Okay, so I'm just kicking back on vacation, leafing through this year's Athlon. They have Tennessee ranked 20th.
Okay. LSU is 3rd, Florida is 6th, and Georgia is 16th.
All right. Hawaii is 19th.
Well, then. Somebody at Athlon doesn't think Tennessee will be very good this year.
Or do they? On their SEC page, they rank each team's units as follows:
|
QB
|
RB
|
WR/TE
|
OL
|
DL
|
LB
|
DB
|
|
| Alabama | 7 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Arkansas | 10 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| Auburn | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
| Florida | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 7 |
| Georgia | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 9 |
| LSU | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Mississippi State | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
| Ole Miss | 12 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Vanderbilt | 5 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 8 |
The Vols' worst unit is 6th out of 12 in the SEC. Florida has two units ranked first, but they have four units ranked 6th or worse. Georgia has one unit ranked 2nd and three units ranked 8th or worse. So let's reorder this puppy by average unit ranking, which Athlon doesn't do:
|
QB
|
RB
|
WR/TE
|
OL
|
DL
|
LB
|
DB
|
Average
|
|
| LSU | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.285714 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3.714286 |
| Florida | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 5.428571 |
| Georgia | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 5.571429 |
| Alabama | 7 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 5.714286 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 6.285714 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 6.285714 |
| Arkansas | 10 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 6.428571 |
| Vanderbilt | 5 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 6.714286 |
| Auburn | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 7.285714 |
| Ole Miss | 12 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10.28571 |
| Mississippi State | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Tennessee is suddenly first in the East and closer to first-place LSU than to second-place Florida.
So what gives?