While it's almost certainly too early to do this, I don't care. There's nothing going on right now, and I felt like our readers should at least have something to do today.
So here it is.
How would you rank the SEC football teams going into this upcoming season?
My ranking follows after the jump.
1. Florida - entering next season, every team in the SEC has questions except Florida. They are poised to win another national championship. Why did they have to be so incredible the one year that Ole Miss has any hope of going to the SEC Championship game? Two years ago, Orson Swindle described LSU as a werewolf with a chainsaw for a dick. This year, that's an adequate description of Florida.
2. Ole Miss - Yes. This is a homer pick by me. I don't care. After hearing several things about the improvement of our offensive line lately, I think we're the favorites to win the west. We have proven players at every single position (if we count OL as one position).
3. Alabama - Saban has stockpiled a ton of talent. Having to break in new QB Greg McElroy is the only reason I wouldn't put Alabama ahead of us.
4. South Carolina - I think that this year's Spurrier-led team is going to surprise a lot of people. This season could be one that makes Spurrier's lifetime membership at Augusta all worth it.
5. LSU - I don't think Jordan Jefferson is good enough to take this team to the next level. I just don't. They lost a ton of players on defense as well as several important pieces on offense. I know this pick will be unpopular among LSU fans, but I don't care. Geaux to hell LSU.
6. Georgia - Wow. It has to suck to approach a rebuilding year after a disappointing season. Georgia fans have to be wondering at what point it's couth of them to ask Richt to play for a national championship.
7. Arkansas - I think Arkansas is going to surprise several people this season, just not as much as some other people are predicting. The fact that they travel to LSU, Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss means it's going to be tough to get over the hump. Things are looking up in Fayetteville though. And, by "things," I mean "people," and by "looking up," I mean "obsessively searching websites for Houston Nutt references, filing FOIA requests, and making sure that any mode of transportation associated with Bobby Petrino is completely devoid of fuel at all times.... yes, that does mean his own feet."
8. Auburn - Auburn's offense lacks playmakers, and even Gus Malzahn (whose greatness cannot be understated by Arkansas fans) can't make Kodi Burns an accurate passer. Auburn looks to have put a solid staff together outside of the head coach though, and with the unimportance of a head coach in modern football, they really could go far. Just, not this year.
9. Tennessee - Signing David Oku and Bryce Brown puts Tennessee in the (prestigious) top nine. Still, they're going to be a game that everyone circles on the schedule. Gator bait, Hey Vols, Go Dores, etc.
10. Kentucky - It's amazing that Kentucky comes in tenth on this list. I don't think they're a really bad team. They just don't stack up with the "top" nine.
11. Vanderbilt - Bowl hopes are very low without DJ Moore. Oh well, Commodore seniors. At least you have that fallback plan in nuclear physics or Slavic linguistics.
12. Mississippi State - Why do I even have to explain? Tyson Lee? Three scholarshiped receivers? The worst O-line in the SEC? A defense that loses Derek Pegues and Keith Fitzhugh? Mississippi State is certainly the worst team in the SEC at this point, and it's not just because they misspelled Mississippi on a campus sign or one of their players' names on his jersey--they just don't have what it takes to win right now.