in love with Mitch's potential as a multiple-year starter for the Gamecocks, and easy to appreciate the ease with which he cemented his role as the starter during this offseason. Having said that, it's only fair to assume some sort of growing pains as he learns on the job.

13. Will Grier or Treon Harris, Florida. Eventually, Jim McElwain is going to identify, evaluate and develop an all-everything quarterback with the Gators. It might even be one of the two potential starters on this year's roster — but it won't be this year.

14. Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt. It should be McCrary, who seems like the favorite for the starting job. It might also be Wade Freebeck, who was tough to watch a season ago. It could even be true freshman Kyle Shurmur, though throwing a rookie into Vanderbilt's mess could be a long-term disaster. Either way, the Commodores' quarterback play leaves much to be desired.

Georgia TE Jeb Blazevich. Georgia does need to find big-play weapons on the outside, but Blazevich's play as a freshman speaks to his ability to draw attention in the intermediate game and down the seams. While former offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is off to Colorado State, I can't imagine the Bulldogs turning away from the team's recent reliance on tight-end production.

Florida DT Taven Bryan. Florida was able to pull the four-star prospect out of Wyoming during the 2014 recruiting cycle. After wearing a redshirt as a rookie, Bryan has impressed the Gators' new coaching staff to the point where he should see significant snaps along the interior of the defensive line. While he's young, Bryan possesses the strength and intelligence needed to make an early impact in 2015 and develop into a multiple-year starter in the middle.

Texas A&M RB James White. If his performance this offseason speaks to White's potential come September, Texas A&M has found a bigger back to team with juniors Tra Carson and Brandon Williams. This is a needed development: A&M could use a back of White's size and physicality to churn out those hard-to-reach yards against conference competition.

Vanderbilt DT Jay Woods. He played a bit as a redshirt freshman last fall, participating in all 12 of the Commodores' games and making five starts. But after adding enough bulk to slide from end to tackle, Woods flourished during spring drills. He should be viewed as the likely replacement for former starter Vince Taylor.

South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel. Samuel won't be the only young wide receiver in the SEC asked to log substantial snaps as a redshirt freshman. Unlike most, however, he won't have to go it alone: Samuel can run second fiddle to junior Pharoh Cooper, one of the SEC's best at the position, and develop the skills that made him one of the top recruits coming out of South Carolina in the winter of 2014.

Mississippi State LB Gerri Green. In a perfect world, Green would have spent his redshirt freshman season in a reserve role. That changed shortly after the end of last season, when would-be senior Benardrick McKinney opted to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. That loss will continue to sting, but the Bulldogs have been very happy with Green's performance thus far as McKinney's replacement. The staff knew he'd be good; they just didn't think he'd be needed in such a significant role as a redshirt freshman.

Mississippi CB Tony Bridges and Tee Shepard. The two junior-college additions — Shepard originally via Notre Dame — add talent, athleticism and motivation to an already impressive secondary.

Mississippi defensive line coach Chris Kiffin. He's long been viewed as one of the nation's best recruiters — a well-deserved title — but Kiffin has also shown an ability to develop talent during his four seasons on the Rebels' staff.

Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith. Based on what the Razorbacks' defense achieved a season ago, Smith is deserving of all the recent acclaim heaped in his direction — and then some.

Florida offensive line coach Mike Summers. During the course of a long and well-traveled career, Summers has developed a reputation as one of the premier line coaches in college football.

Missouri defensive coordinator Barry Odom. Bringing Odom back to Missouri after his terrific turn at Memphis was a no-brainer for Gary Pinkel. Based on his career's recent trajectory, Odom's next stop will be at the front of his own FBS program.

Texas A&M offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. Believe it or not, this fall marks just Spavital's fifth season as a full-time FBS assistant. It's almost hard to believe, seeing that he's already counted among the top offensive minds in college football.

Kentucky tight ends coach Vince Marrow. A quick look at Kentucky's roster reveals Marrow's enormous impact on the Wildcats' rebuilding efforts. This program would not have its current inroads into Ohio without Marrow leading the charge.

Arizona State vs. Texas A&M (in Houston), Sept. 5. I'll try not to extrapolate great meaning from this game — vis à vis the great Pac-12 vs. SEC debate — but I'll probably fail.

Wisconsin vs. Alabama (in Dallas), Sept. 5. Giving Nick Saban the chance to situationally substitute defenders to match your offensive personnel and yardage is not a recipe for success.

Oklahoma at Tennessee, Sept. 12. This isn't the be-all, end-all for Tennessee's season, but it'll serve as a nice barometer for where the Volunteers stand heading into Butch Jones' third season.

Mississippi at Alabama, Sept. 19. I fully expect the Crimson Tide faithful to be in full-throated roar to welcome their friends from Oxford.

Alabama at Georgia, Oct. 3. This is a potential preview of the SEC title game, at least, and perhaps one of the more meaningful regular-season games this conference has to offer in the Playoff race.

Missouri at Georgia, Oct. 17. Tennessee's very clearly on the rise, but the winner of this game will take home the East Division.

Mississippi at Arkansas, Oct. 24. The Rebels' defensive line against Arkansas' offensive line is one of the must-see positional battles of the entire season.

Florida vs. Georgia (in Jacksonville), Oct. 31. It's still mind-boggling to remember that last year's Florida team won this rivalry game by 18 points. Another loss like that would do as much damage to Mark Richt's credibility in this series as it would provide Jim McElwain with an early-tenure boost.

Mississippi at Auburn, Oct. 31. Just another SEC West tilt with enormous ramifications.

Georgia at Auburn, Nov. 14. This cross-divisional series takes on an added level of intrigue should the Bulldogs and Auburn both remain either unbeaten or with a single loss.

Missouri at Arkansas, Nov. 27. I don't think either team will be in the mix for a top-four spot, but this could have major-bowl implications.

Georgia at Georgia Tech, Nov. 28. Want to quite a few hundred thousand Georgia fans? Nail a 50-something-yard field goal to force overtime, and then get an interception to seal the dramatic win. The Bulldogs are looking for a little payback.

Clemson at South Carolina, Nov. 28. The Gamecocks are looking to restart an extended winning streak in the series.

Mississippi at Mississippi State, Nov. 28. This year's meeting of the Egg Bowl might not carry last fall's hype or consequence, though that won't impact its deep meaning within the state's borders.

Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 28. Once again, perhaps the game of the year in college football. I faintly remember something strange happening the last time this game was played at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

For the efforts of this exercise, let's play under the following rules:

While the SEC has been around for many, many years, not every team in the conference has been a member of the league since its inception. As such, you won't find any South Carolina or Arkansas players from before 1991 nor Missouri or Texas A&M players from before 2011. That's why George Rogers isn't found on this list, for example.

In addition, if any conference shift occurred during a player's career he will be considered for the league in which he had his greatest or most memorable success. Finally, remember that the SEC was founded in 1932, meaning players of a certain vintage are ineligible.

The question, in shortened form: Using the Associated Press poll, can you name the league's longest championship drought since 1957, when Auburn was the first SEC team to be named the national champion by the AP?

The answer is 12 years, from 1966-77. That stretch is bookended by Alabama titles in 1965 and 1978.

It's easy to say the following: The winner of the SEC is reaching the College Football Playoff. It's slightly harder to actually predict which team will win the conference.

Let's begin to trim down the numbers. It won't be Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina, Mississippi State or LSU. The Commodores might not win a game. The Gators are getting started under a new staff. LSU isn't in the ballpark of championship contention.

The Gamecocks should be happy with nine wins — ecstatic, even. The Bulldogs are a solid, bowl-eligible team that shouldn't finish in the top four of the West Division. Missouri is a strong national program, but this team isn't going to compete for a national title.

I've said many, many times that Tennessee hasn't merely recruited and developed a roster that can compete for SEC titles, but one that can eventually play for national titles. I just don't think the Volunteers are quite ready to take that leap — though that day is coming.

The same might be said of Arkansas, though I think Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks are farther along in the process. Arkansas may very well win 10 games this fall, including the postseason, but let's slowly back away from placing Arkansas among the crop of SEC teams capable of winning the league — and thereby playing for the title.

You'll notice a juxtaposition of sorts: I have Texas A&M finishing last in the West but not included among those teams incapable of winning the conference. To me, the Aggies are perhaps the greatest boom-or-bust team in the country; if the defense is stout and the youth ready for major production, the Aggies are talented enough to win the league. I worry that this team is more likely to fall short of its goals and aspirations than finish in the top three in the West.

So that leaves four teams: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Mississippi.

If you gave Georgia a legitimate quarterback — a Dak Prescott, Josh Dobbs, Kyle Allen, maybe even Patrick Towles — I'd be fully on board with the Bulldogs' championship shot. As is, we have no way of truly knowing what sort of play Georgia will land under center. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs should be viewed as the favorite in the East Division.

Mississippi needs strong quarterback play of its own, not to mention a better and more dedicating running game. It's not a stretch to say these go hand in hand. The Rebels will be in the mix come November if they can protect the football, stop the run and force turnovers in the passing game. Hugh Freeze's team isn't far off from that point.

Yet it really comes down to two teams, Alabama and Auburn, even if both have inherent flaws of their own to overcome. The Crimson Tide are not in good shape at quarterback, but close to flawless elsewhere. Auburn is in great shape on offense but still a work in progress on defense, even if Will Muschamp's track record suggests a healthy uptick in production. The Iron Bowl is coming fast.