I predict SEC football division standings. Long live the East and West! | Toppmeyer

• Georgia football is a national championship frontrunner. Texas isn't far behind.
• Lane Kiffin assembled his best roster ever. Good enough for Ole Miss to reach SEC Championship?
• Kalen DeBoer must plug a few soft spots on Alabama's defense.

SEC divisions are dead but not forgotten. At least, I can’t eradicate them from my head. If you’re around my age, you struggle to remember the SEC before divisions.

Continued SEC expansion made divisions unwieldy and created scheduling difficulties. Consider, Texas A&M entered the conference in 2012, and still Georgia has never played in College Station, Texas.

Eliminating divisions will shorten the time between matchups. Certain rivalries are in jeopardy, because the SEC’s future schedule format beyond the 2025 season remains unsettled. But, I expect the SEC to increase from eight to nine conference games at some point, perhaps as soon as 2026. That will allow for greater rivalry preservation.

As I consider 2024 SEC football predictions, I struggle to not think through the lens of divisions. Habits die hard.

So, for old times’ sake, here’s my SEC East and West pecking order, if divisions existed this season.

For the purposes of this exercise, I placed Oklahoma in the East and Texas in the West and marked them as interconference rivals.

Hypothetical SEC West predicted order of finish

1. Texas: If you’re a longtime SEC fan, you want to believe the Longhorns will struggle in their new digs. Counterpoint: Texas A&M went 11-2 in its first season in the SEC. The Longhorns are the SEC’s most-fortified team this side of Georgia.

2. Ole Miss: This is Lane Kiffin’s best team. His portal plunders improved the defense, and the offense remains in good hands. Plus, Nick Saban is out of the way.

3. Alabama: I’m less hung up on Alabama’s coaching transition – Kalen DeBoer is a winner – and more concerned about holes DeBoer must plug on defense. The offense should improve in quarterback Jalen Milroe’s second year as the starter.

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4. LSU: How do you replace the loss of quarterback Jayden Daniels? You don’t, but Garrett Nussmeier is a potential breakout star. He won’t lack for weapons. Bigger question: Will LSU's defense notably improve? It sure did a good job of hiding any improvement during the spring game.

5. Texas A&M: New coach Mike Elko retained enough of the talent Jimbo Fisher left behind to be competitive in his first season. Quarterback Conner Weigman (foot injury) must get healthy and produce. The defense is in good hands.

6. Auburn: I trust the Tigers enough in several areas, but, what about quarterback? Peyton Thorne returns as starter. He must be better for Auburn to improve on Hugh Freeze’s six-win debut.

7. Arkansas: The S.S. Pittman is going under, and I doubt offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino can save it any better than he did Fisher’s Aggies tenure.

8. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have their third coach in three seasons and underwent a lot of roster turnover. Expect first-year growing pains for Jeff Lebby.

Hypothetical SEC East predicted order of finish

1. Georgia: Star quarterback. Offensive weapons. Dependable offensive line. Talented defense. The Bulldogs are a national championship frontrunner.

2. Oklahoma: The Sooners’ first SEC schedule is a grind. They'll take some lumps. But, looking at this strictly through an SEC East lens, OU would be positioned to more than hold its own. This remains a solid program with a potential star quarterback in Jackson Arnold.

3. Tennessee: Speaking of star quarterbacks, get ready for Nico Iamaleava to take flight. Josh Heupel’s offense will be a monster. The defense remains more of a question, particularly with a new-look secondary.

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4. Missouri: The Tigers will miss star running back Cody Schrader and defensive coordinator Blake Baker (now at LSU), but they returned ample production, including the enviable combination of quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden III.

5. Florida: Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway’s tantalizing talents have Florida inching up my pecking order. Graham Mertz remains the starter, but Lagway adds a wrinkle. Florida’s schedule is brutal, but if the Gators faced their typical SEC East fare, Billy Napier would show a smidge of progress.

6. Kentucky: The Wildcats lost some notable production. They can elevate at quarterback with Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, but running back Ray Davis and wide receiver Tayvion Robinson are tough to replace for a 7-6 team.

7. South Carolina: Envision what the Gamecocks will look like without quarterback Spencer Rattler. I don’t like that vision. The Gamecocks need more transfer help, but top portal prizes are found in the winter, not the spring.

8. Vanderbilt: I don’t see a path out of the weeds for coach Clark Lea, but at least dual-threat transfer quarterback Nate Johnson adds an element of intrigue.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

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