SEC Football 2011: Power Ranking the Teams Hardest Hit by Graduation

An SEC team has won the BCS National Championship the last five consecutive seasons and the five teams that have represented the conference in the BCS title game are a stunning 7-0 in the biggest game of the year.

This equates to the SEC holding over half of the BCS titles ever won (seven of 13).

This factual dominance means that what happens in the SEC is absolutely pertinent in a discussion of college football on the national level, as somewhere among the ranks you are almost always looking at least a couple of teams that have a realistic chance of being crowned the best team in college football.

The following slideshow power ranks the SEC teams based on who has the most personnel from last season coming back in 2011, a stat critical to the success of teams moving forward due to obvious elements of leadership, experience and team chemistry.

The rankings were calculated using a formula that took into account returning starters, returning lettermen and the number of lettermen who have left the program; the starter portion of the equation was weighted twice that of the lettermen and extra credit was given for returning first string quarterbacks.

The teams are ranked from one to 12, with 12 being the least hurt by attrition and one being the program that has lost the most talent going into 2011.

As in any combination of math and sports, this is not a perfect indicator of personnel loss (we didn’t consider specifically who was lost but instead how many) but it nevertheless is a good snapshot of which programs were hurt the most/least by graduation (which, as we know, is sometimes premature, i.e. the NFL draft, etc).

12. Vanderbilt

The Commodores are the SEC team least hurt by attrition and actually, Vanderbilt returns more starters than any FBS team in the nation.

Not only does Vandy return the most first-stringers in 2011 (19) but they also top the conference in returning lettermen with 56 and they rank No. 2 in the fewest lost letter-winners with 16 (Alabama loses only 15).

As a bonus, senior QB Larry Smith is among the long list of returners.

You have to figure that, even with these impressive numbers, Vandy will continue to struggle to get out of the SEC cellar but improving from last year’s two-win total seems very doable and the lack of turnover certainly won’t hurt.

11. Alabama

The Crimson Tide return 17 starters (second in the SEC) from their 2011 team that went 10-3; they return the third-most lettermen in the conference with 53 and they lose only 15 letter-winners (best in the SEC).

Key losses obviously include QB Greg McElroy, RB Mark Ingram, WR Julio Jones and DE Marcell Dareus.

Frankly, it’s scary to see Alabama ranked this low in personnel turnover; if they address the offensive skill positions, they could be flat scary.

10. LSU

LSU ranks fifth among SEC teams in terms of returning starters (15 come back in 2011), ranks No. 2 in returning letterman with 54 and the Tigers lost 20 letter-winners from their 11-2 team in 2010 which puts them at fourth overall in the conference.

For better or for worse, QB Jordan Jefferson will be back under center in Baton Rouge in 2011 but gone are TB Stevan Ridley, CB Patrick Peterson and both the kicker and punter.

It’s equally scary to see LSU ranked at this spot, which bodes well for another Tiger title run…it also makes the games against Oregon and Alabama look even more glittery and delicious.

9. Kentucky

Kentucky finished just a hair underneath LSU in terms of returners and overall ranks fourth in the conference in terms of the most personnel coming back for 2011.

The Wildcats return 16 starters (No. 3 in the SEC), 53 lettermen (also No. 3) and in terms of letter-winners lost, Kentucky is tied for No. 4 in the conference with a mere 20.

Key losses for the Wildcats include starting QB Mike Hartline, WR Randall Cobb and a couple of key defensive linemen.

8. South Carolina

The Gamecocks return 13 starters from their SEC East championship team which gives them a tie for the No. 6 spot in the conference.

A full 48 lettermen return for Spurrier in 2011 (tied for No. 7 in the SEC) and USC loses only 20 letter-winners (tied for No. 4 in the conference).

Starting QB Stephen Garcia should be back in Columbia and the biggest losses are on the offensive line and the defensive front seven.

This rank makes South Carolina’s potential run at another divisional title look much more realistic (especially when you add in a schedule that is friendly by SEC standards).

7. Tennessee

Anchoring the top end of the middle of the pack by virtue of a slight advantage over Mississippi State, the Volunteers return 13 starters, tying them for No. 6 among SEC teams.

Tennessee falls off a bit with only 44 letterman returning in 2011 (No. 9) but they lose only 17 letter-earners, which earns them the No. 3 spot conference wide.

Both quarterbacks Tyler Bray and Matt Simms are back and key losses are at wide receiver and in the defensive front seven.

6. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs return 16 starters in 2011, all of whom will be key to making another perilous run up the mine-filled mountain of the SEC West.

The number of returners ranks MSU a lofty No. 3 among SEC teams but the Bulldogs lose ground in terms of lettermen; they return 44, which is No. 10 in the conference. To add fuel to the fire, Mississippi State ranks No. 9 among lettermen lost, with a full 24 sweater-earners gone for 2011.

The good news is that QB Chris Relf is back for his senior season. The biggest hits the Bulldogs suffer coming into next year are at linebacker.

5. Arkansas

Coming in at No. 5 is Arkansas, which returns 13 overall starters in 2011 (tied for No. 6 in the conference) and 52 lettermen (No. 5).

The Razorbacks lose 23 lettermen from last season’s 10-3 team (the first Arkansas squad to ever crack the BCS), which puts them at No. 7 in the SEC.

Arkansas’ biggest loss is obviously QB Ryan Mallett and though the other offensive skill positions are healthy, the offensive line will require some serious retooling.

4. Ole Miss

Only three teams in the SEC were hit harder than Ole Miss by attrition, which will make improving on their 4-8 mark from last season even more difficult.

The Rebels return 13 starters (only four on defense), which garners them a tie for No. 6 among SEC teams, and they return 47 letter-winners, which gets them the No. 8 spot conference wide.

The biggest statistical hit is in lettermen lost; Ole Miss will be without 25 jacket-earners, which ranks them at a No. 10 in the SEC.

Gone is QB Jeremiah Masoli, five members of the defensive front seven and three members of the secondary.

3. Florida

Florida takes the third-biggest hit from postseason attrition in the SEC and return just 10 starters from 2010’s 8-4 team (No. 11 in the SEC).

A whopping 50 lettermen return to campus in 2011 (No. 6) but Will Muschamp will be without the services of 23 letter-earners as they have left the building (No. 7 in the conference).

QB John Brantley is back under center for his senior season but gone is safety Will Hill and an alarming number of key contributors from the defensive front seven.

The misleading element of Florida’s attrition numbers is the fact that the young players that remain in Gainesville are more than likely just as talented as the starters at most of the other programs in the conference.

2. Georgia

At No. 2 in terms of personnel loss, Georgia was a bit of a surprise to me—especially given all the talk of the Bulldogs improving on their 6-7 finish from 2010.

Georgia returns just 12 starters (only five on offense), which ranks No. 10 among SEC teams. In terms of lettermen, the Bulldogs return just 44 and lose 26—stats that both rank No. 11 among the 12 conference members.

QB Aaron Murray returns for his sophomore season but gone are WR AJ Green, LB Justin Houston, three members of the offensive line and a wide array of other key players.

You still gotta like Georgia’s chances in the wild, wild East—especially given the talent of the caulk that will fill the holes and a schedule that is quite satisfactory.

1. Auburn

Auburn takes the biggest hits of any team in the SEC in terms of personnel loss and actually returns the least number of starters of any team in the country.

The Tigers' six returning starters, 38 returning lettermen and 31 lost lettermen earn them the rank of dead last in the SEC in each category, a situation that is made even worse by virtue of the loss of the starting QB (who just so happens to be the most recent Heisman Trophy winner).

Sure, Auburn has a bunch of talent to refill the holes, but you simply can’t totally discount these types of catastrophic losses.