On the eve of the SEC Media Days opening in Birmingham, here’s the as-promised look at how this scribe feels the league’s West Division will play out. One note: Don’t just scan the numbers beside each team. I see a three-way tie at the top.
1. Alabama — There are plenty of areas of concern for the Tide, most notably replacing two of the finest offensive linemen in school history and a quarterback who owns virtually every Tide passing record. But Nick Saban has elevated the overall talent level exponentially since his arrival, and Alabama should have one of the finest defenses in the country. And then there’s the schedule, which features road trips to only Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Auburn. The Tide will be heavily favored in three of the four.
1. LSU — The Bengal Tigers are still the most gifted team in the West from top to bottom. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson likely holds the key, but Les Miles’ staff brought in the top-rated prep signal-caller in last year’s recruiting class, plus the top receiver and defensive back. LSU does play a more formidable schedule, facing Georgia and Florida back-to-back, plus road trips to Ole Miss and Alabama.
1. Ole Miss — More is expected out of this bunch of Rebels than any since the Johnny Vaught heydays, and some fear Houston Nutt’s team may not be able to handle being the hunted instead of the hunter. But a Top 10 NFL quarterback prospect in Jevan Snead and the deepest defense in the league combine with a soft slate to make the Rebs a solid contender. The only league road games are South Carolina, Vandy, Auburn and Mississippi State, and the non-conference schedule is the easiest in America.
4. Arkansas — Along with Auburn, this club could go anywhere from 4-8 to 8-4, but because the Razorbacks showed signs of life toward the end of last season, and Bobby Petrino has Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett in to run his offense, I believe Arkansas will win at least one or two games nobody expects it to. We’ll find out early as the Razorbacks play Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida and Ole Miss in succession.
5. Auburn — Scary to think last year’s crew was picked by the media to win the division. We know much better about where the talent level is now, meaning any success this Auburn team has will be directly attributed to the coaching staff. Nothing’s guaranteed considering the schedule, especially the grueling season-ending stretch of league affairs that includes LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama. Whew.
6. Miss. St. — The Bulldogs are normally competitive defensively, but they lost seven starters off last year’s team. New coach Dan Mullen should finally give ’State fans their first glimpse of imagination on offense, but he’s a recruiting class or two from making the Bulldogs a real factor.
Phil Paramore’s column appears Tuesday and Friday. He can be heard weekday mornings from 7-9 on AM 560 WOOF or at www.woofradio.com. He can be reached at the same website.
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