Ten teams from the Southeastern Conference, including the entire roster of the West Division, sit among the top 27 teams in the preseason Associated Press poll. One can only imagine the embarrassment on the faces of Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, the only four SEC teams to not be judged among the elite in college football.
Despite the league's ongoing crisis of confidence — propelled by a two-year title drought — one thing remains obvious: The SEC's national reputation remains untarnished.
It always helps to have a sturdy excuse at arm's length.