It looks to me like the west has thinned out a bit, but remains balanced in the competition area. Alabama is looking at another title run, Ole Miss is on the rise, and whatever happened to LSU?

The Crimson Tide are coming off of a dissappointing 12-2 season. Wait, what? A dissappointing 12 win season? How so? Winning the first twelve games was amazing. Losing to a great UF team who won the NC in fine fashion over OU wasn't so bad. But then the heartbreaker came when Utah snuck into the back yard. We all know what happened. The question is now, does Bama carry the momentum from the Sugar Bowl into the 2009 season, or do they capitalize on the awesome recruiting job and the fact that they still won 12 games and made it to the SEC Title game for the first time since 1999? I think the latter. Alabama is tough and resilient. They are making another title run as we speak. In the SEC West, they are the team to beat and the team to be. Prediction: 11-1 or 12-0 (Ole Miss, VT, and LSU could pose problems, but in the end Bama wins the West)

Houston Nutt is the saving grace of the Ole Miss Rebels. While a little unorthadox in his coaching methods, he is a motivator and a pretty good recruiter. His teams fight when they have to fight. The Rebs will have to fight in 2009, for a chance at the West Crown. Their biggest opponent comes when they face Alabama at Oxford. On the upside, they are at home. On the downside, Alabama won't roll over for the Rebels. The rest of the schedule is favorable. SC will be a handful. LSU is another contender and my guess is that for the first five weeks, amidst all the other games, the Rebs will be studying and gearing up for Alabama. Arkansas will play them hard two weeks later, but won't be victorious. The rest of the time, the Rebs will play the way they need to in order to have a successful season, but the reality is that LSU sits in the back of their minds as the next to last game of the season. Prediction: 10-2 (Bama will win and SC will grab the upset)

The lost lonely Tigers of Baton Rouge. What happened? It's like the entire team took turns climbing a ladder, falling off onto their heads, and collectively forgot how to play football. I'm not being mean, but LSU just didn't show up last year. But that was last season. It's in the past. The Tigers look to reclaim their Crown, but have stiff competition facing them in 2009. LSU starts the season with the Huskies of Washington. A likely upset? No. LSU will beat Washington as well as win their next three games before they face UGA in Athens. It's not going to be pretty. Then immediately following UGA, they play the defending champs, Florida. LSU will be 4-2 to start the season and 2-2 in conference play. The Auburn Tigers are next. I expect a blowout. LSU's best game will come against either the Tigers or the Hogs. After AU and before Arkansas, the Tigers must travel to Alabama after a loss to the Tide in 2008 and two weeks later play the other front runner Ole Miss. They have a dangerous schedule after the first four games. Don't anticipate the Tigers winning the West in 2009. Prediction: 8-4 (Losses to Bama, UGA, UF, and Ole Miss are in store)

Arkansas is trying to gain a new foothold since Nutt left. Petrino is an offensive genius. He made Louisville a powerhouse in the Big East and BCS play. As soon as he left, the Cards went to crap. Arkansas will have a competitive offense. Time will tell just how well adjusted their defense becomes under Petrino and Willy Robinson. Arky is usually known as the "Upset Express". You never know how dangerous they can be until you actually play them. Arkansas plays the roll of "spoiler" for at least two SEC teams this season. Schedule? Rocky. They begin with scrub Mizzou St. Don't look for the Hogs to bow down to some tiny college. It will be a massacre. They need to lay it on thick but not wear themselves down because UGA is next on the schedule. But the Hogs get a bye in between Mizzou St and UGA. That gives them time to prepare for one of the four strongest teams in the SEC. But they won't get a lot of time to prepare for Bama. Georgia has to come to Arkansas, but the Hogs are in white for the match up against the Tide. The fAggies are next in line. Arkansas will be 2-2 after the AtM game. Then comes the burden of playing AU, UF and Ole Miss back to back to back. I only see one win in this stretch of play and thats over AU. SC, MSU and LSU round out the last portion of the Hogs nightmare schedule. SC is a toss up, MSU will be beaten, and LSU and Arkansas are going to clash like titans.
Prediction: 7-5 (Arkansas probably won't face an upset this season, unless you count LSU as the underdog)

Mississippi State is a team that doesn't recieve a lot of accolades and reverence. They have proven that they are not a complete push over by taming the Tide two years in a row in 2006-07. That's not the only instance. MSU has plenty of time to build up their team with a new coach in place. 2009is not the season for the Bulldogs to try to make a difference. Right now they need to focus on the wins they can attain this season and focus on the bigger goal of SECCG contender in 2010-2011. Perhaps not that soon. Not to sure how the Dogs will pan out but they may surprise with wins over AU or Arkansas. MSU fans need to ask themselves What Would Jackie Sherrill Do? He would find a way to overcome and win. Three potential wins come at the beginning of the season, one being against Auburn. That should give them the fire they need to be aggressive when they play LSU. I honestly believe they will hang on and keep it close through the first three quarters. The fourth quarter will determine whether MSU has the stamina to hang with LSU.
The LSU game might be bigger than the Ole Miss and Bama games. The Egg Bowl should be an exciting game especially since it's in Starkville.
Prediction: 5-7 (No bowl this year, but 2010 will be looking better for the Dogs)

War Weasles! Hey it Auburn. Since Tubbs left the program has gone south, deep south. I don't expect much from the Tigers this season. MSU and UK look like the only plausible SEC wins for AU this season. This is definitely not the year of the Tiger. I haven't been tracking AU that close. They finished the regular season with a loss to Alabama 36-0. With only five wins last season, I anticipate a repeat of 2008. Close wins against MSU (3-2) and UT (14-12) last year and losses to Vandy and Arkansas they have fallen to the bottom of the barrell. Prediction: 4-8


The West is looking thin, but Arkansas and MSU look like they'll have the competitive spirit to take on the likes of LSU, Ole Miss, UGA, UF, and Bama. Auburn, not so much.

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