The Greek Sportsbook is currently offering college football game-day lines, as well as odds on the conference champions, season 'over/under' win totals and the winner of the Heisman trophy.
The SEC is a true power conference with two very balanced divisions that consist of some of the best teams in the country. SEC football is high quality, competitive and fast. The Greek gives you the outlook for all the teams in the highly rated Western division.
Auburn
This may have been the hottest team in the country at the end of last season. However, the Tigers then inexplicably lost to Wisconsin in their bowl game. The Tigers have national championship aspirations and could get there with a schedule that features eight home games. The key to the year is probably the four difficult road games. However, if a team wants to be a factor in the national championship, it needs to be able to handle Mississippi State, Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina. Running back Kenny Irons should have a wonderful year for the Tigers. He is big, fast and has game-breaking ability. Though Auburn lost some key talent on defense, the team usually just reloads.
Louisiana State
The Tigers of LSU are very talented and have a promising young coach. You can forgive the Tigers for their 2005 campaign due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Tigers lost some key practice time and had some travel altered due to Katrina. Eight home games await the Tigers this year, and that is the good news. However, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas are the four killer away games. The 2006 team has a talented QB in JaMarcus Russell, who should be a contender for conference Player of Year. The club also has loads of speed in key positions. If the road games are handled, this could be a special year for LSU.
Arkansas
Though the school lost its quarterback to the NFL, many fans believe that the incoming freshman may be an upgrade in talent. Freshman sensation Mitch Mustain ushers in what figures to be an outstanding college career. Arkansas catches a tough break by potentially losing RB Darren McFadden to injury. However, the team still has Felix Jones and Michael Smith to anchor an impressive running game. Houston Nutt needs a big year in Arkansas, and a nine-win season should not be out of the question.
Alabama
Everyone knows Shula is a coaching name. Unfortunately, the family success has been somewhat limited to Don Shula. Alabama hired Mike Shula, and it may turn out to be a great move. The Crimson Tide finished with a 10-2 record last season when Shula was able to put the pieces together on a senior-laden team. The schedule gets tougher this season, and the Crimson will be initiating a new quarterback and a very young defense. That probably means that the team is probably taking a step back before Shula is able to take a major step forward. The home schedule probably gets this team within eight wins.
Ole Miss
Interesting stuff happening for the Rebels this year as coach Ed Oregron has not been successful in turning the program around. Oregron made some coaching staff changes and acquired Brent Schaeffer through a transfer. Schaeffer was a highly recruited quarterback who played his freshman year at Tennessee and was anointed the Ole Miss starter immediately. Former Indiana running back BenJarvus Green will also be added to the Rebels backfield. The rugged SEC schedule probably will take its toll on Ole Miss, so a five-win season would be an improvement.
Mississippi State
The third year could be key for head coach Sylvester Crooms. The defense, which should be terrific, was the priority. The problem has been an offense that has averaged less than 14 PPG over the past two seasons. The Bulldogs have such a slim margin of error that the offense has not put Mississippi State in a position to win. The offense needs to improve immensely or the Bulldogs are stuck with a four-win season.
The key game in the Western division of the SEC occurs early in the season when LSU travels to Auburn on September 16. It's tough to believe that a game in mid-September can have such severe consequences for the fate of two teams, but that is SEC football. Auburn may be better equipped to handle the demands of the SEC, so key home games probably place those Tigers in the SEC championship game.
