Texas A&M Football: 2012 SEC West Power Rankings

The 2012 football season will mark the beginning of a new era in the Southeastern Conference.

The additions of Texas A&M to the west division of the conference and Missouri to the east marks the first conference expansion for the SEC since 1991.

The addition of Texas A&M to the SEC West will make the toughest division in college football just a little tougher. The top three ranked teams in the country heading into the last week of the season are members of the SEC West.

There are still a lot of unknowns with regards to the conference schedule in 2012. The SEC teams may face four divisional foes, or they may face six. No one knows for certain right now. What is known is who is projected to return for each team in 2012.

This is a look at the rankings for the SEC West teams heading into the 2012 season.

7. Ole Miss

There are a lot of unknowns with this Ole Miss squad.

We knows that Houston Nutt will not be the coach in 2012, but we do not know who is going to replace them. Mississippi has not won a conference game yet, and they are not expected to beat MSU is the Egg Bowl.

With all the question marks, they are an easy pick for the last spot in the SEC West.

On the bright side, Jeff Scott returns on offense. He is easily the most dynamic player on the Black Bears squad. He averages over 17 yards per punt return and leads Ole Miss with 529 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Donte Moncrief is Ole Miss' leading receiver, and he will have three years left for whoever takes over the program.

Ole Miss cannot run the ball or stop the run, which spells doom in the SEC. Right now, they are the worst team in the conference and will enter the 2012 season as the last team in the West.

6. Mississippi State

MSU will return LaDarius Perkins and Tyler Russell off an offense that was inconsistent in conference play.

After a breakout 9-4 season in Dan Muller, the Bulldogs struggled to consistently move the ball in 2011. The 2012 season will tell the tale for Mullen. Another six-loss season, and he will likely be replaced in Starkville.

MSU appears to be an average team entering the 2012 season. They will struggle to beat the elite teams in the SEC.

5. Auburn

Auburn only returned four starters from their 2010 national championship team.

They played a lot of young players in 2011, and that experience should pay off in 2012. The question is whether their defense can improve in 2012. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will get a lot of head coaching offers in the offseason and may decide to leave the plains after rejecting all overtures in 2011.

Michael Dyer will return in the backfield for the Tigers and will be aiming for his third straight 1,000 yard rushing season.

There is still a question at quarterback, where Clint Moseley and Kiehl Frazier will fight it out for the starting spot in the spring.

Emory Blake will return at wide receiver to offer an enticing option to whoever is under center.

Auburn is a hard team to judge because of their questions at quarterback and on the defense. If Malzahn moves on, then they are definitely a second division team.

4. Texas A&M

The Aggies lose Ryan Tannehill, Cyrus Gray and Jeff Fuller on offense. They return the entire offensive line, Ryan Swope and Christine Michael. On defense, Jonathan Mathis is like to get a medical redshirt, so they will return six of their front seven.

Replacing Tannehill will be the key to the offense. With Michael, Ben Malena, Trey Williams and Marion Grice running behind that offensive line, the Aggies have the making of a quality SEC running game.

On defense, the Ags will have to replace their starting corners and one safety.

The Ags will need some players to step up, but are looking like a 4-4 team in conference right now.

3. Alabama

The Crimson Tide will have to deal with multiple losses to the NFL. Uber-back Trent Richardson is likely to leave Alabama after his junior year.

The Tide's best WR, Marquis Maze, will be lost to graduation. Courtney Upshaw will also move on.

You can expect Nick Saban to field his usual top-notch defense. The question with the Tide will be what kind of offense they bring back. AJ McCarron will return, but Saban has never been a coach to let the quarterback star in the offense.

The Tide will be a nine or 10-win team, but should drop games to Arkansas and LSU.

2. Arkansas

Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis return for the Razorbacks to form the top backfield in the nation.

The Hogs will lose Joe Adams and Jarius Wright to graduation. Cobi Hamilton will return at wide receiver, and Dennis Johnson will offer quality depth at running back. Wilson can simply hand off to Davis and Johnson while some new receivers step up in Arkansas' system.

The Razorbacks should again have the best offense in the SEC.

Their run defense will need to improve, but they should be able to outscore opponents just as they did in 2011. If they can beat LSU in Fayetteville, they could compete for a national title. 

1. LSU

LSU returns the best offensive line in the country. If they have proven anything this year, it is that they can win games without throwing the ball.

As long as that OL stays healthy and they keep recruiting and developing top-notch running backs, the Tigers are going to be tough to beat.

The Tigers will return Michael Ford and Spencer Ware at running back. Russell Shepard returns to lead a very talented receiving corps.

LSU may be the most talented team in the country and will be tough to beat in 2012.