Going to do this for the BCS conferences...
Florida - 100
Georgia - 89.5
Tennessee - 82.5
South Carolina - 80.5
Vanderbilt - 79
Kentucky - 76.5
Alabama - 89
LSU - 89
Ole Miss - 88.5
Arkansas - 86
Auburn - 81
Mississippi State - 73
Pretty clear that Gators are easily the best team in the conference. Not sure they deserve any less than a DD spread against any team in the conference on a neutral site or in Gainesville.
While UGA actually ranks 2nd in the conference in my ratings, I think there is potential for them to drop a bit. I can see them losing to Okie State and Arkansas early on, getting off to a rough start and struggling a bit the entire season. Back-to-back games at Tennessee and Vandy should be tough and I think they likely lose one of them. Not a bunch of major weaknesses with this group, but just a very tough slate to start. I see 4 losses...maybe 5 if they really struggle and drop one at home to LSU.
Where UGA has potential to move down, Tennessee has some potential to move up with a favorable schedule. If the backfield establishes themselves early on they could make quite a jump. The Florida game will be a loss, but they should win the other 4 home games before UGA comes to town. If they pull that off, which I see as a real possibility, they'll be 5-1 with SC, Memphis, Vandy, and UK still on the schedule.
Just not much to get excited with when it comes to this South Carolina group. Their schedule is brutal (could be looking at a 2-4 start) and they don't have an overwhelming amount of experience. It's really, really hard to see Spurrier having a losing season, but they only have 4 games they'll definitely be favorites...and Vandy is no pushover.
The Dores probably won't do what they did last year, but return quite a bit on D, with Adams and Hawkins still in the backfield. Take note of two GREAT spots: hosting Ole Miss on Oct. 3 (Rebs off a Thursday night game at SC and Bama coming to town the following week), and hosting Georgia on Oct. 17 (Dawgs off B2B against LSU and at Tennessee, with a bye week and the Gators on deck). Potentially another 6-win season if they pull one of these off.
My Cats could either tank this year and return to mediocrity, or take advantage of another favorable schedule and reach another bowl. We should find out when they host Louisville and Bama B2B in September, with them catching the Tide in a good spot (wedged between Arkansas and Ole Miss).
There are some concerns in the backfield and on the OL no doubt, but Bama has a great opportunity to win the West again with their stout D and Saban at the helm. Probably gonna lose to the Rebs in Oxford, but almost every other conference game looks like a win. And, unlike the Rebs, they don't have a tremendous amount of pressure they're never experienced on them entering the season.
LSU was one of the teams I saw surprising with Chavis coming in at DC, but I'm just a little concerned about Jefferson at QB and the schedule. They'll probably lose 3 for sure (at UGA, Florida, at Bama), but I'm gonna go ahead and say right now they beat Ole Miss in Oxford on Nov. 21.
Not much separating Ole Miss from the other two, but I think they fall short for the division title with a slip up or two somewhere along the way. Maybe its at South Carolina on Thursday night, at Vandy, hosting Arkansas, or at Auburn. But I think this team ends up underachieving and loses 3 games. Nutt has come out and said this program's mentality was pretty bad before he got there last year, and I'm just not sure they can make the jump from doormat to best team in a brutal division in only two years.
Arkansas really could be dangerous. A great chance to start the season 4-1 going into Gainesville - and I will go ahead and call the Hogs beating the Gators as my major upset prediction of the year in the SEC. I think this could be a 9-win team if things fall into place, but they're pretty unfortunate getting Bama, Ole Miss, and LSU all on the road.
Auburn is tough to figure out, and they look like they should start out 4-0. But how will everything go from there? I don't see them winning at Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU, or Georgia...and not sure they'll beat Ole Miss or Bama at home. They may be good for an upset in one of those games, but I don't see any better than 7-5 with Chizik calling the shots.
Poor Mississippi State...a rebuilding year and they schedule GT and Houston in non-conference, and their two most winnable conference games (Vandy and Kentucky) are on the road. Could be a winless SEC campaign and a 10-loss season.
These are teams I think could surprise...not necessarily win the NC, but compete for one unexpectedly. You know, the 2008 Alabamas and Penn States of the world...
LSU - What a brutal schedule these guys have, playing @ UGA, Florida, @ Bama, and @ Ole Miss. But, I like how things set up. QB play is iffy, but the skill position players on offense are almost all back. The D looks questionable, but they bring in one of the best DC's out there in Chavis, who did a great job at UT last year. Remember the work Muschamp did with Texas last year? Think of that. I trust LSU to beat the Rebs, I think they can beat Georgia and/or Alabama on the road if they're playing well enough, and they have as good a shot as anyone to knock off Florida. A dangerous sleeper IMO.
Illinois - This team probably wins the B10 and makes its way back to the BCS for the 2nd time in three years. They catch both OSU and PSu early, before either team gets a chance to figure out all their questions on offense - more importantly, getting PSU at home. OSU could potentially sleepwalk after the USC game if they lose, and the leadership just isn't quite there like it has been the past few years. The Illini return nearly every weapon on offense and are way under the radar. Fairly smooth sailing after they play Penn State.
That's all for now, will continue later...feel free to post your thoughts and/or sleepers...