Who will Emerge on Top of the SEC?

Urban Meyer did something rather unique in the 06-07 season. He won a national championship with his offense and someone else’s defense.

Last season, when the recruits stopped being Zook's and started being Meyer’s, the offense went even further off the charts. But the defense got steadily worse.

The defense was so horrid, in fact, that by the end of the season they were outscored by Michigan, a Big Ten team, in a bowl game (something that should absolutely never happen).

So one of the burning questions in the SEC East is this: Is the Gators' defense for real? Unfortunately for them, they will be tested early and often.

I expect Georgia, who brings back 75 percent of their starters from both sides of the ball, to absolutely steamroll Florida when they meet in November but more importantly, play far more consistently on the defensive end than that of their reptile counterparts.

There is no question that the Gators have the best offense in the SEC, but other SEC teams (especially Georgia) have offenses that can keep up, and defenses that have a better shot at containing the spread. Having Stafford and Moreno certainly doesn’t hurt the Bulldogs, who should coast through the SEC East.

The West is anchored by the concept of the makeover. LSU might have their mascot starting the season at quarterback and lost more than half of their defensive squad from last season.

They still have two great WR threats. But a lack of a proven QB always brings uncertainty. The uncertainty is even worse on the defensive side of the ball, the side that hands down won them the national championship last season.

Florida may put up such great numbers that they have a serious shot at getting an at large BCS bid, without even making it to their own conference’s championship game.

LSU needs to fill the holes in their D, immediately, because Auburn may have finally figured out how to fun a spread offense of their own and are also bringing back all but three starters from last season. Les Miles is a phenomenal coach, but this year of rebuilding may be what Auburn needed to leapfrog the Bayou Bengals. Auburn QB Brandon Cox is the best passer in the SEC West, which is especially important, considering the fact that their biggest competition still has a question mark at the QB position. I will cite LSU’s losses as the reason why they fall to No. 2 in this conference.

Also, keep in mind that LSU has to face both Florida and Georgia in cross division play while Auburn gets Georgia and Vanderbilt. That one game may make a difference.

On a final note in the East, I have absolutely no idea what to expect from Alabama. Saban is a great coach, but he is not dealing with a ton of his own recruits now, so I think they may still be a year away from serious competition, but anything can happen when you have a coach of that caliber making the calls.

THE GRAND FINALE: Georgia over Auburn to not only win the SEC but also give themselves a National Championship Game appearance. Here’s the other catch. Florida may put up such great numbers that they have a serious shot at getting an at large BCS bid, without even making it to their own conference’s championship game. But Georgia remains the front runner for both the conference and the national championship race.

Offensive player of the year: Knowshon Moreno (RB, Georgia)

Defensive player of the year: Dannell Ellerbe (LB, Georgia)

Bound for glory: Everyone (Georgia)