With the pre-season football publications on the stands, the experts say the Western SEC will get its year on top of the traditionally football-dominant East. Five of the six publications have Auburn in the top ten and the pick for the automatic SEC slot in the BCS. Most surprising is the view that in a flip-flop, the eastern teams will be in a close race due to losses to western foes. Lindy’s goes so far as to predict that the Eastern champ will have at least two conference losses before facing Auburn in the championship game.
The Eastern race looks to be a toss-up between Tennessee and Georgia. The toss of the coin is how well UGA replaces its entire offensive line and line-backing corps versus how well UT replaces its defensive front four again and how quickly the Vols find a go-to wide receiver.
Florida is predicted to sit the race out in third, and made the top 25 in only two lists, Football Time in Tennessee and Athlon’s. Though most publications give Florida the nod for the best recruiting class in the East. Three magazines picked Tennessee to win the East, while two picked the Vols second and Athlons had UT third.
While being the top pick in any publication is almost a kiss of death when the regular season starts, several point out that one of the teams in their top five have made it to the BCS showdown every season, though the opponent has tended to be a surprise from the preseason teen rankings, Tennessee in 1998 for example.
Taking the picks from all five publications and adding up the points, Oklahoma sits atop the conglomerate poll. Miami, Ohio State and Auburn also had picks from one magazine each as the number one team of summer.

Preseason Top 25 Composite Poll

Preseason rankings by The Sporting News, Street and Smith’s, Athlon’s, Lindy’s, Football Time in Tennessee and Phil Steele’s were compiled for these rankings. Points were awarded 25 for first, 24 for second, etc.

Rank . . .Team . . .TSN . . .S&S . . .ATH . . .LIN . . . FT . . . ST . . .Points
1 . . .Oklahoma . . .3 . . .1 . . .1 . . . 1 . . .2 . . . 2 . . . 146
2 . . .Ohio State . . . 2 . . . 5 . . .3 . . . 3 . . .3 . . .1 . . .139
3 . . .Miami 5 . . .2 . . .2 . . . 2 . . .1 . . .7 . . . 137
4 . . .Michigan . . .4 . . .4 . . .10 . . . 4 . . .10 . . .4 . . .120
5 . . .Auburn 1 . . . 7 . . .5 . . .6 . . .5 . . .15 . . .117
6 . . .Texas . . .8 . . .3 . . .7 . . . 7 . . . 12 . . .3 . . .116
7 . . .Kansas State . . .7 . . .6 . . .4 . . .5 . . .4 . . .14 . . .116
8 . . .Southern Cal . . .6 . . .15 . . . 6 . . .8 . . .6 . . .10 . . .105
9 . . .Virginia Tech . . .15 . . .10 . . .14 . . .14 . . .7 . . .6 . . .90
10 . . .Washington . . .9 . . .8 . . .12 . . .17 . . .11 . . .9 . . .90
11 . . .Georgia . . .11 . . .13 . . .8 . . . 13 . . .9 . . .17 . . .85
12 . . .Pittsburgh 19 . . .9 . . .9 . . .12 . . .18 . . .5 . . .84
13 . . .Tennessee . . .16 . . .12 . . . 24 . . .9 . . .15 . . .8 . . .72
14 . . .Maryland . . .17 . . .11 . . .17 . . .10 . . .16 . . .18 . . . 67
15 . . .Florida State . . .14 . . .16 . . . 15 . . . 18 . . .13 . . .13 . . . 67
16 . . .LSU 13 . . . 20 . . .18 . . .11 . . .19 . . .11 . . . 64
17 . . .NC State . . .23 . . . 17 . . . 11 . . .19 . . . 8 . . .16 . . . 62
18 . . .Virginia 10 . . .18 . . . 23 . . . 21 . . .14 . . .X . . .44
19 . . .Notre Dame . . .20 . . .22 . . .22 . . .15 . . .17 . . . 19 . . .41
20 . . .Purdue . . .12 . . .X . . .19 . . .16 . . .24 . . .20 . . .39
21 . . .Wisconsin . . .25 . . .19 . . .13 . . .X . . .X . . .21 . . .26
22 . . .Arizona State . . .X . . . 14 . . .X . . .23 . . .20 . . . X . . .21
23 . . .Colorado State . . .18 . . .23 . . . X . . .20 . . .X . . .X . . .17
24 . . .Nebraska . . . X . . .X . . .X . . . X . . .X . . .12 . . .14
25 . . .Florida . . .X . . . 20 . . . X . . .X . . . 21 . . . X . . . 11

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