2010 USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll: What Coaches Think of the SEC

The 2010 Coaches' Poll is out and as usual the Southeastern Conference is being shown love.

With six teams in the top 25, the SEC remains the cream of the crop in college football.

Here are the six SEC teams ranked in the top 25 by the coaches and my opinion on how their rankings rate.

Alabama - #1

The Alabama Crimson Tide are ranked first in the USA Today 2010 Coaches’ Poll and rightfully so.  The Tide finished the season with a fairly dominating win over the Texas Longhorns and return all key players on offense, including standout QB Greg McElroy, All-American WR Julio Jones, and Heisman RB Mark Ingram.

Though the Tide did lose key players on defense in Terrance Cody and Rolando McClain, Nick Saban is sure to reload as he always has.

The Crimson Tide are certainly capable of repeating as BCS Champions and are deserving of the top spot.

Florida - #3

The Florida Gators may be ranked a little high at number three in the coaches’ poll. 

Losing an iconic quarterback and team leader like Tim Tebow is sure to have some effect on this team.  Fourth-year Junior quarterback John Brantley has all the talent necessary to replace Tebow on the field, but can he accept the leadership role that Tebow held for so long and find his way out of the shadows of possibly the greatest college football player ever?

Aside from Tebow, the Gators lost veteran OL Maurkice Pouncey to the Pittsburgh Steelers and his brother Mike Pouncey will be making a switch from center to right guard.

Look for the Gators to lose two games this season and find themselves just outside of the BCS picture.

LSU - #16

LSU is coming off of a very disappointing season, but returns the majority of their core players and will be looking to shock doubters this season.

No. 16 ranking is a fair assessment of the Tigers, but look for them to quickly make a move into the Top 10.

Opening the season in Atlanta, GA against No. 18 North Carolina, LSU will have a chance to show whether or not they have made the necessary changes and improvements to put themselves back into the BCS hunt.

If the Tigers can get a win against the Tar heels in week one, they will have a chance to put themselves back in the Top 10 in week four when they host the Mountaineers of West Virginia. 

LSU has a chip on its shoulder from losses against Florida and Alabama and will be looking to prove that they are championship contenders in 2010.

Arkansas - #19

Arkansas' top 20 ranking is in large part to quarterback Ryan Mallett, who a lot of experts think could be the top quarterback selected in the upcoming NFL draft.

Can he live up to the hype?  I personally don’t think so. 

The Razorbacks have a brutal midseason schedule with a stretch that includes Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Ole Miss.   As usual, they finish off the season with LSU at home.

I predict that the Razorbacks will finish 7-5.

Georgia - #21

Mark Richt has his team on the rise again and a pre-season ranking by the coaches of 21 is actually a good start.

Georgia has been quietly rebuilding a program over the past few seasons and should surprise a few people in 2010.

The defense will be adapting to a new coordinator and implementing a 3-4 system.  Expect to see a lot of big plays for opposing offenses as the Bulldogs are sure to have miscues in coverage and miss assignments as they transition.

The Bulldogs have made changes on offense as well, moving former quarterback Logan Gray to wide receiver to team up with  junior A.J. Green.

Their success, however, hinges on redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray.  Time will tell if the young quarterback can become a leader and get the ball into the hands of talented playmakers around him.

A fairly easy schedule will give the Bulldogs time to learn before their October 30 meeting with Florida.

Auburn - #23

Probably the most underrated team in the country, Auburn will shock the college football world in 2010.

Gene Chizik has been quietly reestablishing the Auburn football program with great recruiting and a very complimentary schedule will make this team one to reckon with this season. 

A mid-September meeting with Clemson is their only roadblock to facing LSU in late October with a 7-0 record.

I predict that the Tigers of Auburn will finish 9-3.