Projected Order of Finish
East Division

1. Florida Gators
Top Offensive Player: QB Tim Tebow, Top Defensive Player: MLB Brandon Spikes
The defending national champions have a Heisman winner at QB, six other starters returning on the nation's No. 4 scoring offense and all 11 starters returning to the No. 4 scoring defense. To say expectations are high in Gainesville would be an understatement. Florida is clearly the favorite heading into the season for a third BCS title in four seasons.

2. Georgia Bulldogs
Top Offensive Player: WR A.J. Green, Top Defensive Player: DT Geno Atkins
The Bulldogs should be terrific defensively, but losing QB Matt Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno is obviously a big concern. To make things easier, new QB Cox will still have a big-time playmaker in Green to throw the ball to. Defensively, the Bulldogs receive a boost from the return of DT Jeff Owens from a knee injury.

3. Tennessee Volunteers
Top Offensive Player: C Josh McNeil, Top Defensive Player: SS Eric Berry
Thanks to Lane Kiffin, Tennessee may be the most talked about team coming off a 5-7 season ever. Although the Vols will likely get back to a bowl game, Tennessee will probably be in for a rude awakening in the third game in their much-hyped visit to Florida. The offense was one of the nation's worst in '08, and QB Jonathan Crompton must improve his decision-making.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks
Top Offensive Player: WR Jason Barnes, Top Defensive Player: OLB Eric Norwood
Steve Spurrier's offense ranked No. 97 in yards per game, and there is a lack of playmakers returning. The offense line struggled all season, while QB Stephen Garcia must become a more mature player, as the offense may revolve around both his arm and legs.

5. Vanderbilt Commodores
Top Offensive Player: TE Brandon Barden, Top Defensive Player: CB Myron Lewis
The Commodores made it to their first bowl since 1982 and beat Boston College in the Music City Bowl despite having the 117th ranked offense. Athletic QB Chris Nickson is gone, and while Mackenzi Adams split time with Nickson last year, sophomore Larry Smith will probably be the top QB.

6. Kentucky Wildcats
Top Offensive Player: OT Zipp Duncan, Top Defensive Player: CB Trevard Lindley
The Wildcats have no elite playmakers and spread the ball around last season, as no receiver had more than 264 yards and no running back had more than 430 yards. Top RB Tony Dixon and top WR Dicky Lyons are gone, but at least plenty of returning players have gotten touches.

West Division
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Top Offensive Player: WR Julio Jones, Top Defensive Player: DT Terrence Cody
Just four starters return to what was a mediocre offense, but at least one of the players back is Jones, who looks like a prototypical NFL receiver. Although plenty of questions remain on offense, the defense should be superb. No one will be able to run up the middle successfully with the mammoth Cody -- all 365 pounds of him -- clogging the line at nose guard and Rolando McClain at middle linebacker.

2. LSU Tigers
Top Offensive Player: OT Ciron Black, Top Defensive Player: FS Chad Jones
The Tigers struggled at QB all season with Jarrett Lee but now turn to sophomore Jordan Jefferson -- who started the final two games. If he develops, the offense could be very potent with Charles Scott and Keiland Williams running the ball and Brandon LaFell at receiver.

3. Mississippi Rebels
Top Offensive Player: QB Jevan Snead, Top Defensive Player: DE Greg Hardy
A trendy pick to make a jump into the nation's elite, Ole Miss beat Florida and Texas Tech last season and hosts both Alabama and LSU. Snead should become a star, while he has plenty of experience around him with eight starters returning on both sides of the ball. Expectations are extremely high in Oxford, but can Houston Nutt's squad live up to the hype?

4. Arkansas Razorbacks
Top Offensive Player: RB Michael Smith, Top Defensive Player: DT Malcolm Sheppard
The Casey Dick era is over, and taking over the reins at QB is strong-armed Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett. Mallett and coach Bobby Petrino should form a great pair, and Arkansas should get back to a bowl with 18 starters returning and the probable upgrade at QB.

5. Auburn Tigers
Top Offensive Player: RB Ben Tate, Top Defensive Player: DE Antonio Coleman
The Tigers struggled offensively all season, with the lowlight being one of their five wins when the Tigers beat Mississippi State 3-2. Tommy Tuberville is gone, and in comes the very surprising hire of Iowa State coach and Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. Tate will be the focal point of the offense, and the Tigers' must get better QB play after starter Chris Todd and Kodi Burns both struggled in '08.

6. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Top Offensive Player: RB Anthony Dixon, Top Defensive Player: OLB K.J. Wright
Dixon's status is still unknown after pleading guilty to a DUI charge, casting further doubt on an offense that scored just 15.3 points per game and is switching to the spread under former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs are in for a rough transition season with only one or two sure wins on the schedule.

SEC Title Game: Florida over Alabama

*****

Although Florida's games with Georgia at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and the showdown with Lane Kiffin and Tennessee will be interesting, the real drama in the SEC will happen in the West this season.

It appears that a Tim Tebow injury may be the only thing that could stop Florida this season, although even then, the defense would probably be enough to carry the Gators. Florida's biggest roadblock to an unbeaten season is its Oct. 10 trip to Death Valley to face LSU, and it misses both Alabama and Ole Miss on the schedule.

Meanwhile, LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss are in for a very tight race in the West for the right to inevitably face Florida in the SEC title game. The Rebels have the advantage with both the Tigers and Crimson Tide traveling to Oxford, but look for Ole Miss to drop at least one of those games and also get surprised by another team or two -- at South Carolina, for example.

With that prediction out of the way, the SEC West would probably then come down to the Nov. 7 meeting in Tuscaloosa between Alabama and LSU, which is essentially a toss-up. Because of home-field advantage, I'll give Alabama the slight advantage and take Alabama to emerge out of the division -- and then get beaten by Florida for the SEC title again.

*****

Award Predictions
Offensive Player of the Year: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Defensive Player of the Year: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Freshman of the Year: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Coach of the Year: Urban Meyer, Florida

All-SEC Team
QB- Tim Tebow, Sr., Florida
RB- Charles Scott, Sr., LSU
RB- Michael Smith, Sr., Arkansas
WR- Julio Jones, So., Alabama
WR- Brandon LaFell, Sr., LSU
TE- D.J. Williams, Jr., Arkansas
OT- Ciron Black, Sr., LSU
OT- Clint Boling, Jr., Georgia
G- Mike Johnson, Sr., Alabama
G- Maurkice Pouncey, Jr., Florida
C- Ben Jones, So., Georgia

DE- Carlos Dunlap, Jr., Florida
DE- Greg Hardy, Sr., Ole Miss
DT- Terrence Cody, Sr., Alabama
DT- Geno Atkins, Sr., Georgia
LB- Eric Norwood, Sr., South Carolina
LB- Brandon Spikes, Sr., Florida
LB- Rolando McClain, Jr., Alabama
CB- Myron Lewis, Sr., Vanderbilt
CB- Joe Haden, Jr., Florida
S- Eric Berry, Jr., Tennessee
S- Reshad Jones, Jr., Georgia

K- Leigh Tiffin, Sr., Alabama
P- Chris Henry, Jr., Florida
KR- Javier Arenas, Sr., Alabama

Top Non-Conference Games
1. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech, Sept. 5 (at Atlanta)
2. Georgia at Oklahoma State, Sept. 5
3. Florida State at Florida, Nov. 28
4. Georgia at Georgia Tech, Nov. 28
5. UCLA at Tennessee, Sept. 12

Top Conference Games
1. Florida at LSU, Oct. 10
2. LSU at Alabama, Nov. 7
3. Florida vs. Georgia, Oct. 31 (at Jacksonville)
4. Alabama at Ole Miss, Oct. 10
5. Tennessee at Florida, Sept. 19

-Matt Brown