It would be difficult to argue with the preseason All-SEC first team voted on by the media last week in Hoover, Ala.
Of the 22 players selected, 18 were either a four- or five-star recruits coming out of high school.
As for the preseason poll, it became something of a joke because apparently more than 30 media members picked Auburn to finish fourth or worst. Obviously, for those voters homework just means your house needs painting.
Alabama tallied 1,405 points and received 92 first-place votes to win the West Division, while Auburn had 1,362 points but received 108 first-place votes.
However, the poll had Auburn winning the SEC Championship Game with 96 votes (Alabama had 80). The West Division is great, but it's not that good, since the second-place team in the division doesn't go to the championship game.
So, to be clear, Alabama was picked to win the West Division but came in second to fellow West Division member Auburn in the voting for the overall SEC championship.
For the record, Georgia was picked to win the East Division but was third in voting for the SEC championship.
The vote of yours truly was close to the consensus but different in a couple of spots.
The media vote was:
WEST DIVISION 1. Alabama; 2. Auburn; 3. LSU; 4. Arkansas; 5. Ole Miss; 6. Texas A&M; and 7. Mississippi State.
EAST DIVISION 1. Georgia; 2. Tennessee; 3. Missouri; 4. South Carolina; 5. Florida; 6. Kentucky; and 7. Vanderbilt.
Here's how this scribe voted and why:
WEST DIVISION
1. AUBURN The Razorbacks saw how good quarterback Jeremy Johnson was last season. Now the rest of the country will. Plus Will Muschamp is a great defensive coordinator.
2. ALABAMA Apparently the Crimson Tide have too many players worried about their draft status, or at least last season they did for the first time ever. (Apparently NFL draft status didn't affect Ohio State's chemistry.)
3. OLE MISS It's time for all those great recruiting classes to pay dividends. Defense should carry the Rebels. A nice schedule doesn't hurt, although the Rebels play on 10 consecutive weekends.
4. ARKANSAS The Hogs have a senior quarterback in Brandon Allen, a great, big offensive line and the best running back tandem in the country. Kirk Herbstreit's early pick is for the Razorbacks to win the West.
5. LSU The Tigers will miss defensive coordinator John Chavis and must better utilize running back Leonard Fournette in the offense.
6. TEXAS A&M Chavis will experience the difficulty of running his defense when the offense is a hurry-up attack.
7. MISSISSIPPI STATE The Bulldogs have a great quarterback but have too many other holes to fill in just one season.
EAST DIVISION
1. GEORGIA The East might not be as down as it has been the past few years, but the Bulldogs should dominate with Nick Chubb at running back. However, they do go to Auburn and host Alabama.
2. MISSOURI The Tigers have been better than expected the past two years and return Maty Mauk at quarterback.
3. SOUTH CAROLINA The Gamecocks aren't deeply talented but are well-coached. The defense should be much improved.
4. TENNESSEE Josh Dobbs established himself as the quarterback over the last five games last season. The Vols have a major early test against Oklahoma.
5. FLORIDA Not even the once mighty Gators can reload in one season. There is still much work to do, starting with finding a quarterback, a familiar problem in the SEC.
6. KENTUCKY Coach Mark Stoops has made the Wildcats better, but Kentucky is still a basketball school.
7. VANDERBILT James Franklin made his team significant, and he is doing the same thing now as he rebuilds Penn State.
SEC CHAMPION Georgia. The Bulldogs' only loss will be at Auburn, and they will avenge that in the SEC Championship Game to advance to the College Football Playoff.
Sports on 07/19/2015