Phil's Summary of #10 LSU
The Tigers are ranked in my top 21 at every position with the exception of QB. I think that Brandon Harris will look much more like the preseason #7 QB that he is, since he is a true soph and now has experience. With the RB's, WR's and OL that surround Harris, they will be potent. Les Miles said the LB's may be the fastest group he has ever had and that is big in this era of spread offenses. LSU must face Miss. St., Alabama and Ole Miss all on the road, but they are 4-2 away vs those 3 the last 4 years. LSU finished unranked for the first time since 2008 and that makes them under the radar and my #2 Surprise Team.
In his SEC section, Steele writes this about the Tigers.
If you caught me talking LSU on one of my radio/TV shows during the season last year, then you heard me quite often say, "LSU is a national title contender ... NEXT year." Well, next year is here. This year they "only" lost 4 players to the NFL draft (only 1 left early). The QB play can only be improved and they have the best set of skill players (RB Leonard Fournette, WRs Travin Dural, Malachi Dupre, etc.). They have my #2 defense, #2 ST's and a coach who knows how to win. LSU has won 5 of their last 7 trips to Alabama, which could be the key game of the season.

National rank of LSU's units:
RB - 6 (3 SEC)
WR - 13 (3 SEC)
O-line - 21 (7 SEC)
D-line - 16 (4 SEC)
LB - 12 (4 SEC)
DB - 2 (2 SEC)

Summaries on Other SEC teams

• Alabama
  The Tide have a first year starting QB, have lost two straight bowls, only have 10 returning starters and face the toughest schedule in the country. They also play Georgia, Texas A&M, Miss. St., and Auburn all on the road. Still they are a very talented team and have Nick Saban as their head coach. They have had the #1 recruiting class each of the last 5 years and they rank in my top units in all 8 categories. Only 4 times in the last 6 years has Alabama NOT been the preseason #1 team (this will be the 4th). In the other 3 times they won a pair of National Titles and last year were the #1 seed for the first ever playoffs. It has been said that defense wins championship and I have the Tide defense rated #1 in the country this season.
• Georgia
  The Bulldogs normally avoid the big boys out of the West but this year draw both Alabama and Auburn. They have just 3 true SEC road games this year (Florida is a neutral site) and finished #9 in the country last year despite having a 1st year starting QB. They have a first year starter once again but field the best RB's in the country, my #3 rated OL and a top 20 defense. They are my favorite to win the SEC East this year which puts them in the SEC title game and one step away from a playoff berth.
• Auburn
  Gus Malzahn's offense will be potent (six games over 500 yds last season) and new QB Jeremy Johnson has plenty of experience. Will Muschamp steps into a great situation inherting a talented D that was very young (just 21 sacks in 2014) but my main set of Power Ratings calls them the 8th best team in the country so they are a legitimate National Title contender.
• Ole Miss
  The Rebels avoid the top 3 out of the SEC East and have a manageable non-conference slate but still face Alabama, Florida, Auburn and Miss. St. on the road. They are breaking in a new QB but have my #10 receivers, #15 O-line, #10 D-line, and #5 LB units and only need an upset or two in the West to sneak back into title contention (just like last year).
• Arkansas
  The Hogs lost their first 13 SEC games under Bret Bielema but finished strong and blew out Texas in the bowl. Arkansas has my #5 rated RB's and #5 O-line and ranks in my top units in 6 of 8 categories. They face my #3 schedule but this team is a legitimate contender in the rugged SEC West and could surprise.
• Missouri
  The Tigers have now won back-to-back SEC East titles but won't be the preseason favorite once again even though they return 12 starters including QB Maty Mauk. They have the SEC's softest schedule, facing conference foes that were a combined 26-38 in SEC play last year. Mizzou is an SEC East contender again and has a shot at a 3rd straight year of double-digit wins.
• Tennessee
  In 2014 the Vols has ZERO returning starters on the Oline and Dline combined. This year they have 13 returning starters overall making them vastly more experienced and a clear cut contender in the SEC East. Their young team had the benefit of bowl practices and whipped Iowa in the bowl worse than the final score. They are 1 of 6 teams that rank in all 8 of my Top Units.
• Texas A&M
  The Aggies are better than #32, but they just play in the rugged SEC West. They have 16 returning starters from last year (Liberty Bowl champs) and are much more experience. They do face my #13 rated schedule, however.
  
• Mississippi State
  Miss. St. was #1 in the county for 4 weeks last year and have a Heisman contender at QB in Dak Prescott and I expect they will be AP preseason Top 25 but with just 7 returning starters and playing in the rugged SEC West they land here (#39).

SEC Prediction

Writeup on #13 LSU
Approaching crossroads, seeking balance
It was a struggle for the Tigers in 2014, when they finished 8-5 - matching the worst record in Les Miles' 10 years at the school - and were dragged down by an impotent, SEC-worst passing attack. With many of its West division mates soaring, LSU is at a fascinating crossroads. Will Miles' program reassert itself as a true national power?
THE GOOD NEWS: LSU still can line up and knock the slobber out of a defense, as it demonstrated last season with a devastating downhill running game. Brutish back Leonard Fournette is one of the best players in the country, and he'll operate behind a high-quality offensive line that could coalesce into a great unit.
THE BAD NEWS: Excellent defensive coordinator John Chavis left for Texas A&M, which has to stick in Miles' craw. Chavis must be looking forward to facing Tigers' QBs Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris, who don't scare anybody.
Opposing Coaches View: If they get someone to manage the game, they should win a bunch of football games. ... Les Miles, because of his quirkiness, doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's done a hell of a job with that program since taking over for Nick. He's won one national championship and with a break or two, could have won more He's a really good guy in the league. ... The [defensive] front may not be what it's been the past years - they have no first-round draft picks."
OUR CALL: Why does it seem, year after year, that LSU is particularly up against it in the schedule department? Alas, the Tigers can't worry about that. If they want to stay in the West hunt, they'll just have to out-tough everybody.

SEC Prediction

Quotes about SEC teams

• Alabama
  So who are the Crimson Tide, anyway? Are they a collection of stud recruits who'll come up short, as in the postseasons of 2013 and 2014? Or are they an angry, ultra-motivated team that will crush every foe in their path, lifting the program ... back to the top of the heap?
  THE GOOD NEWS: Defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson and LB Reggie Ragland are locked into crush mode for what looks to be a nasty D.
  THE BAD NEWS: The Iron Bowl will be played down the road a smidge in Auburn. Yeah, that could be a season-changing sort of deal. Also, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will be dealing with an almost entirely new group of starters.
  Opposing Coaches View: Alabama should be the best team in the nation for the fourth year in a row and win the national championship. They've got 40 guys on that roster that will play in the NFL. Nobody else in the SEC has 25. They've got five-stars playing third and fourth team. With their depth, you can never count them out. ... Last year, without Lane Kiffin, they would have been 8-4, maybe 7-5. ... Without Lane Kiffin, no way in hell Alabama wins the SEC title.
  OUR CALL: ... A spectactular SEC West division makes for tough sledding, but this is Ala-damn-bama.
• Auburn
  THE GOOD NEWS: ... Will Muschamp ... went down in flames as a head coach at Florida, but as a coordinator, he'll put the teeth back in the Tigers' defense. And there might be an overall upgrade from Nick Marshall to Jeremy Johnson at QB. Watch out for WR Duke Williams. DE Carl Lawson is ready to roar.
  THE BAD NEWS: Williams is the only returning starter in the offensive skill group ... The secondary could be a particular weakness.
  Opposing Coaches View: Auburn has been really productive in their run game. It will be interesting to see if they can continue to do that. I like the RBs, but they're unproven.
  OUR CALL: If the Tigers can survive an opening neutral-site matchup with Louisville and an SEC-opening visit to LSU ... they'll be in serious contention for the playoff. We like this team to bounce back from last season and peak late.
• Georgia
  Georgia is - based on talent - the team to beat in the East.
  THE GOOD NEWS: ... We love Nick Chubb ... the guy is the superstar of what will be one of the nation's premier running games.
  THE BAD NEWS: Who's the QB? ... Georgia needs a new pair of starting wideouts, too.
  Opposing Coaches View: Jeremy Pruitt ... said last year he had the worst collection of DBs he ever had to coach. ... he will lean on some young guys in the secondary. ... When's the last time you saw Georgia without a great RB? ... Georgia and Alabama have new QBs, but the difference is, Alabama's QB was coached by the same coach last year. Georgia has a new offensive coordinator.
  OUR CALL: Second-year D coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is building a dominant group ... the D is the real key.
• Tennessee
  ... This program is building toward something every exciting, and a flying leap to the top of the SEC East isn't at all out of the question.
  THE GOOD NEWS: ... just about everybody is back. ... [QB] Josh Dobbs has best-in-the-league potential.
  THE BAD NEWS: Tennessee has lost five straight against Georgia and 10 in a row to Florida.
  Opposing Coaches View: It will come down to the play of the QB and the O line. ... A lot of stuff they do offensively allows the O line to be average ... They need to get to 9 to 10 wins. They've been floundering in mediocrity since 2007.
  OUR CALL: There is no doubt the arrow is pointing up for this program. UT will be a tough out for anybody it plays. Winning the East is unlikely - 0 for 3 vs. Missouri so far, by the way - but the earth is shifting in Knoxville and we're not about to pretend otherwise.
• Texas A&M
  THE GOOD NEWS: Kevin Sumlin's offense will put up points. There is quality and depth at receiver and RB ... The addition of D coordinator John Chavis has everyone stoked ...
  THE BAD NEWS: The physical play up front in the SEC continues to be tremendously challenging for A&M. ... Chavis will have to work miracles just to get his defense near the middle of the pack in the league.
  Opposing Coaches View: A&M has a great-looking team, but the biggest disappointment was with the defense. Some of it was tackling, some of it was scheme ... That's why they gave the big check to John Chavis. ... He's got as good a track record as any defensive coordinator in the SEC. ... I don't think A&M has done a great job recruiting defensive players. ... They were poor technique-wise last year.
  OUR CALL: Contention in the SEC West is too much to hope for. But with a relatively soft league schedule, A&M can step forward from last year's 8-5 record ...
• Missouri
  ... Mizzou - simply better coached, perhaps, and certainly better at executing - has frustrated the heck out of its new conference rivals in the process. Why not do it again?
  THE GOOD NEWS: There's continuity at the most important spot on the field, QB, where Maty Mauk has embodied greater-than-the-sum-of-his-parts effectiveness. A veteran O line will give Mauk a chance to break in a new batch of skill players. The defense needs new pass rushers, but since when have the Tigers struggled to dial up pressure?
  Opposing Coaches View: Gary Pinkel has done a phenomenal job with the kids he has. On offense, they play football as well as anybody in terms of vertical football and being opportunistic ... It's an indictment of the entire East when Missouri wins the East two years in a row, (then) gets destroyed by Auburn, then Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
  THE BAD NEWS: The Tigers seemingly are thin at receiver and along the defensive front. Any drop-off will be felt acutely in the rugged SEC.
  OUR CALL: A third straight appearance in the SEC title game feels like a reach ...

We start with Sports Illustrated, whose preview issue is out several weeks early.

Writeup on #23 LSU:
Carrying the Tigers
After an impressive if inconsistent freshman season - six games with 52 yards or less rushing and five games of more than 100 - Leonard Fournette will be one of the nation's most exciting players. The 6'1" 230-pounder will be the focal point of coach Les Miles's offense, especially because LSU has yet to determine who will be under center.
Last year's starting QB, junior Anthony Jennings, was suspended after his arrest in June for unlawful entry of a dwelling. Miles reinstated the 6'2", 216-pound Jennings (11 TDs, seven INTs in 2014) on July 31 after the charges against him were dropped. The Tigers' other option, sophomore Brandon Harris, has made just one career start but has impressed the staff with his confidence and command of the playbook. It helps that LSU has a veteran offensive line and one of the nation's best young receiving units in 6'3" sophomore Malachi Dupre, 6'2" junior Travin Dural and speedy 6-foot sophomore receiver John Diarse.
After two seasons as an assistant at Alabama, Kevin Steele takes over as defensive coordinator. Expect him to lean on the secondary, where senior S Jalen Mills, a potential first-round pick, is paired with promising junior CB Tre'Davious White.
X-FACTOR
A candidate for the Outland and Lombardi awards, 6'6", 320-pound senior Vadal Alexander is switching to RT after starting 25 games at LG over the past two seasons. Alexander has lost 30 pounds since his freshman year, but he still has good size, and coaches like his ability to eliminate LBs in the run game.
Opposing Coaches Take
The challenge Leonard Fournette presents is that he's so fast and so physical, he can run inside and out ... LSU's uncertainty at QB was really key last season. Both Jennings and Harris are very talented, so I think they'll get it figured out. They have a ton of skill on the outside and a formidable running game. The QBs will get some play-action going and not hurt the team by trying to do too much. ... They lost some guys in their front seven, but everybody in their back end returns, and they already had an extremely talented secondary. That back four is going to be something to reckon with. ... I think you'll see some stuff that's similar to what Alabama runs with Steele arriving. He's a great defensive mind.

SEC Prediction

Heisman Top Five - three from SEC

• Connor Cook, QB Michigan State
• Leonard Fournette, RB LSU
• Derrick Henry, RB Alabama
• Jeremy Johnson, QB Auburn
• Dak Prescott, QB Mississippi State

Quotes about SEC teams

• Auburn
  Opposing Coach: They've got the best offensive line in the SEC. ... You'll have to play your eight-man fronts to stop the running game. ... They're going to probably have more of a passing game [behind new QB Johnson] with play-action off the running game. ... They have a talented group of backs. ... They do have issues in the secondary, but Will [Muschamp, new D coordinator] makes an offense beat him lefthanded - he takes away the things an O does well and makes it hard to score.
  At the end [of the schedule] Alabama comes to the Plains, and the home team has won the last three.
• Alabama
  For the second consecutive season Alabama enters camp with a QB competition. Senior Jake Coker, the FSU transfer, will try to fend off freshman David Cornwell, a highly regarded drop-back passer. ... Whoever runs the offense, he'll have to operate quicly and decisively ... The QB's job will be made easier by a one-two wallop of RBs in junior Derrick Henry (6'3, 242 pounds) and senior speedster Kenyan Drake (4.4 in the 40). ...
  Opposing coach: Their front seven is, hands down, the best in the country. You have to get creative against them, because they're so hard to move.
• Georgia
  Mark Richt hasn't won an SEC title since 2005, and in his 15th season in Athens he'll have to integrate a new offensive coordinator and overcome uncertainty at QB. ... A three-week stretch early on could seal the Bulldogs' fate in the SEC East. They travel to Tennessee on Oct. 10 before hosting two-time division champ Missouri, then face rival Florida in Jacksonville on Halloween.
  Opposing coach: Brian Schottenheimer is going to be great for them. There's no substitute for coaching pro football and having to deal with young QBs ...
• Ole Miss
  If junior Chad Kelly or sophomore Ryan Buchanan can take command at QB, then the offense could pair with a star-studded defense to produce another special season. ... Nickel Tony Conner will lead a secondary that might be better ...
• Missouri
  Mizzou brings back six starters on defense, including a strong secondary and linebacking corps - though it remains to be seen how much of that perception is a result of aggressive D-line play a year ago ... Junior QB Maty Mauck guided Mizzou to a second straight SEC East title, but he had an uneven first year at the helm (2,648y, 25 TDs, and 13 INTs) ...
  Opposing coach: Coach Gary Pinkel and his staff should be getting more credit for their tremendous job of player development ... Maty Mauck is a good QB, but he can be streaky. You can't let him find his rhythm or it'll be a long day.
• Arkansas
  Four starters are back on an O-line that was the conference's best, as are senior Jonathan Williams and junior Alex Collins, the country's only tandem of 1,000-yard backs last year.
  Opposing coach: The D struggled against Auburn and A&M's pass games last year; as the season went on, they played faster and more confidently, but they're not designed to win shootouts.
• Mississippi State
  A 1-2 finish to the regular season and a 49-34 Orange Bowl oss to Georgia Tech dulled the buzz from the Bulldogs' historic 2014 season ... To try to ensure a happier ending in '15, coach Dan Mullen cranked up the tempo of State's offense this spring. The speedier approach exploits senior QB Dak Prescott's command as a third-year starter ... It also helps mask the Bulldogs' biggest weakness: an offensive line that lost three players who had combined for 113 career starts.

Writeup on #14 LSU
FPI (Football Power Index) Projected Wins: 9.1
FPI Projected Chance to Win Conference: 14.4%
Vegas Odds to Win National Championship: 30-1
PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
Though the Les Miles era has featured an annual exodus of underclassmen to the NFL, this year the Tigers lost just three players early to the draft. As a result, the 2015 Tigers come back loaded, and they should receive much-improved QB play from both Brandon Harris, now a sophomore with a year under his belt, and junior Anthony Jennings, who started 12 of 13 games last year. They'll get plenty of help from Heisman-contending RB Leonard Fournette (1,034 yards and 10 TDs) and WRs Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre. With another incredibly fast defense - my pick for third best in the country - LSU could very well find itself in the playoff this season.

Comments on Other SEC teams

• Auburn
  PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
  Offensive guru Gus Malzahn's sophomore slump saw his squad drop four of its last five tilts, including a back-and-forth OT Outback Bowl against Wisconsin. And while Malzahn loses 33 lettermen in 2015 (No. 115 in my experience rankings), life should be just fine on the Plains. Despite [new QB Jeremy] Johnson's limited experience (78 career pass attempts), Auburn still benefits from my third-highest QB unit in the SEC - and No. 18 overall - and an O-line stocked with NFL prospects ... Even in the brutal SEC West, I peg the Tigers as underdogs in just three games: at LSU (+7), at Arkansas (+3) and at home to Alabama (+1 1/2).
  BRAD EDWARDS' PLAYOFF FORECAST
  IN IF ... new D-coordinator Will Muschamp tightens a unit that ranked in the SEC's bottom five in points and rush and pass yards allowed per game. Even Coach Boom can't create world-beaters overnight, so hopes hinge on Johnson's becoming the megawatt QB pundits expect. The Tigers take on LSU, FPI's No. 5 D, in Week 3. No training wheels here.
  OUT IF ... the offense's plethora of new faces don't learn to course-correct by pulling out the close games last year's group did not at the end of the season ... And with FPI's sixth-toughest schedule in '15, more close tilts are to be expected.
• Alabama
  PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
  No returning starter at QB, no problem. Nick Saban can win, and win big, with a newbie under center (see: two national titles with first-year starters, No. 1 playoff seed with Blake Sims last year). Uncertainty at QB is no reason to count the current Tide out, especially with a Mack truck like RB Derrick Henry and a potentially dominant front seven (No. 1 DL and No. 3 LB units). ...
  BRAD EDWARDS' PLAYOFF FORECAST
  IN IF ... the Tide go at least 4-1 in games not in Tuscaloosa ... With the country's toughest schedule, according to FPI, Bama is one of just a handful of teams that could reach the playoff without a conference title.
  OUT IF ... the slew of new offensive faces can't find the EZ. Gone are the days of Saban defenses holding opponents to 10 points a game (especially with a troubled secondary: 43 pass plays of 20-plus yards allowed in 2014), No. 82 in the FBS), so Lane Kiffin's group must produce.
• Georgia
  PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
  Coach Mark Richt, despite playing in a bowl in each of his 14 seasons in Athens, is often labeled an underachiever. That notion is hard to dispel considering that the Bulldogs have suffered seven upsets the past two seasons. In '15, UGa draws Alabama (a pick 'em) and Auburn (+3) from the West and faces an improved Tennessee team on the road (pick 'em). Still, even with inexperienced soph Brice Ramsey at QB, Richt has by far the most talent in the East, ith my No. 1 RBs, No. 3 O-line and No. 9 LBs in the country. Although the Dawgs will struggle to reach a plus-16 turnover margin again, their yards-per-game differential in SEC play (82.3) suggests they were much better than a three-loss team.
  BRAD EDWARDS' PLAYOFF FORECAST
  IN IF ... a dynamic QB emerges. Of course, with RB Nick Chubb back after rushing for 1,547y as a true frosh, Richt can call conservatively and still win the East - that just won't cut it vs. the West's best.
  OUT IF ... UGa doesn't beat Bama or Auburn - or loses a likely rematch against either in Atlanta. With the SEC's fifth-easiest slate, according to FPI, the Dawgs likely won't be forgiven for more than one loss.
• Ole Miss
  PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
  Under Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss has upgraded its talent level significantly, and last year's impressive start was a testament to that. This year the Rebels return 16 starters on a team loaded with potential first-round NFL prospects, including star WR Laquon Treadwell (632y in 9 games before he broke his leg), LT Laremy Tunsil, DL Robert Nkemdiche and nickelback Tony Conner. They have three units that rank in my top 10 in the nation - receiver, defensive line and linebacker - and have the good fortune of avoiding the top three squads out of the East. Not only do the Rebels have a chance for their first double-digit win total in 12 years, they have a shot to make it to Atlanta.
• Arkansas
  PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
  Arkansas appears well-positioned to build on last year's late-season success with a dominant offensive line that returns four starters along with two 1,100y rushers and veteran signal-caller Brandon Allen, who should be in for a fine senior season after throwing for 20 TDs last year. The Hogs face the gauntlet of the SEC West as well as Tennessee and Missouri out of the East, but this is clearly Bret Bielema's most talented team in Fayetteville.
• Tennessee
  PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
  With an SEC-best 18 starters back and oodles - yes, oodles - of talent on both sides of the ball, Tennessee appears poised to reclaim its status as an SEC powerhouse. QB Joshua Dobbs (17 total TDs last year) will benefit from UT's top 10 receivers returning. But in this conference, nothing comes easy. The Vols play at Alabama, Florida (10 straight losses to the Gators) and Missouri, and they have tough home dates with Georgia and Oklahoma.
  
• Texas A&M
  PHIL STEELE'S SHARP EDGE
  After the Aggies reached No. 6 in the nation at 5-0 last year, the wheels fell off their bandwagon. A&M finished 8-5 - no cause for shame but a disappointment after that start. This year A&M returns 16 starters, led by QB Kyle Allen (16 pass TDs last year) and perhaps the SEC's best WR group ... Decorated D-coordinator John Chavis comes aboard from LSU to lead a unit replete with raw talent; there is cause for optimism in College Station.

Writeup on #14 LSU
After all of those years with all of those teams that were oh so close to winning it all, early NFL defections and the loss of spectacularly underrated defensive coordi­nator John Chavis has LSU on its heels. Instability at QB makes it even tougher. But this team is so talented, it might just be able to find a way beyond all that should derail a season and be playing for an SEC West Division championship in late November.

Comments on Other SEC teams

• Auburn
  Just how good is new QB Jeremy Johnson? Some on staff thought Johnson should have played more last season instead of Nick Marshall, even though Marshall led the Tigers to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game and his run threat was a better fit for coach Gus Malzahn's run game. The addition of Will Muschamp as D coordinator will pay off immedi­ately; the Tigers have talent on defense - it was poorly coached and mis­used in 2014.
• Alabama
  Here comes Round Two for Jake Coker, the presumptive QB in 2014 who never saw significant minutes. He's not the clear leader again this fall, and the Tide (again) rolls into a season with uncertainty at the most important position on the field. This hasn't been the same team since the last-second loss to Auburn in the 2013 Iron Bowl. Confidence, swagger, karma; what­ever you want to call it, the Tide doesn't intimidate like they once did under Saban. Strength at QB (Coker, David Cornwell, Cooper Bateman or Blake Arnett) can change all of that.
• Arkansas
  The Hogs are the X-factor in the SEC - not just the West Division, but the entire league. Somehow a team that won two SEC games was the one SEC team no one wanted any part of in November. With TBs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, just enough of underrated QB Brandon Allen and an emerging D that features a nasty front seven, Arkansas might just win the West Division.
• Ole Miss
  Key players (Robert and Denzel Nkemdiche) from one of the nation's best defenses return, and if offensive stars Laremy Tunsil (T) and Laquon Treadwell (WR) return from injuries, the Rebels will be a QB away from playing for a championship. You know, exactly where they were last year when Bo Wallace did more bad than good in a highly anticipated senior season. Next up at QB: Chad Kelly, who was dismissed from Clemson, rebuilt himself at junior college and his reward is getting thrown into this moshpit of pressure.
• Georgia
  It's too easy to say Georgia will do what it does best: run the ball and play defense. Because at some point - even with supremely talented TB Nick Chubb and backup Sony Michel - the Dawgs must get production from the passing game. The QB position hurt Georgia in big games last season, and it will again unless Brice Ramsey can be trusted to m ake more than just safe throws.
• Tennessee
  There may not be more hype or more expectation for another team in the SEC. The Vols finished 2014 strong, found a dangerous QB in the final month of the season and roll into this fall with serious momentum (and back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes). The trio of QB Josh Dobbs, TB Jalen Hurd and WO Marquez North is as good as any in the SEC. More impres­sive (and way undervalued): An argument can easily be made that DE Derek Barnett and CB Cam Sutton are the two best players at their posi­tion in the SEC.
  
• Mississippi State
  An important year for coach Dan Mullen and his program. He says Missis­sippi State can be a team that rebuilds in the SEC and withstand heavy losses to graduation and the NFL. At this point this fall, it's elite QB Dak Prescott and a whole lot of questions (see: new starters).

SEC Prediction

LSU 2nd team All-Americans: RB Leonard Fournette, OL Vadal Alexander
LSU All-SEC: Fournette, Alexander, DB Jalen Mills
Bowl prediction for the Tigers: Outback Bowl vs Michigan

"Final Analysis" on #15 LSU
It's pretty simple: LSU needs much better play from the QB position in 2015. Whoever gets the starting nod must improve on an anemic passing attack that failed to throw for more than 150y in seven of eight SEC games. Fournette is a star, but he can't carry an entire offense on those broad shoulders. The defense, led by a top-flight secondary, will be strong - if not elite like LSU defenses of the recent past. The Tigers are talented enough to be a factor in the rugged SEC West - only if the passing offense improves.

National rank of LSU's units:
RB - 10 (4 SEC)
WR - 18 (5 SEC)
O-line - 7 (4 SEC)
D-line - 16 (6 SEC)
LB - 15 (5 SEC)
DB - 1 (1 SEC)

"Final Analysis" on Other SEC teams

• Auburn
  Some moving parts have to come together for Auburn to once again be a player in the SEC West, but Malzahn's reputation as an offensive mind and Muschamp's prowess on defense mean the Tigers are a safe bet to make some noise. With Johnson at the helm, Auburn should be a dangerous passing team, and the combination of talent at both running back and offensive line, but Malzahn's history of churning out 1,000-yard rushers, means Johnson should have a solid complement. The pressure, then, falls on Muschamp, who doesn't have to hold teams to 10 points or less; if he can get the Tigers around 20-24 points against per game, Auburn should be a contender.
• Alabama
  Alabama hasn't lost a season-opener since 2001, but a date with Wisconsin in Arlington, Texas, will be a stout test with an uncertain offense. Establishing a No. 1 QB early in August will be crucial for developing chemistry with inexperienced receivers. On defense, the front seven should help Alabama retain its reputation among the nation's most imposing units. But it'll have to plug the leaks in the secondary that created major issues against Auburn and in the Sugar Bowl loss to Ohio State.
• Arkansas
  Arkansas should be more dynamic and more efficient with Allen back for his third season as the starter operating in front of a top-flight offensive line. The defense, despite some key losses in the front seven, should once again be strong. To emerge as a legitimate contender in the rough-and-tumble SEC West, the Hogs must find a way to win on the road in league play (something they haven't done since October 2012) and learn how to win close games (they haven't won an SEC game decided by a touchdown or less since October 2011).
• Ole Miss
  This may be Freeze's last chance to do something big with the vaunted 2013 signing class. Barring the unforeseen, Tunsil, Nkemdiche and Treadwell will likely be gone after this season. Conner may join them.
  There are questions on offense, but Kelly should make a seamless transition [at QB]. Freeze helped the lightly recruited Bo Wallace become a three-year starter and tie Eli Manning with 24 career wins.
  The defensive line is strong, and if the corners play as well as expected, Ole Miss will again be a factor in the SEC West.
• Georgia
  Once again, Georgia has the talent to make a run at the SEC title and the College Football Playoff. The question is whether the offense can be as good despite the changes, and whether the defense continues to improve. If both happen, the Bulldogs will have a special season. If not, the Bulldogs should still have enough to have a solid season. But that will do little to allay a fan base that has tired of being good, but not great.
• Tennessee
  Tennessee's dismantling of Iowa in last year's TaxSlayer Bowl guaranteed that excitement in Knoxville would reach a fever pitch by this season's opener. With the suddenly high expectations for the Vols comes pressure for Butch Jones for the first time in his Tennessee career. There's talent at the skill positions, but enough to win the SEC East? Jones probably has another year before fans grow restless, but if the Vols don't win the division, they'll need to at least come very close.
  
• Mississippi State
  Mississippi State loses seven starters on offense and eight on defense. That much turnover won't be easy to overcome. The expectations with the fans won't change, though, after they tasted the promised land last year with a No. 1 ranking. Prescott, one of the best players in the SEC, will be able to mask a lot of the holes. How many and how well could decide the Bulldogs' season.

SEC Prediction

LSU 2nd team All-American: RB Leonard Fournette
LSU 1st team All-SEC: Fournette, DB Jamal Adams
LSU 2nd team All-SEC: DB Tra'Davious White and Jalen Mills, PR White
Bowl prediction for the Tigers: Outback Bowl vs Michigan