SEC Breakdown: How the Season Plays Out

With the college football season nearing the halfway point and a lot of predictions being made about who will finish the Top 10, here is a breakdown of how things will look in the SEC.

SEC-East

1. Florida

2. South Carolina

3. Georgia

4. Tennessee

5. Kentucky

6. Vanderbilt

SEC-West

1. Alabama

2. Auburn

3. LSU

4. Ole Miss

5. Arkansas

6. Mississippi State

SEC Championship

Florida vs. Alabama. Winner: Alabama.

The East

Florida wins the SEC-East as long as Tebow doesn't get injured and have to miss any games. The concussion he had against Kentucky was scary, as Florida only scored 7 points after Tebow came out of the game.

Runner-up for the SEC-East is South Carolina. With all of their defensive starters back in the game at this point, they have one of the best defenses in the country. South Carolina's offense is very good with quarterback Stephen Garcia and running back Kenny Miles, but defense wins games, as demonstrated in South Carolina's win over Ole Miss. Eric Norwood is a force to be reckoned with and has made ESPN's Heisman Watch 2009 short list.

Georgia has a stout team, but Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno leaving has hurt. Georgia will be down this season, but watch out next year.

Tennessee just used to be one of the powers of the SEC, but not anymore. Lane Kiffen has made a joke out of the Volunteers by running his mouth incessantly and his coaching skills aren't anything to brag about either - not as though he would let that stop him. Kiffen better be glad he has his dad around to help out or UT would finish last in the East.

As for Kentucky and Vanderbilt, there isn't a whole lot to say. It's a toss-up for who would finish fifth and sixth, but there is no doubt they'll be at the bottom.

The West

Alabama takes the West as long as they aren't bitten by the injury bug. Alabama is stout and if anyone can beat Tebow and the Gators, it will be them.

Auburn will be the surprise of the West this year. While their defense appears a little shaky at times, their offense averages over 500 yards a game. Auburn's offense is unstoppable and will give their SEC opponents a fit.

LSU has a good team, but they are overrated. They are not a legitimate #4 team and in time, they will be exposed. Don't get me wrong, they are a good team, but they will not live up to the hype. Georgia gave LSU all they could handle and then some in the second half of their game this past Saturday. Anyone who thinks LSU will remain in the Top 10 or contend for a title this season will be disappointed.

Ole Miss has a good team and I hate to put them finishing so low, but they are playing in a tough division. It will be a close battle between Auburn, LSU, and Ole Miss for runner-up of the West, but the other two will come out on top. If Ole Miss played in a weaker conference like the ACC, they would be one of the top two or three teams, but they don't.

While Arkansas can put points on the board, they have no defense. In two SEC games, they have given up an average of 44 points per game. This isn't the year for the Razorbacks to do any better than bring up the rear of the West, unless they find a defense fast.

Mississippi State has had a couple of close losses to good opponents, but moral victories mean nothing in college football and that is the best MSU can hope for when playing most of their SEC opponents. With eight senior starters on both sides of the ball, MSU can't blame anything on a young team.