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Jesse Palmer: 11 ‘legitimate contenders’ in SEC

By Patrick Schmidt

May 21, 2014; New York, NY, USA; SEC Network analyst Jesse Palmer arrives for the 2014 Sports Business Awards at the New York Marriott Marquis. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2014; New York, NY, USA; SEC Network analyst Jesse Palmer arrives for the 2014 Sports Business Awards at the New York Marriott Marquis. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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When making preseason predictions for conference champions, especially in the Southeastern Conference you can limit your picks to a handful of perennial powers, but ESPN’s Jesse Palmer who will be part of the new SEC Network tells Paul Finebaum on his radio show today that he believes there are 11 legitimate contenders to win the SEC this year.

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Auburn and Missouri came out of nowhere to surprise even the most die-hard fans of each program to claim the West and East divisions last year with Auburn defeating Missouri in the SEC Championship Game, so there is an argument to be made that teams from the middle of the conference like Ole Miss and Mississippi State could break through and pass Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn in an absolute dream season in the West.

Of course, the likes of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida are always going to be in the conversation to win the conference, even coming off a 4-8 season like the Gators had last year, you can’t rule them out with the talent they have on that roster. Missouri could take a step back this season after losing so much on offense and defense, but you’d have to think that is one of Palmer’s 11 teams.

That brings us to 10 teams out of the 14-member conference.

UPDATE:

Let’s just assume that Kentucky and Arkansas are non-contenders this season, so that leaves us with either Tennessee or Vanderbilt as the 11th team in Palmer’s mind who can be a legit contender to win the conference.

It may be a stretch to envision either of these programs contending for the SEC title this season since Vanderbilt has a new coach and questions at quarterback and Tennessee has no returning starters on the offensive or defensive line and they have questions of their own at quarterback.

The 11 may be a bit high, but certainly you can make a case for the SEC to be as competitive and open as its been in recent years as neither team looks to be without flaws, especially with so many teams breaking in new starting quarterbacks.

How many legitimate contenders do you see in the SEC?

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