The SEC West is tough enough to be a conference in its own right. There are two top 10 teams, plus another team that is loaded with talented sophomores and freshmen. Even the bottom dweller Ole Miss, has made some drastic improvements.

Here are the useless predictions

1. LSU (6-2, 11-2): The national champs lost a few talented guys, but they have plenty to spare. One of the best defenses in the nation last year may actually be better this year. They have talent and supreme speed at all positions. They have a great coaching staff, a great home field advantage, and they simply know how to win the big games. They are the cream of the crop in the incredibly deep SEC.

2. Auburn (5-3, 9-4): Auburn may actually have the most overall team speed in the SEC. The biggest worries at Auburn are how they are going to deal with the new spread offense and which quarterback is going to be the guy to lead the team. They can challenge LSU, Georgia, and Florida for the SEC title, but they have more questions than the big 3.

3. Alabama (4-4, 7-6): Its Saban’s 2^nd year and he has the recruits but not the experience. This will not be the year that Alabama makes it back to the elite of college football. They will probably finish with 7 to 9 wins and show flashes, but simply don’t have the experience or the depth at this point. Bama fans will have to wait until 2009 or 2010.

4. Mississippi State (4-4, 8-5): Sylvester Croom has done a great job making Mississippi State a competitive football team in the best conference in the nation. They will be hard pressed to better last year’s performance even though they may be a better team. They will probably finish .500 in the conference and finish 3^rd or 4^th depending on Alabama and Arkansas.

5. Arkansas (4-4, 8-5): Bobby Petrino has created some excitement, Casey Dick is a pretty good QB, and Michael Smith is a competent replacement at RB, but Arkansas will not challenge for anything more than the 3^rd spot in the SEC West. Most likely they will finish behind Alabama and Miss. St. They may even lose to Ole Miss and it wouldn’t be a shocker if they finished last in the SEC West. The conference is simply too deep and the line between last and 3^rd too thin.

6. Ole Miss (0-8, 3-9): One thing that can be said about the 2008 Ole Miss team is that they should be more exciting. They should also improve upon their win total. They have a new coach in Houston Nutt and a new QB in the talented Jevan Snead (transfer from Texas). They will probably finish at the bottom of this division, but still should not be taken lightly. They are returning 15 starters and will be dangerous on offense.

My predictions have LSU and Florida in the SEC Championship game. This would be re-match game from October 11 and will be a good one. It will highlight possibly the best offense in the nation going against the possibly the best defense in the nation.

I personally believe that LSU would win. In fact, I think LSU is the best team in the nation once again. Whether they get to the national championship game is another question. Having to battle through the SEC may give these guys one or more losses, which may keep them out of the national championship