College conference predictions: the SEC

Yes, the Southeastern Conference is king. If you were to watch ESPN recently you'd think the World Wide Leader has paid billions to become the SEC Network (actually $2.25 billion over 15 years).

The SEC gets the love and way too much fawning nationally, but unfortunately for Big Ten fans much of it is deserved. The conference has won three straight national titles and turned the Bowl Championship Series into its own prime time exhibition. The SEC has won five of its last six BCS games and has set the college football agenda for the foreseeable future.

Entering this season, the SEC has five teams that could land in the nation's top 12, including defending national champion Florida. I see 10 games involving SEC teams that could have national title and BCS bowl implications. Those include (and my predicted result with home teams in caps):

• Florida over Georgia (at Jacksonville)
• LOUISIANA STATE over Florida
• OLE MISS over Louisiana State
• OLE MISS over Alabama
• AUBURN over Ole Miss 
• ALABAMA over Louisiana State
• OKLAHOMA STATE over Georgia
• Virginia Tech over Alabama (at Atlanta)
• Arkansas over Texas A&M (at Arlington, Texas)
• West Virginia over AUBURN

With those pivotal games set, here's a league breakdown. Florida is the best team in the country with the best player in the country in QB Tim Tebow. The Gators could trip up at LSU, partly because they've lost at least one game at an SEC West team every year since 1999. Georgia could be a solid team on the rebound and benefits from a modest SEC schedule. Tennessee will work its way back to a bowl, but the Volunteers will struggle against the league's top powers. Kentucky has to replace several starters but has a decent schedule to get to a bowl. Vanderbilt faces a brutal schedule. South Carolina looked as disinterested as any bowl team in history last January and plays a murderous non-conference and non-divisional slate. ... Ole Miss is the chic pick and the schedule sets up nicely. The Rebels play four non-conference cupcakes, avoids Florida and Georgia and hosts Alabama and LSU. If it doesn't happen this year for Ole Miss, it never will. Alabama also avoids Georgia and Florida, but faces a tough opener against Virginia Tech and plays at Ole Miss. LSU runs the gauntlet with road league games at Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgia while hosting Florida. Arkansas plays the SEC's top five, including four on the road.  Auburn will improve slightly under ex-Iowa State Coach Gene Chizik. Mississippi State has a ways to go under new Coach Dan Mullen.

This is how I see the SEC playing out, followed by the league's bowl appearances:

EAST

1. Florida               11-1  7-1
2. Georgia             10-2  7-1
3. Tennessee          7-5  3-5
4. Kentucky            6-6  2-6
5. Vanderbilt         4-8  1-7
6. S. Carolina         3-9  1-7

WEST

1. Mississippi        11-1  7-1
2. Alabama           10-2  7-1
3. Louisiana St.   10-2  6-2
4. Auburn               7-5   4-4
5. Arkansas            7-5   3-5
6. Miss. State       2-10  0-8

SEC Championship: Florida over Ole Miss

Here are the SEC bowls:

• BCS Championship: Florida
• Sugar: Ole Miss
• Capital One: Alabama
• Cotton: LSU
• Outback: Georgia
• Peach: Auburn
• Liberty: Arkansas
• Music City: Tennessee
• Independence: Kentucky
• PapaJohn's: (Not filled)