College Football 2011: Odds to Win the SEC and Who We'd Bet On

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The Southeastern Conference has enjoyed incredible success in winning five consecutive national championships and four different schools lifting the trophy since the 2006 campaign.

Auburn finished off a perfect 14-0 campaign last year by registering a 22-19 victory over the Oregon Ducks in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

Eight SEC schools are currently listed inside the AP Top 25 Poll—suggesting that an exciting season is ahead.

Let’s take a look at the odds for each team to win the 2011 SEC Championship Game that will be played on December 3, 2011, inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.

No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (+125)

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Alabama is currently the betting favorite to win the SEC Championship Game heading into a fifth year under head coach Nick Saban. 

Last year’s team failed to accomplish its goal of winning back-to-back national titles by posting a 10-3 overall record, 5-3 conference mark. 

The Crimson Tide start out the 2011 season with three non-conference games before welcoming in the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sept. 23.

Saban and Co. may receive a huge break with ongoing suspensions to SEC West-rival LSU, which may catapult the team into representing the division in Atlanta.

Fans in Tuscaloosa have a legitimate shot of winning back the conference crown, with 19 starters and 51 lettermen returning.

A ferocious defense and punishing running game will be displayed each week by this team—but no value persists from a betting perspective.

No. 4 LSU Tigers (+325)

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Don’t discount the LSU Tigers just yet in terms of winning the SEC—especially when the season opener against the Oregon Ducks has no bearing on the conference standings. 

The big news heading into the season is the indefinite suspension of senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who turned himself into police due to an off-campus fight.

Wide receiver Russell Shepard has also been declared ineligible in violating an NCAA rule and may miss a number of games—but will still be able to practice. 

Head coach Les Miles is known as “The Mad Hatter” around college football, and he may have a few tricks up his sleeve in navigating through the SEC West division.

After all, Miles has captured 11 wins over coaches that have a national title to their credit.

Jefferson’s possible year-long suspension will make anyone think twice before betting on this team to come out on top inside the Georgia Dome.

No. 22 Florida Gators (+400)

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The Florida Gators move on from the Urban Meyer era and will be led by former Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.  He was named the 23rd head coach in program history on Dec. 11, 2010, and is a former native of Gainesville, Florida.

Muschamp is no stranger to SEC football—spending five years orchestrating stop units at LSU and Auburn. 

Many around the program expect the squad to post a better record than its 8-5 mark a season ago, as the Gators played 31 freshmen last season—the most in the nation.

Professional handicappers find the conference schedule to be a difficult one with road games against LSU, Alabama and South Carolina.

Don’t miss out on picking this team to win the conference championship in 2012.

No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks (+400)

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Watch out. The Old Ball Coach has some talent in Columbia, South Carolina this year.

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier enters his seventh season and has compiled a 44-33 mark.

He led the program to its first SEC East Division title last year—but ultimately suffered a 56-17 blowout loss to the eventual national champion Auburn Tigers in the championship game.

Bettors are getting a price that resembles value before the season due to a Week 2 showdown in Athens, Georgia, as the team will line up against the Georgia Bulldogs.

A key to this contest may be the Bulldogs suffering an emotional letdown after starting the season off against the No. 5 Boise State Broncos inside the Georgia Dome.

Odds of the Gamecocks winning the conference will drop significantly if they come out of that game unscathed. 

Senior quarterback Stephen Garcia is experienced and also erratic at times—but he’s surrounded by top-flight talent at the skilled positions. 

Sophomore running back Marcus Lattimore and junior wide receiver Alshon Jeffery are two of the best playmakers at their respective positions.

THE PICK

No. 19 Georgia Bulldogs (+550)

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Losing seasons just don’t happen for the Georgia Bulldogs under head coach Mark Richt, but it occurred in 2010 with a 6-7 overall record and 3-5 mark in SEC play.

It was the program’s first losing season since 1996—first under Richt in his 10 years on campus. 

“Last year was not anywhere close to what we expected and certainly was well below the standard of what Georgia football is all about,” Richt said on GeorgiaDogs.com.  “I’m not happy with what we went through, but we’ll be better for it in 2011.” 

All-SEC candidate Aaron Murray at quarterback will lead the team after earning Freshman All-America honors. He completed 209 of 342 passes for 3,049 yards and 24 touchdowns, while throwing just eight interceptions.

A year away. Possibly. Maybe not—if coming away with a win over No. 12 South Carolina in Week 2.

No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks (+1000)

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Arkansas will face three of the past four national champions this year and will be playing without star quarterback Ryan Mallett, who is now a member of the New England Patriots.

The Razorbacks return a solid group of running backs despite the loss of last year's SEC rushing leader Knile Davis to a season-ending ankle injury Aug. 11 and 84 percent of their receiving yards. 

Head coach Bobby Petrino should be confident that Mallett’s loss will not be too difficult to overcome, as Arkansas returns players that scored 48 of the team’s 58 offensive touchdowns in 2010.

Keeping the ball on the ground is likely the plan of attack versus SEC foes, returning three runners that have collectively gained 2,666 yards.

Road games at Alabama and LSU will likely derail any chances of reaching the conference championship.

No. 20 Mississippi State Bulldogs (+2000)

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The Mississippi State Bulldogs enter the third year under head coach Dan Mullen, and many in Starksville, Mississippi are expecting an improvement on last year’s 9-4 overall record. 

Quarterback Chris Relf is a dual-threat quarterback after accumulating 1,776 passing yards and 701 rushing yards a season ago.  He led the team to a 52-14 win over the Michigan Wolverines in the 2011 Gator Bowl.

Senior running back Vick Ballard will be in the backfield—starting 10 of 12 games last year and setting a school record with 20 total touchdowns.

Mississippi State will sneak up on no one this year, and that alone keeps money from leaving my wallet.

Tennessee Volunteers (+2,000)

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The Tennessee Volunteers enter the second year under head coach Derek Dooley and hope to build upon a perfect 4-0 record in November and 30-27 overtime loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

Dooley has the program on the rise again and has brought in top 12 recruiting classes in his first two opportunities in Knoxville.

Leading the Volunteers will be sophomores Tyler Bray and Justin Hunter, who set freshman records for passing yards and receiving yards respectively.

Considering the school has won 13 SEC Championships—the second-most of any school in the conference—bettors may take a shot at this great underdog price.

Road games against Florida, Alabama and Arkansas are a challenge and leave me on the betting sidelines.

No. 23 Auburn Tigers (+2,500)

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Many conference experts were surprised that the Auburn Tigers were found in the 2011 AP Top 25 Poll—which sums up their chances of winning the SEC for a second consecutive year.

Junior Barrett Trotter will be replacing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton, who was selected with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. 

He appeared in six games during his sophomore campaign, connecting on six of nine passes for 64 yards. 

Conference media members have predicted a fifth-place finish in the SEC West for the Tigers this year, and it’s certainly possible.

An 0-4 start in the SEC is possible—with the conference schedule opening up with four difficult tests in consecutive weeks (at South Carolina, at Arkansas, Florida, at LSU).

Pass.

Kentucky Wildcats (+5,000)

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The Kentucky Wildcats are a basketball school that is surviving in the Southeastern Conference.  It will surprise many that don’t follow the program closely that it has played in a school-record five consecutive bowl games.

With that being said, that doesn’t make you a contender to win the SEC Championship Game in December.

Second-year head coach Joker Phillips posted a 6-7 overall record in 2010, highlighted by a 31-28 home victory over the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks.

Optimism is definitely high around the program, but losses on the offensive end will prove too difficult for bettors to back the Wildcats in winning the conference.

Mississippi Rebels (+5,000)

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Fans in Oxford, Mississippi, were certainly spoiled during the best two-year run in quite some time for the program, and it wasn’t much of a surprise to see 2010 end with a 4-8 record.

The Mississippi Rebels return nine of 11 starters from an offense that ranked third in the SEC in rushing offense, led by All-SEC running back Brandon Bolden. 

Head coach Houston Nutt figures to call plenty running plays behind a pair of All-American candidates at tackle.  Many will remember his love of keeping the ball on the ground during his time at Arkansas with tailbacks Felix Jones and Darren McFadden.

The SEC will feature a lot of teams that will pound it on the ground on a weekly basis, which may exploit the Rebels’ weakness of losing four senior defensive tackles from a year ago.

A middle-of-the-pack finish is expected.

Vanderbilt Commodores (+10,000)

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The Vanderbilt Commodores are simply not going to challenge for an SEC title anytime soon and will be under a new head coach during the 2011 season.

James Franklin does take over a team that brings back 21 starters from a year ago, but will simply be looking to improve upon back-to-back 2-10 seasons. 

Lack of depth and speed is likely to show again in Nashville, but an improved record is definitely something worth betting on.