It’s tough to argue against the Southeastern Conference as the best in college football.
The last five national champions have hailed from the league, and seven of the 12 teams reached the eight-win mark last year.
Entering the 2011 season, eight schools are featured in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches preseason top-25 polls.
So what makes the SEC so good? A quick look around the conference shows one consistency – the running backs.
“You don’t see too many players as big and fast and strong and have the same combination of speed and power to be able to move the way they do in the SEC,” said Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower at SEC Media Days. “It’s tough and it’s kind of hard to prepare. You see competition like this in the SEC each and every week. Different guys come in with different vibes and different breaks. It’s fun for the fantastic.”
Richardson and South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore received preseason First-Team All-SEC accolades, and both names have been tossed around in early Heisman Trophy talks.
Lattimore said he’s “proud to be an SEC running back” and added a lofty set of goals to his preseason hype.
“I want to get more yards than I did last year, and I want to win the Heisman,” Lattimore said. “I walk by George Rogers’ Heisman trophy every day. It’s something I dream about and to bring another one to the University of South Carolina would be that.”
Tennessee running back Tauren Poole, who ranked sixth in the conference last season with 1,034 yards, missed out on preseason All-SEC honors, falling behind Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard, Auburn duo Onterrio McCalebb and Michael Dyer, Florida tailback Jeff Demps and Arkansas running back Knile Davis.
Davis led all tailbacks with 1,322 rushing yards last year, but is expected to miss all of the 2011 season after suffering a left ankle injury in scrimmage two weeks ago.
“It’s very competitive,” Poole said at SEC Media Days. “I watch everybody that I compete against – every single running back. A lot of those guys are great running backs, and they bring a lot to the table. I definitely love the competition in this league because it makes us all