The NFL draft early entry list has been finalized and coaching staffs are mostly in place, so we now have a pretty good idea what rosters around college football will look like in 2018.
So how's the SEC West going to shake out this fall?
Note: These predictions can and will change before the fall, once we get a better look at all these teams in spring practice. But at least heading into the heart of the offseason, this is how things look in the SEC West:
1. Alabama: It's worth remembering that although the Crimson Tide won the national championship in 2017, it didn't win the SEC West. The personnel losses on defense -- particularly in the secondary -- are heavy and I'm not crazy about the new offensive coordinator hire, but the talent level and the schedule (Auburn at home, crossover games with Tennessee and Missouri) means Alabama has to be the favorite once again.
2. Auburn: Though the season didn't end the way they wanted to, the Tigers had a memorable 2017, with wins over Alabama and Georgia. That resulted in a huge new contract for Gus Malzahn, who faces a slight rebuilding job this season. Most of the offensive line is gone, as is team MVP Kerryon Johnson and a number of key defensive players. But QB Jarrett Stidham and enough building blocks on defense are back to key Auburn in contention.
3. Mississippi State: Boy, I really wanted to pick the Bulldogs to finish second, and if Dan Mullen had returned this season I might have. But I can't help but shake the feeling that a new coaching staff means they won't quite be ready for prime time. There's a lot of talent here, however, and a manageable West schedule (Auburn and Texas A&M at home), plus a blood game against Mullen and Florida in Starkville in late September.
4. Texas A&M: How much difference can a serious coaching upgrade make? We'll find the answer to that question in the 2018 Aggies, who replace underachieving Kevin Sumlin with very well-paid Jimbo Fisher. The Aggies have to figure out an answer at quarterback and face a tough West schedule (at Alabama, at Auburn, at Mississippi State), but under Fisher might begin to find a way to win some of those games they mysteriously lost under Sumlin.
5. LSU: If there's a controversial pick on this list, I guess it's the Tigers, whom I just don't see getting better in Year 2 of the Ed Orgeron experiment. LSU suffered its usual early exodus of players to the NFL and made a downgrade at offensive coordinator with Steve Ensminger replacing Matt Canada. The Tigers get Alabama at home, but have crossover tough games with Florida and Georgia.
6. Arkansas: The Razorbacks were a disaster on both sides of the ball in 2017, leading to the ouster of the affable Bret Bielema. However, the school made what I believe was an excellent hire in Chad Morris, who should bring some offensive excitement back to Fayetteville. A tough conference schedule bookended by road games with Texas A&M and Alabama at the front end and Mississippi State and Missouri at the back end means we may not see the results immediately.
7. Ole Miss: The Rebels were a pleasant surprise in the second half of 2017, rallying behind interim (now permanent) coach Matt Luke to finish 6-6, including a rout of Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Problem is, quarterback Shea Patterson and a number of other key players transferred out after Ole Miss was hit with a second year of postseason sanctions. It's also no guarantee that the wave of emotion we saw from the Rebels in 2017 can carry over to a second year.
So what do you think about these predictions? How would you rank the SEC West teams heading into 2018?