Media Vote Gators the Favorite to Win SEC East

[Mr2Bits]

The SEC Media Days wrapped up in Birmingham with the Florida Gators being the odds on favorite to win the SEC East... but they didn't receive enough votes to bounce Alabama off of being the favorite to win the entire SEC. Still not bad considering the team lost like 10 starters, including Tim Tebow. It just goes to show how efficient Urban Meyer has been on the recruiting trail. This team is stocked at nearly every position.

For what it's worth, the media doesn't always come out with the right picks. The media correctly forecast Florida's championships in 1994, 1995 and 2008 and LSU's in 2007, but otherwise erred in its preseason prognostication each year since the SEC went to divisional play in 1992. On 11 of 18 occasions, the team picked to win the league didn't even reach the championship game.

SEC predictions

(Predicted order of finish in preseason media poll, with first-place votes in parentheses).

East

1. Florida (153) 1,030
2. Georgia (15) 791
3. South Carolina (8) 790
4. Kentucky 462
5. Tennessee 450
6. Vanderbilt (1) 194

West

1. Alabama (157) 1,034
2. Arkansas (6) 726
3. Auburn (10) 691
4. LSU (1) 653
5. Mississippi State 320
6. Ole Miss (3) 293

Votes to win SEC Championship Game: Alabama 143, Florida 17, Auburn 7, Arkansas 3, Georgia 2, Ole Miss 2, Kentucky 1, LSU 1, South Carolina 1.