The SEC's stronghold on the rest of the country just seems unfair at times.
For the past five years, the SEC has reached the BCS title game and left with the crystal ball in hand.
The SEC hasn't just won; it's dominated. In those five wins, SEC teams combined to outscore their opponents 162-92, or 32-18 each game.
- EnlargeKelly Lambert/US Presswire
Nick Saban thinks Alabama has the pieces to return to championship form in 2011.
In the 2010 campaign, even as preseason favorite Alabama fizzled down the stretch, Auburn kept the streak going with a 22-19 win over Oregon.
It seems foolish to pick against the SEC, but the streak has to end someday, right?
The Boston Celtics' NBA championship streak in the 1960s ended after eight years. The UCLA Bruins' men's basketball seven-year championship streak stopped in 1973. And the UConn women's basketball team finally felt the awful sting of a loss this past season after 90 wins in a row.
But will it happen to the SEC this season?
Unlike the past few seasons, the SEC has a handful of teams with a legitimate chance of keeping the national championship winning streak alive.
The most likely candidates can be found in the West, with Alabama, LSU and Arkansas leading the way.
Alabama coach Nick Saban sensed the pain from last season's shortcomings circulating throughout his team this spring. Regret mixed with hunger as the Crimson Tide took to spring workouts with a newfound angst.
Alabama must deal with an inexperienced starting quarterback this fall but will benefit from having a veteran offensive line, one of the stoutest and more mature defenses in the league, and a workhorse of a running back in junior Trent Richardson, who many feel could be better than Heisman-winning predecessor Mark Ingram.
Saban understands the mounds of talent he's working with, but to return to championship form, he needs to see the want out of his players.
"I thought we made a lot of progress in a lot of areas this spring," Saban said. "I like the character and attitude of our team. We have a little more maturity and a little more leadership. The key is, what's everybody going to invest moving forward to get a better result [than last season]?"
LSU returns a younger defense, but it should be one of the fastest and most athletic in the country. What was significant about LSU's spring was the transformation senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson underwent with new offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe. Jefferson had what head coach Les Miles called his best spring in Baton Rouge by becoming more of a complete passer.
Add experience and athleticism to the wide receiver and running back positions, and LSU has the makings of a team ready to fight its way to the SEC championship game in Atlanta.
Then there's Arkansas. The Razorbacks are breaking in new quarterback Tyler Wilson, but with veteran receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs and senior running back Knile Davis, Arkansas' offense doesn't figure to flounder. The real progress was made by the defense, which coach Bobby Petrino thinks is the best he's had during his time at Arkansas.
As a whole, Petrino said, his team left spring sharper than any other he's had as the Hogs' coach.
- EnlargeAP Photo/April L. Brown
Arkansas' Bobby Petrino has set a standard that he expects his team to uphold.
"We're obviously a much better football team," Petrino said. "It's good that our players and our coaches understand how we're going to work. Standards have been set on what we expect in practice, what we expect from our preparation, and that allows you to go out there and get better every day."
In the East, defending East champ South Carolina appears to be equipped for a return to Atlanta, but quarterback is a concern. Senior quarterback Stephen Garcia's future is in limbo, so youngster Connor Shaw could be thrust into the starting position.
Fortunately for the Gamecocks, they return the SEC freshman of the year in running back Marcus Lattimore, All-SEC receiver Alshon Jeffery and a load of talent on defense.
If the Gamecocks make it through the regular season with barely a blemish, they could benefit from facing a tattered West team in the SEC championship game, considering the big three must face each other. Two won't make it out alive.
Or maybe none will. As with Auburn last season, the SEC is capable of producing a dark horse national champion. This season, that team could be Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs return most of a defensive line that helped Mississippi State rank 15th in rushing defense in 2010 and five defensive backs with starting experience.
Quarterback Chris Relf, running back Vick Ballard and a host of receiver talent are back as well. The shortcomings are on the offensive line and at linebacker, but the Bulldogs have the privilege of hosting LSU and Alabama.
However, keeping up with the big boys could leave the Bulldogs winded by season's end.In 2011, there could be too much talent for one team to escape both the regular season and a conference title game with a strong enough record to make it to the national championship.
But this is the SEC, where no team is going to let a little competition get in the way of that championship confidence.
The bulldogs, yes I said bulldogs are the darkhorse MNC team for the SEC this year.
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