Now that Bill’s studied every SEC team, here’s how he stacks them up. Also, here are some charts and stuff!

At the end of each conference previews run-through, I take a look at how I perceive the conference's balance of power heading into the season. This is in no way based on schedules, so they are not predictions. This is just how I would rank the teams after writing thousands of words about each of them. So far we’ve done the Sun Belt, C-USA, MAC, MWC, AAC, Big 12, Pac-12, Big Ten, and ACC.

It’s hard to feel too badly for the SEC whenever other fan bases and conferences send snark its way. The “SEC! SEC!” chants alone invite it, whenever a league team loses to someone from another league. And in 2016, there was a strong case that this was not the best conference.

But while there are ongoing questions about recent coaching hires and whether imitating Alabama coach Nick Saban is a smart way to beat Saban (hint: it’s not), part of the reason the SEC got caught last year was youth — at quarterback, in key coaching roles, and throughout depth charts. And if you don’t believe, just look at this year’s depth charts. They’re packed with all the experience last year’s lacked. With your national title favorite, two other contenders, and depth it hasn’t been able to boast for a couple of years, 2017’s SEC will likely come pretty close to living up to its self-made hype.

Bill C’s SEC power rankings

Here’s a link to every team’s data, and each team’s name below is linked to its preview.

Tier 1

1. Alabama

The Crimson Tide have a new offensive coordinator and lost perhaps more star power than normal from last year’s defense. They’re also still college football’s surest thing.

Tier 2

2. Auburn

3. LSU

Auburn has to prove that its defensive front can hold up as well as last year’s did; there are plenty of former star recruits up front, but there’s no Carl Lawson and no Montravius Adams. If the run defense remains strong, the Tigers have CFP potential.

We know LSU’s issues pretty well at this point, don’t we? If Ed Orgeron’s Bayou Bengals have a passing game, they could be fantastic. But that’s a mighty if.

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Tier 3

4. Georgia

5. Florida

6. Texas A&M

7. Mississippi State

8. Tennessee

9. Kentucky

10. Arkansas

There are 10 teams with legitimate top-25 potential. Not all 10 will play at a top-25 level, but each has an excellent case.

And man oh man, is it difficult to distinguish between Georgia and Florida at the moment. Massive upside? Check. A long list of questions to answer? Check.

Tier 4

11. Ole Miss

12. South Carolina

13. Missouri

14. Vanderbilt

The other reason why the SEC is probably the best conference in 2017: All 14 teams have legitimate top-50 potential. And the No. 11 team on this list probably has top-20 talent. Unless you’re Alabama or maybe Auburn/LSU, there will be few easy outs in SEC play.

How does S&P+ see things?

Here’s how my statistical system has the SEC laid out for 2017, with zero equating to an average FBS team. (You can find full 2017 S&P+ projections here.)

2017 projected standings (per S&P+)

Projected conference wins, with overall wins in parentheses.

West

Alabama 7.0 (10.7) LSU 5.2 (8.9) Auburn 4.9 (8.3) Texas A&M 3.6 (7.0) Ole Miss 3.5 (6.9) Arkansas 3.0 (6.3) Mississippi State 2.8 (6.0)

It’s not exactly USC in the Pac-12 South, but Alabama’s got a startlingly large projected lead on the field, considering there are two other projected top-10 teams in this division.

East

Florida 5.4 (8.2) Georgia 4.7 (7.4) Tennessee 3.8 (7.1) South Carolina 3.5 (5.9) Kentucky 3.4 (6.2) Missouri 2.8 (6.3) Vanderbilt 2.4 (5.0)

We only need a couple of upsets to get geared up for a seven-way tie at 4-4. Fingers crossed. Florida starts out with the projected advantage because of scheduling.

How these teams looked in 2016

The primary story line heading into last year was how many QBs this conference was replacing. But offense wasn’t necessarily the problem for a lot of SEC teams; plenty had an adjusted scoring average over 30 points per game. But 10 of 14 were also giving up at least 25 adjusted points per game. The defenses were young, too.

SEC offenses heading into 2017

Big-play ability was the separator last year. The range between the best and worst success rates in the conference was minuscule.

Best 2017 offensive players by team (best overall in bold):

Alabama: QB Jalen Hurts

Arkansas: QB Austin Allen

Auburn: OG Braden Smith

Florida: OG Martez Ivey

Georgia: RB Nick Chubb

Kentucky: RB Benny Snell

LSU: RB Derrius Guice

Mississippi State: QB Nick Fitzgerald

Missouri: RB Damarea Crockett

Ole Miss: OG Javon Patterson

South Carolina: WR Deebo Samuel

Tennessee: RB John Kelly

Texas A&M: RB Trayveon Williams

Vanderbilt: RB Ralph Webb

Okay, fine, Jarrett Stidham should probably be the guy mentioned for Auburn. But he’s a transfer, and I just wanted to note that Braden Smith is one hell of a mauler.

Regardless, in a conference loaded with good running backs, one in particular stands out.

Derrius Guice

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

SEC defenses

You had bend-don’t-break defenses, you had exciting, attacking defenses ... and you had a few straight-up bad ones, too.

Best 2017 defensive players by team (best overall in bold):

Alabama: S Minkah Fitzpatrick

Arkansas: DE McTelvin Agim

Auburn: CB Carlton Davis

Florida: DE Cece Jefferson

Georgia: DT Trenton Thompson

Kentucky: LB Jordan Jones

LSU: DE/LB Arden Key

Mississippi State: LB/NB J.T. Gray

Missouri: DE Marcell Frazier

Ole Miss: DE Marquis Haynes

South Carolina: LB Bryson Allen-Williams

Tennessee: DT Kendal Vickers

Texas A&M: DT Zaycoven Henderson

Vanderbilt: LB Oren Burks

There are lots of front-seven guys on this list, but a safety leads the way.

Minkah Fitzpatrick (29)

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images