So, LSU has a 51% chance to win the West

[ranchreb]

and Bama a 23% chance, If I remembered the numbers right. Auburn was picked to win it last year and I think Ole Miss was picked to finish 4th or lower. LSU has the highest number of returning starters so that makes sense but I've seen no other media prediction of LSU over Bama. I haven't seen Phil steele's prediction yet. He normally goes by # of returning starters though. He has publicly stated Bama, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee are the four best teams in the SEC.

 

[BlindsideHeckler]

Sounds like the media isn't buying what Ole Miss fans are selling.

 

[Bill_D]

and Bama a 23% chance, If I remembered the numbers right. Auburn was picked to win it last year and I think Ole Miss was picked to finish 4th or lower. LSU has the highest number of returning starters so that makes sense but I've seen no other media prediction of LSU over Bama. I haven't seen Phil steele's prediction yet. He normally goes by # of returning starters though. He has publicly stated Bama, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee are the four best teams in the SEC.

The last time I looked at Vegas, which was not recently, AL is a 3 point dog to LSU, mainly because the game is in BR. IMO LSU will only beat AL if our QB is signicantly better. AL by a big margin is still the most talented team in the country though LSU has made a significant move up this year.

 

[JPelham]

The last time I looked at Vegas, which was not recently, AL is a 3 point dog to LSU, mainly because the game is in BR. IMO LSU will only beat AL if our QB is signicantly better. AL by a big margin is still the most talented team in the country though LSU has made a significant move up this year.

QB play is usually central--if you'd had a threat at QB last year, you'd have been very, very good. Auburn started badly at QB and never quite recovered. SEC talent is so stocked in the west that expectations and outcomes cannot possibly match, and might not even for Alabama.