SEC Power Rankings 2010: The Strong Get Stronger

Before we begin, here is my assessment of overall conference strength as compared to 2009 in several key areas. I will rank each area for each year on a scale which one is the lowest rank and five is the highest.

Area Ranked	2009 Season	2010 Season
Rushing Offense	4	5
Passing Offense	3	5
Scoring Offense	3	4
Rushing Defense	5	4
Passing Defense	3	4
Special Teams Coverage	2	4
Special Teams Scoring	3	4
Average	Approx. 3.3	Approx. 4.3

Spring Practice is over and summer 7-on-7 sessions have commenced. Players are working on the deficiencies in their game that were revealed in spring practice. Every year I make an initial assessment of the SEC before spring practice.    

Here are my preliminary power rankings for the SEC before spring practice. It is now time to go back and look at those assessments and adjust them with the new information gained from spring practice. This should give fans some idea of the conference going into fall practice.

The Current SEC Champion

Alabama : Until a loss proves otherwise, we must keep them at their current position and accord them due respect. They came into the spring with many unanswered questions. They left spring practice with many of those questions still unanswered.

Alabama doesn’t currently have a punter capable of performing at championship levels on the roster. They are looking for a true freshman to come in this fall and fill this void. This is very troublesome; putting a freshman punter into the fire of the SEC without a viable backup could mean trouble ahead.

Alabama doesn’t currently have a kick or punt returner. This is of no consequence, with so many great athletes on the team; there will be a player step up. While it is doubtful this position will see the production from this area of the 2009 team, it should be solid.

Special teams coverage was not stellar in 2009. This was an area where Alabama suffered all year. This is an area where Alabama is likely to improve in 2010. The reason for this has two related parts.

The NCAA banned wedge blocks. This will make kick coverage a more man-on-man task. The defensive player will have more access to the returner.

Alabama has some very good athletes on special teams and they should have more success getting to the returner.

Alabama did replace the two open positions on the offensive line. They did not look like they did though. The offensive line is a definite area of concern going into fall practice. While Alabama can have a successful season with a mediocre offensive line; they will not be able to overcome teams like LSU, Auburn, and South Carolina without a lot of improvement in this area.

The Alabama defensive line reloaded and is solid, but not as deep as in 2009. This year’s defensive line has a different personality. They are faster and more athletic than the 2009 version. They will be harder on many teams than the 2009 group.

They will also have some problems with teams that have a truly elite offensive line. They do not possess the sheer size and power of the 2009 group. There are only two teams with this level of offensive line in the SEC this year.

The Alabama defensive secondary looked bad coming out of spring practice. This was a little misleading. They showed all the talent and athletic ability necessary to produce in the SEC. They will not be as good as the 2009 group, but will certainly be capable before the season starts.

In my opinion, Alabama is solid in the other positions that matter. I expect Alabama to have one of the top three defenses in the SEC for 2010. I would expect the Alabama offense to be in about the same position in the conference as they were in 2009. I do expect their offensive production to improve some though.

Summer 2010 Projection: Third in defense in the SEC and fourth in offense in the SEC. In 2009 they were fourth in offense in the SEC and first in almost every defensive category.

Real Contenders: Tier 1

Florida : I was really hard pressed to put them in this tier. This is not the 2009 Gator team and it is a long ways from being able to compete on that level. The once formidable Florida offense has taken a step back this year. The Florida defense is good, but not great.

There is not one area where this team has problems that can’t be addressed. The biggest improvement will simply be through repetition and experience. The SEC East is weak this year and Florida will be a favorite once again. With a season of experience to their credit, this Florida team could be formidable indeed.

Summer 2010 Projection: Third in offense and second in defense. They were first in offense in 2009 and second in almost every defensive category as well.

Arkansas : I have no doubt that Arkansas is improved for 2010. While their offense did not show this in spring practice, this was largely due to a missing Ryan Mallet. It did show that the health of Ryan Mallet is the lynchpin of this Arkansas offense. They are great with him, but only good without him.

The Arkansas defense has improved some. There are still some problems with overall performance, but they are a solid group as a whole. They will be really hard on teams that do not pass well.

The Arkansas secondary might be better; I am still not convinced at this point. I get an overall feel that new players will have to step up to improve the overall performance in this area.

Summer 2010 Projection: Second in offense and seventh in defense in the SEC. Arkansas was third in offense and 12th in total defense in 2009.

Auburn : This is a team that has answered most of the questions surrounding the team after the 2009 season. There are still a few questions that remain though.

The Auburn offense will be a juggernaut that can pass and run with any team in college football in 2010. There is not a weak point in this offense anywhere. They could well lead the NCAA as well as the SEC in total offense.

The Auburn defense is another matter entirely. The linebacker position is still unsettled, although improved from 2009. This is less of a weakness and more the lack of a strong point. I expect this question to be answered before the fall.

The safety position is a group of walking wounded. Mike McNeil, Airon Savage, and Zack Etheridge are all still in varying states of rehabilitation from injury. If even one of these players can produce, this will be a solid position.

The Auburn defensive line has transformed from an inexperienced group that was not fundamentally sound to a monster waiting for SEC offenses. This will be the lynchpin of the Auburn defense in 2010 and it is solid indeed.

Summer 2010 Projection: First in offense and fifth in defense in the SEC. Auburn was second in total offense and 11^th in total defense in 2009.

More Questions: Tier 2

LSU: LSU will have a decent defense in 2010. They are solid all over in this area. There are few questions here and they are strong as a whole.

The LSU offense does not look good at all. This is the area where most of the questions originated and it is the area where questions remain. It is my opinion that this problem is not due to player talent.

I think the problem is self inflicted by an offensive scheme that tries to force player talent to fit in. If the offensive scheme adapted to the player talent available, this could be a formidable offense indeed.

There was no sign of this happening in the spring. Unless the entire offensive philosophy changes, this problem is not going away.

Summer 2010 Projection: Twelfth in offense and fourth in defense within the SEC. LSU was 12^th in offense and sixth in defense for the 2009 season.

Georgia : Some are predicting doom and gloom for Georgia in 2010. I simply do not see their point. This is going to be a good football team.

They have one of the best offensive lines in the SEC. They have some good running backs to go with that. If this wasn’t enough, they have one of the best receivers in the nation. These things will make the Georgia offense solid.

The Georgia defense is improving and has a new aggressive attitude. It is still having growing pains though. This will be a year where Georgia players are learning their new defensive roles. This will also be a year where their new coordinator will be indoctrinated into the SEC.

Georgia will be breaking in a new quarterback and a new defense and defensive strategy. Even with this, there is every indication that this will be a very solid team.

Summer 2010 Projection: Fifth in offense and sixth in defense within the SEC. Georgia was eighth in offense and seventh in defense in 2009.

South Carolina : Is there ever a year at South Carolina under Coach Steve Spurrier where there is not a quarterback controversy? This year is no different. In fact, this year is shaping up to be eerily similar to several recent seasons.

The South Carolina defense will be exceptional. They have everything they need and the knowledge of how to use it. They will be formidable in 2010.

The South Carolina offense is the exact opposite of the defense. None of the questions going into spring practice are answered. In fact, some seem to have gotten worse. The offensive line is not good.

The quarterback question has been amplified by the public scorching of the starting quarterback by Steve Spurrier. Did I mention that the offensive line is not good?

The addition of Marcus Lattimore will do no good if there is not a semi proficient offensive line to block for him.

Summer 2010 Projection: Ninth in offense and first in defense within the SEC. South Carolina was ninth on offense and third on defense in 2009.

More Questions than Answers: Tier 3

Tennessee : This team has all of the parts to be a good team in most conferences. The SEC is not most conferences, and eight of Tennessee’s games will be played in the SEC. It will take Coach Dooley two more years of recruiting to right this ship from the neglect of Coach Fulmer and the erratic recruiting of Lane Kiffin.

When recruiting, a head coach must first target specific needs then go after depth. Lane Kiffin recruited for headlines and is doing the same at USC. This will lead to serious problems and set the Tennessee time table back for at least one year.

Mississippi State : This team is improving, but is still two years away from being loaded enough to contend. They are making all the right moves at this point though.

Kentucky : New coach, no quarterback, and a slew of other questions to be answered. It is a reasonable assumption to think Kentucky will be about the same as last year. The problem being the competition is better.

No Answer for These Questions without Change: Tier 4

Ole Miss: This has turned into a typical middle of the road team. With the loss of most of their play makers and no prospects to fill that void, Houston Nutt has now transformed Ole Miss into what Arkansas was three years ago.

Vanderbilt: Something has to change if this team is ever going to compete in this sport.