As the summer days heat up, so does the anticipation for the upcoming college football season.  And, down south, that excitement is more akin to a religious-like passion.  As usual, the Southeastern Conference is stocked with several teams that are not only legitimate threats to win the conference title, but the league is also filled with multiple teams that will be major players on the national scene.  Despite the glut of contenders, come early December, we will likely see familiar faces roaming the sidelines in Atlanta.  

In the SEC West, the bottom of the conference should be much improved.  Although Arkansas loses a lot of talent, including star running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, the addition of head coach Bobby Petrino has excited a fan base that is hungry for an SEC title.  Nevertheless, the Hogs remain a couple of years away from serious contention as Petrino will need time to fully implement his pass-happy offense. 

While Mississippi State proved to be ahead of schedule last season with an 8-5 record that included a Liberty Bowl victory over Central Florida, the momentum may not last.  Mississippi State's strength may prove to be a senior laden defense, led by free safety Derek Pegues and linebacker Jamar Chaney.  However, the 2008 Bulldogs will likely struggle to become bowl eligible, especially when you consider that they must travel to LSU, Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss.  With the Bulldogs falling, rival Ole Miss has a realistic opportunity to take a step up the ladder.  Granted, it will not take much to improve from last year's 3-9 campaign, but new head coach Houston Nutt inherits a quality talent base.  Former head coach Ed Orgeron may not have produced wins, but his recruiting prowess has left the Rebels in a favorable situation, of which Nutt will surely capitalize on in the upcoming seasons.

The top of the SEC West is represented by both Auburn and LSU, who will again compete for division supremacy, with the Alabama Crimson Tide making a little noise as well.  The Tide will be well-served with senior quarterback John Parker Wilson under center and leading the way.  Wilson, the school's all-time leader in single-season passing yardage, has been largely unappreciated by the Bama faithful.  His leadership and toughness has been underrated, and those skills will surely be called upon this season.  Alabama returns 13 total starters, with 10 of 11 offensive starters returning.  So, needless to say, defensive-minded head coach Nick Saban will largely rely upon an experienced offense led by Wilson and rising sophomore running back Terry Grant, who is coming off a super freshman year in which he averaged five yards per carry and rushed for nearly 900 yards in only 11 games.  The x-factor will be the development of Saban's defensive unit.  The Tide's hopes and dreams of an SEC title will be determined on the road, as they travel to Fayetteville, Athens, Knoxville and Baton Rouge - a road schedule that will prove to be too much for Bama.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?